Shakespeare in Canada Essay example -- William Shakespeare

Shakespeare in My Canada If you ask my dad about Shakespeare, he will quote you a soliloquy from Macbeth. If you ask my dad about Kathakali, he will instantly quote you a poetic epic from the Mahabharata. If you ask my dad about how Shakespeare and Kathakali fit together, in truth, he is not quite sure. I was not sure of the reasons myself, when I first started thinking about what Shakespeare in my Canada meant to me, why I immediately thought of Kathakali. Kathakali is an indigenous art form of Kerala, the southernmost state of India, and my father's home. It is an extremely expressive form of dance-drama, originally performed to tell the stories of the major Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. In recent years, there have been attempts in both India and Canada to adapt Shakespearean works to the Kathakali form, with varying degrees of success. Through exploration of two such attempts, as well as brief examination of critical responses to them, I would argue that Kathakali is in fact a viable form through which Shakespearean works can be adapted in a Canadian and/or post-colonial context. As we all know, Shakespeare himself based many of his plays on already existing plays and stories. It is fitting then that "Shakespeare's works have, from their inception, been both the product and the source of an ongoing explosion of re-creation" (Fischlin, 1). As a country once colonized by the British, Canada is especially familiar with Shakespeare's near-universal power to lend a sense of cultural authenticity to any setting, be it school-house stage, or tavern theatre. Today, despite being more than a century past 2 its colonial days, Canada is still struggling to define itself as a nation. Although we ma... ...one with great potential to open new artistic doors in both Canada and India in the future. 6 Works Cited Fischlin, Daniel and Mark Fortier. "General Introduction." Adaptations of Shakespeare. Eds. Daniel Fischlin and Mark Fortier. London: Routledge, 2000. Khandwani, Sudha. "A Century of Indian Dance." Kala Nidhi Fine Arts of Canada. Available: . 2005. Raina, Arjun. Arjun Raina. Available: . 2004. 7 Appendix Image 1 Annette Leday performing "Stuff of Dreams" at Kala Nidhi Toronto, 2004 Available from ________________________________________________________________________ Image 2 Arjun Raina performing his KhelKali adaptation of Othello at Leela a Elahi Delhi, 1997 Available from

Marxism, Crime and Deviant Behaviour Essay

When looking into the sociology of crime and deviance it is near impossible to avoid countless references back to Marxism, a theory which looks at society from a conflict perspective. * This particular theory argues that the ruling classes which we have come to know as the bourgeoisie use the agencies of the state (the political system, police force, criminal justice courts etc) to exert control over the proletariat. This changes the agencies of the state into agents of repression. * Society’s norms and values stem from those of the rich and powerful and primarily serve their interests. * These norms are then forced onto the poorer/weaker members of society, the values of which tend to be exploitative of these groups. * What is considered criminal and deviant behaviour within society as far as Marxism is concerned has been decided by the rich and the powerful. The laws in any given society can clearly reflect this point. * In recent capitalist societies norms and values of the bourgeoisie succeed and are effectively imposed on the proletariat. This is reflected in the laws and rules of a capitalist society in various forms. * A number of sociologists would argue that an example of the laws reflecting the norms imposed by the bourgeoisie is evident within society as a result of the amount of laws which concern or address the issues of property in capitalist societies. This point puts emphasis on importance of owning private property as a basis of wealth. Taking these points into consideration we can deduct that Marxism’s strengths include its ability to analyse crime and deviant behaviour as originating from the economic structures of society as it includes the relationship between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Marxism makes it clear that criminal behaviour isn’t just an issue concerning the poorer classes of society but also those higher up the social and economic ladder. These crimes are commonly known as white collar crimes, Marxism makes it evident that this type of crime can be equally if not more damaging to society than the more common examples of working class crimes such as burglary, assault etc. A weakness of Marxism is that it is often criticised for over-emphasising the economy as the biggest, if not main cause of crime and deviant behaviour. An example of this is feminists being critical of Marxism for failing to explain or recognise gender as a factor. It is also greatly criticised for ignoring ethnicity and race as factors.

Examples Of Characterization In The Crucible - 724 Words

Have you ever heard of the play The Crucible? If you haven’t, you should read it because it contains good examples of characterization. Characterization is how the author reveals a character to the readers. There would be no story without characterization. There are two different ways an author can do this, either directly or indirectly. Direct characterization is when the author tells the readers directly what a character is like. This helps because the readers don’t have to make inferences about the characters like they have to if the author uses indirect characterization. That is when the author tells the readers what a character is like through what their relationships with others are like, what they say to others, what things they†¦show more content†¦A different example of his characterization is when Reverend Hale came to the Proctor’s house to gather his own opinion of them. He asked them why they haven’t been in church. Proctor said that he didn’t like Reverend Parris and that’s why he doesn’t go to church. The bigger reason why he didn’t go to church was the fact that Abigail went to church and he didn’t want to be reminded of his sin. Later, Reverend Parris ask ed John to recite the Ten Commandments, and he failed. Reverend Hale now knew that John Proctor was not as religious as he claimed to be. This shows that John Proctor tried to hide his sins under his reputation as a good Christian. Characterization also reveals the subtext, or underlying meanings in literature. It does this by revealing what the character is like and what their motives are. Over the plot of the story, more characteristics are found out about the characters and you can figure out why the characters are doing what they are doing. Characterization in The Crucible helped reveal the subtext that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The direct characterization of Abigail Williams proves that you can’t assume someones feelings just by the way the look. Since Abigail was good at concealing her true feelings, you can’t assume that the feeling she shows is the one she is actually feeling. The indirect characterization of John Proctor proves that you can’t think someone is innocent just because of theirShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1681 Words   |  7 Pagesof their way to the last dying breath to make sure they leave with a good or bad reputation. In one of the recent literature study in class â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, Miller uses characterization to illustrate reputation throughout the play. â€Å"The Crucible† takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. It is based upon the Salem witch trails. In â€Å"The Crucible†, we journey through the life of three characters who reputations plays a major role in the play. The three characters are John Proctor, AbigailRead MoreThe Crucible Critical Lens Essay866 Words   |  4 Pages22 November 2014 The Crucible Critical Lens Essay As Vladimir Lenin once stated, â€Å"A lie told often enough becomes truth.† This quote indicates that if you constantly repeat a lie, eventually people will come to believe it. I definitely agree with Lenin. A lie won’t stay a secret forever. Lenin’s quote remains true and evident in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible. There are many characters Miller uses to prove this quote true through the literary elements Characterization, Theme, and SettingRead MoreThe Crucible Compare And Contrast Essay1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe Crucible is play by Arthur Miller, made in 1953 and it is about a fictional story of The Salem witch trials that occurred in the late 1600’s. The film, The Crucible, was made in 1996, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and was made to show Millers work on the big screen so it could appeal to the new generation. The film and the text, The Crucible, have numerous similarities, yet in addition the movie will give you a better underst anding of Arthur Millers work. Characterization in the play and inRead MoreThe Hands Of An Angry God1627 Words   |  7 Pagesand The Crucible Essay Two coarse yet uniquely fragile societies, three hundred years apart, devoured by individual ideologies that permeated belief systems, that blinded, deafened, and muted citizens, and that ultimately led to gruesome hysteria. â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†, written by Jonathan Edwards in the mid-1700’s, is a sermon directed to a Puritan congregation urging with orthodox fervor for transgressors to repent. Arthur Miller wrote the allegorical play The Crucible in 1953Read MoreCharacterization Of The Crucible757 Words   |  4 PagesShadman Raakin Ms. Brayer American Lit. 11 October 2017 Title In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses the characterization of Abigail Williams, Thomas Putnam, and Governor Danforth, to show how people protect themselves during times of hysteria, which helps to continue the chaos that broke throughout Salem. Miller shows the importance of maintaining values and principles in order help end the chaos. Miller connects The Crucible with the events of the witch hunts from the 1690s where citizens were accusedRead MoreJohn Proctor s Death : Tragedy Or Rightful Death?1378 Words   |  6 PagesMarcella Parisi English II Honors Period 7 Ms. Meola The Crucible Essay John Proctor’s Death: Tragedy or Rightful Death? The trait of pride as a major character flaw has been an ever-growing characteristic that authors have incorporated into the characterization of characters since the ancient Greeks. The Crucible presents one of the main characters John Proctor, a tragic hero, one who believes in honor and integrity, but with one flaw. That flaw that he has proves fatal. The entirety of theRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1483 Words   |  6 PagesAlaysia Lewis Powell Pre AP English 20 April 2015 The Crucible Research Paper The play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, withholds many conflicts that arise resulting in many themes as well. Such as weight, Reputation, and Good vs. Evil. These themes form from the Salem witch trials. Repeatedly people become accused of witchcraft, throughout the play this continues to drag out due to the people of Salem’s accusations and deceit for one another. The play continues to move to a tense and movingRead MoreMccarthyism In The Crucible1743 Words   |  7 PagesIn Arthur Miller s powerful play The Crucible, written in 1953 as a allegory and metaphor for the McCarthy hearings on communism in America, the idea of conscience is greatly emphasized in many of the main characters. Arthur Miller wrote the play The Crucible in response to the red scare of the 1950’s, in which he was was condemned for disrespect disapproval of the United States Congress for being unsuccessful in naming numerous individuals who had attended meetings with him. In a bid to notRead MoreThe Crucible Comparison741 Words   |  3 PagesThe film version of The Crucible depicts the play achieving several depth by depth characteristics that are very similar to the play. The film The Crucible (1996) is introduced chronologically, comparing side by side it is very exact to that of the play. This whole film is based on one simple element and that is witchcraft, the Salem Witch Trials which killed 19 innocent lives who were believed to be associated with the Devil, and believed they were witches that had the ability to fly wherever andRead MoreTok Essay Art Is a Lie That Brings Us Nearer to the Truth (Pablo Picasso)900 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent areas of philosophy that also inc ludes the artistic processes and the theatrical approaches to create plays and dramatic pieces. It is commonly known that theatre is mostly connected to political or spiritual ideologies. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, takes a historical fact and turns into a political play based on the Salem witch trials; can the truth be seen in this play? Yes, mostly because of the main historical debate described in the play involving Wiccan cult versus Christianity and it