Intro to lit questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intro to lit questions - Essay Example Each of the answers he suggests have different effects, suggesting that the individual might become these things – hollow and dry like a raisin, deeply bitter and resentful like the sore, constantly hounded by it as by a strong smell, weighted down by it as with a heavy load or incapable of functioning. There are numerous political and societal values found throughout many of Shakespeare’s plays that should be considered as one reads the plays. For example, the concept of women’s role in life during Shakespeare’s time must be considered in order to better understand the character Ophelia in Hamlet. Women in Victorian England were very restricted. Their realm was exclusively in the house and their actions were ruled by the important men in their lives, first their fathers and brothers, then their husbands and finally their sons if/when their husbands passed away. Living in the court as Ophelia did, she also had an equally strong duty to obey the wishes of the royal family. Understanding this role in life, it is easier to understand why she was driven mad by the actions of Hamlet. In attempting to be the ideal woman of Shakespeare’s era, she was given several equally weighty directives (presumably to encourage Hamlet to begin with, then to refute Hamlet, t hen to encourage him again) that required her to act in opposing ways at the same time that her emotions for Hamlet were thrown into a completely separate tailspin as he first seems to like her, then hates her, then likes her again. In Alice Walker’s short story â€Å"Everyday Use†, the main theme is cultural identity, but several other themes are present as well, such as mother/daughter relationships, sibling issues and urban vs. rural values. This makes the story more universal because there are numerous ways by which readers can relate to the story regardless of their personal backgrounds.