John Gay s The Beggar s Opera - 1224 Words

Wrought with double irony and an overall sense of mock-pastoral, English playwright John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728) expresses the ironic dynamic between the central characters Macheath and Peachum. Even the names of the characters comically resemble their occupations within the play, Peachum’s being a play on the word â€Å"peach† which means to bring one to trial, while Macheath’s meaning â€Å"son of heath† and being a play on the heaths of London, which were prime places for highwaymen (Tillotson et al.). While Gay used both characters as a political satire towards Jonathan Wild and the then Prime Minister Robert Walpole (after all, The Beggar’s Opera was a political satire first and a potential literary commentary second), they also mocked the traditional roles of hero and villain by switching their positions in an ironic fashion. Throughout the play, Peachum expresses how, despite his rather nefarious act of â€Å"peaching † criminals, he does not view himself as a villain. Rather, he views himself as a tragic hero, reigning high above the cheats of the world and putting them in their rightful place: whether it be the gallows or under his thumb. Such a concept creates the second layer of irony, the first being that, conventionally, Peachum fits many of the characteristics of a tragic hero. He conscientiously sees what he his doing as righteous—a trait of the pastoral hero. Within the first scene of the play, Peachum compares his occupation of peaching to a lawyer’s, bothShow MoreRelatedJohn Gays Use of Music for Satire in The Beggars Opera Essay2436 Words   |  10 PagesJohn Gays Use of Music for Satire in The Beggars Opera John Gay=s The Beggar=s Opera is a rather complex work, despite its apparent simplicity. Critics have interpreted it variously as political satire, moral satire, even (at a stretch) Christian satire. Common to many interpretations is the assertion that the Opera is a satire directed at both the politics and the art of its day. A fairly conventional interpretation of the play and its composition showsRead MoreThe Multiculturalism of London: Perceptions of Five Authors4563 Words   |  18 Pagesfive authors, i.e. Zadie Smith, Charles dickens, Daniel Defoe, John Gay and Ben Jonson and their separate views about London. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 4 The Ben Jonsons Bartholomew Fair (Fayre) 4 The Social Unifier Depicted by the Fair 5 The Fair and the Social Identity 6 The Bartholomew Fair of Jonson and Social Identity 6 The John Gays The Beggars Opera 8 The Slums of London 9 The Plots of Opera 10 The Daniel Defoes Journal of a Plague Year 10 In

Comparison Between Beowulf And King Lear Essay - 2229 Words

Both Beowulf and King Lear give viewpoints of varying types of kingship at drastically different eras of Britain’s life. In the case of the former, the anonymous author portrays a war-oriented culture focused on ideals of bravery and heroism. In the second, Shakespeare presents a view of a much more aristocratic society, deeply rooted in ideals of nobility and politics. Throughout both texts, however, there is a focus laid out on the idea of what makes a good king – or, in the case of Edmund, nobleman and leader. By examining four characters from within the two texts with this theme in mind, it becomes possible to discern the style of kingship each represents as well as the opinions that the author of each text is trying to encourage based on their portrayal of said character. The ideal discussed in the case of King Lear takes two different forms: Lear and Edmund. While both discuss the idea of kingship as an inherited right, Lear exists in a set of conditions which are much less critical of this particular view. In his case, the focus is on entitlement and respect, as well as the idea that authority is a positive-sum system. In other words, one person’s gain of power does not require a definite loss on another’s behalf. The result of this is that every nobleman inherits a portion of kingship and respect depending on his position, and, by virtue of this very position, the owner of this power is granted an immediate authority which cannot be questioned. This can be seen, forShow MoreRelatedThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesenrich Shakespeare’s use of a traditional form enrich Shakespeare’s use of a traditional form? Literary Terms Elements of Poetry Poetry is a literary form characterized by a strong sense of rhythm and meter and an emphasis on the interaction between sound and sense. The study of the elements of poetry is called prosody. For an in-depth explanation of poetry and poetic forms, see the Poetry Spark Chart.    Rhythm and Meter Rhythm and meter are the building blocks of poetry. Rhythm is the patternRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagescentury when the concept of â€Å"childhood† was philosophically created. Childrens literature comprises those texts that have been written specifically for children and those texts that children have selected to read on their own, and the boundaries between childrens literature and adult literature are surprisingly fluid. John Rowe Townsend once argued that the only practical definition of a childrens book is one that appears on the childrens list by a publisher. Contemporary publishers are not making

Gettysburg (449 words) Essay Example For Students

Gettysburg (449 words) Essay GettysburgThe Battle of GettysburgDamon Pisani Grade 74/21/99 Mrs. PignatoTable of Contents1. Outline2. Introduction3. Text/The Body4. Conclusion. 5. List of illustrations6. Appendix7. BibliographyOutlineGenerals-North, Meade-South, LeeCharges-Pickets ChargeArmies-South, 65,000-North,85,000Strategies-South tried to get to Washington to cut the rail lines and take over the capital-North-To intercept the south to stop the invasionIntroductionThe Battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle of the civil war and, also the largest battle ever fought in the western hemisphere. Many people died during this fight. If you were in it you had a one out of three chance of either being killed, captured, or wounded. The Battle of Gettysburg is considered by most historians the turning point of the Civil War. It lasted July first through the third, eighteen sixty three. LeadersThe two generals of the armies were General George C. Meade, leader of the North army and General Robert E. Lee. Other important leaders were General Hancock, of the North. General John Buffered. For the south, General James Longstreet and Richard Ewell. Start of the BattleThings were going bad for the south because General Grant put a siege on Vicksburg, Mississippi. If Vicksburg surrendered the North would control the Mississippi and the South would be cut in half. Lees strategy was to invade the North to draw troops away from Vicksburg and to try to get to Washington and capture it. General Meade knew that Lee was somewhere in the north but not exactly where. Lee knew that Meade was looking for his army but he didnt where Meade was. On the morning of July first by chance. The North came to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania from south and the South came in from the north. It started as a small battle and soon the North was outnumbered. Reinforcements came for both sides. The North had over 85,000 troops and the South had 65,000. The battle started outside of town. General Buford and his Calvary tried to hold of the South but they had to retreat into the town because there were so many Southerners. The first reinforcements to arrive were lead by General Renalds but he was shot in the head shortly after he arrived. This was a great loss to the North because he was a very popular and important general. By the end of the first day things got very bad for the North and they had to retreat all the way through the town. The North searched for a good place to defend themselves an d found it. It was called Cemetary Hill. The South also found a good position at Seminary Ridge. The south won the first days battle. Day TwoHistory Essays

What Does Extracurricular Activities Schools Can Be Beneficial, Right examples Essay Example For Students

What Does Extracurricular Activities? Schools Can Be Beneficial, Right? examples Essay We all believe that extracurricular activities in schools can be beneficial, right? In schools, we currently have optional extracurricular courses such as football, art, music, and more. We also have mandatory health and health science courses such as physical education and health and nutrition. Why is physical education a required course and music only an extra curricular activity? Research clearly shows that learning to play an instrument is greatly benefitting our students in the same way that physical education is having a positive impact on them. Why would we, by not requiring middle school students to take a music course, refrain from even more advancement, and withhold the help we could easily give. I propose that we make music a mandatory course in middle school. We will write a custom essay on What Does Extracurricular Activities? Schools Can Be Beneficial, Right? examples specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There has been extensive research on how music affects the brain, and results show that the brain develops more connections and matures better if the individual learns to play an instrument. There are a few oppositions to this argument that I will address, but after considering them all, I still hold strongly to the belief that everyone in middle school should learn to play an instrument.Some avid sports fans and other individuals oppose this idea, believing that playing sports is better than playing an instrument. While it is true that physical activity is highly beneficial not only for us physically, but also for us mentally, learning to play an instrument benefits us in countless ways. There was a study done that showed increased executive function when individuals exercised. An article discussing the study defined executive function as, â€Å"skills important for planning and organizing, focusing on schoolwork, resisting impulses, self-monitoring and us. .n. Additionally, except in extreme cases of paralysis, everyone possesses the capability to learn to play an instrument, whether it is something that comes easily to them or not. While some instruments and lessons can be pricy, individuals can choose an instrument to fit their price range and look for good deals online. Also, the lessons will be provided by the school so individuals will not have to pay that expense. Finally, one of the main reasons that we should have every middle school student learn to play an instrument is to increase their neuroplasticity, so they can continue to learn and acquire new skills and information. Whether you are a dancer or football player, handicapped or well equipped, whether you live in a multi-million dollar home or an old shack on the outskirts of town, if you are in middle school, learning to play an instrument is for you.