English Literature Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

27201 total results

The Transformation of the Character of Macbeth in Act Five of Macbeth, a Play by William Shakespeare (596 words, 2 pages)

MacbethDuring Act Five of William Shakespeares Macbeth, a sudden change occurs in the title character and his portrayal in the play. While for most of the play Macbeth has been a villain protagonist, during Act Five we see his transformation into a more traditional tragic hero, a generally good person ... Read More

The Different Symbols Used by George Orwell in the Novel 1984 (1720 words, 5 pages)

In stories, authors use small details to represent significant things throughout the whole story, it could be a lock of hair, a piece of jewelry or even a small piece of dust. These small details may occur more than once in each chapter of the book maybe even some unnoticeable ... Read More

Sherlock Holmes as an Imitation of Doctor Joseph Bell (1918 words, 10 pages)

Sherlock HolmesIt has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, said Basil Rathbones Holmes in the 1944 movie The Pearl of Death. The worlds most famous fictional detective would know. Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed character of all time, with over 200 actors playing him in ... Read More

The Toxic Nature of Class and Power in Hamlet, a Play by William Shakespeare (878 words, 3 pages)

Class and Power in HamletIn the time of Shakespeare, society was stratified to the extreme, with little to no opportunity to socially advance beyond the position into which you were born. People were painfully aware of the part they played in the complex social hierarchy, and some would do anything ... Read More

The Motivation to Lie in Heart of Darkness, a Novel by Joseph Conrad (998 words, 3 pages)

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness is written as an unnamed persons narration of the protagonists monologue the unknown narrator retold Marlows speech detailing a period of time he had spent exploring the Congo and the consequences of imperialistic rule. Marlow had an audience of four, including the unnamed narrator, though ... Read More

The Guilty Conscience of Lady Macbeth From the Play Macbeth by William Shakespeare (937 words, 6 pages)

Macbeth is a tragedy, about a man named Macbeth whose ambition for power becomes his obsession. His wife, Lady Macbeth was the spark to his ambitious flame, her thoughts and encouragement led her down a path of uncontrollable guilt. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were in too deep, they both did ... Read More

The Night That Was Unlike Any Other I’ve Experienced (420 words, 2 pages)

The night that was never like the rest It was the beginning of October and the countdown started for Halloween. My cousin finally moved down the Jacksonville FL with me and I was super excited. After I finished helping her unpack we started with the basics. I showed her around ... Read More

Irony, Flashback, and Comparison in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley (328 words, 1 pages)

Literary Devices In FrankensteinIn the scene where Victor has just completed his creation of the monster and it comes to life, its gruesome appearance horrifies him. In this particular scene we can find a few key literary devices that are being used irony, flashback, and comparison. The irony Usually, after ... Read More

Lady Macbeth as a Foul Character in Macbeth, a Play by William Shakespeare (481 words, 2 pages)

Lady Macbeth Foul or Fair?The play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, opens with three witches chanting Fair is foul and foul is fair(I,i,11). This theme is present throughout the story in characters and events. A character who carries this theme prevalently is Lady Macbeth. She appears fair but is actually quite ... Read More

The Evaluation of Social Class in the Victorian Era in Jane Eyre, a Novel by Charlotte Bronte (752 words, 3 pages)

Jane Eyres Social Class Self-EvaluationThe strict class structure of Victorian England is clearly present in the lives of Jane Eyres characters. Every mannerism and action of the characters is governed by the higher power that is social class. There is, however, an exception to the strict social class, which is ... Read More

The Negative Consequences of Man’s Pursuit of Knowledge in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley (1893 words, 6 pages)

What is the tipping point between right and wrong? It is hard for one to distinguish between the two because every individual, generation, and society has its different morals and ethics. Most societies can agree that stealing, cheating, lying, and so forth, are all wrong. However we must ponder whether ... Read More

An Allegory for the Ongoing Power Struggle in the 1930’s in America in Native Son, a Novel by Richard Wright (1411 words, 4 pages)

How Native Son Acts as an Allegory for AmericaLiterature is a struggle over the nature of reality (227)Native Son by Richard Wright, packs an overwhelming amount of emotion and controversy into a small novel enough to make an impact on the narrow-minded and prejudiced point of views of the 1940s. ... Read More

The Ups and Downs in the Life of Jane in Jane Eyre, a Novel by Charlotte Bronte (810 words, 3 pages)

AP QuestionIn Jane Eyre, Bront describes the battle between following the responsibilities of society and following one's personal wants over the span of Jane Eyres life. Jane lived during a time in which women were brought up to follow the path society has laid out in front of them. Because ... Read More

The Oppression of Women in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and 1984 by George Orwell (331 words, 2 pages)

Oppression of WomenOppression of women has been an addressed in many pieces of literature in the 20th century. From Ibsens A Dolls House to Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and even in some parts of Orwells 1984, womens oppression is extremely evident. And to think, it all started where? In Ibsens ... Read More

The Irony in the Story of The Rocking-Horse Winner, a Short Story by D.H. Lawrence (386 words, 2 pages)

The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. LawrenceThe Rocking-Horse Winner shows irony. Especially at the end, the reader is hit with a twist that makes the whole story, all the more ironic. In, The Rocking-Horse Winner, Paul wishes to receive love from his mother by giving the luck that his father didn't ... Read More

The Soliloquies in Macbeth, a Play by William Shakespeare (461 words, 2 pages)

Macbeth Soliloquies EssayThe soliloquies Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Is this a dagger I see before me?, have monologues that not only connect to the plot but to the greater theme of the play as well. In the soliloquy Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow Macbeth discusses the untimely death of his wife Lady ... Read More

The Psychology and Mental Stability of the Monster in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley (1025 words, 5 pages)

The Psychology of Frankensteins CreatureFrankenstein is an iconic, one-of-a-kind sci-fi horror novel that birthed a whole new genre of novel. Frankenstein has been adapted into numerous movies, tv shows, and spin off books. The book itself illustrates the life and unfortunate circumstances that a scientist and the living being he ... Read More

Validating a Woman’s Position in the World and Her Quest for Knowledge and Freedom In “The Rainbow”, a Novel by D.H. Lawrence (1367 words, 4 pages)

In this passage of D.H. Lawrences novel, The Rainbow, Lawrence brings to life a woman and her current predicament in her household. He describes a woman confined to a rural community, yearning to explore beyond the world she currently exists in. Instead she views a metropolis, a magic land to ... Read More

The Supernatural Element Used in Macbeth, a Play by William Shakespeare (1560 words, 5 pages)

Back in the day, people believed in monsters. Not just the boogie man that was under your bed when the lights went off, or Dracula, or even that terrifying clown that children will swear is actually the devilactual monsters. They also believed in magic. Monsters and magic and evil, oh ... Read More

The Warnings in Dreams, Nature, and Prophecies in Julius Caesar, a Play by William Shakespeare (1052 words, 4 pages)

Warnings are essential in knowing what goes on in the world. Sometimes, there are warnings, and if people were to heed those warnings, maybe the world would be better off. A brutal storm may not be the clearest of warnings specifically linked to an event about an ordinary person, but ... Read More

Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra: A Debate Over Cleopatra’s and Antony’s Relationship (1181 words, 4 pages)

Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra has sparked debates between critics for centuries. A tragic love story, in which the protagonists die triumphant, after relishing in their true and constructive relationship against the odds? Or the story of Egypts greatest temptress whose seductive ways lead both herself, and Romes greatest military leader ... Read More

The Form of Foreshadowing in the Play Macbeth by William Shakespeare (512 words, 2 pages)

MacbethMacbeth by William Shakespeare is a great work that is equal parts intelligent and entertaining. Shakespeare does a spectacular job teaching his audience morals while keeping them interested in the actual story. Though the play is full of many great characteristics, some characteristics that stand out are Shakespeares foreshadowing, insight, ... Read More

The Life of Jane Austen a Classic English Writer (462 words, 2 pages)

Jane Austen, born December 16, 1775, is a classic writer known throughout the world for her works. She was born and raised at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire. She was educated at home with her parents other live-in pupils. Austen had many siblings and they all influence her greatly. Through her ... Read More

The Celebration of the Improvement of Knowledge in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley (938 words, 3 pages)

Shelley wrote Frankenstein on the back of a century of scientific innovation that inspired a belief in the liberation of mankind, culminating in the French Revolution, and subsequent terror. The novel both celebrates the progress of knowledge, and dismisses it as the product of egotism and unacknowledged emotional needs.Preeminent figures ... Read More

Responsible or Irresponsible? Frankenstein Dilemmas in Mary Shelley’s Novel (1475 words, 4 pages)

Frankenstein becomes entrapped in an irresolvable dilemma of his actions being both responsible, and irresponsible.How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of Frankenstein?Shelley wrote Frankenstein on the back of a century of scientific innovation that inspired a belief in the liberation of mankind, culminating in ... Read More

The Opposition of Mark Antony’s Followers towards His Relationship with Queen Cleopatra in William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra (800 words, 3 pages)

40BC was a time in which power politics dominated the world, with major competitors constantly opposing one another, trying to pursue individual motives and further their own cause. The first opposition were faced with while starting the play is the opposition Antony faces from his followers in regards to his ... Read More

The Politics in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra (904 words, 3 pages)

The politics in Antony and Cleopatra are motivated by both personal motivations and political play. Each protagonist has a distinctive personality which acts as a catalyst to political turmoil which will inevitably surface, motivated by historically accurate issues existing between the characters. The issues caused by Antony and Cleopatras relationship ... Read More

Cleopatra and Antony by Shakespeare: Cleopatra as a Performer (1391 words, 4 pages)

Existing as one of the greatest paradoxes in history, Cleopatras true nature has sparked debates between critics for centuries. An intellectual, emotionally transparent, reincarnation of the god Isis- paralleled by the contrasting interpretation of Cleopatra as a beautiful seductress who tempted some of Romes strongest leaders to their demise. Shakespeare ... Read More

Characters’ First Impressions in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1040 words, 4 pages)

First ImpressionsJane Austens novel Pride and Prejudice was originally entitled First Impressions, since the characters in her novel often make judgments on their first impressions of people. These first impressions would then shape the characters reputations. Reputation was important to members of English society in the nineteenth century. Ones reputation ... Read More

A Short Review of Pride and Prejudice, a Novel by Jane Austen (514 words, 2 pages)

Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen tells the story of marriage, wealth, and family at the turn of the 19th Century. The main character is headstrong Elizabeth Bennett, who is one of five daughters. At the Meryton ball, Elizabeth first encounters the wealthy, handsome Mr. Darcy, who is ... Read More

English Literature Essay Examples