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

27201 total results

Rhetorical Devices in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s England in 1819 (1047 words, 2 pages)

Great poetry is great not because of what it says but because of how it is phrased. Few poems say anything that is very profound instead, the best of them use language in novel, memorable, and effective ways. Certainly this is true of Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous sonnet "England in ... Read More

Foolishness in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale (1634 words, 2 pages)

The Pardoner's Tale Deception and Foolishness There are several types of foolishness being described in the Pardoner's Tale itself. He describes gluttony in general, then specifically wine. He talks of gambling, taking bets and the like, and of swearing. The exemplum of his sermon describes three fools who go foolishly ... Read More

The Characterization of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (534 words, 1 pages)

Paradise Lost The Debate in Hell.books 1-2 The debate starts with Satan speaking and flattering the Devils and saying Powers and dominions. He talks about how someone will have to take charge and lead the group to victory, and to do this they will need someone who can take pain, ... Read More

The Role of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (984 words, 2 pages)

Since the beginning of Paradise Lost, a reader can witness the dramatizing power possessed by Satan, and how he takes advantage of this very power in order to satisfy his own causes. One such property of Satans fantastic powers is his ability to manipulate any individual into a false belief ... Read More

An Extensive Essay on George Orwell and His Work (2221 words, 5 pages)

Outline I. Introduction A. Orwell's life as it relates to his works. B. The danger of a totalitarian government. II. Freedom of mind and body A. Physical control Extreme force and coercion Effects of torment B. Psychological manipulation Doublethink Use of propaganda III. Technology role in government control A. Compromise ... Read More

A Paper on the Character of Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s Play A Doll’s House (723 words, 1 pages)

Nora Helmer is one of the most interesting characters in Henrik Ibsens play A Dolls House. She is the mother of three and the wife to Torvald Helmer. Helmer, just as any man in his time period, is basically the owner of his wife. He shows love and affection for ... Read More

Nadine Gordimers Once Upon a Time begins with the telling of two stories. The first is about the author, who awakes in the middle of the night, afraid of a possible intruder. Then, to distract her mind, she creates a second story. The story is a fairytale of an affluent ... Read More

A Summary of the Novel Man’s Search Meaning by Dr. Viktor Frankl (667 words, 3 pages)

Recently I read an autobiography by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl called Mans Search for Meaning. In this novel, I learned about a doctor who survived the concentration camps. He pours his heart and soul into this story so that we would get a glimpse of his life during his trials ... Read More

A Paraphrase of Acts I and II of Macbeth by William Shakespeare (435 words, 2 pages)

Malcolm and Donalbain (Acts I and II) Malcolm is the older son of Duncan King of Scotland. Malcolm is actually named after his great-grandfather, King Malcom. The young man is quiet, and thoughtful, he does not talk much, nor ask many questions. Donalbain is the younger son of Duncan. Though ... Read More

Grasping the Concepts of Fortune and Virtue in the Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1423 words, 2 pages)

When reading Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince, one cant help but grasp his argument that ordinary morality and politics cannot exist in the same forum. However, when examining Machiavellis notions in depth, one can conclude that perhaps a moral end fuels his suggested use of force and violence. First and foremost, ... Read More

An Analysis of Hamlet’s State of Mind in William Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Hamlet (1038 words, 3 pages)

The madness of Hamlet has always been a topic of controversy when discussing William Shakespeare's Tragedy of Hamlet. In this play, the tragic hero contemplates his own concepts of moral judgment and, in the process, may be considered mad. Hamlet both feigns madness and actually has some characteristics of a ... Read More

The Definition of Fortune in The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1023 words, 2 pages)

In Niccolo Machiavellis letter to The Prince, Machiavelli emphasized the role of fortune in human affairs as well as in government affairs. This makes it essential to understand what fortune is and how it can be used. It is also essential to understand what power we have in the face ... Read More

Personal Impressions on Macbeth’s Response in Act Three of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (229 words, 1 pages)

Macbeth Response Act Three Scene one of act three was really a shock to me. I just cannot comprehend why somebody would kill their so-called best friend, just on a hunch that they suspected them of murder. I had predicted that Macbeth would not go through with the murder, but ... Read More

An analysis of the degradation of Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1026 words, 2 pages)

Adam Harrell English IV January, 13, 1999 Macbeth Conscious Villain to Unrepentant Tyrant Thesis To trace the degradation of Macbeth from a hero to a conscious villain to an unrepentant tyrant. I. Macbeth as a Hero. A. Admired warrior B. Duncan's Admiration II.Macbeth as a Conscious Villain A. First tidings ... Read More

The Behavior of Children in the Novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding (823 words, 2 pages)

Civilization The way the children behaved in the later half of the novel was far from civilized. They are easily convinced to go against their past way of life. From the beginning of the novel, the boys have trouble uniting. There are several attempts at trying to run the island ... Read More

An Essay on the Meaning of Obsession and Yearning in Lolita and The Enchanter (398 words, 1 pages)

Lolita The Enchanter Lolita is one of the most original stories that has been evolved from the enchanter. Lolita is a fourteen 14 year old girl, who is desired by the European intellectual Humbert Humbert. As the narrator of the story, Humbert chronicles his abnormal childhood, adolescent experiences, and an ... Read More

A Comparison of Positive and Negative Literary Reviews of George Orwell’s Animal Farm (619 words, 2 pages)

Again, sorry about that spacing, there's more where this came from, though! LITERARY CRITICISM Eric Blairs Evaluation of Animal Farm (positive)... Eric Blair wrote much in response to George Orwells Animal Farm. The following is a small excerpt which I feel best describes his positive review of the book in ... Read More

An Essay on the Play Leaving Home by David French (760 words, 1 pages)

-Essay on play Leaving Home -Playwright is David French In a society where children are not close with their parents, there should be more of an effort on the parents' part to establish a close bond between parent and child. In the play Leaving Home, Jacob Mercer shows that he ... Read More

An Essay on the Play King Lear by William Shakespeare (1265 words, 3 pages)

King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic tale of filial conflict, personal transformation, and loss. The story revolves around the King who foolishly alienates his only truly devoted daughter and realizes too late the true nature of his other two daughters. A major subplot involves the illegitimate son of ... Read More

Appearances and Reality as Conflict Mechanisms in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (698 words, 1 pages)

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad relies heavily on the differences between appearances and reality to develop conflict in the story. From the appearance of the ivory trade and the continent of Africa, to the image of Kurtz himself, Conrad clearly shows us that appearances can be deceiving. As Marlow ... Read More

An Analysis of the Bildungsroman in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (2373 words, 3 pages)

The traditional Bildungsroman novel is autobiographical in form and displays similarities with the author's own life, mostly with regard to childhood experiences. The novel displays a single individuals growth and development within the context of a defined social order. In most cases the protagonist is orphaned and experiences some form ... Read More

Jane Austen’s Technique to Audience Interest in Pride and Prejudice (1698 words, 3 pages)

Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice, uses humour in her novel to maintain the interest of the reader. Some have said that Pride and Prejudice is a simple tale of love and marriage, but it is in fact far more complex. At the least, it should be recognised as ... Read More

An Analysis of the True Meaning of Love In “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare (304 words, 1 pages)

Is it Love? Love is a deep and tender feeling of affection for a person. Love does not occur at first sight, it is something that you need to work towards. Romeo only describes Juliets beauty and not her inner-beauty which is really the most important part of love. ...and ... Read More

Letter of Instructions for Playing a Role in the Play An Inspector Calls (1584 words, 3 pages)

An Inspector Calls Question"Imagine you are a director writing to an imaginary actress who plays the part of Sheila. Write how you want the actress to play Sheila." To my darling Fiona, I am writing you this letter because I feel it will help you in your acting career to ... Read More

The Lack of Comprehensive Speech in Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (855 words, 2 pages)

The Lack of Comprehensive Speech in Catch 22 Most of what we really say has no meaning. This concept is perfectly supported in Catch 22, by Joseph Heller. Almost every character and scene in the novel contain dialogues where the people speak aimlessly and have no explanation for why they ... Read More

Anti-Catholic Aspects in Christopher Marlowe’s Play Dr. Faustus (1325 words, 2 pages)

On the face of it, Dr. Faustus is not an anti-Catholic play. Yet, once you have read into it certain aspects of the play - there are many anti-Catholic notions and views that Marlowe has placed within the text. If the reader has no prior knowledge of how the world ... Read More

The Impulsive Nature of Romeo That Led to the Lovers’ Downfall in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (654 words, 2 pages)

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, tells the story of two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, who meet and fall in love, and through a series of bad decisions and chance occurrences, end up dead in the course of a week. But who, if any one person, ... Read More

Review of George Orwell’s 1984: Empowerment of Hate (932 words, 2 pages)

Imagine a world where every thing you do is watched, unspoken thoughts can get you killed, and what and how you feel are controlled by a higher power. In George Orwell's "1984", you dont have to imagine. In 1984, a totalitarian government known as The Party has taken over modern ... Read More

Hal’s Transformation from Hooligan to Role Model in Shakespeare’s Henry the Fourth (831 words, 1 pages)

In the play "Henry the fourth" written by William Shakespeare is triumphant and denial. There is a prince named Hal that does not act like a prince that you think a prince would and fat man named Falstaff that is his friend. In this play we see that the prince ... Read More

Personal Interpretation of the Ten Pearls of Wisdom (983 words, 4 pages)

1) Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his two fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. (p. 232, col. 2, para. 2) In my own words this quote is for the ... Read More

English Literature Essay Examples