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Example research essay topic: Goneril And Regan Internal And External - 1,911 words

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Family dynamics and dysfunction considering Antigone, Medea, and King Lear Throughout history novelists and playwrights have to created dysfunctional families. These families lead tragic lives. Within these families, there are both internal and external battles to be dealt. In William Shakespeare's King Lear the author reveals truly dysfunctional families.

In King Lear there are two families that display dysfunctions, the Lear family and the Gloucester family. Within the two families, there are many dysfunctions. In King Lear there are both major and minor dysfunctions between both the Lear family and the Gloucester family. One of the major dysfunctions in both families is filial ingratitude. Within this dysfunction is a theme of good versus evil. The minor dysfunctions of King Lear are closely related to the major dysfunction of filial ingratitude.

The minor dysfunctions of the play are the tragic disrespect of authority and the pain of misjudgment. In the Lear family, the theme of filial ingratitude is shown primarily by the attitudes of Lears elder daughters. The play primarily deals with the insanity of King Lear after he divides his kingdom between his elder daughters, Goneril and Regan. This decision was based on how much each one loved him. After he had divided his kingdom, he would spend half of his time with Goneril and the other half with Regan. His youngest daughter, Cordelia, was banished from the kingdom after she told Lear Happily, when I shall wed, that lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry half my love with him, half my care and duty.

Sure I shall never marry like my sisters, to love my father all. (I, i, 104 - 110) Unfortunately, his decisions to divide his kingdom and to banish his daughter are the cause of his downfall and the downfall for the rest of all his family. Lear decision created most of the dysfunctions within his family. With his kingdom divided between his two eldest daughters, Lear no longer had power. Both Goneril and Regan realized this and they both took advantage of Lear. When Lear would stay with his daughters, they would disregard his orders and treated him unfairly. They both do not want his presence and they kick him out of their castle.

This is shown when Goneril states: Put on what weary negligence you please, you and your fellows. Id have it come to question. If he distaste it, let him to my sister, whose mind and mine I know in that are one, not to be overruled. (I, iv, 13 - 17) Within the Lear family, there is a constant battle between the three sisters. Not only do Goneril and Regan fight for land, they also fight for Edmunds, Gloucester's illegitimate son, love. Goneril and Regan despised each other so much that they plot each others death.

Cordelia, who married the King of France, had also waged a war between France and England. Her goal is to stop her two evil sisters and to restore Lear to the throne. However, all of the members of the Lear family died or were killed in the final act of the play. Regan and Goneril quarreled over Edmunds love in the final scenes of the play but Regan dies from poisoned administered by Goneril. After she poisoned Regan Goneril subsequently stabs herself. Lear is shown dragging Cordelia's body and announces that he had killed the man who hanged her.

In his immense heartbreak, he too dies. The Gloucester family's dysfunctions led to their downfall and their deaths. The Tyrone family's dysfunctions also led to their downfall. However, their dysfunctions lead to more dysfunctions because their life is a continuing cycle.

There are many dysfunctions in the Lear, the Gloucester, and the Tyrone families. Within each family there are both internal and external battle. These plays reveal dysfunctions at their peak. They also reveal the consequences that each dysfunction brings.

Usually, in the end, the families will continue to lead dysfunctional live and they will have tragic outcomes. In Sophocles's Antigone, the characters show a variety of traits that also depict the examples of family dysfunction. Antigone's life of aspiration, family of noble rank, and display of good mentality portray her as the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero must include three main traits. The hero must have a tragic flaw, a family of high class or rank, and must be a fundamentally good person.

Antigone fulfills all three traits painstakingly in the mythic story of Antigone. A tragic flaw plays a very imperative part of a tragic hero. Tragic flaw simply means a "character weakness. " The most common types of tragic flaws are unwarranted pride, ambition, and jealousy which bring flaws to a family dynamics. Antigone's problem with King Creon is that he rejects burying Polyneices because he kills his brother and his brother, Eteocles, kills him.

The civil was between two groups within Thebes lead up to the death of the two brothers. Polyneices is considered to be in the rebel group by King Creon. Therefore, Polyneices is not buried because King Creon believes that an enemy should not have a burial and his family should not to mourn for him. Antigone goes against King Creon's wishes, and buries and mourns for her brother. Antigone proves to Creon that he is wrong about an enemy not being buried because the gods say that all people deserve a proper burial whether they are friends or enemies. Antigone's characteristics have an affect on her actions toward Creon and his decisions.

There are many characteristics but there are only three that stick out. The three characteristics are determination, honor, and her insisting to take the complete consequence like a regular person caused Antigone's ironic tragedy. Antigone has a characteristic that I mentioned before that she shows entirely through the play. In the beginning, Antigone talks with her sister, Ismene. Antigone talks to her sister about what Creon's belief in not burying his enemies like Polyneices.

During the talk, Antigone insists that Ismene should help her bury their brother Polyneices. Antigone says, You could. Are you willing to share danger and suffering and Ismene says, Danger? What are you scheming at? Antigone says, . Take this hand of mine to bury the dead.

Antigone goes on and says, He is my brother still, and yours; through you would have it otherwise, but I shall not abandon him. This is a powerful moment between the two sisters shows the determination that most women of that time did not have. Through the first entire conversation between Antigone and Ismene, Antigone shows that she will not give up her idea of burying her brother. Later, when the Sentry finds Antigone burying and mourning for her brother Polyneices she is taken to Creon. The Sentry takes Antigone to King Creon to confront Creon about her actions. In standing up against Creon, she is able to stand up for her family and at the same time introduce her next characteristic.

Antigone is a person who wants to keep a person who did not do anything out of what she did cause. This is what Antigone turns up to be in the play. She expresses how she feels about Creon by proving that women can be punished the same way as men and should receive equality. Antigone is able to show how she feels in this quote. Antigone says, We played our different parts, with different acclaim.

Ismene says, But now we share and equal share of blame. Antigone says, Look up! You live! And I died long ago, when I gave up my life to serve the dead. Creon says, These girls, I swear, are crazed: one mad by birth, the other by attainment.

Antigone insists that she is going to take the punishment by herself. Antigone wants Ismene to stay out of what she has caused to herself. Antigone is able to keep Ismene out of death, but others went with her. Antigone pulled her betrothed to death with his mother tagging along. In conclusion, Antigone was summed up into a feminist that wanted to change what men had done to the land of Thebes. Although Antigone dies, she should not be recognized as the heroine that had a tragedy.

Creon should be recognized as the high classed person that fell. He did not fall physically but fell emotionally with the death of his son, Harmon, and wife, Eurydice. Therefore, in this story the heroine is partially the winner of the battle between good and bad. When the blind prophet, Tiresias, opens the eyes of Creon, it was too late to save Antigone. Hence, the result is the death of the two people he loved the most. At the same time, Antigone lost because her loved died and she left behind her sister to mourn for her death.

Medea, a play by the Greek playwright Euripides, explores the Greek-barbarian dichotomy through the character of Medea, a princess from the "barbarian", or non-Greek, land of Colchis. Throughout the play, it becomes evident to the reader that Medea is no ordinary woman by Greek standards. Central to the whole plot is Medea's barbarian origins and how they are related to her actions. Her actions seem to be outrageous, especially the actions aimed at the members of her family. In the begging of the book she starts to threaten revenge on her husband, Jason, If I can find the means or devise to pay my husband back for what he has done to me (p. 9). Medea is just touching on her anger that she has built up within her for her husband.

The traditional Athenian women would be mourning the loss of her husband, and may feel angry with him but would never swear to revenge him for his doings, and lastly actually do them. Women are usually portrayed in this situation being so dependent on their husbands that they will still do anything for him as so he will continue to help support the children and possibly his ex-wife. Medea when she decides it is time for her to kill her children struggles with the idea for a minute, do not be a coward, do not think of them, and how you are their mother Oh I am an unhappy women. (p. 40). This is how a traditional Athenian woman would think, but she would be unable to commit to her plans and kill her own children. Medea on the other hand lets her passion and hatred for Jason take over her reasonable and straight thinking self, as she kills her own children while listening to them pray to God for help. Medea was able to go through with her revenge because, as she became possessed by her passions for revenge and her cruel and spiteful mindset.

Medea was a clever woman, and used others ignorance as a means to obtain her goal, and in turn she has broken down how Athenian women were viewed by their counterparts, men. Undoubtedly, Medea is a strong woman whose knows how to use the inconsistency found in the mix of human and divine laws to her advantage, and thats what she does in the play. Bibliography: "Medea. " Translated by Author Burkhard. Yarmouth port, Massachusetts: The Register Press, 1956. "Antigone. " Translated by Judith Main. New York: Applause Theater Book Publishers, 1990 Shakespeare, William. King Lear.

London: Penguin Classics, 1971 Benardete, S. "A Reading of Sophocles' Antigone, " Interpretation 5 (1975)


Free research essays on topics related to: goneril and regan, tragic flaw, king lear, tragic hero, internal and external

Research essay sample on Goneril And Regan Internal And External

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