Second Coursework Ideas

I saw 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Nuffield theatre last week, so, as I feel I know the play better, and have seen it acted, I would like to use 'The Meaning of Metaphor' section from the critical anthology and apply it to Mercutio's Queen Mab speech. Obviously, it is full of sexual innuendo's, but the effect of the metaphors used is important in altering the tone and dimension of the play and ultimately defining Mercutio's character. He twists all his comments about love into sexual metaphors and I would like to examine the importance of this. In the critical anthology it says how metaphor is important because of its functions - explaining, clarifying, describing, expressing, evaluating and entertaining. I will discuss if the metaphors used are effective in these functions, or whether or not Shakespeare goes too far. I would also like to briefly refer to the symbolism and allegory section as the whole of the speech is a symbol and allegory surrounding sex and love. I shall also consider these different aspects in relation to the acting and how it could be presented on stage.

Critical Anthology Coursework Ideas

I have decided to use 'The Meaning of Metaphor' idea from the Critical Anthology. I am considering applying this to the famous 'To be, or not to be' speech from Hamlet, as there is a lot of this speech that can be misunderstood, or just not understood at all, unless the metaphor is known. The speech is extremely famous and this is part of the reason I have chosen it - do people really know the metaphors within the speech? As it is quoted, and even applied to everyday language, many people may not grasp the true concept. I will consider this in my essay and discuss whether or not a person quoting the lines needs to understand the metaphors, or if the beauty of the words are enough. I am also going to consider whether or not the metaphors in this speech are important, whether there are too many for readers who do not normally read Shakespeare to understand the concept of the speech and whether or not it adds a new dimension to the rest of the play. Because the symbols in the speech can be interpreted many different ways, I will consider that because there is no definite idea and a lot of unsurity in some plarts if this reduces, or adds anything to the play.

However, this is not a final decision, but because there will be a lot of wider reading to do, I feel I will have a lot to write about, especially when considering the different viewpoints and if they are valid. Also, I am not sure if I should do the whole of Act III scene 1, or just this speech?