Macbeth

The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King
Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies—one from
Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces,
Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane
(a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Macbeth’s companion,
Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. The witches vanish, and Macbeth
and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their
victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed
Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan has condemned him to death. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility
that the remainder of the witches’ prophecy—that he will be crowned king—might be true, but he is uncertain what to expect.
He visits with King Duncan, and they plan to dine together at Inverness, Macbeth’s castle, that night. Macbeth writes ahead
to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her all that has happened.

Lady Macbeth suffers none of her husband’s uncertainty. She desires the kingship for him and wants him to murder Duncan
in order to obtain it. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband’s objections and persuades him to
kill the king that very night. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan’s two chamberlains drunk so they will black out; the
next morning they will blame the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless, as they will remember nothing. While
Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a vision of a
bloody dagger. When Duncan’s death is discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the chamberlains—ostensibly out of
rage at their crime—and easily assumes the kingship. Duncan’s sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland,
respectively, fearing that whoever killed Duncan desires their demise as well.

Fearful of the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s heirs will seize the throne, Macbeth hires a group of murderers to kill Banquo
and his son Fleance. They ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast, but they fail to kill Fleance, who escapes into the
night. Macbeth becomes furious: as long as Fleance is alive, he fears that his power remains insecure. At the feast that
night, Banquo’s ghost visits Macbeth. When he sees the ghost, Macbeth raves fearfully, startling his guests, who include
most of the great Scottish nobility. Lady Macbeth tries to neutralize the damage, but Macbeth’s kingship incites increasing
resistance from his nobles and subjects. Frightened, Macbeth goes to visit the witches in their cavern. There, they show him
a sequence of demons and spirits who present him with further prophecies: he must beware of Macduff, a Scottish
nobleman who opposed Macbeth’s accession to the throne; he is incapable of being harmed by any man born of woman;
and he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth is relieved and feels secure, because he knows
that all men are born of women and that forests cannot move. When he learns that Macduff has fled to England to join
Malcolm, Macbeth orders that Macduff’s castle be seized and, most cruelly, that Lady Macduff and her children be
murdered.

When news of his family’s execution reaches Macduff in England, he is stricken with grief and vows revenge. Prince
Malcolm, Duncan’s son, has succeeded in raising an army in England, and Macduff joins him as he rides to Scotland to
challenge Macbeth’s forces. The invasion has the support of the Scottish nobles, who are appalled and frightened by
Macbeth’s tyrannical and murderous behavior. Lady Macbeth, meanwhile, becomes plagued with fits of sleepwalking in
which she bemoans what she believes to be bloodstains on her hands. Before Macbeth’s opponents arrive, Macbeth
receives news that she has killed herself, causing him to sink into a deep and pessimistic despair. Nevertheless, he awaits
the English and fortifies Dunsinane, to which he seems to have withdrawn in order to defend himself, certain that the
witches’ prophecies guarantee his invincibility. He is struck numb with fear, however, when he learns that the English army
is advancing on Dunsinane shielded with boughs cut from Birnam Wood. Birnam Wood is indeed coming to Dunsinane,
fulfilling half of the witches’ prophecy.

In the battle, Macbeth hews violently, but the English forces gradually overwhelm his army and castle. On the battlefield,
Macbeth encounters the vengeful Macduff, who declares that he was not “of woman born” but was instead “untimely ripped”
from his mother’s womb (what we now call birth by cesarean section). Though he realizes that he is doomed, Macbeth
continues to fight until Macduff kills and beheads him. Malcolm, now the King of Scotland, declares his benevolent intentions
for the country and invites all to see him crowned at Scone.

Macbeth

Because we first hear of Macbeth in the wounded captain’s account of his battlefield valor, our initial impression is of a brave
and capable warrior. This perspective is complicated, however, once we see Macbeth interact with the three witches. We
realize that his physical courage is joined by a consuming ambition and a tendency to self-doubt—the prediction that he will
be king brings him joy, but it also creates inner turmoil. These three attributes—bravery, ambition, and self-doubt—struggle
for mastery of Macbeth throughout the play. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt
can have on a man who lacks strength of character. We may classify Macbeth as irrevocably evil, but his weak character
separates him from Shakespeare’s great villains—Iago in Othello, Richard III in Richard III, Edmund in King Lear—who are
all strong enough to conquer guilt and self-doubt. Macbeth, great warrior though he is, is ill equipped for the psychic
consequences of crime.

Before he kills Duncan, Macbeth is plagued by worry and almost aborts the crime. It takes Lady Macbeth’s steely sense of
purpose to push him into the deed. After the murder, however, her powerful personality begins to disintegrate, leaving
Macbeth increasingly alone. He fluctuates between fits of fevered action, in which he plots a series of murders to secure his
throne, and moments of terrible guilt (as when Banquo’s ghost appears) and absolute pessimism (after his wife’s death,
when he seems to succumb to despair). These fluctuations reflect the tragic tension within Macbeth: he is at once too
ambitious to allow his conscience to stop him from murdering his way to the top and too conscientious to be happy with
himself as a murderer. As things fall apart for him at the end of the play, he seems almost relieved—with the English army at
his gates, he can finally return to life as a warrior, and he displays a kind of reckless bravado as his enemies surround him
and drag him down. In part, this stems from his fatal confidence in the witches’ prophecies, but it also seems to derive from
the fact that he has returned to the arena where he has been most successful and where his internal turmoil need not affect
him—namely, the battlefield. Unlike many of Shakespeare’s other tragic heroes, Macbeth never seems to contemplate
suicide: “Why should I play the Roman fool,” he asks, “and die / On mine own sword?” (5.10.1–2). Instead, he goes down
fighting, bringing the play full circle: it begins with Macbeth winning on the battlefield and ends with him dying in combat.
Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. When we first see her, she is
already plotting Duncan’s murder, and she is stronger, more ruthless, and more ambitious than her husband. She seems
fully aware of this and knows that she will have to push Macbeth into committing murder. At one point, she wishes that she
were not a woman so that she could do it herself. This theme of the relationship between gender and power is key to Lady
Macbeth’s character: her husband implies that she is a masculine soul inhabiting a female body, which seems to link
masculinity to ambition and violence. Shakespeare, however, seems to use her, and the witches, to undercut Macbeth’s
idea that “undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males” (1.7.73–74). These crafty women use female methods of
achieving power—that is, manipulation—to further their supposedly male ambitions. Women, the play implies, can be as
ambitious and cruel as men, yet social constraints deny them the means to pursue these ambitions on their own.

Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband with remarkable effectiveness, overriding all his objections; when he hesitates to
murder, she repeatedly questions his manhood until he feels that he must commit murder to prove himself. Lady Macbeth’s
remarkable strength of will persists through the murder of the king—it is she who steadies her husband’s nerves immediately
after the crime has been perpetrated. Afterward, however, she begins a slow slide into madness—just as ambition affects
her more strongly than Macbeth before the crime, so does guilt plague her more strongly afterward. By the close of the play,
she has been reduced to sleepwalking through the castle, desperately trying to wash away an invisible bloodstain. Once the
sense of guilt comes home to roost, Lady Macbeth’s sensitivity becomes a weakness, and she is unable to cope.
Significantly, she (apparently) kills herself, signaling her total inability to deal with the legacy of their crimes.
The Three Witches

Throughout the play, the witches—referred to as the “weird sisters” by many of the characters—lurk like dark thoughts and
unconscious temptations to evil. In part, the mischief they cause stems from their supernatural powers, but mainly it is the
result of their understanding of the weaknesses of their specific interlocutors—they play upon Macbeth’s ambition like
puppeteers.

The witches’ beards, bizarre potions, and rhymed speech make them seem slightly ridiculous, like caricatures of the
supernatural. Shakespeare has them speak in rhyming couplets throughout (their most famous line is probably “Double,
double, toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble” in 4.1.10–11), which separates them from the other characters,
who mostly speak in blank verse. The witches’ words seem almost comical, like malevolent nursery rhymes. Despite the
absurdity of their “eye of newt and toe of frog” recipes, however, they are clearly the most dangerous characters in the play,
being both tremendously powerful and utterly wicked (4.1.14).

The audience is left to ask whether the witches are independent agents toying with human lives, or agents of fate, whose
prophecies are only reports of the inevitable. The witches bear a striking and obviously intentional resemblance to the Fates,
female characters in both Norse and Greek mythology who weave the fabric of human lives and then cut the threads to end
them. Some of their prophecies seem self-fulfilling. For example, it is doubtful that Macbeth would have murdered his king
without the push given by the witches’ predictions. In other cases, though, their prophecies are just remarkably accurate
readings of the future—it is hard to see Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane as being self-fulfilling in any way. The play offers
no easy answers. Instead, Shakespeare keeps the witches well outside the limits of human comprehension. They embody
an unreasoning, instinctive evil.

Or
“Man is not the creature of circumstances

Circumstances are the creatures of man.”

Macbeth, throughout the play, is presented as one much above the ordinary beings, and, as such, he fulfils the basic
-requirements of being a tragic hero. Shakespeare, introduces him as a brave general, a bold, resolute man of action who
through as also referred to “Valor’s minion”, “Bellona’s bridegroom’’, the king’s ‘’valiant cousin’’, a very “eagle’’ among
‘’sparrows’’, a ‘’lion’’ among ‘’hares’’. It is a play, which is depicting a complete destruction, wrestling with creation. It is a
study of the disintegration and damnation of a man. And yet, Macbeth is a ‘tragic hero’.Here presents, the hero’s complete
symbolic life-journey in a reflective pattern to ensure the only operation of evil in this world.

‘Macbeth: “Come, let me clutch thee:

I have thee not,fatal vision,sensible

To feeling as to sight?” ‘

In the third scene of the first act of the play though the hero accepts evil overtly, there is a suggestion that, even before the
commencement of action of the play, he has fallen under the influence of evil.
‘Banquo : ..“Merciful powers,

Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature

Gives way to repose.”

The Witches, merely prophecy certain things for Macbeth. They do not influence him in any concrete manner, but the effect
of the prophecy is to make Macbeth, start as if he were already guilty of harboring dangerous ideas. It is a fact that his
ambition impels him towards “the swelling act of the imperial theme”, though his conscience fills him with horror at the idea
that has come to him about how to gain the throne.

‘Macbeth: “Come what come may,

Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.” ‘

Macbeth, is the starkest and the least discursive of Shakespeare’s tragedies as Granville-Barker has pointed out. The
deterioration of Macbeth’s character illustrates the theme of conscience and its decline. From a brave soldier and noble
person Macbeth reaches a state when he is a soulless man, a beast chained to a stake like a beast!

‘Second Witch: “By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes;

Open locks, whoever knocks.” ‘

The forces of evil are always ready to ensnare man; but they have their limitations. They do not, indeed cannot, force man
into evil; they can merely tempt man to choose to follow evil ways. Macbeth, deliberately choose- not once, but several times
in the play-the evil path. At every stage of Macbeth’s degeneration we witness the choice being made deliberately, at the
same time there is a sense of inevitability, about Macbeth’s choices.

‘Macbeth: “How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!

What is’t you do?

All the Witches: A deed without a name.” ‘

Much more, than the other elements, the Witches introduce an element of supernatural mystery and fear into Macbeth.
According to Charles Lamb,” They are foul anomalies, of whom we know not whence they are sprung, or whether they have
beginning or ending. As they are without human passions, they seem to be without human relations. They come with
thunder and lightning and vanish to airy music.”It is significant that the play opens with a brief meeting of the Three Witches.

‘Old Man:“Threeescore and ten I can remember well;

Within the volume of which time, I have seen

Hours dreadful and things strange, but this sore night

Hath trifled former knowings.” ‘

The opening scene, in fact is important, in that which makes a complete sense of mystery, strikes the keynote of the play:

..’ Second Witch: “When the hurly-burly’s done,

When the battle’s lost, and won.

Third Witch: That will be the ere the set of sun.

First Witch: Where the place?

Second Witch: Upon the heath.

Third Witch: There to meet with Macbeth.’’ ‘

When we meet the Witches again in Act I, Sc.iii, we get to know of their physical aspects. They are withered and not
dressed like earthly beings; their fingers are choppy and lips skinny. They look like women, and yet they are bearded. They
can at will vanish into air, can foresee the future, and possess more than mortal knowledge. They are by no means the
ordinary witches of popular super -station; they are more powerful beings, resembling rather the “Goddesses of Devine “as
Holinshed calls them. Shakespeare has endowed they may have power over Nature, but that power is not -absolute. They
may have power over a man’s soul but that power is not absolute either. It is when a mortal mind is tainted that they can
have an influence on it. Their prophecy only gives a definite shape to the dark thoughts that have already been smoldering
in Macbeth’s mind. The thought of assassinating Duncan occurs to him independently of ‘them’-without any hint from ‘them’.
Macbeth reads into the prophecies a “supernatural soliciting”, to murder and, Lady Macbeth looks upon them as
“metaphysical aid.” The Witches in Macbeth never solicit nor aid- this is nothing -but a wishful thinking.

‘Macbeth: ‘’Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise is this? “ ‘

The most- distinct suggestion, of the supernatural in Macbeth comes from Banquo’s Ghost. There is no doubt that we can
see with Macbeth the uncanny apparition, the blood blotched ghost. Banquo’s Ghost plays an important role in the action of
tragedy. The horror of its sight compels Macbeth to make many a comprising disclosure. As Coleridge points out them, “as
true a creation of Shakespeare’s as his Ariel and Caliban” and “wholly different from the representation of Witches in the
contemporary writers, and yet presented a sufficient of witches in the contemporary writers, and yet presented a sufficient
external resemblance to the creatures of vulgar prejudice, to act immediately on the audience.”

‘All the Witches: “Double, double toil and trouble,

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” ‘

Though the Witches here do not have a direct share in its action they are a very important part of the play. The play from its
very beginning continues under their evil shadows until the shadows are finally lifted in the last scene with Macduff’s entry
with “the usurper’s cursed head.” The tragedy would lose all its magnificence without its strange atmosphere and the
atmosphere would amount to nothing without the presence of the Witches.

‘All the Witches: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,

Hover through the fog and filthy air.”

Lenox describes the ‘unruly’ night in some detail:

“Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say

Lamentings heard i’ th’ air; strange screams of death,

And, prophesying with accents terrible

Of dire combustion, and confused events,

New hatch’d to th’ woeful time, the obscure bird

Clamour’d the live long night; some say, the earth

Was feverous, and did shake.”

In the next scene, Ross and the Old Man discuss of similar events that have taken place during the fateful night:

‘Old Man: ‘On Tuesday last

A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place,

Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.” ‘

The portents suggest a topsy-turvy situation in Nature and emphasize the naturalness of Macbeth’s heinous deed in
murdering Duncan who is at once his king, kinsman and guest.

‘Ross: “And Duncan’s horses, a thing most strange and certain,

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,

Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,

Contending ‘gainst obedience as they would

Making war with mankind.” ‘

The accounts of these supernatural happenings hence are helping towards the atmosphere of horror in the play. - ‘An owl
shrieks

Lady Macbeth: ..’’It was the owl that shriek’d, the fatal bellman

Which gives the stern’st good-night.” ‘

King Edward, the Confessor was thought to be inspired with a gift of prophecy and also to possess the gift of healing
infirmities and some incurable diseases. Though one motive of the references may have been to flatter JamesI, another
valid justification on dramatic grounds, is that the good supernatural described here is a contrast to the evil supernatural of
the witches. Man’s actions are, therefore, not isolated but closely connected to various forces operating in the universe. At
the same time, it is made to clear that effect would be different if Man did not succumb to the evil within him.

‘Lady Macbeth: “Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here

And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull

Of direst cruelty.” ‘

It is noticeable that Macbeth himself never blames the Witches for his sinister actions. The supernatural elements contribute
to the play a rich texture, raise the tragedy to a cosmic dimension to a sense of Fate, operating in man’s life in Macbeth.
Macbeth’s failure to utter the word ‘Amen’ is also accepted only as a psychologic. The air-drawn dagger is not strictly a part
of the supernatural. The visionary dagger that Macbeth perceives just before committing Duncan’s murder has been
interpreted more as a projection of Macbeth’s heated mind than as a concrete reality to be felt and known. It is he who
makes it possible for Birnam Wood to come to Dunsinane Castle shutting himself up inside. It is he who senselessly
murdering Macduff’s family rouses Macduff who is “none of woman born”- to revenge. Before his end, he simply blames the
juggling fiends as they, “keep the word of promise to our ear and break it to our hope.”

Atmospehre
The word atmosphere usually means the air around us. When using the word in the sense of a play it
means a certain mood around a certain area at a certain time. Tension usually means emotional or
mental stress. Act 2 Sc 2 is the climax of tension that has been built up all the way through Act 1. Act 1 is
building up to the murder of Duncan and it is a sinister atmosphere because of the tension and
atmosphere in the play as a whole.

In Act 2 Scene 2 Macbeth has killed the king, Duncan. This decision comes after the witches come to him
after the battle in Act 1 Sc 3 and give him the prophecy that he will be King. In the Elizabethan era
people were rather superstitious and believed that witches and anything to do with the witches were
bad news. So to be seeing them in real life - or so they thought - was really bad news. Because of the
superstitions of the Elizabethan folk, this tends to be a rather evil sight in their eyes. He is further
tempted to kill the King when his wife persuades him to do so. He does this with the help of his wife,
who has drugged the King's guards so as to put them to sleep. Going back to the scene, Macbeth kills
the King and is very remorseful for what he has done and his power greedy wife tries to remove any
thoughts of remorse from his mind. However, in his hastiness to leave the scene of murder, he forgets
to smear blood onto the guards' daggers but Macbeth didn't want to go back there so his wife goes and
does the deed. Meanwhile, Macbeth is hearing sounds and we would think that he is going mad. This is
the beginning of many sounds and visions that Macbeth will see and hear.

At the beginning of Act 2 Sc 2 tension is created as Lady Macbeth is waiting and nervous, so she has
taken a drink and that has given her confidence. She says: 'That which hath made them drunk hath
made me bold'. This creates tension because Lady Macbeth is tense and so the audience will also be
tense.

In this scene the tension is created by the exclamation of Lady Macbeth when she fears that all has gone
wrong. This is when she says: 'Alack! I am afraid they have waked, and 'tis not done: th'attempt and not
the deed…' This scene creates a sense of tension and suspense because it creates a feeling as to what
the consequences of this failed plan will be if not carried out properly. We get to know all the emotions
at this point of the character in the scene, Lady Macbeth.

The atmosphere is also created by the natural sounds of animals in the night. Lady Macbeth says: 'I
heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry…' This creates the sort of atmosphere of suspense as if
something is about to happen. She is awaiting the arrival of Macbeth, so obviously she's listening extra
hard to try to hear anything going on in Duncan's room.
The audience would know that this event took place at night, under the cover of darkness. We know this
because Lady Macbeth says that she hears the owl scream, and owls only come out at night as they are
nocturnal. In this scene, the atmosphere is also created by the silence of the night. We can deduce this
from the way Lady Macbeth refers to the way she did not hear a sound when asked by Macbeth, except:
'…the owl scream, and the crickets cry'. The silence leaves the audience in a state of suspense as to
what is going to happen next and eagerly awaiting the next course of action the actors will produce on
stage.

In this scene the tension is created when Macbeth has brought the daggers back with him when he
should have left them with the servants. .Lady Macbeth says: 'Why did you bring these daggers from the
place?' This creates tension because if Macbeth is seen with the daggers he will be accused straight
away of murder. This creates a cliff hanger as it is a race against time to get the daggers away and them
back into safety.

The tension in the scene is created when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are having a fast paced
conversation. This is said in the conversation: '…Didst thou not hear a noise?...' '…Did you not
speak?...' 'When?...' 'As I descended?...'. This causes tension because she's trying to establish what
happened, however she does this quickly, which shows that there is no time to waste.

In this scene, tension is also created when Macbeth starts to hear sounds. We can deduce this from the
text when Macbeth says: 'Methought I heard a voice cry "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep;
innocent sleep…"' This creates tension because people in the Elizabethan era were rather superstitious
and would start to think that either the demons have come to get Macbeth, or he has gone mad. Also,
the religious people from the Elizabethan era would interpret that Macbeth has murdered eternal sleep.
Some people would interpret sleep as rest and when people are resting they are at their most innocent
and vulnerable, they have no control over what they say, do or dream. Therefore they would interpret it
like Macbeth has murdered innocence and some would interpret it that Macbeth has lost control.

In the scene the atmosphere is also created when Lady Macbeth tries to remove any thoughts of
remorse from the mind of Macbeth. We can deduce this from when Macbeth says: 'Macbeth: "This is a
sorry sight." Lady Macbeth: "A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight"'. We see that Lady Macbeth takes
control when she treats Macbeth like a child and puts him in his place. We see that Lady Macbeth has
turned from a normal woman, to something cold hearted and cruel. She is turning away from any kind
of emotion and creating a cold feeling into the hearts of the Elizabethan audience. In Elizabethan times a
woman was considered to be lower than a man in the world order at the time. However, as we see in
the play, that Shakespeare has changed the order as Lady Macbeth asks to the demons to be unsexed.
We see that, even though that the world's order at the time put women below men, Lady Macbeth is
the one who takes the pivotal role that Macbeth should be taking.

Also, tension is created by the way that Macbeth has been so strong and noble, yet after killing the king
his bravery and chivalry seems to desert him. We see this in the sentence: '…Why, worthy thane, you
do unbend your noble strength, to think so brainsickly of things…' This is one of those things that the
Elizabethan era could speculate about. Some superstitious people would say that Macbeth has been
punished by the gods/demons/angels. Less superstitious people would say that the drain of having to kill
someone who you have paid oath of fealty to and thinking about the consequences would drain your
bravery out of you. This is one place where Shakespeare has let the audience do the thinking.

Finally, tension is also created in the scene when the knocking starts. 'Whence is that knocking?' This
creates tension because people in the audience were not expecting it.

In conclusion, there are many ways that this scene creates atmosphere and tension and I have only
mentioned a few. Shakespeare has created the character of Macbeth in such a way that you don't know
whether to be sorry for him or to accuse him. Shakespeare has created the character of Lady Macbeth
as a normal woman at first, and then becomes a cruel cold blooded character later on. The Elizabethan
audience can decide for themselves if Macbeth is guilty or was persuaded by the witches and his wife
Lady Macbeth.

The merchant of venice

Antonio, a leading merchant of Venice, is a wealthy, respected, and popular man. Among his many friends is a young man named
Bassanio, who owes Antonio a good deal of money. Bassanio would like to repay his friend, but so far he has been unable to do so.
However, he now feels that he may have found a way — but he will again need a loan from Antonio. In Belmont, Bassanio tells
Antonio, there lives a beautiful and young and wealthy heiress. Bassanio feels sure that he can win her hand in marriage, but he
cannot go courting "hands-hanging." If he is to make a good impression, he has to appear at least as well off as her other wealthy
suitors. Antonio tells his young friend that he would gladly lend him whatever amount of money he needs, but at the present time he
himself is short of cash. All of his money is tied up in his merchant ships, which are still at sea. However, Antonio will not disappoint
Bassanio. He knows of a moneylender who will probably lend him the necessary amount, and Bassanio can use Antonio's good
name as security for the loan.

At Belmont, Portia speaks to Nerissa, her confidante, telling her how tired she is of the constant stream of suitors, and how she
wishes to be free of the perverse obligation of her father's will: Portia cannot choose her own husband; she can marry only the man
who chooses the correct one of three caskets — one gold, one silver, and one lead; one contains her portrait and that one is the
lucky casket. So far, none of her suitors has decided to risk choosing one of the caskets, which is all for the good, because Portia
has no liking for any of them. However, when Nerissa mentions the name of Bassanio, a possible suitor, Portia's mood brightens.
He was once a visitor at Belmont, and Portia was impressed with him.

Meanwhile in Venice, Shylock, a rich Jewish moneylender who harbors a secret hatred for Antonio, has agreed to lend Bassanio
three thousand ducats for three months, on Antonio's bond. Foregoing his usual high interest rate, Shylock demands instead that if
the day for payment falls due and the money is not returned, he may cut off one pound of flesh from Antonio's body. Antonio agrees
because all of his ships are due back in Venice a full month before the bond falls due.

A romantic subplot develops when Lorenzo, a close friend of Antonio and Bassanio, falls in love with Shylock's daughter, Jessica.
He manages to elope with her by disguising her as a boy, and she manages to take with her a goodly amount of her father's ducats.
Of course, this infuriates Shylock, and he vows revenge. Shortly thereafter, Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Belmont, where the
"fair Portia" has just sent away the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Arragon, two more disappointed, unsuccessful suitors.
When Bassanio asks to choose one of the caskets, Portia falls immediately in love with him, and she begs him to wait a few days
before choosing one of the caskets. He has fallen in love with Portia and insists on taking his chances. He rejects the gold one, then
the silver one; he chooses, finally, the lead casket, and on opening it, he finds a portrait of Portia. Both he and Portia are overjoyed,
and they make plans to be married at once, along with Nerissa and Gratiano, who have also fallen in love. Happiness reigns in
Belmont until Bassanio is brought a letter from Antonio bidding him farewell since his ships have been lost at sea and since it is
impossible that he will live after Shylock collects his pound of flesh. Horrified, Bassanio leaves instantly for Venice with money which
Portia gives him to pay the bond.
In Venice, Shylock is no longer interested in the mere payment of the money due him. He wants revenge. A Christian stole his
daughter (and she took his money), and nothing will satisfy Shylock except the legal fulfillment of the bond. In the court of justice,
presided over by the Duke of Venice, Shylock faces his enemy, Antonio. Antonio is surrounded by his friends and is quietly resigned
to death. On all sides, Shylock is surrounded by enemies. Bassanio pleads with Shylockto accept double the money due him, but
Shylock refuses.

At this point, Portia, disguised as a lawyer, and Nerissa, dressed as her law clerk, enter the court and tell the Duke that they have
been sent from Padua by a learned attorney, Doctor Bellario, to plead the defendant's case. Portia entreats Shylock to be merciful,
but he will not listen. She offers the moneylender triple the amount owed him, but again Shylock will have none of it. She then
solemnly informs the court that Shylock is entirely within his lawful rights. She then informs Shylock that he must be very careful. He
must cutoff exactlyone pound of flesh, and he must not spill one drop of Antonio's blood. If he fails, all of Shylock's lands and goods
will be confiscated. Shylock hastily decides that he will accept the triple payment of the bond, but Portia says no; Shylock then offers
to take only the original three thousand ducats, but again Portia refuses, reminding him that it was he himself who demanded the
strict interpretation of the law. Furthermore, she says, the law has another hold on him. Since he is an alien in Venice and since he
tried to "seek the life" of a Venetian citizen, all his wealth can be divided between the citizen whom he attempted to destroy and the
public treasury; in addition, Shylock's own life is in peril because of what he attempted to do.

The Duke decides to spare Shylock's life, but he does give half of Shylock's money to Antonio, and he gives the rest of it to the
state. Antonio says that he will not accept the money if Shylock will agree to become a Christian and if, in his will, he will agree to
leave his money to his daughter, Jessica, and her new husband, Lorenzo. Shylock, broken and defeated, agrees to all these
conditions and leaves the court. Overjoyed, Antonio and his friends offer to pay the young lawyer whatever they can, but, oddly
enough, the lawyer wishes only a certain ring which Bassanio is wearing. Bassanio is embarrassed because his wife gave this ring
to him and asked him to wear it always. But the lawyer insists and, finally, Bassanio reluctantly gives away Portia's ring. Nerissa
likewise cleverly manages to get from Gratiano a ring she gave him. The two ladies then hasten back to Belmont to tease their
husbands about the rings.

When Bassanio and Gratiano, along with Antonio, return to Belmont, their wives inquire about the missing rings. Portia and Nerissa
insist that the men no doubt gave the rings away to two other women. The husbands swear that it is not true, and it is not until Portia
and Nerissa have put their husbands through some long, comically agonizing moments of discomfort that they confess that they
themselves were the "learned doctor" and the "clerk" to whom the rings were given. Thus all ends happily, as Portia gives Antonio a
letter informing him that three of his ships have arrived safely in port .

Reality and Idealism

The Merchant of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships.
On the one hand, the play tells us that love is more important than money, mercy is preferable to revenge, and love lasts forever. On
the other hand, more cynical voices tell us that money rules the world, mercy alone cannot govern our lives, and love can evaporate
after marriage.

The play switches abruptly between these different attitudes. Shakespeare organizes the shifts between idealism and realism by
associating the two concepts with the play's two locations. Venice is depicted as a city of merchants, usurers, and cynical young
men. Belmont, in contrast, is the land where fairytales come true and romance exists.

Mercy

he Merchant of Venice begs the question, does mercy exist in the world? Between religious intolerance and personal revenge, the
play seems devoid of a merciful being.

However, against all the odds, Portia does manage to bring about some mercy in Venice. When Shylock faces execution for his
crimes, Portia persuades the Duke to pardon him. She then persuades Antonio to exercise mercy by not taking all of Shylock's
money from him. Here, Portia's presence turns the proceedings away from violence and toward forgiveness. Portia does, therefore,
succeed in transmitting some of her idealism into Venice. Act IV ends with the suggestion that idealism can sometimes survive in
the real world.

Prejudice

Throughout the play, and as of Act 3, Scene 4, Launcelot Gobbo is still trying to reconcile his affection for Jessica with his belief that
all Jews are devils. This theme continually recurs in the clown scenes, and it seems as though Shakespeare is deliberately making
fun of the Christian's attitudes toward the Jews.

The function of a clown is to misunderstand people and undermine their assumptions by asking simple, obvious questions. By
highlighting the confusion of biblical texts, and raising pragmatic questions about the conversion of Jews, Launcelot, in his clownish
ways, demonstrates the absurdities and complications that arise from the automatic damnation of a religious faith. Ultimately, he
prevents the play from simplifying life too much. Beneath the apparently clear-cut cultural divisions in the play is an awareness of
the complexities of real life.

Portia is the romantic heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty and intelligence. Of her
beauty, we need no convincing. Bassanio's words are enough; thus we turn to her love for Bassanio. Already she has given him
cause to think that it is possible that he can woo and win her, for on an earlier visit to Belmont, Bassanio did "receive fair speechless
messages" from her eyes. And when Nerissa mentions the fact that Bassanio might possibly be a suitor, Portia tries to disguise her
anxiety, but she fails. Nerissa understands her mistress. Portia is usually very self-controlled, but she reveals her anxiety concerning
Bassanio a little later when he has arrived at her mansion and is about to choose one of the caskets. She has fallen in love with him,
and her anxiety and confusion undo her. "Pause a day or two," she begs, for "in choosing wrong, / I lose your company." She thus
makes sure that he knows that it is not hate that she feels for him.

Bassanio's correct choice of the casket overwhelms Portia. She wishes she had more of everything to give Bassanio: "This house,
these servants and this same myself / Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring." She willingly shares all she owns with
Bassanio. Once master of her emotions, she has fallen completely under the spell of love's madness. Love is a reciprocal giving and
receiving, and so it is with perfect empathy that she sends her beloved away almost immediately to try and save his friend Antonio.
They will be married, but their love will not be consummated until his friend is saved, if possible.

Portia's second characteristic that is most readily apparent is her graciousness — that is, her tact and sympathy. Despite her real
feelings about the Prince of Morocco, Portia answers him politely and reassuringly. Since the irony of her words is not apparent to
him, his feelings are spared. She tells him that he is "as fair / As any comer I have look'd on yet / For my affection." She shows
Morocco the honor his rank deserves. But once he is gone, she reveals that she did not like him. "A gentle riddance," she says;
"Draw the curtains."

When the Prince of Arragon arrives, Portia carefully addresses him with all the deference due his position. She calls him "noble."
But after he has failed and has left, she cries out, "O, these deliberate fools!" To her, both of these men are shallow and greedy and
self-centered; yet to their faces, she is as ladylike as possible. Lorenzo appreciates this gentle generosity of spirit; when Portia has
allowed her new husband to leave to try and help his best friend out of his difficulty, he says to her: "You have a noble and a true
conceit / Of god-like amity."

In the courtroom, Portia (in disguise) speaks to Shylock about mercy, but this is not merely an attempt to stall; she truly means what
she says. It is an eloquent appeal she makes. Her request for mercy comes from her habitual goodness. She hopes, of course, to
soften his heart, knowing the outcome if he refuses. But the words come from her heart, honestly and openly and naturally.

Finally, of course, what we most remember about Portia, after the play is over, is her wit and her playfulness. Even when Portia is
complaining to Nerissa about the terms of her father's will, she does so wittily: "Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor
refuse none?" And then she ticks off, like a computer, the eccentricities of the six suitors who have arrived at Belmont to try for her
hand. They are either childish, humorless, volatile, ignorant, too fantastically dressed, weak, or have a drinking problem. She is
clearly glad to be rid of them all when it is announced that they are departing.

We recall too the humorous way that she imagines dressing like a man and aping the mannerisms of all of the men she has
observed in her short life. She bets Nerissa that she can out-man any man when it comes to swaggering and playing the macho bit:
"I have within my mind / A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, / Which I will practise." Men are as transparent as stale beer
to her; she revels in turning the tables and having a bit of fun even while she is on a daring mission to try and save Antonio's life.
And even in the courtroom, when Bassanio extravagantly offers his life for Antonio's, Portia quips in an aside that "Your wife would
give you little thanks for that, / If she were by, to hear you make the offer."

The entire ring plot is Portia's idea, and she and Nerissa relish the prospect of the jest at their husbands' expense. Bassanio swears
over and over that he never gave his ring away to another woman (and he is more than a little embarrassed to admit that he gave it
to another man), but with a fine sense of comedy, Portia plays the role of the "angry wife" just as well as she played the role of the
"learned young lawyer" at Antonio's trial.

Only when Portia first falls in love with Bassanio does she lose all self-control; once she regains control of herself, she takes matters
in hand until the very end of the play, and there she displays total command of the situation. "You are all amazed," she tells them,
and then she shows them a letter from Padua, explaining everything, and she gaily invites them inside where she will continue to
explain and entertain. She is a delightful creature, one of Shakespeare's most intelligent and captivating heroines.
 She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer was first produced in London in 1773, and was a massive success. It was reputed to
have created an applause that was yet unseen in the London theatre, and almost immediately entered the
repertory of respectable companies. Within a decade, it had traveled both throughout the European
continent and to the United States.
She Stoops to Conquer opens with a prologue in which an actor mourns the death of the classical low
comedy at the altar of sentimental, "mawkish" comedy. He hopes that Dr. Goldsmith can remedy
this problem through the play about to be presented.
Act I is full of set-up for the rest of the play. Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastlelive in an old house that
resembles an inn, and they are waiting for the arrival of Marlow, son of Mr. Hardcastle's old friend
and a possible suitor to his daughter Kate. Kate is very close to her father, so much so that she
dresses plainly in the evenings (to suit his conservative tastes) and fancifully in the mornings for
her friends. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hardcastle's niece Constance is in the old woman's care, and has
her small inheritance (consisting of some valuable jewels) held until she is married, hopefully to
Mrs. Hardcastle's spoiled son from an earlier marriage, Tony Lumpkin. The problem is that neither
Tony nor Constance loves the other, and in fact Constance has a beloved, who will be traveling
to the house that night with Marlow. Tony's problem is also that he is a drunk and a lover of low
living, which he shows when the play shifts to a pub nearby. When Marlow
and Hastings(Constance's beloved) arrive at the pub, lost on the way to Hardcastle's, Tony plays a
practical joke by telling the two men that there is no room at the pub and that they can find
lodging at the old inn down the road (which is of course Hardcastle's home).
Act II sees the plot get complicated. When Marlow and Hastings arrive, they are impertinent and
rude with Hardcastle, whom they think is a landlord and not a host (because of Tony's trick).
Hardcastle expects Marlow to be a polite young man, and is shocked at the behavior. Constance
finds Hastings, and reveals to him that Tony must have played a trick. However, they decide to
keep the truth from Marlow, because they think revealing it will upset him and ruin the trip.
They decide they will try to get her jewels and elope together. Marlow has a bizarre tendency to
speak with exaggerated timidity to "modest" women, while speaking in lively and hearty tones to
women of low-class. When he has his first meeting with Kate, she is dressed well, and hence
drives him into a debilitating stupor because of his inability to speak to modest women. She is
nevertheless attracted to him, and decides to try and draw out his true character. Tony and
Hastings decide together that Tony will steal the jewels for Hastings and Constance, so that he
can be rid of his mother's pressure to marry Constance, whom he doesn't love.

Act III opens with Hardcastle and Kate each confused with the side of Marlow they saw. Where
Hardcastle is shocked at his impertinence, Kate is disappointed to have seen only modesty. Kate
asks her father for the chance to show him that Marlow is more than both believe. Tony has
stolen the jewels, but Constance doesn't know and continues to beg her aunt for them. Tony
convinces Mrs. Hardcastle to pretend they were stolen to dissuade Constance, a plea she
willingly accepts until she realizes they have actually been stolen. Meanwhile, Kate is now
dressed in her plain dress and is mistaken by Marlow (who never looked her in the face in their
earlier meeting) as a barmaid to whom he is attracted. She decides to play the part, and they have
a lively, fun conversation that ends with him trying to embrace her, a move Mr. Hardcastle
observes. Kate asks for the night to prove that he can be both respectful and lively.
Act IV finds the plots almost falling apart. News has spread that Sir Charles Marlow (Hardcastle's
friend, and father to young Marlow) is on his way, which will reveal Hastings's identity as
beloved of Constance and also force the question of whether Kate and Marlow are to marry.
Hastings has sent the jewels in a casket to Marlow for safekeeping but Marlow, confused, has
given them to Mrs. Hardcastle (whom he still believes is the landlady of the inn). When Hastings
learns this, he realizes his plan to elope with wealth is over, and decides he must convince
Constance to elope immediately. Meanwhile, Marlow's impertinence towards Hardcastle (whom
he believes is the landlord) reaches its apex, and Hardcastle kicks him out of the house, during
which altercation Marlow begins to realize what is actually happening. He finds Kate, who now
pretends to be a poor relation to the Hardcastles, which would make her a proper match as far as
class but not a good marriage as far as wealth. Marlow is starting to love her, but cannot pursue it
because it would be unacceptable to his father because of her lack of weatlh, so he leaves her.
Meanwhile, a letter from Hastings arrives that Mrs. Hardcastle intercepts, and she reads that he
waits for Constance in the garden, ready to elope. Angry, she insists that she will bring
Constance far away, and makes plans for that. Marlow, Hastings and Tony confront one another,
and the anger over all the deceit leads to a severe argument, resolved temporarily when Tony
promises to solve the problem for Hastings.
Act V finds the truth coming to light, and everyone happy. Sir Charles has arrived, and he and
Hastings laugh together over the confusion young Marlow was in. Marlow arrives to apologize,
and in the discussion over Kate, claims he barely talked to Kate. Hardcastle accuses him of lying,
since Hardcastle saw him embrace Kate (but Marlow does not know that was indeed Kate). Kate
arrives after Marlow leaves the room and convinces the older men she will reveal the full truth if
they watch an interview between the two from a hidden vantage behind a screen. Meanwhile,
Hastings waits in the garden, per Tony's instruction, and Tony arrives to tell him that he drove
his mother and Constance all over in circles, so that they think they are lost far from home when
in fact they have been left nearby. Mrs. Hardcastle, distraught, arrives and is convinced she must
hide from a highwayman who is approaching. The “highwayman” proves to be Mr. Hardcastle,
who scares her in her confusion for a while but ultimately discovers what is happening. Hastings
and Constance, nearby, decide they will not elope but rather appeal to Mr. Hardcastle for mercy.
Back at the house, the interview between Kate (playing the poor relation) and Marlow reveals his
truly good character, and after some discussion, everyone agrees to the match. Hastings and
Constance ask permission to marry and, since Tony is actually of age and therefore can of his
own volition decide not to marry Constance, the permission is granted. All are happy (except for
miserly Mrs. Hardcastle), and the "mistakes of a night" have been corrected.

There are two epilogues generally printed to the play, one of which sketches in metaphor
Goldsmith's attempt to bring comedy back to its traditional roots, and the other of which suggests
Tony Lumpkin has adventures yet to be realized.

Sir Charles Marlow

The father of Young Marlow and friend of Hardcastle. A respectable and aristocratic fellow from the
town who believes his son is of very modest character.

Marlow
Ostensibly the hero of a play. A respectable fellow who comes to Hardcastle's home to meet Kate
Hardcastle. Possessed of a strange contradictory character, wherein he is mortified to speak to any
"modest" woman, but is lively and excitable in conversation with barmaids or other low-class women.

Hardcastle

The patriarch of the Hardcastle family, and owner of the estate where the play is set. He despises the
ways of the town, and is dedicated to the simplicity of country life and old-fashioned traditions.

Hastings

Friend of Marlow's, and lover of Constance Neville. A decent fellow who is willing to marry Constance
even without her money.

Tony Lumpkin

Son of Mrs. Hardcastle from an earlier marriage, and known for his free-wheeling ways of drinking and
tomfoolery. Loves to play practical jokes. Proves to be good-natured and kind despite his superficial
disdain for everyone. His mother wants him to marry Constance but he is set against the idea.

Diggory

Hardcastle's head servant.

Mrs. Hardcastle

Matriarch of the Hardcastle family, most notable for her pronounced vanity. She coddles her son Tony,
and wants him to marry her niece, Constance Neville.

Kate Hardcastle

Called "Miss Hardcastle" in the play. The heroine of the play, she is able to balance the "refined
simplicity" of country life with the love of life associated with the town. She pretends to be a barmaid in
order to judge her suitor Marlow's true character.

Constance Neville

Called "Miss Neville" in the play. Niece of Mrs. Hardcastle, an orphan whose only inheritance is a set of
jewels in the care of her aunt. Her aunt wishes her to marry Tony Lumpkin, but Constance wants to
marry Hastings.

Maid

Kate's servant. The woman who tells her that Marlow believed Kate to be a barmaid, which leads Kate
towards her plan to stoop and conquer.

Landlord
Landlord of the Three Pigeons, who welcomes Marlow and Hastings, and helps Tony to play his trick on
them.

Jeremy

Marlow's drunken servant. His drunken impertinence offends Hardcastle, which leads Hardcastle to
order Marlow to leave.

THE RIVALS
A synopsis of the play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Young Captain Absolute, son and heir of Sir Anthony Absolute, arrives in Bath to pay
court to the rich and lovely Lydia Languish. His suit is singularly complicated because
he has made himself known to her as the penniless Ensign Beverley, the better to
intrigue her romantic nature. Lydia, seventeen, favors the excitement of an elopement,
but Captain Absolute is aware that she will lose two-thirds of her fortune if she weds
without the consent of her aunt, Mrs. Malaprop. He hopes that Lydia will accept him
in his true name after she has come to love him as Ensign Beverley.

Lydia also has problems: her aunt has intercepted a note from Beverley and has
confined Lydia to her home; now she has no opportunity to patch up a petty quarrel
with her lover, and fears that she has lost him. Her friend Julia tries to console her by
saying that, after all, Beverley is penniless, but Lydia declares herself determined to
marry, before she becomes of age, a man who will care nothing for her fortune.

She tells Julia that Mrs. Malaprop has not scrupled to carry on a small romance of her
own: she is corresponding, under the name of Delia, with a fire-eating Irish baronet,
Sir Lucius O'Trigger, who is unaware of her true identity. Mrs. Malaprop's shrewd
maid, Lucy, who acts as messenger between them, is fattening her purse by telling the
impoverished O'Trigger that "Delia" is the beautiful Lydia.

A new complication now arises: Sir Anthony makes a suprise visit to Bath. He arrives
with Mrs. Malaprop at her home to propose a match between his son, the Captain, and
Lydia. Mrs. Malaprop, who has an amazing propensity for garbling the English
language, orders Lydia to "illiterate" Beverley from her thoughts. But Lydia, unaware
of his true identity, refuses to marry Captain Absolute. In spite of her refusal, her aunt
accepts his father's proposal, and prepares to dismiss another of Lydia's suitors, Bob
Acres, a young man who is somewhat of a bumpkin.

Captain Absolute has learned of the arrival of his father and Julia, who is Sir
Anthony's ward, and he summons his friend Faulkland to give him the news about
them. Faulkland and Julia are betrothed, but the former is in a perpetual stew of
doubts, fears, hopes and wishes, all revolving around his beloved. For amusement, the
Captain calls in Bob Acres to report on Julia's health (he is a country neighbor of the
Absolutes), and to hear Acres berate his rival, Beverley, not knowing that the latter is,
in reality, his friend Absolute. Faulkland, who has been worrying for fear Julia might
be ill, hears that she is quite merry in spite of his absence, and is thrown into a new
fever of unhappiness.

The testy Sir Anthony calls in order to command his son to marry Lydia, but the
Captain refuses--his father neglects to tell her name--and Sir Anthony stamps out,
threatening to disinherit him. Fag, the Captain's servant, learns from Lucy that Sir
Anthony's choice is Lydia, and this he tells young Absolute. The enlightened Captain
hastens to his father to say that he has repented and is willing to court Lydia. Father
and son set off to pay their addresses to Mrs. Malaprop.

This lady, after approving the Captain as "the very pineapple of politeness," tells them
that she has intercepted another note from Beverley to Lydia--in which, unfortunately,
he refers to Mrs. Malaprop as "a weather-beaten she-dragon." The letter also reveals
that Beverley has a scheme to see Lydia--with "the old harridan" as an unwitting go-
between.

Young Absolute suggests that Mrs. Malaprop punish the conceited puppy, Beverley,
by letting him reach the point of elopement; then he, Absolute, will himself carry off
Lydia. She agrees, and Lydia is summoned. "Beverley" whispers to her that he has
disguised himself as Absolute, and the delighted Lydia tells her aunt again that she
will wed only Beverley. Mrs. Malaprop declares Lydia to be as headstrong as "an
allegory on the banks of the Nile."

Meanwhile, Acres, rebuffed by Lydia and blaming the mysterious Beverley for her
coldness, is urged by O'Trigger to challenge his rival to a duel. A note is written to
Beverley, naming that very evening for the duel in King's Mead-Fields. O'Trigger
himself sets out in search of Captain Absolute (whom he believes to be his rival for
"Delia") with the idea in mind of challenging Absolute to a duel. Acres, in preparation
for his tilt with Beverley, asks young Absolute to be his second. The waggish Captain
declares that he thinks this hardly proper, but he agrees to deliver Acres note to
Beverley.
Sir Anthony Absolute now insists on taking his son to Lydia's home. Here he
acknowledges him in her presence, and Lydia at once realizes that there has been a
hoax--Beverley, of course, is really the Captain. Mrs. Malaprop agrees to forgive all,
and says: "We will not anticipate the past, our retrospection will now be all to the
future"; but Lydia, angry at being duped, declares that indeed she renounces
"Beverley" forever, and flounces from the room.

The Captain, infuriated by Lydia's behavior, leaves at once. He meets O'Trigger who
is seeking to challenge him, they quarrel and agree to cross swords that evening in the
King's Mead-Fields--where Acres is scheduled to meet Beverley. Absolute informs
his friend Faulkland of the coming event, giving the latter a new idea for testing
Julia's love for him: he tells her that he has involved himself in a quarrel and must run
away immediately. Julia is ready to accompany him, but, learning that the story is
another one of Faulkland's concoctions, declares that now she will never marry him.

Lydia, Julia and Mrs. Malaprop hear from the servants a confused story of the
impending duel--a duel in which Absolute, Faulkland and O'Trigger are named as the
principals--and they hasten to the field to prevent what Mrs. Malaprop fears is to be
"fine suicide, paracide, salvation and an antistrophe." Sir Anthony, who has met his
son on his way to keep his engagement but who has been deceived as to the purpose
of young Absolute's sword, now learns of the impending duel, and sets out for the
King's Mead-Fields.

Here, the bloodthirsty O'Trigger is giving Acres some preliminary instructions in

duelling, but so graphically does he illustrate the lesson that Acres has quite lost his
appetite for combat. Young Absolute and Faulkland arrive. O'Trigger, learning that
Faulkland is not Beverley (he has assumed from the beginning that he was), proposes
that Faulkland fight Acres anyway, just to make a foursome. Acres hurriedly vetoes
that suggestion. Absolute then identifies himself as Beverley. Acres, much to
O'Trigger's disgust, now insists that he cannot possibly fight his friend Absolute.
Absolute and O'Trigger are drawing their swords when Sir Anthony and the women
appear.

O'Trigger greats Lydia as his "Delia," and is unpleasantly surprised to learn that his
correspondent has been, in reality, the simpering Mrs. Malaprop. He promptly
relinquishes "Delia" to Absolute. Lydia forgives the Captain, and he and O'Trigger are
quickly reconciled. Faulkland and Julia also grant forgiveness to each other, and plan
to be married at once. Bob Acres, vastly relieved, renounces all claims to any wife for
whom he must fight, and invites the company to a party.
 Understanding the Characters in Richard Sheridan's "The Rivals"

All 12 of the characters in "The Rivals" by Richard Sheridan, are essential aspects of the play. Get some help
keeping the cast straight and gain some insight into their motivation with this analysis.

 An Overview

"The Rivals" is an 18th century comedy written by Richard Sheridan. It is widely considered a comedy of manners,
which is a social satire that focuses on commenting on the state of the social classes of the day, particularly in high
society. The play features a cast of 12 major characters, each of which plays a pivotal role in the play’s composition.
The play is set in Bath, Somerset, England, in the mid-18th century and revolves around two rich young lovers,
Lydia and Jack. However, Jack pretends to be a young, poor soldier in the hopes of sweeping Lydia off her feet with
the romantic idea of running off and eloping with a poor officer. Both characters are readers of romantic novellas of
the day, lending to their overly dramatic romance encounters throughout the story. Understanding each of the
characters in "The Rivals" by Richard Sheridan will help any reader or watcher better understand the context of the
story and the state of mind of the characters.

 Overview of Main Characters

Though there are 12 unique characters, the primary characters, defined as the characters who are absolutely essential
to the story, are the two lovers and their respective guardians: Sir Anthony, his son Jack, Mrs. Malaprop and her
ward Lydia. The other major characters, though important, are not essential to the storyline’s basic message.
 Sir Anthony Absolute: The Wealthy Baronet
Considered one of the most flirtatious men in all of Bath, Sir Anthony is a dualistic character who is difficult to
figure out. This is because his mannerisms change based on the company he keeps. If he keeps company with a
group of young women, he is a charming and facetious man, while if he keeps company with a group of older men,
he is a staunch, unyielding authoritarian. This dualistic nature of Sir Anthony ironically conflicts with his name:
Absolute. However, in spite of his altering personality, Sir Anthony is a generally loving father to his son, Jack, and
seems to want only the best for him.

 Captain Jack Absolute: Sir Anthony’s Young, Romantic Son

Captain Jack Absolute is a ranking officer in the King’s Royal Army and is generally considered a gentleman by all
the other characters in the play. However, in spite of his well-to-do nature, Captain Jack seems to have a penchant
for mischief throughout the play, taking the role of a soldier named “Ensign Beverly" in order to romantically win
the affections of Lydia. Captain Jack shares his father’s dualistic nature, again conflicting with his name. At one
moment, he could be the consummate gentleman, while at another moment, he will be a romantic flirt and absolute
fool. It is important to note that, whenever Jack is with Lydia, he tends to be the latter.

 Lydia: A Wealthy Heiress and Lover of Jack

A frivolous young woman infatuated with romance novellas and high society fashion, Lydia is one of the original
so-called Valley Girls. She is highly sentimental, often lamenting over the sadness of life and the romantic thrills
that she gets from her young courters. In fact, she makes an effort to mimic the lines and mannerisms in the romantic
stories that she reads. Even though she is a very silly and flighty character, Lydia is also stubborn and enduring,
causing much tension between her and her guardian. Though she is the heiress of a large sum of money, she seems
all too willing to throw it all away to pursue her love of adventure and romance.

 Mrs. Malaprop: Lydia’s Legal Guardian

The archetypal hard, proper woman, Mrs. Malaprop is Lydia’s aunt and legal owner of her fortune until Lydia
becomes of age. She is strictly opposed to Lydia’s frivolous behavior and often scoffs at her desire for romance and
love. Mrs. Malaprop conflicts with Jack’s father in scoffing at love and romance rather than encouraging it. She is a
gossiping and melodramatic character, often taking things way out of proportion and putting her own spin on them.

 Minor Characters
 Though not necessarily as important, the minor characters are still key components to the play’s satirical message.
They engage in several sub-plots, but mostly center around the activity of Jack and Lydia.
 Julia: Lover of Faulkland – Considered the only reasonable character in the play,
Julia is the voice of logic to the sillier characters.
 Lucy: Lydia’s Maid – A sneaky and conniving character, she double deals and
back stabs whenever possible.
 Bob Acres: A friend of Jack's – A country gent who tries hard to be a proper
gentleman. However, he is portrayed as a pretender and fool.
 Faulkland: A friend of Jack's – Lover of Julia and a torn character. He, like Jack,
is dualistic and caught between being a dramatic lover and a proper gentleman.
 Sir Lucius: An Irish courtier and baronet – A proper but short-tempered
gentleman who serves as a casual antagonist and courter of many women.
 Jack’s servant: A proper and loyal character who, like Lucy, often lies and
connives to get his job done.
 David: Bob’s Servant – An old man who tries to level out the moody Bob.

Captain Jack Absolute

Captain Jack Absolute (Ensign Beverley), a young aristocrat who poses as a penniless ensign to win the love of
Lydia Languish. After many problems—among them relatives who oppose his marriage, rivals who challenge him to
duels, and misunderstandings with his fiancée—Jack wins fair Lydia.

Lydia Languish

Lydia Languish, Jack Absolute’s beloved, a girl whose head is so stuffed with the fantastic adventures of popular
fictional people that she cannot bear to marry anyone in her own class. She spurns Jack Absolute when she learns
that he is not the penniless Ensign Beverley, but she is greatly impressed when she learns that he is to fight a duel
because of her, and he wins her hand.

Sir Anthony Absolute

Sir Anthony Absolute, Jack’s strong-willed father, who insists that Jack marry the woman Sir Anthony selects. Jack
refuses to obey his father’s edict until he learns that Sir Anthony has chosen Lydia to be his son’s wife.

Mrs. Malaprop

Mrs. Malaprop, Lydia’s aunt, whose eccentric treatment of the English language spawned the word “malapropism.”
She opposes Lydia’s intention to marry Jack, but she drops her objections at last to bask in the high spirits of those
whose problems have found happy solutions.

Bob Acres

Bob Acres, an affable country squire who challenges Ensign Beverley to a duel. When he learns that Beverley and
his friend Jack are the same person, the timid squire is greatly relieved that no duel will be necessary.

Sir Lucius O’Trigger

Sir Lucius O’Trigger, a brash Irishman who is hoodwinked into believing that he is corresponding with Lydia when,
actually, Mrs. Malaprop and he are exchanging letters. He challenges Jack to a duel but withdraws when he learns
that Lydia never has been interested in him.

Faulkland
Faulkland, Jack’s friend, who is in love with Julia Melville, Lydia’s cousin. Faulkland’s avocation is worrying about the
welfare of his suit for Julia, thus creating obstacles where there are none. Finally, however, he banishes care and
generously accepts Julia’s love.

Julia Melville

Julia Melville, Lydia’s cousin, who marries Faulkland.

Loyalties  
Hostility toward Jews dates to ancient times, perhaps to the beginning of Jewish history. From the days
of the Bible until the Roman Empire, Jews were criticized and sometimes punished for their efforts to
remain a separate social and religious group – one that refused to adopt the values and the way of life of
the non-Jewish societies in which it lived.

The rise of Christianity greatly increased hatred of Jews. They became seen not merely as outsiders but
as a people who rejected Jesus and crucified him – despite the fact that the Roman authorities ordered
and carried out the crucifixion. By the high middle ages (11th –14th centuries), Jews were widely
persecuted as barely human “Christ-killers” and “Devils.” Forced to live in all-Jewish ghettos, they were
accused of poisoning rivers and wells during times of disease. Some were tortured and executed for
supposedly abducting and killing Christian children to drink their blood or to use to it in baking matzoh –
a charge known as the “blood libel.” A large number were forced to convert to Christianity to avoid
death, torture, or expulsion, though many secretly practiced Judaism after their conversions.

_________________________________________________________________

JOHN GALSWORTHY

Writing merely for his own amusement around the age of twenty-eight, John Galsworthy first published
a collection of his short stories, From the Four Winds  (1897) and the novel Jocelyn  (1898) at his own expense
and under the fake name of John Sinjohn. After realising that the practice of law was not for him, he
published his first novel The Island Pharisees  (1904) under his own name, and which in his opinion
remained his most important work.

An English novelist and playwright, he won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his distinguished art
of narration which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga ” published between 1906 and 1921 and as a
collection in 1922. The second series of novels in the Forsyte roman fleuve  would be The White
Monkey (1924), The Silver Spoon  (1926), and Swan Song  (1928). Maid in Waiting  (1931),Flowering
Wilderness  (1932), and Over the River  (1933) comprised the third.

__________________________________________________________________

 SUMMARY
 Loyalties  is one of the first plays to deal honestly and openly with the problem of anti-Semitism in
aristocratic societies. It portrays how people have their loyalties lying in all the wrong places and follow
their loyalties instead of fighting for truth and justice. In the first scene of the play a theft takes place in
Meldon Court, owned by Mr. Charles Winsor, where a theft has takes place. Ferdinand De Levis reports
the theft of his money to Charles Winsor only to realize that his so called friends are more interested in
saving their reputation and name in their society than following the right part to find out the truth. This
is proven When Charles Winsor hesitates to get the police involved. As the police finally do get called
and an investigation is begun, many theories are put forth to try and find out who was the culprit, and
when De Levis comes up with a theory of how Captain Ronald Dancy had stolen the money and backs it
up with some proof, he is told to keep these accusations to himself, with the use of social blackmail. De
Levis agrees to keep quiet until he can prove himself with further proof, but when he realizes that he has
been blackballed out of a club, he openly accuses Dancy of the theft in his fury. After a few days full of
discussion on the events that took place between De Levis and Dancy, Dancy is finally proved guilty
when the stolen notes are recovered and traced back to him. Dancys friends all advise him to leave the
city and run away. The play ends with the tragic death of Dancy when he hangs himself to avoid getting
arrested.

__________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION

In my opinion the whole matter was dealt with very poorly and dishonestly. Having a friends back means
walking him through his bad times but also pointing out the right part to him and encouraging him to
take it, whereas in this story everyone just tries to cover up each other’s tracks instead of helping out in
any way, resulting in a lot of misunderstandings, a web of lies, and unnecessary trouble.

Also, they should have helped out De Levis even if their loyalties lay with Dancy as they all knew and in
the end were shown that De Levis was the victim and Dancy was indeed guilty. Even if they were not
particularly fond of De Levis and he was not meant to be a part of their circle, they should have at least
been nice enough to help him out in getting justice

Characters Discussed

Captain Ronald Dancy, D.S.O.

Captain Ronald Dancy, D.S.O., retired, an officer who thrived on the excitement of war and languishes on the
placidity of peace. After creating his own excitement with horses and women, he gets himself into trouble by stealing
some money from a house guest while he himself is a guest. His friends stand by him against the accusation of the
man who has lost the money. In the end, however, it is clear that he is guilty. When the police come to arrest him, he
goes to his room and shoots himself.

Ferdinand de Levis

Ferdinand de Levis, a prosperous Jew who has risen to wealth by degrees, having started very modestly. He sells for
a thousand pounds a horse Dancy has given him, and Dancy steals the money. De Levis is unpopular with the set at
the house where he and Dancy are guests. He shows poor form by openly accusing Dancy of theft before his friends.
When Dancy drops his suit for defamation of character against de Levis, the latter is willing to let bygones be
bygones.

Mabel Dancy

Mabel Dancy, Dancy’s wife, who is loyal to him even after she discovers that he is a thief.

Jacob Twisden

Jacob Twisden, Dancy’s attorney, who is tough and straightforward. He discovers that Dancy did indeed take the
money and advises him to drop his suit against de Levis.

Charles Winsor

Charles Winsor, Dancy and de Levis’ host at Meldon Court, where the theft takes place.

Paolio Ricardos

Paolio Ricardos, an Italian wine merchant whose daughter has been intimate with Dancy. Ricardos threatens to
expose Dancy if he does not provide for the daughter. To get the money to pay Ricardos, Dancy steals the thousand
pounds from de Levis.

General Canynge

General Canynge, Dancy’s superior officer. When it becomes apparent that Dancy has stolen the money, he offers
Dancy a billet in the Spanish war.

Riders to the Sea Summary

synge's "Riders to the Sea" deals with the lives and manners of a cross-section of humanity and is,
therefore, concerned with local matters but it is Synge's art that lends a universal interest to what is local
in all particulars. In other words, Synge, like any other great artist, universalises the particular experience
of a particular individual or a group of individuals. Like Hardy's regional novels, Synge's "Riders to the
Sea" offers a slice of life which acquires a universal dimension. Synge focuses our attention upon that
aspect of life which absorbs the interest of humanity in general. Synge's play has a timeless appeal
because its content draws our attention to something which is essentially human. The relevance of
"Riders to the sea" lies in its intensity of appeal; in its sense of contemporaneity.
Synge had gone to spend a few days in the Aran lives to study the lives of people over there. Synge,
however, was attracted by the way of life of Aran islanders and he decided to frame the experiences of
such commoners in words. And then was born "Riders to the Sea".There are two backgrounds moving
parallel to each other in this novel. One is the sea, the epicentre around which everything is set. Another
is omen and foreboding. The readers can predict by learning the title that something ominous is going to
happen which might be connected to the sea. From the very beginning, we see Maurya, the protagonist,
talking about her sons who sacrificed their lives to the seas. The whole novel revolves around the
insecurities concerning the sea. Maurya, on the other hand, believes in omens. When Bartley, Maurya's
only alive son, leaves their house without following the daily course , Maurya gets tensed and her two
daughters rush to Bartley to follow what their mother is saying. Therefore, the two backgrounds
amalgamate with each other and create a perfect setting for "Riders to the Sea"
It was first published in 1903. It is a folk lore tragic drama which depicts human struggle against
natural forces for life. The location of the play is an island in the west of Ireland. There are only
four characters in the play before the audience, rest of the characters have been introduced
indirectly in dialogues. The story is of an old woman Mourya who lost her husband, father-in-
law and five sons to the sea. The sea has been depicted hostile towards humans. The play begins
with two sisters Nora and Cathleen trying to hide a bundle of clothes from their mother. The
clothes were suspected to be of corpse of Bartley, their brother and Mourya‟s son. Mourya is in
deep mourning due to death of her son Michael in the sea. After the sea had claimed the lives of
her husband and four elder sons, Maurya tries to discourage Bartley, her last living son, 89 | P a g
e from going to Connemara to sell a horse. It was the trip that Michael took when he died. But
Bartley insists that he will cross the mainland in spite of winds and high seas. Nora and Cathleen
persuaded their mother to go behind Bartley and give him food which they had forgotten and her
blessings which she had not delivered at the time he was departing. After Mourya‟s departure
they inspected the clothes and found them to be of Bartley the youngest and the last son of
Mourya. They consoled themselves that at least he would get a Christian burial which other
family members who drowned in the sea were no able to get. Mourya returns after she sees in her
vision that Bartley was followed by Michael on his horse. With this vision she realised the death
of his last son and it was confirmed when Nora and Cathleen showed her Bartley‟s clothes. She
says that the coffin which she brought for Michael will be used for Bartley. This very dialogue
expresses the utter sorrow of a mother for her son. As Maurya is speaking to the neighboring
women, few young men come with the body of Bartley who had been knocked off a cliff into the
waves by the horse he was intending to sell. The play closes on the note of Maurya‟s accepting
surrender to the sea, and to the course of life. She says that sea has taken all of her so nothing has
been left to her which the sea could snatch. She accepted that no human being was immortal on
the earth. This doesn‟t mean that she has been defeated from life but she accepted the challenge
of life to start it anew. In this one-act-tragedy J. M. Synge describes the pathetic tragedy of the
life of an Aran old woman which creates pity and horror in the minds of the audience. It
represents Synge‟s perception of tragedy. This One-act-tragedy is characterised by brevity of the
plot, tragic atmosphere, limited characters and specific dialogues. Single scene with no subplot
enhanced the pathos which was the cause of tremendous popularity of the play.

OR
It begins with Nora bringing in a small bundle with her and telling Cathleen how this may consist of the
clothes of their brother Michael. A body of a man who drowned was found at Donegal and the Priest fears
it might be Michael. The sisters are scared to open it as they do not want their mother, Maurya, to know.
Michael has been missing for a week and the family had already lost five men to the sea. They hide the
bundle in the turf loft of the cottage.
Maurya is all set for the funeral for her son and hence she has whiteboards ready at the cottage. Then
enters Maurya who is seen lamenting all the time and worrying that all her sons will never come back
from the sea. Then the three women discuss about the last son, Bartley, who is also planning to go the
sea to sell the family animals so that they could get some money for themselves. Nora and Cathleen are
convinced that Bartley will go to the fair at Galway to sell the animals while Maurya is still hoping that the
Priest will not allow him to go in such dangerous tides.
Bartley enters the cottage looking for a new piece of rope, Maurya tries to stop him but he says he wants
to make a halter for the horse and this shows that Bartley will also be going to the sea. Maurya again tries
to dissuade him by showing the whiteboards brought to make a coffin for Michael. Regardless, Bartley
changes his clothes ,asks his sisters to take care of the sheep and leaves without receiving any blessings
from his mother. It is a tradition in Ireland that the son receives the blessings of his mother before going
anywhere but Maurya breaks this fashion and we see how adamant she is to not let Bartley leave.

Bartley on the other hand wants to upraise the financial condition of their family and leaves with the red
mare and a grey pony tied behind. Cathleen then notices that he has not taken any food and hence she
tells Maurya to walk down to the well, give Bartley his food and the blessings. Maurya leaves using a stick
that Michael brought, lamenting over how generally the old people leave things behind for their heirs but
how in her family its the opposite.

Once she is gone, the girls retrieve the bundle of clothes from the loft to check if they are Michael's. They
try checking the shirt by the flannel of another shirt but realize that Bartley wore Michael's shirt as it was
newer and again we get a peak into the drastic financial condition of the family. Nora then realizes that
the stockings are truly Michael's because she stitched them and they count the number of stitches to
arrive at the conclusion that Michael was dead and buried.

They hide the clothes again because they think that Maurya will be returning in a good mood as she got
the chance to bless Bartley, but Maurya comes back only to be more distressed than ever. She tells her
daughters how she saw Michael on the grey pony and could not bless Bartley due to the shock, to calm
her down Nora and Cathleen show Maurya the clothes and tell her that Michael has had a clean burial.
Maurya's laments are interrupted when islanders bring the body of Bartley in the cottage and tell the
women that the grey pony knocked Bartley into the sea and he drowned.

Maurya then gets on her knees near Bartley's body and sprinkles holy water on him. She finally resigns to
her fate and we see how the woman will finally sleep at night because she has no one to worry about, all
the men of her family have died to the sea. We see that the whiteboards that were supposed to be used
for Michael's coffin, will now be used to bury Bartley. Maurya prays that the souls of her husband, her
husband's father and four sons may rest in peace and the curtains are drawn.

Maurya
Maurya has given birth to six sons during her life on the desolate coastal island lying of at the
mouth of Ireland's Galway Bay. Four of them are already dead and they have joined their dad
among the dead. She is old and poor and fears that the extended and uncharacteristic absence of
her son Michael means he is about to added to the list of her loved ones in the afterlife. As if
worrying that Michael has already drowned is not enough stress, she doesn’t appear to be very
successful as persuading her other remaining son, Bartley, from crossing over to the mainland in
a bid to deal away a couple of horses. In the end, Maurya has only the warm comfort of her
daughters to help with the cold comfort of knowing that part of the bargain God has made for
taking every last one of the men in her life is conferring upon at last a sense of peace and serenity
now that her greatest anxiety has been lifted.
Bartley
Bartley is the youngest of Maurya’s six sons and when Michael’s death is confirmed, he steps up
to become the sole support. His means of supporting the family is what gives the play its title: he
rides horses out to sea and to the steamer ship which must lay anchored far offshore. This
transfer of horses is for the purpose of selling them at the fair located on the mainland. His
mother is not just being a lovingly selfish mom by trying to convince him to stop riding the
horses to the sea; it is dangerous work and if he dies, so does the family’s income. Maurya
refuses to give Bartley her blessing after having a vision of his impending death.
Cathleen
Cathleen is the eldest of Maurya’s daughter. Cathleen is 20 years old, commiserates with
Bartley’s position and is scornful of her mother’s superstitions. In reaction to the somewhat
mystical bent of her mother—given to lamentations and omens—Cathleen is pure practicality in
action; a great necessity when living with someone like Maurya.
Nora
The youngest member of the clan, Nora reveals much greater patience with mother’s penchant
for self-pity than her oldest sister. At the same time, she provides a great sounding board for
Cathleen to express her contrarian views.
The Priest
The priest is never actually seen on stage, but his presence is so vital that he must be considered
at least as important a character as Nora. It is the priest who delivers the message through Nora
that Maurya must put her faith and trust in a God that would never allow every last one of her
sons to die while she is still alive.

Hector Hugh Munro better known by pen name “Saki” was a British writer of short stories, plays
and novels. Though he wrote plays, two satires, and a short novel yet he is best known for his
humorous and macabre short stories. He was born in Burma now known as Myamar, on 18
December 1870. He was son of Charles Augustus Munro and Mary Frances Mercer. His works,
include the classic stories "Tobermory” and “The Open Window,” “Interlopers”, “The Story
Teller”, “Miracle Merchant” etc. Through his writings he satirised the Edwardian society and
culture. There is beauty and ease in Saki‟s language. He writes in a satirical tone with
conversational ease.

The miracle merchant

“Miracle Merchant” is a one-act-play written in the year 1934 by and edited by *Graham Greene.
Only one single incident has been acted upon the stage by only four characters named Mrs.
Beauwhstle, her nephew Louis Courset, her Guest Jane Martlet, her butler Sturridge and Page
Boy. There is only one scene in the drama where we find dialogue, action and character in full
swing. The first one is slightly satirical with a comic vein. Scene opens with Louis‟s demand of
twenty pound from Mrs. Beauwhstle. She was totally unwilling for it but Louis picks up a chance
to extract money from her as she delivers the news of Dora‟s arrival. Dora Bittholz and Jane
Marlet are cut throat rival to each other. Louis informs Mrs. Beauwhstle that how hazardous will
be their meeting due to their dispute on a hen. He narrates the details of their quarrel. Dora sold a
hen of exotic breed to Jane at a rather exotic price but the hen proved to be an abstainer from the
egg habit. This turned them hostile towards each other, they exchanged abuses through letters.
Jane was willing to take back some of her most libellous remarks on the condition of Dora‟s
taking back of hen. But Dora refused to do that and jane also became adamant on her stand. The
narration of this incident made to Mrs. Beauwhistle by Louis, worried her because their meeting
could turn into a bloody encounter. Mrs. Beauwhistle was perplexed to think of the 95 | P a g e
consequences, she was unable to do anything. From here starts the comic plotting of cunning
Louis who designs to expel Jane out of the house so that when Dora comes then there will be no
meeting of the two and the dispute may be avoided. The comic intrigue which was planned by
Louis is the nucleus of the drama. It creates laughter as well as irony for Louis in the end. When
Jane comes for breakfast Louis tells her of Sturridge‟s cynical nature and his delusions. Louis
tells that Sturridge imagines Jane as some historical character. When Jane asked him about the
idea Sturridge has taken about her then Louis tells her that he thinks her as Queen Anne and that
irritates him very much. Louis tells her that Sturridge thinks that she should be dead. Even after
listening frightful news from Louis, Jane shows her willingness to depart. After taking her
breakfast she retires to her room to write letters and becomes alert of Sturridge. Louis Further
plans to expel Jane out of the house and get twenty pound from his aunt Mrs. Beauwhistle. He
asked Strurridge to take the sword on the wall and take it to Jane because she wants to copy out
the inscription written on it, he specially cautions him to take it without sheath. As Sturridge
enters the room with necked sword, Jane thinks that he has come to kill her, she comes out of
room screaming out of fear, shouting Louis‟s name. Louis was keeping an eye on all the
happening under the shadow of stair case and was very happy to find out that everything is
taking place according to his plan. Page comes to inquire about the time table for trains for Jane.
Louis helps Page to gather Jane‟s belongings so that she can leave home as fast as possible.
After Jane leaves the house in hurry, Louis wants to inform Mrs. Beauwhistle about it and wants
to take the money from her for his expenses gladly but before he could deliver the news of
Jane‟s departure, Mrs. Beauwhistle Informs him that Dora has sent a letter informing that she
can‟t come that month. After hearing this news Louis collapses on the chair because all his effort
of extracting money from Mrs. Beauwhistle has been failed. The moral of the story is that as you
sow as you reap .

Saint joan
Overview

Saint Joan (the full title is Saint Joan: A Chronicle Play in Six Scenes and an Epilogue) is a play written by Irish
playwright George Bernard Shaw that was published in 1924. ¬¬ George Bernard Shaw is a well-known for Irish
writer from the 19th and 20th centuries who is known for writing short stories, plays, novels, and even screenplays
that explore gender, identity, and politics. Saint Joan was published four years after Joan of Arc was canonized as a
Saint by the Catholic Church. The play follows the rise of Joan of Arc and those who engineered her downfall.

Just in case you're not up on your Middle Ages war history, here's some information you need to know: This play
takes time during the 100 Years War between England and France. There has been no King of France for
approximately seven years. King Charles VI died in 1422, leaving his son Charles VII to take the throne. Charles VII is
referred to as the Dauphin, or 'the title of the oldest son of the King of France', but cannot become King, because
the town, Orleans, where the King must be crowned, is held by the English. Without a central figure of power, the
feudal lords, knights, and noblemen have gained power in their independent regions.

In 1429 A.D., a young country girl known simply as Joan of Arc, or sometimes simply as The Maid, is
given an interview by Robert de Baudricourt since she will not leave until she speaks with him. She tells
him that she needs horses and armor to go to the Dauphin of France and to raise the siege of Orleans, a
city held captive by the English forces. She knows that a siege would be possible because the voices of
Saints Margaret and Catherine have told her what to do. Upon being convinced by The Maid's simplicity,
Captain de Baudricourt grants her request.

Upon arriving at the Dauphin's castle, The Maid encounters all sorts of difficulties, especially with the
Dauphin, who wants nothing to do with wars and fighting. When France's military fortunes and
predicament are reviewed, Joan's demands that something be done to improve France's condition fall
on deaf ears, but when she is alone with the Dauphin, she is able to instill enough courage in him so that
he finally consents to let her lead the army, knowing full well that she can't make France's condition
worse.

Joan then goes to the Loire River near Orleans, where she encounters Dunois, the commander of the
French forces; he explains the necessity of waiting until the wind changes, but Joan is determined to
lead her forces against the English stronghold without waiting; suddenly, the wind does change
favorably, and Dunois pledges his allegiance to The Maid.

Sometime later, in the English camp, Warwick, the leader of the English forces, and his chaplain, de
Stogumber, are maintaining that The Maid must be a witch because there is no other way of accounting
for the heavy English losses and defeats except by sorcery.

The Bishop of Beauvais, Peter Cauchon, enters and discusses the fate of Joan of Arc. Cauchon's principal
intellectual concern is that Joan is setting up her own private conscience in place of the authority of the
Church. Warwick, who is not influenced by the concerns of the Church, is, instead, concerned that Joan
is telling the common people and the serfs to pledge their allegiance directly to the king, whereas the
entire feudal system is based upon the lower classes pledging their allegiance to their immediate lords
and masters. Joan's simple pleas can possibly destroy the entire feudal system. Cauchon also adds that
Joan is trying to get the common people to pledge further allegiance to their native countries (France
and England) instead of to the Universal Catholic Church, an act which would further lessen the power
of the Church. Thus, for different reasons, both agree that The Maid must be put to death.

After more victories, Joan has finally been able to fulfill her promise to drive the English back and have
the Dauphin crowned king in the Cathedral at Rheims. After the ceremony, Joan is anxious to move on
and capture Paris and drive the English from the city. The Dauphin, however, is content now with what
he has recaptured, Commander Dunois is hesitant to start another campaign after all of the recent
successes, and the Archbishop is beginning to find Joan to be too proud and defiant. Joan then realizes
that she must stand alone  in the same way that "saints have always stood alone," and in spite of the
warning that if she falls into the enemy's hands, neither the military, nor the state, nor the Church will
lift a hand to rescue her.

Some nine months later, Joan is standing trial for heresy. She has been imprisoned and in chains for
these nine months and has been questioned many times about the validity of her "voices." After many
complicated theological questions, her accusers force Joan to admit that her voices were not heavenly
sent voices but, instead, came from Satan. After her recantation of the voices, her judges then sentence
her to perpetual imprisonment and isolation, living off only bread and water. Joan rejects this horrid
punishment and tears up her recantation. She is immediately carried to the stake and burnt as a witch;
afterward, the Executioner enters and announces that Joan's heart would not burn.

Some twenty-five years later, in an Epilogue, Joan reappears before the king (the former Dauphin) and
her chief accusers, who have now been condemned by a subsequent court, which has pronounced Joan
innocent of all charges and her judges guilty of all sorts of crimes.

The time then moves to 1920, when Joan is declared to be a saint by the Church. As such, she now has
the power to return as a living woman, and she asks everyone present if she  should  return. This is a
horrifying prospect for them all, and they all confess that they wish her to remain dead. Joan then asks
of God, "O Lord, how long before the world will be ready to accept its saints?"