Symbol

Symbolism is  extremely important because symbols reveal much about the literary works they are found within. In the drama Hamlet, which is a play that focuses on dark things such as death and revenge we see symbols that point to this eerie theme such as the ghost, skulls, and a general darkness that looms over the play. In the fictional novel Pride and Prejudice, which has a major theme of status and class, we see symbols that reveal this. Grand estates versus modest ones, attire and property are all important symbols in this novel. Their purpose is to reinforce the general theme of the book. In my opinion, symbolism has the same function in both types of works.

SETTING

The setting of a play or novel does exactly as it implies. It sets the stage for the action that will be taking place in the story. In Hamlet the setting is mainly a castle and other spooky and gloomy places which is fitting because the action that takes place in Hamlet is dark. In Pride and Prejudice the settings we see are mainly high class estates or the Bennet household which harbors middle class living. The setting of Pride and Prejudice has much to do with status and class which is appropriate because it is from what most of the action in the novel stems. Setting is a crucial aspect of a work and it is important to consider it in the greater scheme of the action.

Protagonist as seen in Pride and Prejudeice and Hamlet

The protagonist of a story or play is,simply put, the main character of the work. It is the character on which much of the action depends. In Hamlet the eponymous character is obviously the protagonist whereas in Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth is the protagonist. These two characters share similarities and differences. A major similarity is that there is conflict involving both of them. Hamlet is trying to avenge his father while Elizabeth is trapped in dizzying love circumstances. Irregardless they both must figure out a way to resolve conflicts they find themselves within. Hamlet's soliloquies exhibit his path to resolution while Elizabeth's internal struggles and interactions with other people exhibit hers. It is clear after reading both of these works that the protagonist is what everything depends upon.

PLOT-with a focus on rising action

The plot of literary works includes the exposition, rising action, climax, and then the denouement. In my opinion plot is basically how the story unfolds. It is interesting to compare plot in fiction (Pride and Prejudice) vs. Drama (Hamlet). In Pride and Prejudice the story unfolds through the gossip of other people; however, this contributes to the rising action of the story. It can be argued that the climax of the story comes however, through the veracity revealed through Darcy's letter to Elizabeth. The climax is the most honest part of the novel. Elizabeth's realization of her love for Darcy and the fact that she has been foolish up until this point can be seen as the denouement. In Hamlet as the play unfolds there is increasing tension based on deception and Hamlet's desire to avenge his father. The climax of the story comes when the sword fight occurs. This is what Hamlet has been waiting for. The denouement is everything that follows--which is the ultimate deaths of many characters. Plots in drama and fiction as revealed to us in Austen and Shakespeare's works, share many similarities they follow the same basic structure;however, in drama the rising action is much more intense.

Essay comment

I am happy with my essay; however, my sentences could of been more developed. I could of fixed a couple grammatical mistakes and deleted or changed some of the shorter sentences in my essay. Other than that I am content with this essay and believe it shows my growth in writing this year.

INTRO- To An Athlete Dying Young," "To His Coy Mistress

Time is an idea explored by a number of writers in various works.. One sees this in both Housman and Marvell's poems. Embracing the present is a major theme in "To An Athlete Dying Young" and "To His Coy Mistress." In both poems the present is glorified while the future is acknowledged as relativeley doomed. These poems share this major thematic similarity as well as other more basic features such as poetic form. However, it is interesting to note that the actual subject matter of these poems differ greatly. Nevertheless, both trumpet seizing the day and celebrating the present before it's too late.

"Ulysses" as compared to "To An Athlete Dying Young"

Time is the major theme of both "Ulysses" and "To An Athlete Dying Young;" however, opposite points are made within them. In "To An Athlete Dying Young," Housman focuses on an athlete's glory dying before the athlete. He states "glory does not stay.....it withers quicker than the rose." He also states "the name died before the man." Housman is making it clear that glory is quick to come and also quick to go. In "To An Athlete Dying Young" Tennyson writes of living in past glory. So in a sense, this poem seems to promote the fact that glory will live on. Tennyson states that "myself not least, but honored of them all" and "little remains; but every hour is saved from that eternal silence, something more....." The last lines of the poem seem to sum up the major point of the poem: "Though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are we are--one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." He seems to truly be clinging on to past glory. He lives and still prides himself in his past triumphs. In comparing poetic forms,  one can see that in "Ulysses" there are longer sentences which could be seen as reflecting a longer life. Tennyson also speaks in first person whereas in "To An Athlete Dying Young," sentences are shorter and there is a very set pattern (couplets) that can be observed and Housman speaks in second person. It's interesting to compare and contrast these poems.

Ozymandias vs. Ponder These Busted Statues

Both poems deal with time and the relatively timeless nature of meaningful relics. Both poems recognize and place importance on what "remains." In Ozymandias it states "half sunk, a shattered visage whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, tell that its sculptor well those passions read which yet survive...." and states "nothing beside remains." In Ponder,darling, Cummings writes of the statues "notice what hath remained-- the stone cringes clinging to the stone, how obsolete lips utter their extant smile...remark a few deleted of texture....."Its interesting that both poets seem to acknowledge the fact that creations outlive their creators but the passion behind such creations shan't be ignored even in their absence. I particularly enjoyed the imagery of "vast deserts and sands" found in Ozymandias because of this imagery's role as a metaphor for eternity. Just as deserts go on forever so too will these relics in some form.