Arts and Humanities | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

Paragons Of Virtue With Carnal Appetites: The Women In Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, And Antony And Cleopatra, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

A theme that Shakespeare treat several times in his plays is the sexual mistrust of women and their subsequent testing and vindication. It appears that men “perceiving sexuality as power over women, fear its loss through female betrayal,” (VIII, 41). Specifically I am choosing to look at three plays, Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, and Antony and Cleopatra, in order to examine the different ways in which females in these plays, Desdemona, Hero, and Cleopatra, cope with the male insecurities that they are confronted with. In so doing, I hope to point out that Shakespeare’s reasoning in continually bringing up …

Go to article

Material Culture And Medieval Drama, Clifford Davidson

Clifford Davidson

The contributions by distinguished American and British scholars to this volume recognize that early drama depended on specific developments in material culture in order to achieve its effects, which included both visual and auditory means of appealing to audiences. The discussions range from the parchment and paper on which the plays were written to the instruments which enhanced their production. Of special interest is Mary Remnant’s survey of musical instruments available to producers; she is the recognized expert on medieval English instruments.

Go to article