Renaissance and Jacobean Tragedies

I think.  THINK.  that I have my “inspirational” quote that I need to use for my essay in English 381:

“The moral of this [the story of Chiron, the Centaur who educated Achilles], having for their teacher one that was half beast and half a man, was nothing else but that it was needful for a prince to understand how to make his advantage of the one and the other nature, because neither could subsist without the other” (Machiavelli, The Prince).

The key part of this quote is that I’m going to lynch onto the last sub-sentance “because neither could subsist without the other.”

I have to use two plays, and the first one that I’m considering is “The Revengers Tragedy” wherein Vindice could NOT exist without the existence Piato which is his “disguise.”  Vindice would not have needed to disguise himself as Piato given that he had been away from the court for such a long length of time.  However, it’s for his personal goals and values that he needs Piato.  Both of which are Vindice.  If you took away Vindice you would not have Piato, however, without Piato, neither would Vindice exist.  It’s fascinating how two seemingly different personalities are really both one and the other.  They cannot subsist without the other part of their personality.  I’m going to look forward to developing this thought process and this essay 🙂

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Gender Roles in Measure for Measure

I wish one could answer with more than a page for “discussion” questions. I think I hit a great one for Measure for Measure, and once I get into it I know that I could go on for a few pages.  I’m kinda excited about the question I came up with:

In Measure for Measure, gender identities and sexual relationships are explored within the context of morality and society in the Renaissance period.  The play’s central point is the idea of marriage contracts and sexual intercourse within the confines of an engagement and marriage.  Within the play, Claudio is sentenced to execution for impregnating his fiance, Julietta, and Angelo, is set up with Mariana, whom he had broken off the engagement with because of her lack of dowry.  How does Isabella define the role of women as wives and as antonymous individuals?

I still have to refine it so as to connect Isabella to Claudio, Julietta and Angelo.  But I really like it.  I think that one could go in so many different directions with it.  However, time for me to actually go and answer it now 🙂  Have a great night all!

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