English Revision

1947 play written by Tennessee Williams

Blanche: "When I was sixteen I made the discovery - love. At all once and much, much too completely" 

"Discovery" shows it was not something Blanche was looking for at such an early age

Context 

In 1947 New Orleans, society would not accept homosexuality. Links to Tennessee Williams who was homosexual

Stella: "There are things that happen between a man and woman in the dark that sort of make everything else seem unimportant"

Stella says this to Blanche

Stella believes that the relationship with Stanley is just as much about desire as it is about emotional love

Context

Blanche is from the 'Old South' and the women were thought to be passive and chaste towards men

Stanly is from the 'New America' where everyone was thought to be equal

Blanche: "What is straight? A line can be straight or a street, but the heart, oh, no it's curved like a road through mountains"

Blanche to Mitch

Portrayal of complexities that love possesses

Stanley: You see, under the Napoleanic Code - a man has to take an intrest in his wife's affairs - especially now she's going to have a baby

Stanley to Blanche

Stanley is only interested in the profit that is in it for him

The Napoleanoic Code stated that anything the wife owns, the husband is entitled to it as well

Also shows the affect of a patriarchal society

Blanche: "There was something about the boy, a softness and tenderness"

Blanche describing Allan to Mitch

'Something' reflects how homosexuality was unacceptable

Context

Homosexuality was illegal in the 1940's

Play written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen

Nora: "You didn't know Torvald had forbidden them"

Nora is exposing their power / gender roles to Mrs Linde and Dr Rank - Act 1, line 540

'Forbidden' shows the control that Torvald has in the relationship

Context

In the 1870's Ibsen was concerned about womens rights as traditionally men were only providers for a family

1601 play written by William Shakespeare

Hamlet: "Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum"

Hamlet is expressing his undying love for Ophelia

Conext

Importance of hierarchy in Shakespearean England may have been why Hamlet didn't speak out against Gertrude and Claduis' marriage

Hamlet: "This physic but prolongs thy sickly days"

Hamlet thinking whether to proceed in killing Claudius

Whilst Hamlet is motivated by desire for revenge out of love towards his father, he lowers himself to similar ambition that Claudius once had

Polonius: "This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man"

Polonius to Laertes

When people ignore what their heart tells them, they decieve themselves

Context

Polonius expresses his very Elizabethan views on loyalty and falsehood to his son Laertes

1962 play written by Edward Albee

Martha: "George, my husband... Whom I revile, who can keep learning the games we play as quickly as I change them"

Martha to Nick

Them playing hames that he constantly learns shows the commitment and love George has for Martha.

Martha: "You're going bald" ... George: "So are you" (pause, they both laugh)"

Shows the 'games' involved in their relationship 

'Pause' creates tension

Context

Role of women in 1950's was changing which could explain Martha's position in the marriage

George: "You just gird your blue - veined loins, girl"

George to Martha

'Girl' shows how George has power over Martha after her actions with Nick

Conext

Albee presents the marriage in the play as a social criticism of ideologies of marriage in 1950's America

Microcosm for more realistic marriages in America

1891 novel written by Thomas Hardy

"Made me a victim, a caged bird"

"Swear you will never tempt me - by your charms or ways"

"There was a strange magic in his words"

Context

The biginning of The Industrial Revolution

1818 novel written by Mary Shelley

"Thus I relieve thee, my creator"

"Cursed ne the day, adhorred devil, in which you first saw light"

"The beauty of the dream vanished"

"He came towards me with his hands"

Context

Science was become more powerful than religion

1999 novel written by Lionel Shriver

"He clung to me childishly"

"I love my son"

"... You get pregnant you gotta be perfect"

"I was confinding Siobhan because I was not confising in my husband"

Conext 

Social norm of having children