Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1 - 1. In act 1, Shakespeare alternates public and private scenes. Discuss the behavior of the principal characters in each of these scenes and the ways in which...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice side by side with a modern translation.

After reading this play and using this guide, you should be able to, determine what makes Macbeth such a timeless and popular work, define and describe the play’s central conflict, identify...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1 - 1. Explain how the alternating scenes at the King’s palace in London, the Prince’s lodging at the inn, and the council chamber at Windsor castle establish...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar side by side with a modern translation.

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 - 1. What perception of Henry do we see among the English characters? What is their estimation of his character and personality? What different...

To write an essay about Romeo and Juliet, you need to be familiar with the plot of the story. Many of the acts and scenes in Romeo and Juliet have important action that can serve as the...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1 - 1. Contrast the attitudes towards the death of the old king as expressed by Claudius and Hamlet. 2. Compare the advice given to Ophelia by Laertes and that...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's Othello side by side with a modern translation.

To write an essay about The Merchant of Venice, you need to be familiar with the plot of the story. Many of the scenes in The Merchant of Venice have important action that can serve as the...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scene 1 - 1. Read through Caesar’s Commentaries, an account of his battles in Europe and write a brief history of Caesar’s rise to power. 2. Research the...

Why is Macbeth a tragedy? Macbeth is a tragedy because it involves the fall of a once-noble character from a high position, exciting pity and terror in the audience. It does not conform...

What is the main storyline of Hamlet? In the main storyline of Hamlet, Prince Hamlet struggles with whether or not to kill his uncle Claudius, after the ghost of his father tells Hamlet...

Use this Reading Comprehension Quiz to check how well you've understood your reading assignments for Romeo and Juliet. The questions and answers are short and meant to help you better comprehend...

Who is Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet? Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend. He’s also a blood relative of Prince Escalus and Count Paris. A young man with a wicked sense of humor, Mercutio...

After reading this play and using this guide, you should be able to identify the primary themes in Romeo and Juliet, determine and define those elements that make Romeo and Juliet one of...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream side by side with a modern translation.

Suggested Essay TopicsAct 1, Scene 1: 1. Does the Duke’s opening speech show praise for Olivia in particular or for the experience of love in general? Explain your answer by citing specific lines....

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1 - 1. Discuss the concepts of fortune and nature as they apply to Orlando and Oliver. 2. Compare and contrast the relationship of Oliver and Orlando with that...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scene 1 - 1. In the play, King Lear requests his daughters’ public profession of love to him. Cordelia is often criticized for being too proud to give her...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's Hamlet side by side with a modern translation.

Suggested Essay TopicsThe Induction, Scene 1:  1. Class differences are displayed in the opening scene of the Induction. Describe the differences between the Lord and Christopher Sly in regard to...

After reading this play and using this guide, you should be able to describe the primary conflict each main character faces in the play, identify examples of dramatic devices such as asides, active...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scenes 1–3 - 1. Compare and contrast Antonio’s situation in signing the agreement with Shylock, with Portia’s situation of being held bound to her father’s...

To write an essay about A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you need to be familiar with the plot of the story. Many of the scenes in A Midsummer Night’s Dream have important action that can serve...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scene 1 - 1. How does the exposition in act 1, scene 1 seem to support Lysander’s statement that, “The course of true love never did run smooth”? 2. Helena...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scene 1:   1. Contrast the forms of language used by Leonato, Don Pedro, and Claudio with that of Benedick and Beatrice. Why did Shakespeare give them...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Shakespeare begins Macbeth with Witches talking on a barren stretch of land in a thunder storm. This creates a certain atmosphere and mood. What images...

Suggested Essay TopicsAct 1, Scene 1: 1. With disrespect for the king, the Boatswain says, “What cares these roarers for the name of king?” Explicate this passage in the light of the king’s...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2—Explain the operation of fate and how it has worked in scenes 1 and 2 of the play to help bring the two lovers together; Explain the rules of...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet side by side with a modern translation.

As you get started on an essay about Macbeth, you will want to reflect on the major characters, themes, and quotations that stand out and make the play the tragedy that it is. The major...

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. Shakespeare drew inspiration most notably from the story of King Macbeth in Holinshed’s Chronicles, a...

Read the original text of Shakespeare's The Tempest side by side with a modern translation.

To write an essay about Hamlet, you need to be familiar with the plot of the story. Many of the scenes in Hamlet have important action that can serve as the basis for any essay. However,...

Suggested Essay Topics: Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 - 1. Charmian is Cleopatra’s servant, but the queen depends heavily on her in several ways. List some of these ways and discuss whether...