English A IB

 Sex and the Maiden is a play by Ariel Dorfman that explores the themes of trauma, revenge, and eroticism. The plot revolves around Paulina, a former political prisoner who was tortured and raped by a doctor during a dictatorship. Years later, she recognizes the voice of her rapist in a stranger named Roberto, who is a friend of her husband Gerardo, a human rights lawyer. Paulina decides to take matters into her own hands and kidnaps Roberto, tying him to a bed and subjecting him to a mock trial. She forces him to confess his crimes and to reenact the sexual abuse he inflicted on her. Gerardo is torn between his loyalty to his wife and his duty to uphold the law. Roberto denies being the doctor, but also reveals some disturbing details that make Paulina doubt his innocence. The play ends with an ambiguous scene, where Paulina and Roberto are alone in the bedroom, and the audience is left to wonder if they will have sex or kill each other.

Both works use pathetic fallacy to create a sense of tension, horror, and uncertainty. In Macbeth, the natural world is often disturbed by the unnatural deeds of the characters. For example, in Act 2, Scene 4, Ross and an old man describe the strange and ominous events that have occurred after the king's murder: "the night has been unruly", "the earth was feverous and did shake", "a falcon, towering in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed", and "Duncan's horses...turned wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make war with mankind". These examples show how the natural order is inverted and corrupted by Macbeth's regicide, and how his crime affects not only the human realm. They also foreshadow his downfall, as he is compared to a falcon that is killed by a weaker bird, and his horses that rebel against him. In Death and the Maiden, the weather is also used

Summary Macbeth spans over several years and locations, from Scotland to England, and from the battlefield to the castle. The play uses a linear and chronological plot that shows the progression of Macbeth's character and his actions. Death and the Maiden, on the other hand, takes place in one night and in one room, where the characters are trapped by a storm and by their past. The play uses a non-linear and fragmented plot that shifts between the present and the past, and between reality and illusion Macbeth Macbeth has a five-act structure , which was common for Elizabethan and Jacobean dramas. The first act introduces the main characters, the conflict and the supernatural elements. The second act shows Macbeth's murder of Duncan and its consequences. The third act depicts Macbeth's consolidation of power and his growing paranoia. The fourth act reveals the witches' further prophecies and Macduff's alliance with Malcolm, Duncan's son and the rightful heir. The

Blood  Blood represents the violence and guilt that stain Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after they commit the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family. Blood also symbolizes the natural order that is disrupted by Macbeth's regicide, as Duncan is described as having "silver skin laced with his golden blood" (2.3.109). Macbeth and Lady Macbeth try to wash away the blood from their hands, but they cannot escape the consequences of their actions. As Lady Macbeth says, "What, will these hands ne'er be clean?" (5.1.45). The dagger The dagger that Macbeth sees before he kills Duncan is a symbol of his inner conflict and his temptation to commit evil. The dagger is "a false creation, / Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain" (2.1.38-39), but it also points the way to Duncan's chamber, as if inviting Macbeth to murder him. The dagger is also covered with blood, foreshadowing the deed that Macbeth is about to do and the guilt that will haunt him

String Quartet Nr.14, Schubert One of the most prominent symbols in the play is the Schubert quartet "Death and the Maiden", which gives the play its title. The quartet is a piece of classical music that Roberto claims to love and that he played to Paulina while he tortured her. The quartet is based on an earlier lied (song) by the same composer (Schubert) that depicts a dialogue between a young girl and Death, who tries to comfort her and take her away. The quartet symbolizes the contrast between beauty and horror, life and death, and innocence and violence that pervades the play. It also represents the ambiguous relationship between Paulina and Roberto, who are both drawn and repelled by each other, and who both seek and fear the truth. The gun Another symbol in the play is the gun that Paulina uses to capture and threaten Roberto. The gun is a symbol of power, violence, and revenge, but also of vulnerability, fear, and insecurity. Paulina uses the gun to assert her authori

Summary Doctor Roberto Miranda is one of the three main characters in the play "Death and the Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman. He is a respected physician who lives in a country that has recently transitioned from a dictatorship to a democracy. He is married and has two children. He is also a former torturer who raped and tortured Paulina Salas, the protagonist of the play, when she was a political prisoner during the dictatorship. He is kidnapped by Paulina and her husband Gerardo, who is a lawyer and a member of the commission investigating human rights violations. He is accused of being the doctor who played Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" quartet while abusing Paulina. He denies his involvement and tries to escape, but he is eventually forced to confess and beg for forgiveness under the threat of being killed by Paulina. He represents the legacy of violence and impunity that haunts the victims and the perpetrators of the dictatorship. Quotes Quote 1: "I'

Summary Gerardo Escobar is one of the main characters in Death and the Maiden, a play by Ariel Dorfman. He is a lawyer and a human rights activist who has been appointed to lead a commission to investigate the crimes of the former dictatorship in his country.  He is married to Paulina, a former political prisoner who was tortured and raped by a doctor during her captivity. Gerardo is unaware of his wife's trauma and tries to persuade her to move on and embrace the new democracy. He is also conflicted about his role in the commission, as he has to balance the demands of justice and reconciliation.  He faces a moral dilemma when Paulina accuses Roberto, a stranger who helped him with a flat tire, of being her torturer and kidnaps him in their house. Gerardo has to decide whether to trust his wife's testimony, protect Roberto's rights, or expose the truth about the past. QUOTES QUOTE 1: "We are going to forget, Paulina. We are going to forget everything that happened here

Summary Paulina is a complex and ambiguous character who represents both the victim and the survivor of the dictatorship. She is a victim because she suffered unimaginable physical and psychological pain at the hands of her captors, and because she never received any recognition or reparation for her ordeal. She is also a survivor because she managed to escape alive, and because she has the courage and the strength to confront her past and seek justice. Paulina's actions in the play are controversial and morally questionable. She kidnaps Roberto, ties him to a chair, and puts him on trial for his crimes. She threatens to kill him unless he confesses and asks for her forgiveness. She also ignores the pleas of her husband, Gerardo, who is a lawyer and a member of the commission that investigates the human rights violations of the dictatorship. Gerardo tries to persuade Paulina to follow the rule of law and to respect Roberto's rights, but Paulina refuses to listen. She believes t

Summary Death and the Maiden is a play by Ariel Dorfman that explores the themes of justice, trauma, and reconciliation in a post-dictatorship society. The play is divided into three acts, each focusing on a different aspect of the conflict between  Paulina , a former political prisoner who was tortured and raped, and  Roberto , a doctor who may have been her tormentor. First Act: Paulina recognizes  Roberto 's voice when he visits her husband Gerardo , a lawyer appointed to a commission investigating human rights violations. She decides to take him hostage and put him on trial for his crimes, while  Gerardo  tries to dissuade her and convince her to follow the law. Second Act:    Paulina  interrogates Roberto and forces him to confess on tape, using the same methods that he allegedly used on her.  Roberto  denies any involvement and claims to have an alibi, but  Paulina  is adamant that he is lying.  Gerardo  is torn between his loyalty to his wife and his duty to the commission,

Summary Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a Scottish general who is driven by his ambition to become the king. The play consists of five acts, each with a different focus and outcome. Act 1: Macbeth and his friend Banquo encounter three witches who prophesy that  Macbeth  will be the king of Scotland, and that Banquo's descendants will be kings.  Macbeth  is intrigued by the prophecy, and learns that King Duncan has named him the Thane of Cawdor, a title previously held by a traitor.  Macbeth  writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth , who urges him to kill Duncan and seize the throne. Act 2:   Macbeth  hesitates to commit the murder, but  Lady Macbeth  persuades him to go ahead with the plan.  Macbeth  kills Duncan in his sleep, and frames the king's guards for the crime.  Macbeth  and  Lady Macbeth  pretend to be shocked and grief-stricken by the king's death, and  Macbeth  is crowned as the new king. Act 3:  Macbeth  becomes paranoid a

Summary The three witches in Macbeth are mysterious and sinister figures who appear at the beginning and throughout the play. They are agents of fate who prophesy Macbeth's rise and fall, and influence his actions and choices. The witches are associated with the supernatural, evil, and chaos, as they speak in riddles, use dark imagery, and practice witchcraft. They also represent the theme of ambition, as they tempt Macbeth with their predictions and manipulate him to fulfill his destiny.  The witches are not fully human, nor fully female, as they have beards and appear as "secret, black, and midnight hags". They are ambiguous and enigmatic characters who challenge the natural order and morality of the world. QUOTES QUOTE 1: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"  (Act 1, Scene 1) The quote "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (Act 1, Scene 1) is spoken by the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth. It is a paradox that reveals the theme of appearance versus

Summary Macbeth is the main protagonist and tragic hero of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. He is a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become the king of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred by his wife, he murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself.  However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more crimes and become a tyrannical ruler. He is eventually killed by Macduff, a nobleman who opposes his reign. Macbeth is a complex character who shows both courage and cowardice, loyalty and treachery, and greatness and weakness. He is influenced by external forces, such as the witches and Lady Macbeth, but also by his own flawed nature. He represents the dangers of ambition without morality and the consequences of regicide. QUOTES QUOTE 1: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?"  (Act 2, Scene 1) This quote is spoken by Macbeth in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, as he is abo