English A IB

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...

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...