Studies in English Language and Literature

  “If music be the food of love, play on…” Explain/ Elucidate/ Comment The given excerpt has been taken from William Shakespeare’s five-act comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will . This expression occurs in the opening line of the play. That is to say, it has been extracted from Act 1 Scene 1 of the said comedy. These words have been uttered by Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, to Curio, one of the two male attendants of the Duke, the other one being Valentine. It is known to all that the purpose of our taking food is to keep ourselves alive. Yes, food keeps us alive by nourishing our entire physical process. It provides us with lots of energy alongside quenching our hunger. Similarly, we need some nourishment for our mental process as well. How can that be done? Broadly speaking, it can be done by taking in “the food of love”, that is, “music”. We all know that “love” and “music” are associated with each other in some way or the other. Moreover, it is distinctly discernible that ...

  We come across the character called Malvolio in William Shakespeare’s five-act comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will . Malvolio is the main character in the subplot of this comedy. Broadly speaking, he venerates his dreams, though they are usually melancholic or gloomy by nature and in character. In course of the play, we come to find that Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, dreams of Olivia’s hand. In this connection, we must note that Malvolio, the steward to Olivia, also, dreams the same as the Duke. However, it has to be mentioned that both of them are ensnared due to their own mistakes. Yes, they mistakenly confuse dreams to be real. Malvolio has been alleged of being too sick of loving himself. Most conspicuously, this remark has been made by none other than Olivia. As we see, he is self-obsessed through and through. Apart from that, Malvolio is an advocate of untrue puritanism. He is usually too serious to bear with the revelry of Sir Toby Belch and of his comrades. He finds M...

  A psycho-analytical five-act tragedy named Macbeth  by William Shakespeare evinces how in Act I, Scene iii, the three witch sisters hail and greet Macbeth. The first witch said, "All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!" The second witch then uttered, "All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!" Thereafter, the last or the final exclamation or hail came from the lips of the third witch: "All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be King hereafter." From these three prophecies, Macbeth could easily accept the first one, because the Thane of Glamis was no more. However, the Thane of Cawdor was still alive. Actually, Macbeth had over ambition deeply rooted and seeded in his mind. Unless and until we have something in our heart, that thing can never be raked up to the surface level. Macbeth, on one hand, feared the third prophecy, because he knew that it would be a foul play on his part to achieve that. On the other hand, he could not avoid the ambition ...

Comment on the role and function of the Fool in King Lear ./ Character of the Fool in King Lear . Ans. While going through the play King Lear by William Shakespeare, we come across a character called the Fool. Broadly speaking, the Fool is not at all a fool, but an intelligent jester in King Lear’s court. His purpose is to crack practical jokes. Then why did Shakespeare introduce a comic character in a tragedy? It is so because the Fool is to serve the act of comic relief. Moreover, he is to act as a choral figure to represent sanity, honesty, morality and conscience. In King Lear , the Fool was a ‘licenced’ jester of the king. Again, we must note that the Fool is full of practical wisdom, utter sanity and intense brilliance. He followed the king outside in the stormy night. In other words, wherever there was the king, there was the Fool. We may indirectly call him to be the king’s alter self. The Fool shattered the vanity of the upstart Kent into pieces. Somet...