Admire Literature

The 20th century was a transformative period in literature, marked by radical shifts in themes, styles, and narrative techniques. The aftermath of the world wars, the decline of colonial empires, and the rise of modernist and postmodernist thought significantly influenced writers. This article explores the major writers of the century, their contributions, and the literary movements that shaped the period. The Impact of War on Literature The devastation caused by World War I and World War II had a profound psychological impact on writers and their works. The disillusionment and fragmentation of society led to the emergence of new literary techniques, including stream of consciousness and fragmented narratives. Writers such as W.B. Yeats, Wilfred Owen, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and George Bernard Shaw captured the complexities of human experience in a war-torn world. Modernism and Its Pioneers James Joyce and the Evolution of Narrative James Joyce revolutioniz...

  Ballad Ballad is one of the oldest hymns in English. Originally it was sung to the accompaniment of a harp or a fiddle by a strolling singer or bands of singers.  They earned a living in this way.  The minstrel usually sung in a farm house or in the village green where many listeners would assemble and listen.  In Scott’s “Lay of the Last Minstrel”, we see him welcomed to the castle wall.  In its early stage, the sing was accompanied by a crude tribal dance.  The word ‘Ballad” means dancing sing.  Before printing was invented, it was handed down by oral tradition.  Most of the ancient English ballads were collected by Bishop Percy in the book “Reliques of Ancient English Poetry”.  The Ballad is a short story in verse.  It was intended to be sung to audience. As it was developed at an early stage in Man’s cultural evolution, its themes are actions rather than thoughts. They are of the simplest kind, such as a memorable feud, a thrilling...

 Sir Peter Teazle  A benevolent and wealthy gentleman who has a young wife and a ward, Maria. He took Joseph and Charles Surface under his care after the death of their father, but they are now independent because of the inheritance received from their uncle. Sir Peter favors Joseph as a future husband for Maria and disapproves of Charles. • Lady Teazle   Sir Peter’s wife, she is much younger than he is; they have only been married for six months. She is a simple country girl who has been spoiled by her husband’s wealth, so that she squanders his fortune and the two quarrel constantly. • Maria   Sir Peter’s ward, she is beloved by both Joseph and Charles Surface, but loves only Charles. • Joseph Surface   An upright young man in appearance but in reality a hypocrite, he is in love with Maria, but, being rebuffed by her, seeks the help of Lady Sneerwell to obtain her affection. • Charles SuTeazle A dissipated rake with a good heart, he is beloved b...

 Lady Sneerwell, who in her youth was the target of slander, has set her life upon a course to reduce the reputations of other women to the level of her own. Aided by her intimate, Snake, she intrigues to involve the Teazles in scandal, to bring Joseph Surface’s true character to light, to wreck the love between Charles and Maria, and to gain Charles for herself along with Sir Oliver’s fortune. To her the world consists of nothing but scandal and scandalous intrigues, and she does her best to make her vision a reality. She is not successful, however, when she abuses Charles Surface to Sir Peter Teazle’s ward Maria, who refuses to listen to her. Instead, Maria trustingly confides in Lady Candour, whose defense of a reputation ensures its complete annihilation. Sometimes Sir Peter Teazle ponders the wisdom of his marriage to Lady Teazle, doubting the judgment of an old bachelor in marrying a young wife. Lady Teazle is a country-bred girl who is enjoying London life extravagantly and ...

Mark Antony A Roman triumvirate who, in his role of leader, is caught between concern for his people and his love for a woman. Antony shows various human traits as he tries to recapture his position of leadership against invading forces, as he accepts the friendship of his faithful officers, as he considers reconciliation with his wife and family, as he is duped by clever antagonistic individuals, and as he is shown incapable of adapting to these various relationships because of his devotion to Cleopatra, his mistress. Not strong enough or discerning enough to determine her motives, Antony dies a failure. Cleopatra The queen of Egypt and mistress of Antony. Steadfast in her love, as she convinces him before his death, she is deluded by some of her servants and shows the vulnerability of the great at the hands of the crafty. Cleopatra is victorious over her peers, in that she averts Antony’s return to his family. She takes her life to avoid the celebration of victory over Antony’s troop...

  Act One Serapion describes foreboding omens (of storms, whirlwinds, and the flooding of the Nile) of Egypt's impending doom. Alms, Cleopatra, eunuch, dismisses Serapion, claims and is more concemed with Cleopatra, relationship with Antony. He sees that Cleopatra dotes on Antony and worries that Antony will not continue seeing Cleopatra. Thus, Serapions hosts a festival to celebrate Antonys honor.  Ventidius, a Roman general, comes to aide Antony in Alexandria. Ventidius disagrees with Antony's relationship with Cleopatra and offers to give Antony troops if he leaves her. Although Antony is insulted by Ventidius's opinions regarding Cleopatra (and refuses to hear anything negative about her), Antony agrees.  Act Two   Cleopatra mourns about her situation without Antony. Charmlon, Cleopatra, lady in waiting, attempts to set up a meeting between Cleopatra and Antony, but she is deemed unsuccessful. Cleopatra thus sends Alexas to try to win back Antony using gifts (jew...

  Charles Marlow  The central male character, who has set out to court the young attractive Kate Hardcastle. A well-educated man, “bred a scholar”, Marlow is brash and rude to Mr. Hardcastle, owner of “Liberty Hall” (a reference to another site in London), whom Marlow believes to be an innkeeper. Because Marlow’s rudeness is comic, the audience is likely not to dislike him for it. Marlow is sophisticated and has travelled the world. Around working-class women Marlow is a lecherous rogue, but around those of an upper-class card he is a nervous, bumbling fool. Thus, his interview with Kate exploits the man’s fears, and convinces Miss Hardcastle she’ll have to alter her persona drastically to make a relationship with the man possible. The character of Charles Marlow is very similar to the description of Goldsmith himself, as he too acted “sheepishly” around women of a higher class than himself, but among “creatures of another stamp” acted with the most confidence. George Hastings...