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In "Digging", Seamus Heaney creates a speaker through characterization who first thinks he doesn't measure up, but then realizes his potential. At first, Heaney shows that the speaker, a writer, values the hard work ethic and skill that his father and grandfather have. The speaker then becomes unsure that his abilities as a writer will measure up to the legacy his father and grandfather have left behind. Ultimately Heaney empowers the speaker...

Ophelia in two lights

In the modernized portrayal of Act 1 Scene 3, Ophelia acts and speaks much differently than I imagined in the book. Ophelia acted much more sarcastic and rebellious in this scene than the book made her seem. When she was speaking to Laertes, she spoke more sharply and used the words of the poem much more forcefully. She defended Hamlet strictly when she spoke to her brother. Shakespeare tends to leave the exact interpretation of how to say these words up to the actor, so any one line can have many meanings and interpretations. For example, after...

My First Look at King Claudius

King Claudius is a man of ambition and personal power, but only in the presence of open opportunity. The king has swooped into Hamlet’s life and replaced his father in almost every way. He managed to take advantage of his own brother’s death, and use it to improve his own life. Frankly, it is sick how quickly King Claudius, along with Hamlet’s mother, moved on from the death of the king.            ...

"Digging" Characterization Analysis Essay

Heaney’s Characterization of the Speaker in “Digging”             In "Digging", Seamus Heaney creates a speaker through characterization who first thinks he doesn't measure up, but then realizes his potential. Immediately, Heaney shows that the speaker, a writer, values the hard work ethic and skill that his father and grandfather have. The speaker becomes unsure that his abilities as a writer will measure up to the legacy his father and grandfather have left behind. Ultimately Heaney empowers the...