TGD - Student Sample (2012)

          Hell. Humanity has always been intrigued with the concept. Since the inception of written language and religion, man has prophesied about the place. Far evolved since the early days of the church, society has come to terms with multiple descriptions of the devil's lair. From the stereotypical imagery of fire and brimstone to the multi-layered freezer of Dante's Inferno, the human mind has become capable of depicting a plethora of painful scenarios that would be considered "hellish." Wat if hell wasn't about externally inflicted pain and searing heat? Could the human mind even begin to comprehend the unimaginable torture of a place where anything can be dreamt and the sun never sets? With his revolutionary depiction of the underworld, C. S. Lewis attempts to break the caustic, terrorizing and foul belief in the "old world" hell by tempting us with a place that seemingly suits our needs, desires, and lust.
          Humans are not known for their honesty, godliness or purity, despite what some think. Others go as far to say that humanity is God's failed experiment. Recognizing humanity's fall, Lewis establishes a hell that seems very entrenched in worldly things. The opposite can be said about Lewis' heaven, which contains no trace of human creations. On paper, Hell seems like an excellent place; perhaps this is what draws people in. In hell, you can think something and have it appear. In hell, you can be anything you want to be. This differs greatly from the traditional belief of fire, pain and a red-horned man.
          I appears as the perfect place to live. Lewis takes advantage of the weaknesses of men and builds a place that caters to their every desire. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean anything. Why dream of a house when it fails to keep the rain out? Why have the ability to own the things your heart desires, when it amounts to nothing? Lewis uses his hell to relate to our real-life material possessions which are miniscule in comparison to the Lord. 
          Lewis also evokes the thought of the individual in hell. Everyone in hell is the same. Each dweller hates each other for the same reasons, while failing to accept their own flaws. Each person in hell lives in a state of denial. The capitalist believes he can bring things from the real world and make a profit off of them; he, too, lacks any inkling of his insignificance and almost believes that he is not condemned.
          In reading The Great Divorce, the audience is enlightened with a form of hell that is far more terrifying than the ones used by the church. We are confronted with a place that seems so familiar from the world we came from. We are presented with a deal that is too good to be true, a place that suits our needs, desires, and lust.

TGD - Student Essay 1

        How do you picture Heaven? Most imagine golden streets, angels playing harps and vast land surrounded by clouds. In The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, however, we see Heaven, Hell and the human soul portrayed very differently than one might think.

Sample Essay - Don John and Satan (3)

John Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing contain two characters that are satanically similar - Satan and Don John respectively.

Throughout Shakespeare's drama and Milton's epic, each fights to defeat their own

doubts and drawbacks. During this process, they desire to corrupt humankind and bring

all of those around them down to their perilous level. Being illegitimate heirs to a

throne, Don John and Satan both exhibit similar motives, words, and attitudes as they

austerely hate anyone who is joyful and desire to bring revenge upon the world around

them.

Sample Essay - Don John and Satan (2)

The idea of evil is a recurring motif in literature. Nearly every antagonist is depicted as evil in some way, albeit to varying degrees. However, it is rare to find a character that is pure evil, who does bad things for the sake of doing bad things. The characters of Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost and Don John is Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing are very interesting characters to examine because they both depict the face of evil in its purest form. Looking at the attitudes, motives, and actions of these characters exemplifies how fundamentally similar they are, and thus offers valuable insights into the nature of evil itself.

Sample Essay - Don John and Satan (1)

To be a servant in Heaven or a ruler in Hell? That is the question. In Milton's
Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Satan and Don Jon share
many perverted, and inverted ideas about submitting to higher-power. These two
characters practically mirror each other in their attempts to overthrow higher power, their
wills to suffer and rule, and their plots to convert good to evil.

Sample Essay - Hamlet 4

             Prompt: Two Associated Characters

            How would you react if you found out that your father was killed by someone who is close to you? Would you seek revenge or go crazy? In the play of Hamlet by W. Shakespeare, there are two young people who lose their fathers and in result go slightly crazy. Hamlet who is the son of the late King Hamlet and Ophelia the daughter of Polonius both struggle emotionally and physically due to their father’s death. In the tragedy of Hamlet, Hamlet and Ophelia are both controlled by their fathers, go crazy when their fathers are killed, and think about taking their own lives as a result of these deaths.

Sample Essay - Hamlet 3

 Prompt: Two Associated Characters

Shakespeare purposely relates Ophelia to her "boyfriend." Hamlet. Shakespeare

does this to show that those who listen to people in his/her positions who tell you to do

deplorable things are a bad influence. Hamlet goes crazy as he ponders on killing the

King when he listens to the ghost. Ophelia goes crazy as she listens to the evil King

Claudius and her father. By using a chain of events and different characters of royalty,

Shakespeare associates Ophelia and Hamlet to show the audience the consequences

of the following bad advice, (seeking) revenge, and (failing to control) emotions in one's

life.

Sample Essay - Hamlet 2

Prompt: Compare-Contrast Two Characters Shakespeare Associates

"I will speak daggers to her," he said. Hamlet I'd a man of emotion. He always

makes thing(s) so much more dramatic than they have to be; however, in the end,

Hamlet is a Shakespeare tragedy! Hamlet was written in the late 1500s, but it has bee

widely accepted in different eras as a wonderful piece of art. Shakespeare uses Hamlet

and Fortinbraus in order to demonstrate the effects of vengance by juxtaposing a life of

revenge with one of self-restraint, as well as their results.

Sample Essay - Hamlet 1

Prompt: The Divided Body

In Hamlet, Shakespeare illustrates a very divided family. Hamlet's uncle,

Claudius, recently murdered the king his brother- Hamlet's father. Hamlet is

visited by his father's ghost who informs him that Claudius murdered him to

obtain the crown. Shakespeare illustrates the tension that rises from Hamlet's

knowledge to show family dysfunctionality in its worst so that he may compare a

dysfunctional family as a "divided body" to a dysfunctional or divided relationship.

He achieves this comparison with the course the drama takes.