Otázka: Unforgettable Personalities in British History

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Terkusia

Britain has been home to many influential figures who have left a lasting impact on the world. These personalities have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, science, politics, and the arts. Their legacies continue to influence and inspire people around the world.

Here are some of the most unforgettable personalities in British history:

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he is often regarded as the greatest playwright of all time.
• His works include famous plays like „Romeo and Juliet,“ „Hamlet,“ and „Macbeth.“
• Shakespeare’s writing has had a profound influence on English literature and language.
• He also contributed many words and phrases to the English language that are still in use today.

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

• Born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, he was a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer.
• Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
• His work „Principia Mathematica“ laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
• Newton also made significant contributions to optics and calculus.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

• Born in Shrewsbury, he was a naturalist and biologist.
• Darwin is best known for his theory of evolution by natural selection, published in „On the Origin of Species.“
• His work revolutionized the understanding of life on Earth.
• Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle provided crucial observations that led to his groundbreaking theories.

Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

• Born in Kensington Palace, London, she became queen at the age of 18 and reigned for 63 years.
• Her reign, known as the Victorian era, was a time of industrial, cultural, and scientific progress.
• Victoria was also the Empress of India and symbolized the British Empire at its height.
• She played a key role in shaping the modern constitutional monarchy.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

• Born in Blenheim Palace, he served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II.
• Churchill is remembered for his leadership and stirring speeches that inspired the British people during the war.
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his historical writings.
• Churchill also played a significant role in post-war reconstruction and the early stages of the Cold War.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

• Born in Portsmouth, he is one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era.
• Dickens wrote many famous novels, including „Oliver Twist,“ „A Christmas Carol,“ and „David Copperfield.“
• His works often highlighted social issues and the plight of the poor.
• Dickens’s vivid characters and storytelling continue to influence literature and popular culture.

Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

• Born in Mayfair, London, she was the longest-reigning British monarch, serving for over 70 years.
• Elizabeth II navigated significant political changes and historical events, including the decolonization of Africa and the UK’s entry and exit from the European Union.
• She was known for her dedication to public service and her role in modernizing the monarchy.
• Elizabeth II’s reign saw significant advancements in technology and society, reflecting her adaptability and resilience.

Otázka: Prominent Figures of the Lost Generation

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Ondřej Malý

Francis Scott Fitzgerald

• Was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer.
• One of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
• He is best known for his novels from the Jazz Age.
• During his lifetime, he published four novels and four story collections.
• He struggled with mental illness.
• Creation: The Great Gatsby – unhappy love, high society, breakdown, American Dream, money.

Erich Maria Remarque

• He was a German writer from the Lost Generation.
• He was known for his anti-war novels.
• In his work, he wrote about conflicts and the psychological impact of war on individuals.
• His most famous work is All Quiet on the Western Front.
• It was a critical and commercial success and is considered one of the greatest war novels of the time.
• It is about the experiences of a group of German soldiers during World War I.
• The Nazis didn’t like him.

Thomas Stearns Eliot

• Was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic, and editor.
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his outstanding, pioneering contribution to present-day poetry.
• His best-known creation is The Waste Land.
• The poem combines the legend of the Holy Grail and the Fisher King.

Ernest Hemingway

• Served in an ambulance during WWI.
• He loved hunting in Africa and fishing.
• Creation: The Old Man and the Sea.
• Shows the endless struggle of man with nature. One should be persistent and not give up. The point is to highlight enormous human bravery and great mental strength.

William Faulkner

• American writer.
• Known for his unique style of writing.
• Themes of race and relationships.
• Nobel Prize winner.
• Complex themes.
• Hard to read.

Otázka: Seasons of the Year

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Terkusia

Charles Dickens was one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. His works are still widely read and loved today. Let’s look at his life and his most important works.

Life of Charles Dickens

• Born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England.
• Dickens had a difficult childhood. His father, John Dickens, worked as a clerk but often struggled with debt. In 1824, John was sent to a debtors‘ prison, and 12-year-old Charles had to leave school to work in a blacking factory, labeling bottles to support his family.
• This experience left a deep mark on Dickens and influenced his later writings, which often highlighted social injustices and the plight of the poor.
• After his father was released from prison, Dickens returned to school for a short time but left again at age 15 to work as an office boy at a law firm. He later became a reporter covering parliamentary debates and gained a reputation for his sharp observations and vivid descriptions.
• Dickens’s first book, „The Pickwick Papers,“ was published in 1836 and became very popular. This success allowed him to focus on writing full-time.
• He married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, and they had ten children. However, their marriage was not happy, and they separated in 1858.
• Dickens was known for his energetic public readings of his works, which were very popular and added to his fame.
• He was also involved in various social causes, including education reform and children’s rights.
• Dickens died on June 9, 1870, from a stroke and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Major Works of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens wrote many novels, novellas, and short stories that are still widely read today. His works often addressed social issues and featured memorable characters. Here are some of his most significant works:

• Oliver Twist 
  • The story of a young orphan, Oliver, who faces many hardships in London.
  • Themes: Poverty, child labor, and the criminal underworld.
• A Christmas Carol
  • The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser who learns the true meaning of Christmas after being visited by three ghosts.
  • Themes: Redemption, compassion, and the spirit of Christmas.
• David Copperfield
  • A semi-autobiographical novel about the life of David Copperfield, from his unhappy childhood to his success as a writer.
  • Themes: Personal growth, resilience, and the importance of kindness.
• A Tale of Two Cities
  • Set during the French Revolution, it tells the story of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton.
  • Themes: Sacrifice, resurrection, and the impact of historical events on individuals.

Otázka: Great English Writers and my Favourite Books

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Anna Rechtigová

7th century

The beginnings of the English literature can be traced to the 7th century AD. From this time remained mainly heroic epic poems, elegies, proverbs and riddles. Lyric and religious poetry developed as well during that period. One of the most famous pieces from this time is heroic poem called Beowulf written by an unknown author.

Middle age

After the year of 1066 a French influence got on the British Isles. Knightly stories, court lyric poetry etc. started to get into the English literature. The most popular of these genres was the knightly novel inspired by the Celtic mythology (mostly legends about King Arthur).

The peak of this period came with Geofrey Chaucer – the author of The Canterbury Tales – in the 14th century. Geofrey Chaucer was one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages (14 century) and also a politician. His works were really popular, because they tell stories of ordinary people he daily met. For example, he wrote books like the Book of the Duchess and The Canterbury Tales. Canterbury Tales is a collection of short stories, which are told by people traveling to Canterbury. They are inspired by the Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio and most of them are written in verse. There are thirty men of different social status and character, who meet in the pub, where are all of them equal. The innkeeper suggests them to tell stories. Stories are written in many genres and include a lot of the popular topics like love, betrayal and friendship.

The Renaissance period

The later on in 16 centuries came the Renaissance period represented mainly by William Shakespeare.  This era culminated during the reign of Elizabeth I and it was a period of prosperity, successful sea voyages and cultural activities.

William Shakespeare

Was born on 23 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon as the third child of Mary and John Shakespeare and was raised in Stratford. He married quite young and had three children. Later he travelled to London to become a playwright.  In London he started a very successful career as an actor and writer. He was also part owner of company called the King´s Men. The company built their own open-air theatre on the south bank of the river Thames – the Globe. Even Queen Elizabeth I and King James, I admired him very much. He died in 1616 and is buried at Trinity Church in Stratford. His surviving works consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major language and read all over the world. Career of William Shakespear began in the late 16th century, when he started writing comedies like A Midsummer night’s dream or as you like it. Later, he was writing historical tragedies and tragedies, including King Lear, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, that picked him up to the top.  Generally speaking, Shakespeare´s dramatic works can be divided into tragedies, comedies and historical plays.

Among the best-known tragedies belong Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth.

Famous comedies include The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night´s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors.

From the big number of historical plays let us name for example Henry VIII. and Richard III. Romances were named Pericles, The Winter´s Tale, The Tempest.

Shakespeare published narrative poems on erotic themes, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, A Lover´s Complaint.

Romeo a Julie

Romeo and Juliet is one of the Shakespeare’s famous tragedies. It is about two young lovers from Italian city Verona. Juliet is Capulet and Romeo is Montague and the problem is, that these two families are feuding. Nevertheless, they love each other so much, that they secretly married. But after the wedding, Juliet’s cousin Tybalt kills Romeo’s friend Mercutio, and because of it, Romeo kills Tybalt. Then Romeo must leave Verona. Juliet’s father tells her, that she must marry rich man Paris, so she is really desperate. She asks father Lorenc for help, and he gives her a bottle of poison, after which she will look like dead and Romeo will be able to take her out the tomb. But Romeo thinks that she is really dead and he meets Paris in the tomb. Romeo kills him and then commits suicide. Right after that Juliet wakes up and seeing Romeo dead, she commits suicide too.

Hamlet

Hamlet Is based on the Danish legend. Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, murdered Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark. By marrying Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, he succeeds the throne. The ghost of death king appears to Hamlet and asks for revenge. Hamlet, typical Renaissance hero, is not able to kill without having a clear proof of guilt. In order to end some proof of guilt against Claudius, he pretends madness. He tests the story of the murder with a theatrical performance and carefully watches Claudius. Thinking that Claudius is hidden behind the curtain in Getrude’s room, he kills Polonius, Ophelia’s father. Laertes, Ophelia’s brother and Polonius’s son comes to revenge Ophelia and Polonius. Claudius provokes Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match. The last scene of the play is most dramatic. In case Hamlet wins the match, Claudius prepares a glass of poisoned wine for him. He also poisons Laertes’s sword. During the dual, both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded by the poisoned wine; Hamlet does not hesitate anymore and also stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword. After death of Hamlet, Gertrude, Laertes and Claudius, King Fortinbras comes to lead the country in justice and wisdom

Shakespeare influenced great world novelists such as Thomas Hardy or Charles Dickens. The psychologist Sigmund Freud drew on his psychology. The most important translator of Shakespear´s plays into the Czech language was Josef Václav Sládek.

Baroque

After this era, came the period of the English revolution and reconstruction. It was in the 17 century and it was a time of wars and struggles and also of the beginning of the Civil war.

John Milton

the One of the most famous authors of the 17 century was John Milton – a poet active in the Baroque period. He was also a defender of divorce and freedom of speech and press. Milton was writing poems and the best known of them is Paradise lost.

Paradise Lost consists of twelve books and it is a vast epic poem with spiritual and biblical topics. The story is from Genesis and it’s about the rebellion of angels, creation of the world and a fallen angel, who is transformed into a serpent and seduces Eve to the first sin. This poem is very famous and it was inspiration for a lot of other works. Daniel Defoe

Another important writer is Daniel Defoe, best known for his novel Robinson Crusoe. This novel tells a story about a man who was forgotten on a desert island for 28 years. He meets with cannibals and save their prisoner, who later became his friend Friday. In the end, he is saved when the crew of an English ship.

Victorian era

Then come the Victorian era. Popular forms were for example novels describing English society and huge industrial progress.

Charles Dickens is one of the best-known British writers, and one of the most appreciated novelists. His favourite theme was the tough life of orphans which appeared in novels Oliver Twist and David Copper. Another famous book is for example A Christmas Carol – which is a story full of ghosts who change an old grumpy man to a generous and loving.

Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer, playwright and poet born in Dublin. Although he was married and had two sons, he had a relationship with a man. His most famous piece is The Picture of Dorian Grey. It tells a story of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian’s own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity.

George Orwell One of the famous pieces of this author is Animal Farm- story about farm animals who decide to revolt against their master. They create several rules, according to which every animal is supposed to behave, every animal is supposed to be equal, they all should help with developing and taking care of the farm. The animals are exposed to starvation, hard work, and bad treatment, while we watch the pigs becoming more and more powerful and human-like. In the end of the book, they cooperate with people again, and it is impossible to tell them apart. This book is surprisingly accurate allegory of communistic dictatorship. He basically predicted every phase it would go through.

J. R. R. Tolkien Was an English author very interested in history, fairytales and mostly mythology, which inspired him in his writing. He is famous because of his books about Hobits. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again A wizard Gandalf the Grey talks the hobbit Bilbo Baggins into an adventurous journey to get back a dwarf treasure stolen by a dragon Smaug. During the journey, Bilbo finds a mysterious golden ring which used to belong to Gollum. He eventually ends his way out, after solving riddles which was posed by Gollum. The whole group escapes and continues without Gandalf. They ally approach the Lonely Mountain in which the treasure is hidden. Thanks to Bilbo, the dragon is killed, but a near city is badly damaged. The Dwarf refuses to share their treasure to help the people, and a war between people and elves on one side and dwarfs on the other begins. Suddenly, Gandalf appears to warn them about goblins, and they all have to unite to protect themselves. In the end, everyone is forgiven, and Bilbo, even though he takes just a bit from the treasure, returns to the Bag End as a very wealthy hobbit.

Agatha Christie was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections (especially those featuring Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple), and her successful West End plays. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. Her novels have sold roughly four billion copies. Her well-known character, Miss Marple, was introduced in The Tuesday Night Club in 1927 (short story) and was based on women like Christie’s grandmother and her „cronies “. Her other well-known book is about famous detective Hercule Poirot.

Téma: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): Malena Odložilíková

William Shakespeare

From many people’s points of view William Shakespeare is a famous British playwriter, who is known mainly for the great tragedies Romeo and Juliet, Othello, or Hamlet. However, his life does not seem as obvious as his plays, because he was very careful about his privacy, and he wanted to keep in secret.

LIFE

William Shakespeare, who is sometimes called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”, belongs to the Elizabethan age last about 45 years (1558 – 1603). To this era, at the turn of century with no wars or revolutions, are typical playwriters, theatres and peace in society. Despite the fact many people did not complete education, or they did not attend a university and that was the case of Shakespeare.

He was born and raised on 26 April 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. He has seven siblings but some of them did not live until adulthood, however it was not an exception among people in the 16. century. He graduated from grammar school and almost immediately married Anne Hathaway. Their wedding was a little bit in rush. There were not any special preparations, and they also skip some establishing, because Anne was pregnant. Six months after the wedding, she gave a birth to their first child – daughter Susanna. About two years after followed twins – son Hamnet and daughter Judith.

In 1592 Shakespeare started his theatre career in London. He worked hard, became successful actor, poet and playwriter. He founded his own company and in 1599 built The Globe. The Globe is a playhouse where audience could first see some of his plays. Reviews were positive and even more foreigners travelled to London. They just wanted to visit the theatre and saw one of the plays. Nevertheless “Nothing lasts forever” and in 1613 the theatre was destroyed by fire. Unfortunately, it was repaired a year ago. Few years before death he came back to his hometown, and he died on 23 April 1616.

WORK

Although he wrote most of his plays from 1590 to 1613, they reached fame after their translations to many other world languages in 18. century. Among translators in Czech come E. Saudek, J. V. Sládek, J. Vrchlický and M. Hilský.

He is most famous for writing plays. They are divided into four genres:

• Tragedy – They are characterized by funny plots but bad ends. Tragedies are Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Anthony, and Cleopatra and also his masterpieces: Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear.
• Comedy – dark scenes, but good ends; Comedy of Errors, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Much Ado about nothing
• Historical plays – themes from British history; Henry VII., Richard III.
• Romance – Midsummer night’s dream

Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark

One of his masterpieces is called Hamlet, prince of Denmark. The story takes plays in Denmark after strange death of the king, Hamlet’s father. One night his ghost revealed to Hamlet and told him that he had been killed by his own brother, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. Claudius didn’t wait a minute after king’s death and started to care about the free place in the head of Denmark and married Hamlet’s mother, the queen Gertrude. When Hamlet realised the situation, he experiences the feeling of betrayal and hatred and decided to avenge the father. He wanted to prove uncle’s guilt; therefore, he invited a group of acters and told them what they had to play. He succeeds because Claudius was upset and in Hamlet’s eyes proved that he was guilty. Hamlet decided to play a little game with his family and started to behave very strange. They were a little bit worried about him and on the other side Claudius wanted to get rid of him too. He used advantage of the situation and ordered Hamlet to travel to other country for a while. Tightly before he left, he had agreed on conversation with his mother in her room. However, things went wrong, and Hamlet killed Polonius, Polonius was king’s counsellor. Hamlet left but his love Ofelia went mad because of her dad’s death. She was extremely miserable, so she decided to committee suicide. When Hamlet came back to Denmark, he was challenged to a duel with Laertes, Ofelia’s brother. Nevertheless, Laertes was one hand with Claudius who wanted Hamlet’s death. Laertes used poisoned sword and the duel could start. From that point the action was very quick. Gertuda died on poisoning when she drunk from Hamlet’s glass. Laertes was hurt with his own sword by Hamlet. Claudius was killed by Hamlet and the prince of Denmark was hit with the deadly weapon too and died in the end.

The main idea of this tragedy is how can be people unstoppable in case of revenge, how they are able to do not take considerations on others and the fact that the desire for power is unlimited.

SONNETS

Besides the fact that he wrote plays, he also was an excellent poetry and loved writing sonnets. He was trying strictly follow the rules of Alighieri’s sonnets; therefore, sonnet must have had 14 lines: 3 group of 4 lines which is setting up a subject of the poem and the last 2 lines which resolved the problem. The topics were all emotions ranging from pain, death, happiness, and despair. His poems are usually written without as much creative language in iambic pentameter. His most famous poem – Sonnet 66. Shakespeare by its publication really confused people about his sexuality. He caused that a lot of new speculation appeared around his private life, because the sonnet is written for an young man with the feeling of desire, pleasure and emotions.

WHY IS HE STILL SO POPULAR?

He was a visionary. His topic will be still actual, universal, and timeless. He wanted to attract reader’s or audience’s attention by simple messages for life.

Firstly, he totally refused stereotypes and normality for instance mother needn’t be loving. Secondly, he concentrated on emotional side of people life and tried to show all possible states of mind, conditions, and acts, which are people able to.

Finally, he believed you can influence your life partially. Many people may find message in here and try to change their supposed destiny like they want.

William Shakespeare influences the literature a lot and in very good way. He came up with new look at human’s experiencing and worldwide. His work is priceless, and everybody should appreciate it. He was totally unique.

Otázka: One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): NONAME

Ken Kesey

• He was born on September 17, 1935, in Colorado. He grew up in Springfield, Oregon, and later attended the University of Oregon. He gained fame for his involvement with the Merry Pranksters, a group of individuals who traveled across the United States in a colorful bus known as „Further.“ The journey was documented by Tom Wolfe in the book „The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.“ The group was known for their experimentation with psychedelic drugs, particularly LSD.
• Literary Career: Kesey’s most famous work is „One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest“. His other notable works include „Sometimes a Great Notion“ (1964) and „Demon Box“ (1986).
• Legal Troubles: In 1965, Kesey was arrested for possession of marijuana.
• He spent his later years on his farm in Oregon, participating in various creative and artistic activities. He passed away on November 10, 2001, due to complications from liver surgery.

About the book

• The book was written in 1962.
• Language: English
• Genre: protest novel
• Setting: Mental hospital in Oregon during the 1950s
• Point of View: Chief Bromden – first-person
• The book became famous for exploring ideas about going against the norm and the problems with institutions. It won awards and was later turned into a successful play and movie.
• The name of the book comes from a nursery rhyme

Characters:

• Randle P. McMurphy: McMurphy is the central character and the protagonist of the story. He’s a charismatic and rebellious man who pretends to be mentally ill to avoid serving time in prison. McMurphy challenges the oppressive authority of Nurse Ratched and becomes a symbol of resistance and individualism in the mental institution.
• Nurse Ratched (Big Nurse): Nurse Ratched is the cold head nurse of the mental institution. She represents the oppressive and controlling force within the system. She maintains her power by the strategic use of shame and guilt. Her methods are a major source of conflict in the novel.
• Chief Bromden: Chief Bromden is a half-Native American patient who pretends to be deaf and muted, but later reveals to McMurphy, that he in fact isn’t. He provides the narrative perspective for the story. Throughout the novel, Chief Bromden undergoes a transformation from a seemingly paranoid and withdrawn figure to an active participant in the resistance against the institution. He is the patient, who’s been on the ward the longest
• Billy Bibbit: Billy is a young, kind and stuttering(koktá) patient who lacks self-confidence. He becomes friends with McMurphy and plays a significant role in the unfolding events of the story.
• Harding, Martini, Cheswick, Scanlon, and others: These are other patients in the mental institution, each with their own unique quirks and struggles.

The plot:

• The story is set in a mental hospital and is told by a patient named Chief Bromden. The patients live under the control of nurse Ratched and her staff. The main character, McMurphy, comes to the hospital pretending to be crazy to avoid going to prison. He challenges the authority of the big nurse and makes the patients grow more confident and tells them they don’t have to obey her in everything. He is constantly disobeying her rules and brings chaos to the organized ward. He backs down when he learns that the big nurse decides for how long he stays in the mental hospital. Though when one of the patients commits suicide, he dedicates himself to taking control from nurse Ratched.
• After a boating trip that he organizes, the men who went are forced to be disinfected. That leads to a fight between McMurphy and one of the helpers. Chief Bromden joins the fight to help McMurphy and both are sent to get electroshock therapy. After returning to the ward, McMurphy throws a party, where they get drunk. Billy Bibbit sleeps with a prostitute during this party. He also plans to escape, bat they fall asleep, and he doesn’t get the chance to leave.
• In the morning, Nurse Ratched finds out about the party. She makes Billy fell so bad about his actions that he unalives himself in the doctor’s office. After that McMurphy attacks the nurse, who then sends him to get a lobotomy.
• When he returns, he’s not like his old self anymore. Unable to watch his friend go on living like this, chief Bromden smothers him with a pillow and runs away, just like McMurphy planned.

Themes and motifs:

• Sanity v. Insanity – it is discussed in the book what it means to be sane or insane, and, perhaps most importantly, who gets to define what qualifies as sane and insane
• Social Pressure and Shame – Randle McMurphy is shocked to learn that there are more men on the psych ward who are voluntarily committed than those, like him, who have been committed by the state. The novel makes it clear that many of these men are holding themselves back from living freely because they are terrified of how they will be received by the general population for their behaviors.
• Invisibility – Many important elements in the novel are either hidden from view or invisible. For example, Bromden tries to be as invisible as possible. He has achieved this invisibility by pretending not to understand what is going on around him, so people notice him less and less.
• Real Versus Imagined Size – Chief Bromden describes the people by their self-confidence or power. For example, he considers himself small, even though he is very high and strong and then says Nurse Ratched is “as big as a tractor,” because she is powerful and unstoppable.

Symbols:

• Fog – The fog appears when chief Bromden hallucinates. It appears less frequently when McMurphy comes to the psych ward.
• Laughter – After McMurphy arrives, Chief Bromden notices that his laughter is the first genuine laughter he has heard in years. The longer McMurphy is on the ward, the more the men begin to laugh. Laughter becomes a symbol and an active representation of the men’s freedom, even though they are basically imprisoned.
• Gambling – McMurphy uses gambling throughout the book as a way to feel comfort. gambling is symbolic of the ongoing game between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched.

Historical context:

• Kesey wrote the book based on his experiences working in mental hospital and participating in government-sponsored experiments with psychoactive drugs such as LSD in the early 1960s.
• These experiences influenced the novel’s themes of rebellion against authority and the struggle for personal freedom.

Otázka: Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): hana

William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare was born on 23rd of April 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. He was the youngest son of a glove maker John and his wife Mary. He attended the local Grammar school. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway who was 8 years older. Ten years later he came to London and joined a group of actors called Lord Chamberlain’s men. First, he only helped re-write older plays, but later he started to write his own plays. After his son’s death he returned to Stratford and lived a quiet life with family. He died on 23rd of April 1616. It is the same day he was born.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and beautiful sonnets. Mostly he wrote comedies, history plays and tragedies.

• Some comedies are:
• • The comedy of Errors – it was inspired by the comedy of Plautus
  • The Merchant of Venice – it’s the first comedy
  • A Midsummer-Night’s Dream – the story is similar to Romeo Juliet, but it’s not a tragedy, it’s a romantic comedy
• History plays are:
• • Henry VI., Henry V.
  • Richard III., Richard II.
  • Julius Caesar
• Tragedies are:
• • Macbeth
  • Hamlet
  • Othello

Romeo and Juliet

Main Characters

• Juliet Capulet – she is 14 years old; she falls in love with Romeo, the son of her family’s enemy and they are secretly married.
• Romeo Montague – he is son of the Montague family, good-hearted, he falls in love with Juliet
• Friar Lawrence – Franciscan friar and a mentor to Romeo and Juliet
• The Nurse – she is like a real mother to Julia
• Mercutio – close friend to Romeo
• Tybalt – Juliet ‘s cousin and her best friend, troublemaker
• Paris – he was supposed to marry Julia

Summary

It`s a love story about the unhappy love of two young people. The story takes place in northern Italy, in the city of Verona.

There are two wealthy families, the Montagues and the Capulets.

The Prince of Verona and the townspeople cannot cope with the constant struggles. One day, the servants of both clans will cause further strife, so the prince declares that the person, who breaks peace will be killed.

Romeo is unhappily in love with Rosalie, so his friends take him to the Capulet ball as a distraction. When he sees Juliet at a party, Romeo instantly falls in love with her instead.

When they find out that they are actually enemies because of their families, they are very shocked. Even so, they decide to get married the very next day and Friar Laurence secretly helps them.

Next day, Romeo goes to celebrate their wedding with his friends- Mercutio and Benvolio. But Romeo meets Tybalt, he is Juliet`s cousin, and he gets into a fight with him. Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo will kill him for revenge. And that`s why the prince banished him (Romeo violated his agreement).

Juliet`s father decides she should marry Paris, but she disagrees with that.

Juliet asks Lawrence for help and he gives her some potion that makes her look dead for two days and he sends a message about the secret plan to Romeo.

On the day of her wedding with Paris, she takes the potion and fakes her dead. After that, everybody thinks, she is really dead, so her family bury her in family tomb.

She lies in the tomb where she is waiting for Romeo so they can run away together. Romeo didn`t know it was just a plan, because the letter wasn’t delivered to him, so he thought she was really dead.

Romeo goes to Verona and sees his love dead in her tomb, so he drinks poison to die so he can be with his love. When Julie wakes up, she finds out that Romeo is dead, and she kills herself with his dagger.

My opinion

• I think it`s beautiful story. But I think they were both young and longing for forbidden love and I don`t know how long they would stay together if their families had a normal friendly relationship.
• I like the because it was easy to read, the drama is quick read and I like the romantic stories. So it was good reading for me. But I don’t like the end of story.

Historical context

• There are some new fields of science
• It is a time of great development and invention.
• America was discovered and for the first time the whole earth was sailed.
• The first medical autopsy was performed.

Background

• It is generally believed that the play is based on a real Italian love story from the 3rd Century. The ‚real families‘ are the Capeletti and the Montecci families.
• William Shakespeare wasn’t the first person to write about the Montagues and the Capulets. Shakespeare wrote his version in 1594 which was based on Arthur Brooke’s poem of 1562.
• The story wasn’t always called like this, when it was first published it had called The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

Otázka: British literature

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): terezza

TIMELINE:

Beowulf is the oldest and best-preserved Old English verse. It is an epic poem of over 3000 verses written between the 8th and the 10th century. Its author is unknown. The story is set in Scandinavia around 500-600 AD. The work glorifies heroism and bravery.

Middle English Literature (1100-1485)

• Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) is the best-known poet of the Middle English period. His works are ironic, realistic, and humorous, they also contain social criticism. The Canterbury Tales – an unfinished collection of comic and moral stories. Pilgrims tell stories while travelling to a religious shrine in Canterbury.

The Renaissance (1485-1603)

• William Shakespeare (1564-1616) He wrote 37 plays (tragedy -R+J; Hamlet; Othello, comedy -Twelfth night; As you like it, historical -Richard the III.; Henry V.)

18th century literature (1700-1780)

• Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) Robinson Crusoe (1719) was his first book, and it quickly became very popular. It is based on the adventures of a Scottish sailor, Alexander Selkirk, who spent over 4 years on a deserted island.

Romantic Literature (1780-1832)

• Lord George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) His poetry is full intense feelings – love, hatred, anger. He was a fighter for injustice and against oppression. He led an expedition to Greece to fight against Turkish occupation. Byron died of malaria shortly after his 36th birthday. Childe Harold´s Pilgrimage – the main hero is a bitter, moody, and melancholic person, which is typical for Romantic poetry, Don Juan – a satiric poem
• Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was interested in Scottish history, he began collecting Scottish ballads. His most famous work Ivanhoe (1819) takes place in the medieval age of knights under the reign of King Richard the Lionheart. Rob Roy (1817) – about a Scottish outlaw (later a folk hero)
• Jane Austen (1775-1817) is usually considered the first great woman novelist. Her novels take place in rural England at the turn of the 19th century, she describes everyday life of the higher middle classes. The main theme in her works is marriage. Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813)
• Mary Shelley (1797-1851) – the author of Frankenstein (1818), one of the best-known Gothic novels

Victorian Literature (1832-1901)

• Charles Dickens (1812-1870) found inspiration for his novels in his own life. He was from poor family; his family was imprisoned due to big debts. He died tired and sick in 1870. His the most famous novel is Oliver Twist, then that could be David Copperfield (1849 – novel, serial, autobiographical novel – D.C. is about how nice they lived with mom and nanny until their father and his daughter moved in, his real father died, little David loved Emily who is orphan). Stepfather sent him to work, David really hated him and after some time David’s mother died along with his little brother, David run away from work and then he lived with a strict aunt) or A Christmas Carol.
• Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) – her most successful novel, Jane Eyre (1847), is largely autobiographical. It describes the life of a poor and unattractive girl who is brought up by a cruel aunt and sent to a harsh school. Later Jane takes a job as a governess in Mr Rochester´s house. They fall in love, but it turns out he already has a wife ….
• Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was one of the most famous and controversial writers of his time. He liked to shock his audience and his witty sayings are often quoted. As he said: “An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.” He was a member of the Aestheticism art movement, which believed that art is important only when it is beautiful, and his work explored the relationship between truth and beauty. Wilde used the theme of beauty and decadence in his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. It tells a story of a handsome young man who trades his soul with his own painting. As the painting gets older and uglier every day, the man stays young, beautiful but eventually becomes immoral. However, Wilde wasn’t only famous for novels; he also wrote poetry, plays and fairy tales. His best plays are comedies about manners. Plays: The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, Fairy tales: The Happy Prince and Other Stories, Poems: The Ballad of Reading Gaoul – Wilde´s homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas led to the writer´s sentence of two years ‘hard labour in prison. There he saw a man being hanged for the murder of his wife

Post-World War 2 and Post-Modern Literature (since 1945)

• George Orwell (1903-1950) Animal Farm (1945) – an animal fable satirizing the revolutionary movement in the former USSR, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) – a portrait of a totalitarian society. The world is divided among three constantly warring superpowers. Only military and police techniques are developed – science, culture and other aspects of human life are at a standstill. People are divided into three castes. Rebellion against this lifestyle leads to torture, brainwashing, and finally to the betrayal of one´s own values.

Otázka: The themes of Mary Shelley´s Frankenstein

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): mudrnik

The debut novel Frankenstein, written by teenage Mary Shelley, is a prime example of a romantic novel, as can be proven on the three main themes of the book. Those being: nature, anger leading to revenge, and beauty contrasted with the lack of it. We can see these topics in the works of other Romantic authors such as in the works of her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley or in Victor Hugo´s Les Misérables. But what really sets Frankenstein apart is the way she uses these vastly different themes to form a coherent image and a gloomy atmosphere creating the most famous gothic novel in history and a creature which appears in modern pop culture to this day known as Frankenstein. However, in the book that is the name of the scientist who created him not the monster itself.

The Ugliness of the monster created by Doctor Frankenstein is root of his diabolical actions later in the book. Yet the book subtly suggests we would have treated the monster differently and raises the question if he is not also deserving of love and acceptance.  “I intended to reason. This passion is detrimental to me, for you do not reflect that you are the cause of its excess. If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them a hundred and a hundredfold; for that one creature’s sake I would make peace with the whole kind! But I now indulge in dreams of bliss that cannot be realized.” This is on the other hand often contrasted with the beautiful that he destroys in the process making him now also horrifying on the inside.

Which brings us to the next motif, that being built up anger and lust for revenge. The book makes us understand the reasons why both the monster and Victor seek revenge on each other, since both caused great deal of pain to them. “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation. I would have made a pilgrimage to the highest peak of the Andes, could I, when there, have precipitated him to their base. I wished to see him again, that I might wreak the utmost extent of abhorrence on his head and avenge the deaths of William and Justine.” Yet the author shows to us that vengeance is not the solution, but rather the cause of their demise.

But what really brings the whole story together are the beautiful descriptions of Nature. They create an impeccable atmosphere and really draw the reader into the story itself. “In the meanwhile, also the black ground was covered with herbage, and the green banks interspersed with innumerable flowers, sweet to the scent and the eyes, stars of pale radiance among the moonlight woods; the sun became warmer, the nights clear and balmy;” They divide the story nicely and further help the contrast between beauty and nastiness.

Frankenstein manages to clearly express its main notion, while also forming perfectly dark, and blurred mood. The vast contrasts help the reader to distinguish between good and evil, but also reveal our own shallow perceptions. Combined with the determinism and topics of nature Marry Shelley´s Frankenstein really is a peak romantic novel.

Otázka: Literary analysis of Jay Gatsby

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): mudrnik

Jay Gatsby is born into poor family as James Gatz, he tries to escape poverty, working as a janitor, however this does not satisfy him, so he decides to move onto bigger things. Luckily for him, he meets Dan Cody a man who made his fortunes during gold rush.

After the death of Dan Cody, Gatsby inherits his immense wealth and meets Daisy. These two falls madly in love. But Gatsby must leave for war. Since women during that time were dependent on their husband Daisy cannot afford to wait on Gatsby and decides to marry a Tom Buchanan instead. Tom unlike Jay comes from a well-off family and can financially satisfy her needs.

Gatsby seeing that money and status is so important to Daisy decides to overhaul his identity. He is striving to look better than Tom and desperately tries to fit into the old money families and their lifestyle. He does this by changing his name and making up lies about his life. E.g.: “Well, he told me once he was an Oxford man.” A dim background started to take shape behind him, but at her next remark it faded away. “However, I don’t believe it.”

In addition, the book is full of symbolism and gives the reader hints on what is Gatsby chasing and why is he doing it. Such as the green light shining from Daisy´s dock, which Gatsby is desperately trying to reach. Here the green is used as a symbol for money (green=Dollar). You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.” This quote is stated by Gatsby as he is showing Daisy around the house, and for the first time it is explicitly stated that the green light belongs to Daisy´s house.

Jay is unable to move on and is stuck in the past and lives in constant delusion. He does not see the real personality of Daisy and heavily romanticizes her. “She was the first “nice” girl he had ever known. In various unrevealed capacities he had meet such people, but always with indiscernible barbed wire between. He found her excitingly desirable.” I am going to fix everything just the way it was before”.

In addition, Gatsby believes money has the ability to get him anything he wants. “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: “I never loved you.” His reliance and obsession with money perfectly reflects the materialistic way of life in the US during the roaring twenties.

In Conclusion, Gatsby´s inability to move on, and stop clinging onto the past is what stops him from seeing that other people change and develop. This prevents him from being able to see Daisy the way she really is and not just her idolized version. I believe Jay Gatsby does not really develop his personality throughout the book, but simply remains stuck in his own delusions, this ends up costing him his, as he decides to protect Daisy from the consequences of her own actions up until the very end.