Innocence Lost.

This is an analysis of charecters in selected works from the course Including Romeo and Juliet, Othello, A Midsummers Night Dream, The Merchant of Venice. It traces Shakspeares notions of innocence and compare's many characters throughout the aforementioned works Matthew Tjosvold English Lit. 3000 May 5, 2003 Final Paper Several of Shakespeare's plays contain a reoccurring theme of innocence or purity lost through the impurity of others. The innocence or purity may only correspond to one aspect of …

…y is based on overconfidence, blood, ambitions, inexperience to a society, or religion, it is corrupted and lost through the interactions with surrounding characters who are impure in that sense. Placing characters in unfamiliar situations allows Shakespeare to reach both comical and tragic ends, and brings life to his plays by breaking the ordinary. Furthermore, in respect to Othello and Skylock, Shakespeares is allowed to manipulate social stereotypes through reversed roles of these characters.