The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway follows a group of American and British expatriates traveling from Paris to Spain in the 1920s. The novel is narrated by Jake Barnes, a war veteran grappling with an injury that has left him impotent. He is deeply in love with Lady Brett Ashley, a beautiful and charismatic…
The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay is a satirical ballad opera that cleverly critiques 18th-century politics, society, and corruption. Set in a criminal underworld mirroring upper-class behavior, it follows the story of the roguish highwayman Macheath, who is caught in a web of betrayal, love, and deceit. With humorous commentary on greed, hypocrisy, and power,…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a whimsical comedy set in Athens and a magical forest. It follows four young lovers and a group of amateur actors who wander into an enchanted wood. There, mischievous fairy Puck and his master, Oberon, the Fairy King, create chaos with a love potion, causing characters to…
Arms and the Man is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, set during the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War. The play satirizes romanticized notions of war and love, challenging the idealistic views of heroism and passion prevalent in society. Shaw uses witty dialogue and clever characters to debunk these fantasies, encouraging a more practical view of both…
