Writer intentions

• Ambition


  Central theme that Shakespeare utilises to underpin the play, revealing its morally corrosive and blinding influence on individuals driven by self-fulfilling and egocentric aspirations
• Shakespeare uses the play


  As a veiled (indirect) allegory (play intended to teach)
• Shakespeare intertwines the act of regicide


  With tormenting guilt, a potent reminder of the potential consequences for those who disrupt the divinely ordained order
• Shakespeare cautions the audience


  About the perilous (dangerous) consequences of succumbing to the irresistible allure of supernatural powers, emphasising that such engagement with this dark force inevitably results in a quick and catastrophic demise
• No quizzes available for this lesson
• Allegorical


  Story with moral message
• Didactic


  To teach
• Dickens crafts an allegorical novella with a didactic purpose, aiming to convey a message about the virulent consequences of avariciousness and frugality in society
• Dickens criticises the upper classes for their apathy toward the poor and their complicity in perpetuating dehumanising laws and social structures through ignorance
• Ghosts


  Vehicles for conveying Dickens' condemnation of the ignorance and callousness prevalent among the materialistic upper classes
• The ghosts serve as Dickens' mouthpiece, delivering a powerful message advocating for compassion and societal reform
• Dickens communicates to his upper-class readers the important role of repentance and compassion increasing both personal and societal moral redemption
• By holding up a mirror to his readership, he prompts them to introspect and assess whether their attitudes perpetuate social injustice or contribute to social reform