SCRIPTORIUM
ENGLISH (BRITISH)
QUICK SUMMARIES
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein attends the University of Ingolstadt to continue his pursuit of science and creates a grotesque creature out of dismembered body parts. The creature kills Victor's loved ones in sadness of Victor's rejection of it and travels to the Arctic Circle to die.
Dracula
Bram Stoker
Jonathan Harker is confined in the castle of Count Dracula in Transylvania, Romania. His wife, Mina Murray, her friend Lucy Westenra, and several others are bitten by Dracula and turned into vampires. Jonathan and others attempt to rid the world of Dracula's evil.
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre, an orphan, overcomes a harsh childhood to become a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with the mysterious and wealthy Edward Rochester. During her time at Thornfield Hall, Jane learns unsettling truths that complicate their romance.
Dr. Faustus
Christopher Marlowe
Doctor Faustus, a German scholar, sells his soul to the devil for 24 years of knowledge. Faustus summons Mephistopheles and makes a pact with Lucifer and signs the contract with his own blood. He uses his powers for frivolous pursuits, fails to repent, and is dragged to hell by demons after the 24 years.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
In London and Jack Worthing’s country estate in Hertfordshire, Jack leads a double life as “Ernest” in the city to escape social obligations, while his friend Algernon similarly invents a fictitious invalid, “Bunbury.” Jack falls in love with Gwendolen Fairfax and Algernon with Jack’s ward Cecily, but their romantic pursuits are complicated by deceptions about their identities and the women’s insistence on marrying a man named Ernest.
Volpone
Ben Jonson
Volpone, a wealthy Venetian noble, orchestrates a scam to fool greedy suitors vying to be his heir alongside Mosca. The suitors, Corbaccio, Corvino, and Voltore are manipulated by being given gifts. Volpone's own greed leads him to assault Corvino's wife, Celia, resulting in his exposure and punishment.
She Stoops to Conquer
Oliver Goldsmith
Charles Marlow visits Mr. Hardcastle, believing the house is an inn after being tricked by Tony Lumpkin. Meanwhile, Constance Hardcastle attempts to elope with George Hastings but their plan is thwarted by Mrs. Hardcastle. Tony's age (21) is revealed at the end, and Marlow marries Kate Hardcastle while Hastings marries Constance.
The Second Coming
William Butler Yeats
The speaker depicts a world unraveling in the aftermath of World War I and other global upheavals, declaring, “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” The poem envisions a sphinx-like creature rising, asking, “And what rough beast… slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
The Pilgrim's Progress
John Bunyan
Christian, a man burdened by sin, journeys from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, facing obstacles like the Slough of Despond, Apollyon, and Giant Despair, while guided by figures such as Evangelist, Interpreter, and companions Faithful and Hopeful. His wife Christiana and her children on the same path, aided by Great-heart and other pilgrims.