"As I am an honest man, I though you had received some bodily wound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving." II.iii.244-247
I have found quite a bit of irony in this play. This quote above is a perfect example of irony. Iago is telling Cassio that is an honest man, which the audience knows is not true. The irony of the situation is that Cassio believes that Iago is honest. Multiple times thoughout the play, the other characters refer to Iago as an honest man. Iago is the farthest thing from honest; he is a lying, scheming, and deceitful man. Iago is only interested in himself and advancing his career. I also found it ironic that Iago hated Othello because there was a rumor that Othello slept with his wife, but Iago did not even love or respect his wife.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Othello (2)
#4 How is dramatic suspense created? Contrast the amount of information possessed by the audience as the play proceeds with the knowledge that various individual characters have: what is the effect of such a contrast?
"Touch me not so near. / I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth / Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio. / Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth / Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, General." II.i.199-203
Shakespeare does a good job of creating dramatic suspense in Othello by plotting the characters against each other. Iago's actions create the most suspense because he manipulates everyone else. In the Act II, Iago manipulates Montano, Cassio, and Othello all at the same time. Iago gets Cassio drunk so he will be easy to provoke. Then, Iago makes Montano believe that Cassio is a drunk and convinces Othello that he is loyal to both Cassio and Othello, even though he is not. The audience knows Iago's plan, but the other characters each have different ideas about Iago. Each character thinks Iago is being truthful and honest to them, while he is in fact deceiving each one of them. The audience, on the other hand, knows the truth about Iago.
"Touch me not so near. / I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth / Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio. / Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth / Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, General." II.i.199-203
Shakespeare does a good job of creating dramatic suspense in Othello by plotting the characters against each other. Iago's actions create the most suspense because he manipulates everyone else. In the Act II, Iago manipulates Montano, Cassio, and Othello all at the same time. Iago gets Cassio drunk so he will be easy to provoke. Then, Iago makes Montano believe that Cassio is a drunk and convinces Othello that he is loyal to both Cassio and Othello, even though he is not. The audience knows Iago's plan, but the other characters each have different ideas about Iago. Each character thinks Iago is being truthful and honest to them, while he is in fact deceiving each one of them. The audience, on the other hand, knows the truth about Iago.
Othello (1)
# 3 Identify the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s). Are there any foil characters? What dramatic functions are served by the various minor characters?
"The Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by th' nose / As asses are. / I have ’t. It is engendered! Hell and night / Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light." I.iii.379-384
In Act I of Othello, it was clear that Iago is the antagonist and Othello is the protagonist. The play begins with Iago making a plan for revenge. Iago has the characteristics of an antagonist because he is deceiving and manipulative. Othello is the protagonist because he is a respected general and he handles himself calmly. When he was accused of tricking Desdemona into marring him, Othello remained calm and was very civil. The except above illustrates Iago plotting against Othello.
There are also foil characters in Othello. Iago and Cassio are foil characters, as are Desdemona and Emilia. Iago and Cassio have very different views on how to treat women. Iago does not respect women at all and thinks they should make a home and raise children. Cassio, on the other hand, respects women and treats them kindly. He greeted the women with a kiss and showed them respect. Desdemona and Emilia are also foil characters, which is evident through their actions. Desdemona is determined, defensive, and not afraid to stand up for herself. In contrast, Emilia is soft-spoken and does not stand up for herself - she lets Iago put her down. In addition to these characters, there are other minor characters that help shed light on the actions of Iago and Othello.
"The Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by th' nose / As asses are. / I have ’t. It is engendered! Hell and night / Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light." I.iii.379-384
In Act I of Othello, it was clear that Iago is the antagonist and Othello is the protagonist. The play begins with Iago making a plan for revenge. Iago has the characteristics of an antagonist because he is deceiving and manipulative. Othello is the protagonist because he is a respected general and he handles himself calmly. When he was accused of tricking Desdemona into marring him, Othello remained calm and was very civil. The except above illustrates Iago plotting against Othello.
There are also foil characters in Othello. Iago and Cassio are foil characters, as are Desdemona and Emilia. Iago and Cassio have very different views on how to treat women. Iago does not respect women at all and thinks they should make a home and raise children. Cassio, on the other hand, respects women and treats them kindly. He greeted the women with a kiss and showed them respect. Desdemona and Emilia are also foil characters, which is evident through their actions. Desdemona is determined, defensive, and not afraid to stand up for herself. In contrast, Emilia is soft-spoken and does not stand up for herself - she lets Iago put her down. In addition to these characters, there are other minor characters that help shed light on the actions of Iago and Othello.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
"Popular Mechanics"
#1 Discuss the story's final lines. What is the "issue" that is "decided"?
"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."
"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver was definately strange. I did not expect the story to end the way it did. In the last few lines of the story, the husband and wife basically tear their baby apart. The "issue" that is "decided" is who will get the baby. The last few lines reveal that neither of them get the baby because the parents killed the baby by fighting over it. The issue was decided when the father "pulled back very hard." the last line implies that the baby was killed by the parents tugging back and forth on it like they were playing tug-of- war. I think it was a sad story of how divorce can destroy a family, and divorce is a sad reality that many people face in today's society.
"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."
"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver was definately strange. I did not expect the story to end the way it did. In the last few lines of the story, the husband and wife basically tear their baby apart. The "issue" that is "decided" is who will get the baby. The last few lines reveal that neither of them get the baby because the parents killed the baby by fighting over it. The issue was decided when the father "pulled back very hard." the last line implies that the baby was killed by the parents tugging back and forth on it like they were playing tug-of- war. I think it was a sad story of how divorce can destroy a family, and divorce is a sad reality that many people face in today's society.
"You're Ugly, Too"
"'Maybe I sound whiny to you,' said the girl, 'but. Simply want my history major to mean something.' 'Well, there's your problem,' said Zoe, and with a smile, she showed the student to the door. 'I like your bow,' she added."
"You're Ugly Too" by Lorrie Moore was strange. I did not really know what the purpose of this story was. However, I did find some irony in the story. I though it was kind of ironic that Zoe had characteristics of a man and Earl was dressed as a woman. It was also ironic that when Zoe was trying to be funny, no one else though she was funny. Everyone else just though she was being rude. The quote above is an example of how Zoe interacted with others. Zoe is very sarcasitic and her students take it as her bein rude. I think Zoe was just a little socially awkard and did not know how to act appropriately around other people.
"You're Ugly Too" by Lorrie Moore was strange. I did not really know what the purpose of this story was. However, I did find some irony in the story. I though it was kind of ironic that Zoe had characteristics of a man and Earl was dressed as a woman. It was also ironic that when Zoe was trying to be funny, no one else though she was funny. Everyone else just though she was being rude. The quote above is an example of how Zoe interacted with others. Zoe is very sarcasitic and her students take it as her bein rude. I think Zoe was just a little socially awkard and did not know how to act appropriately around other people.
"The Drunkard" - irony
"'My brave little man!' she said with her eyes shining. 'It was God did it that you were there. You were his gaurdian angle.'"
"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor contains a lot of irony. The main irony of the story is that the boy gets drunk instead of the dad. As the father is talking and ignoring his son, the boy drinks his father's beer. This is ironic because the reader does not expect the little boy to be drunk. It is also ironic because in the end the mother calls the boy a gaurdian angle instead of punishing him. That is not what I expected at all. The boy acts as a gaurdian angle because he stopped his father from drinking and makes a scene embarassing his father. This makes the father think twice about drinking and he gets up and goes to work the next day.
"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor contains a lot of irony. The main irony of the story is that the boy gets drunk instead of the dad. As the father is talking and ignoring his son, the boy drinks his father's beer. This is ironic because the reader does not expect the little boy to be drunk. It is also ironic because in the end the mother calls the boy a gaurdian angle instead of punishing him. That is not what I expected at all. The boy acts as a gaurdian angle because he stopped his father from drinking and makes a scene embarassing his father. This makes the father think twice about drinking and he gets up and goes to work the next day.
"The Lottery"
#1 What is a "lottery"? How does the title lead you to expect something very different from what the story presents?
"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in the same towns there were so many proplr that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner."
By definition, a lottery is any happening or process determined by chance. Usually, most people associate a lottery with something good. Most people are happy to win the lottery. The most common prize for a lottery is money. However, the lottery in this story is not a usual lottery. The title suggests that someone would want to win the lottery. But, this story is the opposite; no one wants to win the lottery. The "winner" of the lottery gets stoned to death. In the story, there were hints that no one wanted to win this lottery, but I did not expect someone to be killed.
"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in the same towns there were so many proplr that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner."
By definition, a lottery is any happening or process determined by chance. Usually, most people associate a lottery with something good. Most people are happy to win the lottery. The most common prize for a lottery is money. However, the lottery in this story is not a usual lottery. The title suggests that someone would want to win the lottery. But, this story is the opposite; no one wants to win the lottery. The "winner" of the lottery gets stoned to death. In the story, there were hints that no one wanted to win this lottery, but I did not expect someone to be killed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)