Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Glass Menagerie- Character Relationships

"Tom: House, house! Who pays rent on it, who makes a slave of himself to-
Amanda: Don't you DARE to-
Tom: No, no, I musn't say things. I've got to just-
Amanda: Let me tell you-
Tom: I don't want to hear any more!"
(Scene 3, page 1246)


Tom and Amanda's relationship is very different. Tom and Laura both make mistakes but Amanda reacts differently to both. Every time Tom goes to the movies, Amanda freaks out. I think Tom was trying to show that Amanda was controlling. However, if you look at it from Amanda's point of view, she is just scared of losing him. If Tom leaves, Amanda and Laura are going to have an extremely hard time getting by since Tom is the only source of income. Also, the emotional part of Tom leaving would not be easy on her or Laura, especially since their father left too. When Laura stopped going to business school, Amanda was furious as well. However, she didn't treat Laura as badly as she treated Tom. Laura sincerely apologized to her mother unlike Tom. I think Laura and Amanda have a closer relationship because they really do care about each other and they do the best they can to make the other one happy. Tom is more self-centered; therefore, his relationships with other people are very one dimensional.

The Glass Menagerie- Symbol

"Jim: Unicorns, aren't they extinct in the modern world?
Laura: I know!
Jim: Poor little fellow, he must feel sort of lonesome." 
(Scene 7, page 1281)


I think the glass menagerie is a symbol for Laura. These glass figures live a sheltered life, they never move or make progress, just stay in one place. Laura is the same way. She doesn't leave her house or try to make something of herself. The unicorn especially represents Laura. Laura views herself has an outcast because she has a physical defect. When the unicorn breaks and becomes "accepted" by the other horses, it's like Laura become accepted too. Jim shows her that she shouldn't be self conscious and that she is just as great as everyone else. Laura doesn't get mad at Jim when he breaks the glass because Jim is truly sorry for doing it and really wants to help Laura step out of her shell. Tom on the other hand hasn't really attempted to help Laura make something of herself and Laura thinks that Tom hates her and their mother because he is always leaving. I think Laura gives Jim the unicorn because she wants him to hold on to part of her. Jim represents the modern world and what's going on outside of the house. I think Laura wants to be a part of that world. 

The Glass Menagerie- Unrealistic

"Now that we cannot hear the mother's speech, her silliness is gone and she has dignity and tragic beatuy." (Scene 7, page 1288)


Because The Glass Menagerie is Tom's memory, the characters' words and actions are exaggerated to the way that Tome remembers them. Throughout the play, Amanda is characterized as an overbearing mother who is constantly nagging Tom. The readers, especially teenage readers, first sympathize with Tom because his mother is constantly telling him he isn't good enough and that he can't do anything right. For example, when Mr. O'Connor is over, Amanda says, "I guess the fuse has burnt out. Mr. O'Connor, can you tell a burnt-out fuse? I know I can't and Tom is a total loss when it comes to mechanics" (Scene 7, page 1272). However, because Tom is retelling the memory, Amanda's portrayal is unrealistic. Yes she very well could have been a nagging mother, but she wanted the best for her children. Tom wanted to leave, he hated his life there because he had no adventure and no excitement. Tom is telling the story the way he is because he wants to show the readers how poorly his mother treated him. He is kind of saying to the readers, "see how she talks to me, you would want to leave to". I think it's hard to remember that because the play is a memory, the words and actions of the characters are unrealistic because it isn't exactly what happened, it is one person's account of what happened.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

As You Like It- She's the Man

"Sil: And so am I for Phebe
Phe: And I for Ganymede.
Orl: And I for Rosalind.
Ros: And I for no woman." (V.ii.71).


I know this play is not the one that the movie She's the Man is based off of but some of the plot reminds me a lot of She's the Man. The fact that so many characters love a character who actually loves someone else. Silvius loves Phebe who loves Ganymede who is actually Rosalind who thinks she loves Orlando who loves Rosalind but doesn't know Ganymede is Rosalind. In She's the Man, Duke loves Olivia who loves Sebastian who is really Viola who loves Duke but Duke doesn't know Sebastian is Viola. Also, She's the Man is a comedy and As You Like It is a comedy. Viola pretending to be Sebastian is the main aspect of the movie and Rosalind pretending to be Ganymede is a huge portion of the play. Rosalind becoming Ganymede become problematic when Phebe falls in love with her and when Oliver almost discovers she is a woman. Viola has many problems in the play with people almost discovering she is a girl and Olivia falling in love with her. I think both of these works of fiction satirize the idea of love at first sight and falling for someone you don't really know.


As You Like It- Foil Characters

"I never loved my brother in my life." (III.i.34)


There are two major sets of foil characters in this play. Orlando and Oliver are very different brothers. Orlando is the youngest son and is very kindhearted and liked by many people. Orlando doesn't hate Oliver, he just wants to be treated fairly and given an education. Oliver on the other hand hates Orlando and threatens to kill him. He is supposed to take care of Orlando and give him an education but he refuses to and is bitter that everyone likes Orlando. The other set of foil characters are Duke Senior and Duke Frederick. Duke Frederick is viewed as the mean and evil brother who took the power from Duke Senior and banished him as well as Rosalind. Duke Senior seems like a very mellow and happy man. He enjoys living in the forest and has a positive outlook despite the fact that he lost his land and power. I think these foil characters drive the plot and their relationships with each other are essential to the play. 

As You Like It- Unrealistic

"A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself...Into a bush: under which bush's shade a lioness, with udders all drawn dry, lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch" (IV.iii.64).


I think this play employs unrealistic conventions. Some of the events that occur such as a lion in the middle of the woods attacking Orlando seem just a tad out there. I think one of the major literary devices that separates Othello from As You Like It is that Othello is rooted in logic and As You Like It is more rooted in fantasy. Another couple unrealistic events in the play are that no one recognizes Rosalind as a man and that many characters fall in love at first sight. I think these unrealistic components are what make the play a comedy and what make it satirical. Orlando falling in love with Rosalind when he never even spoke to her and writing her love poems on trees is funny to the reader because it would never happen in real life. I think Shakespeare is using these unrealistic ideas to make the play exciting and keep the reader's attention.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Reflective Essay

With the theme of how seeking revenge ultimately leads to destruction, the play Othello has remained a timeless piece of literature. Connecting to One Tree Hill, a modern television show and the The Hunger Games novels, which continue to rise in popularity, Othello portrays the feelings of revenge through its’ characters. This common theme is shared by all three works and allows Othello to continue to be a universal story. In the play, Iago discloses to Othello that Othello’s wife Desdemona may be cheating on him with Cassio. This prompts Othello into a fit of rage and he is immediately consumed with desires of revenge on Cassio and Desdemona. “Damn her, lew minx! Oh, damn her! Come, go with me apart. I will withdraw, to furnish me with some swift means of death for the fair devil, Now art thou my Lieutenant” (III.iii.477-480).
Iago telling Othello about Desdemona and Cassio's "affair".
Consumed with malice, Othello kills Desdemona but soon regrets this decision on learning that he had killed an innocent and faithful woman. “Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well. Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme. Of one whose hand, like the base Indian threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe” (V.ii.360-364). By killing himself, Othello proved that his plot of revenge completely backfired and left him with nothing.
           Othello taking his anger out on Desdemona, thinking she loved Cassio
Similar to the character Othello, Dan Scott seeks revenge because of a woman. On the television show One Tree Hill, Dan Scott has an immense hatred of his brother Keith Scott because Keith is married to Karen who Dan was once in love with and bore a child with. Because Dan still loved Karen and could never come to terms with Karen and Keith’s relationship, Dan shot and killed Keith. “My brother Keith was always better than me. He had a better heart. People liked him more. They loved him. Karen loved him, but Karen was mine. She was supposed to be mine” (The Runaway Found).
                                     Dan saying why he killed Keith
Although Dan didn’t go as far as Othello in committing suicide, he was forced to go to prison and live a life of remorse and regret for his actions. Losing the love and respect of his family was another price Dan had to pay which was the most detrimental blow to him. When Dan’s son Nathan found out about Dan’s act of revenge he responded, “What happened to you Dad? The day Keith died, you died, you understand me? My son will never know you. You stay away from my family and you stay away from me” (The Birth and Death of the Day). Because his family members were the only people he truly cared about in his life, losing them destroyed Dan and made him view his life as insubstantial.
                               Nathan telling Dan he is done seeing his family
Along with Othello and One Tree Hill, the Hunger Games trilogy vividly explores the consequences of revenge. Because the districts of the country created an uprising and fought against the government, the government which is known as the Capitol created the Hunger Games to punish the citizens. In the Hunger Games, kids are taken from each district and put in an arena to fight to the death where only one survives. “Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch- this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion” (The Hunger Games, 18).
            Katniss Everdeen getting ready to enter the Hunger Games that the Capitol created.
After winning the 74th annual Hunger Games, protagonist Katniss Everdeen leads all the districts in a rebellion against the Capitol which develops into a combative war. “People want to fight. Don’t you see? It’s happening! It’s finally happening! If there’s an uprising in District Eight, why not here? Why not everywhere? This could be it” (Catching Fire, 100). In a bloodbath, the Capitol is taken over and President Snow loses all his power. Although they tried to prevent an uprising by installing the Hunger Games, the Capitol only fueled the citizens’ spirits and ultimately lost all their power and influence on the people.
  The preview for the movie the Hunger Games which comes out March 23, 2012.
Not only does the theme of revenge causing demise run prevalent in entertainment and fictional novels, the theme can be applied to everyday life as well. Most people gather feelings of revenge towards someone at some point in their life. During those times, they can choose to act on those feelings or forgive the person and wash the feelings away. Although Othello, One Tree Hill, and The Hunger Games are fictional works, their characters are relatable and people can still learn from the choices they made.
                                                             
                                                              Works Cited
Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.
Perrine, Laurence. “Othello”. Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Fort Worth. Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-462. Print.
Schwahn, Mark. "The Birth and Death of the Day." One Tree Hill. The CW. Wilmington, North Carolina, 6 June 2007. Television.
Schwahn, Mark. "The Runaway Found." One Tree Hill. The CW. Wilmington, North Carolina, 16 May 2007. Television.

Monday, February 6, 2012

It's All For You Othello

One of my favorite songs is "All For You" by Sister Hazel. I think it relates to Desdemona in the play Othello. The third line of the song is "But now there's a turnabout, maybe 'cause I'm trying". I relate this to when Othello thinks that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. Othello radically changes his view of Desdemona. When Desdemona begs Othello to forgive Cassio, Othello sees that as she is in love with Cassio. The next lines of the song are "There's been times, I'm so confused. All my roads, they lead to you. I just can't turn and walk away". Even when Othello tells Desdemona that he thinks she cheated on him, she can't just leave him and walk away. Desdemona values her marriage with Othello and doesn't want to give up on it. The chorus of the song begins, "It's hard to say what it is I see in you, wonder if I'll always be with you". Othello and Desdemona come from very different backgrounds. No one thought they would be together because they are different races. Desdemona fell in love with Othello because of the stories he told not the way he looked. The last lines of the chorus are, "But words can't say, and I can't do enough to prove, it's all for you". Desdemona is trying to prove to Othello that she loves him and would never be unfaithful to him. However, her words don't seem to be enough to Othello to prove her innocence. She is trying to let Othello know that everything she does is for him and her marriage to him means the world to her.


 

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Othello- Personal Reflection- Iago

"Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word." Act V.ii.302-303


I'm actually kind of glad Iago didn't reveal his motives. I mean I was curious as to why he continued so long with his corruption of Othello. However, I think Iago not revealing his motives was the right way to end the play. By Iago not saying why, the audience is left with questions. This leads to discussion and disagreement among people. Everyone will have different theories about exactly why Iago acted the way he did which I think is really cool. Also, since Iago smiled at the end of the movie and continued to mock Othello even after he was stabbed, I think it showed that Iago won. Usually in stories, the main character wins and Iago was the main character of the play. I think the people who were almost rooting for Iago because he was telling the story also benefited from the ending. Iago got discovered but he also caused a lot of mayhem.

Othello- Question 7

"You told a lie, an odious, damned lie, Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie! She false with Cassio! Did you say with Cassio?" Act V. ii. 179-181


Not a lot of time is covered in the action. Once the characters arrive in Cyprus, the plot of Iago convincing Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair doesn't take long at all. My guess is about two weeks at most. I think most of the action is dramatized on stage. Some of the scenes like Iago talking to the audience about his schemes seem more like a report but most of the fighting and manipulating seems more dramatized. I think the scenes that have more going on in them like Roderigo fighting Cassio Othello murdering Desdemona, and Emilia standing up for herself have more drama because they are the more important scenes. The play feels loose in construction. I feel like the scenes aren't strict or uptight, since Iago is running the show, he is more of a character who roles with what he gets and takes things as they come. 

Othello- Question 2

"I took by the throat the circumcised dog And smote him, thus. (Stabs himself)" V.ii.354-355


I think the play Othello is a tragedy. I think the fact that knowing the play is a tragedy is important to experiencing the drama. When reading a Shakespearan tragedy, the reader knows that characters are going to die. The reader is expecting death to occur, it's just a matter of who is going to die and how will it happen.  I think the reader would be expecting Iago to die because he is the villian so it was interesting to see how the last scenes played out. When the audience knows the play is a tragedy, they know the ending will most likely not be happy. I think that's good because then the audience isn't expecting some epic love story so they won't be disappointed when the two characters who were in love both die. Recognizing the tragedy allows the audience to  be prepared for what's to come yet still have questions and want to know more.