...King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s “Othello.” The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning such classics as “Hamlet,” “King Lear,” and “Macbeth.” The story of “Othello” has its roots in the historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other preexisting stories, and Shakespeare was no exception to the rule. The plot of “Othello” most closely resembles a 1565 story by the Italian writer Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio: a Moorish general is tricked by one of his officers into thinking his wife has been unfaithful. Shakespeare took the basic plot points of this tale and embellished them for dramatic effect, adding characters like Roderigo and Brabanzio and more fully developing the character of the villain, Iago. To heighten and speed up the drama, “Othello” takes place over the span of a few days. The backdrop of “Othello” has its origins in the real-life conflicts between Turkey and Venice that occurred in the late 16th century. The action of the play takes place in Cyprus, a Venetian military outpost that was conquered by the Turks in 1571. A contemporary study of these wars was “The History of the Turks,” written and published by Richard Knolles in 1603—just a year before “Othello” premiered. It is reasonable to assume that Shakespeare, like anybody of the time who kept...
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...Shakespeare has used pathos in vast ways to support character development and to build the readers or audiences’ relationship with the characters. Shakespeare makes his readers feel sympathy for certain characters by the way the antagonist treats them. In Othello, Iago used Roderigo, tricked Othello, and mistreated the female characters in the play. Iago helps develop the theme of jealousy throughout the play by exploiting some of the major characters. The truths about some characters are shown clearly to the audience which helps them establish their opinions and feelings about them. Shakespeare uses pathos to get his reader’s point of view of a character. In the beginning of the play, the audience was able to discover that Iago was misusing Roderigo for his own benefit. He was taking his money and lying about loyalty. Iago could care less about Roderigo; all he could think was to get back at Othello and release his jealousy towards him and Cassio. At this point, the audience feels sympathy for Roderigo and somehow relate to his pain. Having to live without someone you love dearly can lead to dramatic conclusions, like the one Roderigo was thinking of. “It is silliness to live, when to live is torment.” (I, iii, 305) Even though Iago acts like a loyal friend to Roderigo and promises him he will get Desdemona for him, the audience knows he is only taking advantage of him. Because of Iago, Roderigo is feeding off of his jealousy towards Othello, and doing everything Iago tells him to do...
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...> Compare the way writers present the forces of destructive love in Othello, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and A View from the Bridge. > > Shakespeare, Hardy and Miller present the forces destructive love in a variety of different ways, key ways include; through the use of literary terminology, representation of characters and symbolic themes of culture/society at the time. It is often portrayed within a mixture of other categories of love; patriarchal, romantic and unrequited intertwined with the most prominent themes of fate, family and tragedy. > > In terms of form, structure and context; Shakespeare has chosen the form of a play for his story of Othello therefore being divided into Acts and Scenes which develops the undertone of drama allowing for 'cliffhanger' endings, which when portrayed in the theater is positively reviewed by the audience. For example the first known performance in November 1604 at Whitehall Palace, which then created widespread delight causing the play to move across England. Perhaps the play was so greatly beloved due to the time in which it was written, as it came into the Jacobean period (when King James I ruled England) as the period of delight during Elizabethan times (due to War Victory) was over and so the tone of the play will be keeping well with the tone of the time between the reigns. It will also be coinciding with the theme of War as the play is set in the backdrop of Wars between Venice and Turkey when in reality the Spanish Armada will...
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...Many novels often possess several types of characters to make the book extravagant and exciting. The outcast, a character who stands out from the majority of others described in the text. The outcast in a story is usually portrayed as a threat of society to the surrounding community. The outcast will often become the hero or heroine as the novel progresses. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, MT Andersons feed and William Shakespeare Othello, each outcast displayed their importance to the novel not only as an outcast but also for there mighty heroic acts throughout the texts listed. Othello from William Shakespeare's othello stands out from the community he lives in for many reasons. Othello is a moor who is seen different because of his skin colour causing him to be the main outcast of the play yet he is in a very high position of his culture and people do not like him for this reason. He is a general and commander and eventually governor of Cyprus. This shows characteristics such as independence, strength and bravery are all present in othellos lifestyle. These aspects ultimately define him as the heroic figure in the play....
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...in which the characters represent moral qualities. The most famous example in English is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in which the name of the central character, Pilgrim, epitomizes the book's allegorical nature. Kay Boyle's story "Astronomer's Wife" and Christina Rossetti's poem "Up-Hill" both contain allegorical elements. Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, as I suppose, off some sweet wood." Hopkins, "In the Valley of the Elwy." Antagonist A character or force against which another character struggles. Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone; Teiresias is the antagonist of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose, as in "I rose and told him of my woe." Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" contains assonantal "I's" in the following lines: "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, / Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself." Character An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello is a major character who is dynamic, exhibiting an ability to change. Characterization The means by which writers present and reveal character. Although techniques...
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...Othello Stefanie Hayward Ms. Estabrooks ENG3U May 11, 2015 Betrayal is one of the significant themes in the book Othello. Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Iago shows this betrayal in the book to many different characters. He shows this by being manipulative in making Othello believe that his wife is cheating on him, he’s a mastermind by being able to think of certain situations that would convince Othello that it was true and cunning by achieving his ultimate goal in making Othello believe his lies. The theme betrayal all started with Iago thinking that his wife Emilia was sleeping with Othello and with Othello promoting Cassio to lieutenant instead of Iago. Once both of these triggers happened Iago was out for Othello and was willing to do anything to get revenge. He was jealous that Othello chose not to promote him to lieutenant despite his merit. Iago says to Roderigo I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, Evades them with a bombast circumstance .... And, in conclusion,... says he, “I have already chosen my officer.” (1.1.12-18) For Iago to achieve his goal he had to pretend that he was still loyal to Othello and was looking out for his best interest. By doing this Othello still trusted him. For Iago...
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...human interactions are guided by gender. As seen in the 16th century play, Othello, women have lower social status than men causing them to be treated with less respect. Today, even though the world has made progress, women face similar problems to women 400 years ago, as women still suffer the wrath of being inferior to men. William Shakespeare play, Othello reveals that in in Venetian society men are superior to women guiding the interactions of characters. However, Shakespeare argues men are no different than women as he questions the legitimacy of gender inequality that guides interaction between people can be extended and applied...
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...mainstream”; these characters are often referred to as the Outsider due to their exclusion from the community in which the text is set. The characters who are referred to as Outsiders can be portrayed in different ways; their initial exclusion from society can ultimately lead to a narrative of their acquisition of power throughout the text but similarly, can portray a story of their maintenance of the minimal power they have over the course of the text’s plot. However, this is not to argue that some Outsiders presented within literature do not have power over the course of the development of the text so, as a consequence, remain excluded from the society. In this case, the text would then be considered an exposition of the character’s experience from their position in society rather than the author’s attempt of trying to integrate their character into society through their work. Furthermore, the author themselves may be considered an Outsider through their own status in society; they command their readers to be Outsiders themselves within the novel. As well as to read and observe the narrative in order to emulate the same feeling within themselves, within the reader or to have a specific impact on the issues surrounding humanity at the time. The contrast in the ways in which the portrayal of an Outsider can develop arose within the study of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea as the novels highlighted the different facets of characters that are regarded...
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...illustrate societal as well as psychological and domestic examples of passivity. In Mariana, the “rusted” and “crusted” atmosphere of decay is representative of Mariana’s psychological deterioration and the stagnant “blacken’d waters” and “moated grange” act as an obstruction to her integration with the outside patriarchal world. This reflects the wider Victorian attitude regarding the home as “the centre of virtue and the proper life for women” and brings to light the impact that passivity in the greater context of society has on the role she plays in her private relationship. This idea of external influences is echoed much less figuratively in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ where “decreased birth rates” stimulated a change in the functioning of the governmental system and the politically organised passivity of women, creating a dystopian vision of patriarchy. A change in societal structure resulting in female passivity is also present in ‘Othello’. Desdemona’s transition from an assertive female who “challenge[s] that [she] may profess...
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...History of English Literature Overview Anglo-Saxon Literature (500-1100) The Angles and Saxon conquered what is now called England in the 5th and 6th centuries. Christian missionaries taught the English to write. Northumbria soon produced Caedmon and Bede. Heroic poetry of a Christian kind is the chief legacy of Old English literature, notably Beowulf and the Elegies. A considerable prose literature grew up after King Alfred. Middle English Literature (1100-1500) Literature in England in this period was not just in English and Latin but in French as well and developed in directions set largely in France. Epic and Elegy gave way to romance and Lyric. English writing revived fully in English after 1360 and flowered in the reign of Richard II (1372-99). It gained a literary standard in London English after 1425 and developed modern forms of verse, prose and of Drama. The conquest of England in 1066 by William of Normandy displaced English as medium of literature. The language of new rulers was French. Saxons dealing with the King had to learn French and French was the language of court and the law for three centuries. Four genres of Middle English are: i. 1. Fabliau 2. Lyric 3. Dream Allegory 4. Ballad Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer is the best story teller and the narrative poet. Chaucer tells his stories in a most effective way. He has the knack of transforming an old tale into a new one in such a manner that its appeal increases manifold and its human...
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...Early European Theater • The writings of this period were primarily hymns, sermons and similar theologically oriented works. • Latin became a literary medium. • Major preserves of learning are the monasteries. • 8th century Europe returned to greater stability under the Carolingian kings. ➢ Charles Martel – defeated the Moslems at Tours in 732 AD, through his innovative use of armored horsemen as the principal military force, initiating the development of knighthood. ➢ Charlemagne – extended his realm into the Slavic territories and converting non- Christians on the way. Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope and pronounced him as the successor to Constantine. The scenario was the first attempt to establish the Holy Roman Empire. • Charlemagne’s death caused Europe to break into small units isolated from each other and from the world. • Moslem controlled the Mediterranean and the Vikings, still pagans, conquered the northern seas. Early Middle Ages • Life was relatively simple. • Feudalistic patterns were fully established. ➢ Manor (large estate)- headed by a noble man, assumed absolute authority over the peasants who worked his land collectively. ➢ Vassals – supplies the lords a specified number of knights upon demand and the lords in return were bound to protect their vassals. The Theater (500- 900 AD) • The theater revived during the early Middle Ages. • After the Western Roman...
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...Christina Sheryl L. Sianghio Character Most simply a character is one of the persons who appears in the play, one of the dramatis personae (literally, the persons of the play). In another sense of the term, the treatment of the character is the basic part of the playwright's work. Conventions of the period and the author's personal vision will affect the treatment of character. Most plays contain major characters and minor characters. The delineation and development of major characters is essential to the play; the conflict between Hamlet and Claudius depends upon the character of each. A minor character like Marcellus serves a specific function, to inform Hamlet of the appearance of his father's ghost. Once, that is done, he can depart in peace, for we need not know what sort of person he is or what happens to him. The distinction between major and minor characters is one of degree, as the character of Horatio might illustrate. The distinction between heroes (or heroines) and villains, between good guys and bad guys, between virtue and vice is useful in dealing with certain types of plays, but in many modern plays (and some not so modern) it is difficult to make. Is Gregers Werle in The Wild Duck, for example, a hero or a villain? Another common term in drama is protagonist. Etymologically, it means the first contestant. In the Greek drama, where the term arose, all the parts were played by one, two, or three actors (the more actors, the later the play), and the best actor, who...
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...COORDINATOR: -2016- Important aspects about William Shakespeare William Shakespeare, English dramatist and poet He is considered the greatest writer of the English language literature of all time The first one (until approximately 1598) belongs to a series of pieces in which youth girded Shakespeare’s current fashions, adapting issues to public taste In the second Shakespearean stage, which runs from 1598-1604, are located the pieces often called "middle works", characterized by a higher stage virtuosity Dramas Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Othello announce the next period, known as the great tragedies (1604-1608), in which Shakespeare delves into the deepest feelings of the human being The final phase (1608-1611) shines his latest masterpiece, The Tempest, in which fantasy and reality intermingle offering a testimony of wisdom and acceptance of death. •Human vision (caught in the passion play); •Relationship with the company and provided genius; •Nature, love and art - universal ways of saving time and evil attack. Sonnets give the feeling and eventually even convince the reader to visit a temple and understands that the priest officiating the ritual union between text and reading is a creature with a special expertise whereof modern poetry can not even have the feeble idea ANALYSIS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MOST REPRESENTATIVES SONNETS Critics argue that the sonnets are like a deep meditation on the nature of love, sexual passion...
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...Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Bloom's Classic Critical Views alfred, lord Tennyson Benjamin Franklin The Brontës Charles Dickens edgar allan poe Geoffrey Chaucer George eliot George Gordon, lord Byron henry David Thoreau herman melville Jane austen John Donne and the metaphysical poets John milton Jonathan Swift mark Twain mary Shelley Nathaniel hawthorne Oscar Wilde percy Shelley ralph Waldo emerson robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge Stephen Crane Walt Whitman William Blake William Shakespeare William Wordsworth Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Edited and with an Introduction by Sterling professor of the humanities Yale University harold Bloom Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: William Shakespeare Copyright © 2010 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2010 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data William Shakespeare / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom : Neil Heims, volume editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references...
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...brilliantly on circumstances of human existence o Aristotle – the great philosopher ENTER SHAKESPEARE – THE LITERARY GIANT Spelling of Shakespeare: Spelling not yet standardized, thus name spelled in different ways • Shakespeare, Shakspere, Shackspere, Shaxper, Shagspere, Shaxberd, etc. Shakespeare: The most well known playwright of Elizabethan times is Shakespeare. But there were also other writers who in their time were just as, or even more famous than him. WHAT MAKES SHAKESPEARE STAND OUT? – The volume of his works Plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare ■ 14 COMEDIES – funny play – with amusing events – ended in marriage / or happily o Midsummer Night’s Dream, Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing… ■ 10 HISTORIES – Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV… ■ 10 TRAGEDIES – ends in death ← Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Julius Caesar… ■ 4 Romances – ( chivalry and love) Pericles,...
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