"In all respects--believe me! Your eyes--your hair--are pretty! Your hands are pretty!" -pg. 1283
When I was reading this part, I felt like I was in the middle of a love story. Jim was being sweet towards Laura and seemed interested in her. He even kissed her. However, when he said he was married, I became furious. Typical girl reaction, I know. But then what was the point of this story that got my hopes up that just ended in another guy leaving Laura's life? I believe the point was to show Laura's strength that the rest of her family doesn't have. Tom ends up leaving just like his father. Amanda tries to deal with her husband leaving her by pushing Laura towards dating many men. Laura seems to be the opposite of her exterior.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Glass Menagerie 2
"A little physical defect is what you have. Hardly noticeable even! Magnified thousands of times by imagination!" -pg. 1280
Laura seems to be the pivitol character in the play. The title "The Glass Menagerie" also turns the attention on Laura. The end of the play is Tom thinking about Laura and how he left her. What makes her stand out from her family is her shyness. Her mother is quite opposite of shy, and her brother goes out and drinks and smokes in social places. Laura is shy and insecure because of her physical disability. Growing up, she amplified the disability in her head. This caused her to shy away from being a social person. These qualities make Laura a sympathetic character. The reader feels sympathy for her because we all can relate to certain insecurities. Laura's insecurities causes problems in her relationship with her mom and other men.
Laura seems to be the pivitol character in the play. The title "The Glass Menagerie" also turns the attention on Laura. The end of the play is Tom thinking about Laura and how he left her. What makes her stand out from her family is her shyness. Her mother is quite opposite of shy, and her brother goes out and drinks and smokes in social places. Laura is shy and insecure because of her physical disability. Growing up, she amplified the disability in her head. This caused her to shy away from being a social person. These qualities make Laura a sympathetic character. The reader feels sympathy for her because we all can relate to certain insecurities. Laura's insecurities causes problems in her relationship with her mom and other men.
The Glass Menagerie 1
"The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license." -pg. 1235
Before the first scene even begins, the author lets us know that this play is memory. It is all told from the perspective of Tom, and it is all from his memory. This means that much of the play is nonrealistic. What happens is not realistically what really happened, although he tries to give us the best account. Memory is nonrealistic because our memory can change certain things in order to heighten emotions or certain aspects of the past. Others ways in which the play is nonrealistic is the music, lighting, and breaking the fourth wall. The purpose of the memory play is to tug at the heart and the emotions the narrator feels. His view is what is presented to the audience.
Before the first scene even begins, the author lets us know that this play is memory. It is all told from the perspective of Tom, and it is all from his memory. This means that much of the play is nonrealistic. What happens is not realistically what really happened, although he tries to give us the best account. Memory is nonrealistic because our memory can change certain things in order to heighten emotions or certain aspects of the past. Others ways in which the play is nonrealistic is the music, lighting, and breaking the fourth wall. The purpose of the memory play is to tug at the heart and the emotions the narrator feels. His view is what is presented to the audience.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
As You Like It 3
"But come, now I will be your Rosalind in a more coming-on disposition, and ask me what you will, I will grant it." IV.i.57
Ah, the typical play where the girl pretending to be a guy is pretending to be the girl she actually is. However, that's not very typical, and doesn't make much sense. That's what I love about this Shakespere comedy. Tragedies have more to analyze, yet are not as light-hearted and entertaining. Othello had morals to be learned and character flaws, yet As You Like it has clowns and wrestling and girls pretending to be guys pretending to be girls. Comedies seem to be more all over the place, however. Tragedies are well thought out and often have clear protagonists and antagonists. This comedy doesn't really have a clear bad guy, considering everyone is happy in the end. Personally, I'd rather read a not-too-funny comedy than a tragedy.
Ah, the typical play where the girl pretending to be a guy is pretending to be the girl she actually is. However, that's not very typical, and doesn't make much sense. That's what I love about this Shakespere comedy. Tragedies have more to analyze, yet are not as light-hearted and entertaining. Othello had morals to be learned and character flaws, yet As You Like it has clowns and wrestling and girls pretending to be guys pretending to be girls. Comedies seem to be more all over the place, however. Tragedies are well thought out and often have clear protagonists and antagonists. This comedy doesn't really have a clear bad guy, considering everyone is happy in the end. Personally, I'd rather read a not-too-funny comedy than a tragedy.
As You Like It 2
"so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously tempered as mine is to thee." I.ii.5
A common theme of the play is that love heals. In the quote, Celia is joking with Rosalind about how she loves her more than Rosalind does. In reality, these two cousins have immense love for each other. They are just one example of how love heals. When her father was banished, Rosalind found comfort in the love of Celia. That's why she got to say in the city even though her father was kicked out. The relationship of the two cousins was a healing power for both Celia and Rosalind. Another example is how Oliver's new love for his brother healed their friendship. Love continues to be a healing force throughout the play.
A common theme of the play is that love heals. In the quote, Celia is joking with Rosalind about how she loves her more than Rosalind does. In reality, these two cousins have immense love for each other. They are just one example of how love heals. When her father was banished, Rosalind found comfort in the love of Celia. That's why she got to say in the city even though her father was kicked out. The relationship of the two cousins was a healing power for both Celia and Rosalind. Another example is how Oliver's new love for his brother healed their friendship. Love continues to be a healing force throughout the play.
As You Like It 1
"Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound; And, after some small space, being strong at heart, He sent me hither" IV.iii.65
This is the scene that Oliver saves his brother Orlando and bounds up his wound from the lionness. At the beginning of the play, Oliver hated his brother and wanted to burn him and his house down. This scene proves that Oliver is a dynamic character. We first see him as a hateful, vengeful brother who does not care for Orlando like he should when their father dies. He meets with Duke Frederick and has a change of heart. His change of heart could stem from the fact that even Duke Frederick calls him more villanous than himself, which is an insult. Oliver travels to the forest to find his brother and ends up showing him he loves him. Oliver's dynamic character is just one of few in the play.
This is the scene that Oliver saves his brother Orlando and bounds up his wound from the lionness. At the beginning of the play, Oliver hated his brother and wanted to burn him and his house down. This scene proves that Oliver is a dynamic character. We first see him as a hateful, vengeful brother who does not care for Orlando like he should when their father dies. He meets with Duke Frederick and has a change of heart. His change of heart could stem from the fact that even Duke Frederick calls him more villanous than himself, which is an insult. Oliver travels to the forest to find his brother and ends up showing him he loves him. Oliver's dynamic character is just one of few in the play.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Reflective Essay
Shakespeare’s tragedy “Othello” is a truly timeless piece that can be applied to many works or historical events today. Not only can it apply to literature, but it can apply to entertainment as well. One of the biggest themes in Othello is that jealousy is a powerful, often destructive force. This timeless theme applies to two pieces of work. As a whole, A Separate Peace by John Knowles deals with a teenager’s jealousy that eventually leads to his best friend’s death. “Black Cat” by Mayday Parade is a song about jealousy causing destruction. The three works have the timeless theme of jealousy that ends with a destructive, tragic event.
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| Violent, yet the consequence of jealousy |
The novel A Separate Peace is a more modern, classic work involving jealousy and a tragic ending. Gene, the narrator, prefaces the theme, “I couldn’t help envying him a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying your best friend a little” (Knowles 25). The last line, however, is ironic in the fact that Gene’s jealousy might have caused Finny’s death (the best friend). Jealousy in A Separate Peace is much like it is in “Othello”. It builds inside a character and creates a devastating end. Othello kills Desdemona out of the suspicion and jealousy that dwells inside him over the course of the play (V.ii.95). The death of the two people who were closest to the protagonists, Othello and Gene, ended up dead because of the destructive force of jealousy. John Knowles’ novel is a parallel to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy when it comes to the theme of jealousy.
A novel or play is not the only piece of work that uses jealousy as a destructive force. Mayday Parade, a popular band today, created a song five years ago that had a central theme of jealousy. The jealousy is in the lyrics, “It’s not your part but all your fault, and this jealous actress has a habit of making things sound way too tragic” (Mayday Parade). Iago exaggerates and lies about Desdemona’s disloyalty, which makes her sound exceedingly more dishonest than she really is. Jealous Othello makes his life sound way more tragic than it is in reality. Much like in the song, the jealousy causes the characters to overreact to suspicion. By making things seem more tragic than they really are, it leads to the death of innocent characters. Although no one dies in the song, the harsh tone and diction of the lyrics suggest destruction because of the jealousy—much like in the two works of fiction.
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| The source of all destruction |
Not only do the three works all have tragedy, they are caused by the green-eyed monster of jealousy. In most works of fiction, nonfiction, and in real-life events, jealousy does not have a happy ending. Jealousy is destructive, and ends in the death of the two protagonists of the fiction works. Although the plots of “Othello”, A Separate Peace, and “Black Cat” are different, the end is the same—tragic destruction. Jealousy is timeless and around today, and often still ends in this same destruction.
Works Cited
Knowles, John. A Separate Peace; a Novel. New York: Macmillan, 1960. Print.
Mayday Parade. "Black Cat." Rec. 10 July 2001. A Lesson in Romantics. Fearless
Records, 2007. MP3.
Worth. Harcourt College
Monday, February 6, 2012
I Will Follow You into the Dark
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Othello Blog 3
"O Spartan dog, More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea! Look on the tragic loading of this bed: This is thy work." V.ii.360-363
The theme I want to touch on is that jealousy is a powerful, often destructive force. This quote is where Lodovico is pointing to the bed of Othello, Emilia, and Desdemona dead. Iago is the reason for all of this. The root of all this death is jealousy from Iago and Othello. Iago was first jealous of Cassio that he was Othello's commander. Second, Iago was jealous of Othello supposedly sleeping with his wife. He then manipulated Othello into thinking Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio. This caused outrageous jealousy, and Othello killed Desdemona. Things just snowballed from there, and now you have three dead people. Jealousy is very destructive (clearly) and mostly harms the person who is jealous.
The theme I want to touch on is that jealousy is a powerful, often destructive force. This quote is where Lodovico is pointing to the bed of Othello, Emilia, and Desdemona dead. Iago is the reason for all of this. The root of all this death is jealousy from Iago and Othello. Iago was first jealous of Cassio that he was Othello's commander. Second, Iago was jealous of Othello supposedly sleeping with his wife. He then manipulated Othello into thinking Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio. This caused outrageous jealousy, and Othello killed Desdemona. Things just snowballed from there, and now you have three dead people. Jealousy is very destructive (clearly) and mostly harms the person who is jealous.
Othello Blog 2
"(Draws, and wounds RODERIGO.) Oh, I am slain! (IAGO from behind wounds CASSIO in the leg, and exits.)...(Enter OTHELLO)." V.i.26-30
The quote above represents the importance of stage directions and action in the play. Other physical effects make the play important as well. Without these effects, the reader would be confused as to who is stabbing who, who is dying, and who is responsible for the actions in the play. It contributes to emotion by creating the action in the scenes that bring drama to the play. It also contributes to the climax of the play and the falling action. Gestures would also be important to see how certain characters relay some lines. When sarcasm or slyness is added, the reader sometimes cannot pick up on that. Expressions and gestures in the play would be able to relay that to the audience in a better way.
The quote above represents the importance of stage directions and action in the play. Other physical effects make the play important as well. Without these effects, the reader would be confused as to who is stabbing who, who is dying, and who is responsible for the actions in the play. It contributes to emotion by creating the action in the scenes that bring drama to the play. It also contributes to the climax of the play and the falling action. Gestures would also be important to see how certain characters relay some lines. When sarcasm or slyness is added, the reader sometimes cannot pick up on that. Expressions and gestures in the play would be able to relay that to the audience in a better way.
Othello Blog 1
"Now I will question Cassio of Bianca, A housewife that by selling her desires Buys herself bread and clothes." IV.i.91-93
The quote from the scene above represents an important theme in Othello. In the scene, Iago is tricking Othello into thinking Cassio is bragging about sleeping with Desdemona, but Cassio is really talking about Bianca. This trickery brings up the important theme that appearance and reality are not always the same. Iago is the character that mainly makes up false realities to other characters and is very deceitful. His actions, although rather unclear, are to get back at Othello. This false reality Iago often creates leads Othello to kill his wife Desdemona and then kill himself. Once everyone finds out true reality and not what it appears to be, Iago is sent to be tortured. This means that this false reality is a negative thing for Iago, even though he thought he was going to take down Othello from it.
The quote from the scene above represents an important theme in Othello. In the scene, Iago is tricking Othello into thinking Cassio is bragging about sleeping with Desdemona, but Cassio is really talking about Bianca. This trickery brings up the important theme that appearance and reality are not always the same. Iago is the character that mainly makes up false realities to other characters and is very deceitful. His actions, although rather unclear, are to get back at Othello. This false reality Iago often creates leads Othello to kill his wife Desdemona and then kill himself. Once everyone finds out true reality and not what it appears to be, Iago is sent to be tortured. This means that this false reality is a negative thing for Iago, even though he thought he was going to take down Othello from it.
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