societal views ---> death

Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy is a poem which satirizes society's expectations of women.  It presents a young lady who was "ordinary" before puberty.  Then she became less attractive.  "Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs (line 11)."  The speaker acts as if people couldn't see the rest of her body.  Her intelligence, strength, healthiness, and other good qualities were ignored.  Only her good qualities mattered.  Society told her to avoid people and to try to become more attractive.   They wanted her to be attractive.  The irony comes when she does exactly that.  She cuts off her arms and legs and dies.  Her new "pretty" body is set in the casket and everyone is happy.  This, of course, is terrible and unrealistic, but the situation makes Piercy's point clear.  Society should not solely value beauty in a woman.  Not all women should be "Barbie Dolls."  Doing so ignores the other beautifulk girls in the world and those who try to conform to society often end up hurt.

eternity vs now

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell uses juxtaposition in order to emphasize the speaker's point.  He thinks his love should show love for him immediately and not wait to get caught up in love.  He starts off by saying, if we had infinite time, we could stay apart forever and I could take thousands of years to adore your body.  His coy mistress obviously is shying away from his current affection.  He talks about the distance between the Ganges and Humber Rivers as well as the great period of time from the Great Flood to the conversion of the Jews.  These great time spans and distances are then turned around.  The speaker says "But at my back I always hear / Time's winged chariot hurrying near. ( lines21,22)"  He is saying that there is no time for her coyness.  He then describes their death and dust at eternity instead of the ageless love he previously described.  He concludes by clearly stating his point.  He says that while they are still young, they should flirt, sport, and get caught up in love.  They can't stop time, but they can enjoy it.

gender roles

In a way, A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell is a story revolving around stock characters.  The story clearly separates the  men from women.  The men are stereotypical, sexist and cocky. The women also fit the stereotype of quiet, obedient wives who only cook, clean, and sew.  Even the sheriff's wife is kept apart from the men as they search the Wright house.  However, the "unusualness" of the story comes from the fact that the women are actually the ones who solve the mystery of the crime, and are therefore the focus of the story.  At one point, after talking with Mrs. Hale, the county attorney said " 'I'd like to talk to you about that a little later, Mrs. Hale,' he said.  'I'm anxious to get the lay of things upstairs now (par. 96).' "  This is his way of saying, "Whatever, I've got important manly things to do."  This kind of attitude is shown by all the men.  Even once the women discover Mrs. Wright's motivation for the murder, they don't prove their intelligence to the men by revealing the evidence.  Instead, they make their own judgement, deciding she was not guilty for the loneliness and depression she faced.  It is ironic that even after the stereotypes and gender roles are broken apart, the characters seem content to leave them as they are.

characterization in the snow

In Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolf, characterization of the three characters is very prominent.  Throughout the story, their actions and conversations reveal their personalities.  This begins at the commencement of the story. Kenny's first line is "He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on, doesn't he?  Doesn't he, Frank? (par. 4)"   This introduces Kenny and Frank's endless criticism of Tub.  The food falling out of his coat when he runs from the truck also hint at his problems with over-eating, even when he later lies about being on a diet.  Tub's actions; complaining about his friends' criticisms, lying about his problems, and and shooting Kenny; show his insecurities.  Similarly, Frank talks about his marriage problems and his new love, revealing his unhappiness.  Kenny's constant jokes and insults characterize his attitude while also leading to his (supposed) death.  All three characters are characterized by their slang and unsophisticated speech.  Ultimately, their problems and personalities are revealed, but it is ironic that the one with the real problem, Kenny, is not helped at all in the end.

THE END

Act V of Othello, the Moor of Venice surprised me a lot.  After reading it, I realized that I had wrongly analyzed Shakespeare's foreshadowing in earlier parts of the play.  I had expected Iago to die and Emilia to live.  I also suspected that Roderigo would kill Iago.  Of course, none of these things happened.  I also did not expect Othello to commit suicide, but once I read it, I realized that an earlier speech had predicted it.  Othello had previously talked about his grief and inability to cope with what he had done.  He said "Here is my journey's end, here is my butt / And very sea mark of my utmost sail (IV.ii.266-267)."  In this speech, he is admitting that he could live no longer.  He even talks about death being his last chance to see Desdemona before being snatched into hell.  The implication of his death in this passage combined with the fact that he is holding a sword should have made it clear that he would kill himself.  In the end, Shakespeare masterfully ends the story.  There is enough action to keep all of the audience on their toes, and Iago's arrest at the end makes it more satisfying.  As sad as it is, I liked the ending.

Climax

In Act V of Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, we finally reach the climax of the play.  Until this point, nobody has died, and the work is a tragedy, so we knew that deaths were coming.  They definitely did.  Iago's plan is going smoothly until Roderigo fails to kill Cassio.  Iago tries to do the job, but is only able to wound his leg.  Iago himself later kills Roderigo and claims that Cassio did it.  For a while, I thought he would be able to get away with his plot.  However, Bianca came to tell Othello the news and saw Desdemona dead on their bed.  After speaking with Othello, she pieces together what her husband had done and yells for help.  She says "Oh, murderous coxcomb! What should such a fool/ Do with so good a wife! (IV.ii.232-233)"  Iago stabs her and almost gets away.  However he is arrested and Othello kills himself out of grief.  The play ends on this note.  Although there is not much falling action, the climax tells how Desdemona, Roderigo, Emilia, and Othello end up dead and reveals how Iago's plan quickly falls apart.  It all happens very quickly, in true Shakespearean fashion.  Like many of his other plays, the climax happens, a bunch of main characters die, and the play ends.

More foreshadowing!!!

Yet again, I have found another example of foreshadowing.  In Act IV of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, the death of Desdemona is foreshadowed in many ways.  First, Iago and Othello discuss how Othello should kill Desdemona.  Othello thinks of all kinds of cruel ways to kill her in his hatred, but Iago urges him to instead strangle her in bed.  This bed is referred to later in act IV.  Emilia is talking to Desdemona who says "If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me / In one of those same sheets (IV. ii. 22-23)."  This makes sense, as we know Othello is planning to strangle Desdemona in their bed.  I think this line foreshadows that Othello will indeed kill Desdemona, and she might be buried in those bedsheets, just as she requested.  This quote might also imply that Emilia will not die.  Perhaps Emilia will not die.  Maybe she will kill her evil husband?  Only Act V can tell.

Othello and Iago are similar???

While reading Act IV of  Othello, the Moor of Venice William Shakespeare, I realized that the situation that Othellos has found himself in is very similar to that of Iago.  At this point in the play, Othello is miserable.  He is at the point of hating his wife Desdemona who he believes cheated on him.  On the other hand, Iago was in a similar situation at the beginning of the play.  There was a rumor that his wife Emilia had slept with Othello, and Iago began to treat his wife even worse.  Emilia says "Oh, fie upon them!  Some such squire he was / That turned your wit the seamy side without, / And made you to suspect me with the Moor (IV. ii. 145-47)."  Emilia and Desdemona are in similar situations as well, accused of infidelity that they did not commit.  The only difference was that Desdemona was set up by Iago.  I think this speaks to Iago's motivation.  He had to go through the pain of being told his wife slept with Othello, so he wanted Othello to feel the same pain.  So far, he's done a good job.

Jealousy

After reading Act III of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, I am really beginning to notice jealousy is a recurring theme in the play.  Almost every character seems to have some sort of jealousy toward another character.  In some occasions, the characters talk openly about their jealousy or that of others.  This ever-present jealousy is the force that pushes the story onward.  In part of act III, this is made clear when Iago talks of his plan to frame Cassio.  He says "I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, And let him find it.  Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of Holy Writ.  This may do something (III.iii. 322-325)."   This passage is a great example of how jealousy is the force behind the play's conflict.  Iago's motivation to frame Cassio with Desdemona's handkerchief is his jealousy of Othello's position in the military.  Ironically, the only reason his trick will work is that he has fooled Othello into thinking Cassio is Desdemona's lover.  This causes Othello to be jealous of Cassio, causing Iago's simple trick to be sound evidence in Othello's mind.  If no jealousy had existed in the first place, none of this conflict or deception would be going on.

Foreshadowing is my favorite literary technique!

Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is full of foreshadowing.  Much like the irony that I have already blogged about, this foreshadowing is most often caused by Iago's narration.  Because the reader is given insight into Iago's plans for revenge against Othello, he often knows what is going to happen before it actually does.  Passages such as "I'll have Michael Cassio on the hip, / Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb -... (II.i.284-5)" tell the reader exactly what Iago wants to do.  In this example, he is saying that he plans to manipulate Cassio and later accuse him of being Desdemona's lover.  In the next few scenes, the reader can then understand why Iago persuades Cassio to drink, has Roderigo anger him, and then draw others to witness the event.  Because of this foreshadowing, I was not surprised by Iago's actions.  On the contrary, I expected them, and better understood Iago's motivation.  These actions are part of his plan to manipulate Cassio and ultimately earn revenge on Othello.As Iago nears his goal, his plans will surely continue to warn the audience of future misfortune.

Irony is cool

In Act II of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, I noticed multiple examples of irony.  Most of this irony stems from the fact that the play is told mostly from the point of view of Iago, the villain of the story.  Because Iago has evil plans which he shares with the audience, the reader of the play knows many details which other characters do not.  In fact, because Iago is cunning, many other characters think he is honest.  "Honest Iago" is an epithet used throughout the play.  An example of this dramatic iron is in Act II, scene 3.  Cassio says "Good night, honest Iago (II.iii.300)."  This is so ironic because Iago has just tricked him into getting drunk, fighting, and losing his reputation, but Cassio is clueless.  He thinks Iago is on his side.  I'm sure this sort of deception will cause dramatic irony in the rest of the play.

Foil Characters...fun

After reading Act 1 of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, it seems pretty clear that Iago and Othello are set up as foil characters.  Othello, the title character and (I think) protagonist of the story, is trustworthy, honest, and an honorable servant of Venice.  On the other hand, Iago is cunning, deceptive, and vengeful.  He says himself "The Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so (I.iii.379-80)."  He is admitting that he is not honest and plans to fool Othello.  Meanwhile, Othello calls Iago honest and leaves his wife under his care.  These two characters obviously do not think alike.  My only confusion is as to which one is the protagonist.  My first thought is that Othello is the protagonist.  He is the stereotypical "hero" and the namesake of the play.  However, the play is told mostly from Iago's point of view.  I suppose the later action of the story will determine who the true protagonist is.