The Glass Menagerie 3

"You don't know things anywhere! You live in a dream; you manufacture illusions!"
-page 1288

This quote comes from Amanda directed towards Tom. It comes near the very end of the play when Amanda criticizes Tom for not knowing that Jim was engaged. The quote is an example of dramatic irony. Amanda is telling Tom that he is never aware of what is going on around him and just makes things up. The reader, however, knows that the play comes straight from Tom's memory. Since a memory is never 100% accurate, the entire play is a manufactured illusion of Tom's memory. The story is almost like one of his dreams. He replays the account from his own perspective. This characteristic of Tom is seen in Amanda and Laura also. All three characters have a limited point of view and only view a situation from their own perspective. Also, Tom, Amanda, and Laura have unrealistic expectations of their lives. Tom thinks he can do whatever he wants and find a job that he will love without being totally determined. Amanda thinks that she can force Laura to find a husband and force Tom to be more responsible. Laura thinks that she can be happy without trying to better herself and become independent. Jim on the other hand, can see a situation from several points of view and has reasonable expectations for himself.

The Glass Menagerie 2

"The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart."
-page 1235

This quote comes from stage directions/explanation of the opening scene. No dialogue has been given yet, and Tennessee Williams is giving the audience background on the story. The play is narrated by Tom, and is a recount of his memory of specific examples leading up to when he leaves his family. The author tells us that because this story is based on memory, than it is nonrealistic. The play would be realistic if it was happening in the present and would be told from an objective narrator that is impersonal to each character. The actual truth of the accounts are probably less favorable towards Tom. Since the story comes from his memory, the truth is somewhat swayed to favor him and the audience sees it from his point of view. Another quote explaining the motif of memory is, "The play is memory. Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic. In memory everything seems to happen to music." This quote comes from Tom, explaining that his point of view is not necessarily exactly what happened.

The Glass Menagerie 1

"You'll go up, up on a broomstick, over Blue Mountain with seventeen gentlemen callers! You ugly - babbling old - witch..."
-page 1247

This quote comes from Tom and is directed towards Amanda, his mother. They were having a huge fight and this was the climax of the argument. This quote deals with one of the main motifs in the play, complex familial relationships. This conflict is just one of the many times that Tom and Amanda argue with each other. Tom has had enough of his mom and is sick of how controlling she is. He recognizes that she cares for, loves him, and wants what is best for him, but she is going about it in the worst way possible. She wants Tom to be successful, but she has no regard for what he wants or what his interests are. Amanda is the same way with Laura. Tom wants to leave, but he is reluctant to leave Laura by herself. Amanda seems to drive away all of the people that she loves. She loved her husband, Tom and Laura's father, and he left her. Now Tom is wanting to leave also. Amanda needs to learn how to go about showing her love for people or Laura might gain the courage to leave her too.

As You Like It 3

"Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,
Hath not old custom made this life more sweet
Than that of painted pomp?
Are not these woods
More free from peril than the envious court?"
-Page 17 Act II Scene I

This quote comes from Duke Senior, and is the first thing he says in the play. We know he has been banished and is living in the Forest of Arden. From this quote, we can tell that he is not that upset with his new location. He actually prefers the forest over the city. I found the settings of the play to be interesting. A city normally is a place of civility, order, peace, and security. A forest is normally scary, violent, and mysterious. In this play, the opposite is found true. The city is hosting wrestling matches to the death, threats are being made to burn down houses, and Duke Frederick is banishing people from the city. It is crazy, corrupt, and savage. The forest is actually sweet, relaxing, and peaceful. The people that were born there love it. The people that have been living there awhile actually prefer it over the city. Also, the forest seems to have some magic or romance to it, since many characters fall in love and get married there. Even Duke Frederick decides to leave the city, step down as Duke, and learn the ways of the forest.





I think the same concept of preferring the forest over "civil" life once one experiences it is seen in the movie Avatar too.

As You Like It 2

"JAQ: By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you.
ORL: He is drowned in the brook: look but in, and you shall see him.
JAQ: There I shall see mine own figure.
ORL: Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher."
-Page 42 Act III Scene II

As You Like It is a comedy written by Shakespeare. A lot of people in class were wondering why it was a comedy when it wasn't actually funny. I originally thought it was just because they didn't understand the humor of Shakespeare's time, which is probably true. Actually though, a comedy means that it has a happy ending, unlike a tragedy play where everyone dies. I agreed with my classmates in saying that this play is not funny, except for maybe a couple instances, one being the quote above. Jaques and Orlando are contrasting characters, and in this scene, they are jokingly bickering back and forth. In the quote above, Orlando tells Jaques he can find a fool by looking at the water. Jaques then responds saying that he'll only see his own reflection in the water, where then Orlando basically says, "Exactly!" Jaques was looking for a fool as in a person who entertains royalty, but Orlando changed the meaning to be literally a fool. I found this joke to be witty and humorous. I also looked up the definition of cipher and found it to mean a person of no influence or importance, which goes right along with the joke.

As You Like It 1

"I pray you, do not fall in love with me,
For I am falser than vows made in wine:"
-Page 52 Act III Scene V

This quote comes from Rosalind and is directed to Phebe. Rosalind being disguised as Ganymede had both advantages and disadvantages. The quote relates to a disadvantage, because Phebe (a woman) has fallen in love with Ganymede. Rosalind is put into a tough spot because she doesn't want to break her cover, but she can obviously not love Phebe back. Rosalind's costume does help her out with Orlando though. Since he tells Ganymede, supposedly a third party, that he loves Rosalind, then he clearly means it. She is able to find out that his love is pure and unwaivering. Also, since she is pretending to be a man who gives advice about love, she is able to teach the correct way to swoon her. Rosalind is able to tell Orlando all of the ways that she likes to be treated and flirted with, without being rude. I think it is a very clever move on her part; however, she is also "cheating the system."

Reflective Essay Blog

            Great literature from the past is often re-read and studied. These stories become classics because of their timeless themes that can be applied to any generation. Shakespeare is considered the master of creating universal works. His plays were written in the late 1500s to the early 1600s, but they are still an important part of literature today. The language in his stories is sometimes hard to comprehend. However, the themes are so truly universal that people enjoy reading his plays still today. Shakespeare’s Othello is a universal work that has several immortal themes.  One of these everlasting themes is hatred is often based on preconceived notions. The theme hatred is often based on preconceived notions from Othello can be seen in the movie Step Brothers and in the United States before and during the Civil Rights Movement.

            In Othello, Brabantio and Iago hate Othello because he is a black Moor. Neither character knows much about Othello, but they already hate him without reason. When Brabantio hears of the news that his daughter, Desdemona, has married the Moor, he assumes that Othello has tricked her or used magic to get her to marry him. Brabantio accuses Othello saying, “O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her!” (I.ii.64-65). In this scene, Brabantio has a preconceived notion of Othello because of his skin color, which leads him to hate Othello. Brabantio then learns that his daughter loves Othello and has willingly married him. He is still stubborn, but the Duke tries to reassure him by saying, “If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black,” (I.ii.285-286) proving that Othello is actually a good man. Brabantio’s hatred for Othello was based on a false preconceived notion.

      

            Not only is the theme hatred is often based on preconceived notions seen in Othello, but it is also seen in the major motion picture Step Brothers. Brennan and Dale are forty year old men that still live with their parents who recently just got married. Both characters disapprove of the marriage, do not want to be step brothers, and definitely do not want to live together. They were comfortable in their previous lives, and assume that it will be terrible living together. Both characters hate each other before they even get to know each other. In one scene, Brennan and Dale purposefully try to sabotage each other by playing pranks on one another. However, once they get to know each other, they realize how similar they are. In another scene, Brennan asks Dale if they, “just became best friends,” and Dale responds with a resounding, “Yup!” proving that their jaundiced ideas of each other were incorrect (Step Brothers). This theme of preconceived notions leading to hatred is seen in Step Brothers and Othello.

    

            This unwavering theme is seen in historical events as well. Ever since slavery began in the United States, many white people have hated black people simply because of their skin color. The Civil War and the end of slavery inspired even more hatred for blacks. During the Civil Rights Movement, many people realized that there was no reason for African Americans to be mistreated. However, some whites began to hate blacks even more once they received more rights. This hate was shown even in sports when Hank Aaron was close to breaking the home run record. “Some whites resented an African American taking this coveted record and sent thousands of hate letters and threatened Aaron's life and family as he was nearing the record” (Campbell). Even though all races in America have equal rights today, racism still exists. The root of racism is based on preconceived notions. During the Civil Rights Movement, many whites discovered that these distorted ideas towards blacks were wrong and started to treat them with more respect. An extremely important part of United States history revolves around the theme hatred is often based on preconceived notions.

   

            Shakespeare’s Othello connects to Step Brothers and The Civil Rights Movement through one of its themes. All three of these sources have the common theme; hatred is often based on preconceived notions. This theme has proven to be true throughout all generations. Shakespeare is known for displaying universal themes in his works. Othello and The Civil Rights Movement share another theme also. This is that showing love can often require courage. It took courage for Othello and Desdemona to show their love for each other. Also, in the Civil Rights Movement, it took courage for blacks and whites to show love to each other. Even the people who realized that all humans were equal had to put up with a lot of criticism to show love for the other race.

Works Cited

Campbell, Laura, and David Woodward. "Civil Rights." African-American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship. Library of Congress, 21 Mar. 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.             <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart9.html>.

Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Fort Worth.         Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-1462. Print

Step Brothers. Dir. Adam McKay. Prod. Judd Apatow. Perf. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Sony Pictures, 2008. Film.

But I Won't Do That (Reflective Essay Warm-Up)

 

Meat Loaf is a musical artist that was somewhat popular in the late 70's and early 80's and made a comeback in 1990. His most popular song is I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That). This song relates to the character Othello from Shakespearre's play Othello. In the song by Meat Loaf, he says that he would do anything for love, except one thing. The one thing is that he would never leave or lie to or cheat on or forget the girl he loves. I think that Othello can relate to the line, "I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that." However, his "that" is different from Meat Loaf's. Othello's "that" is allow a girl to be unfaithful to him. He would have done anything for Desdemona and went out of his way to get her to marry him, because he loved her so much. But, with the slightest clue that Desdemona was cheating on him, without even real proof, Othello went over board. He would do anything for love, but he wouldn't let a girl cheat on him and live. Othello killed Desdemona for this even though she wasn't really unfaithful. This clearly was one of Othello's breaking points that he did not take lightly. Sorry Desdemona, Othello would do anything for love, but he won't do that.

I'd Do Anything For Love Lyrics

This is the music video for I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). It's long and weird, so you're in for a treat.

Othello 6

"Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n,

Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter

Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo,

And here another. The one of them imports

The death of Cassio to be undertook

By Roderigo."

-Act V.ii.306-311

 

Throughout the entire play, most of the irony has been dramatic. The characters all believed Iago to be an honest, brave, and trustworthy friend. The reader knew however, that Iago was a selfish liar. This quote above is situational irony though. It comes from Lodovico near the end of Act V. He tells Othello, Cassio, Montano, and Gratiano that he found letters in Roderigo's pockets. He explains that one was from Iago telling him to kill Cassio. The other note was from Roderigo to Iago which had complaints in it. They found out that Iago actually killed Roderigo though. These notes are an example of situational irony, because Iago had been using Roderigo to carry out all of his plans, but in the end, the letters in Roderigo's pocket is what dooms Iago. Roderigo who had been manipulated and used by Iago gets back at him by revealing the truth through the letters in his pockets.

Side note: I find it interesting that in this time period it was honorable to commit suicide when the person committed a serious crime or sin of somesort. Othello stabs and kills himself when he realizes what he has done by being tricked. Iago, however, trys to run away and does not think about killing himself. I think this reveals more about how cowardly Iago truly was.

Othello 5

"'Tis he. O brave Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong!"
-Act V.i.31-32

The amount of dramatic irony in this play is insane. Shakespearre literally writes the book on dramatic irony with Othello. This quote comes from Othello towards the beginning of Act V, when he hears Cassio cry out for help. Othello believes that Iago went out of his way to kill Cassio because he was so loyal to Othello and wanted to help him. For one, Iago cowardly used Roderigo to attack Cassio. Two, he did not even end up killing Cassio. And three, Iago was wanting to kill Cassio for his own benefit, not because he wanted to help Othello out. Iago's deceitfulness has caused an epithet to be attached to his name. He is known as Honest or Brave Iago. The irony plays in because Iago is the opposite of honest or brave. Iago is able to trick people because he tells them exactly what they want to hear, so in turn, they believe what he says. This epithet either proves that Iago is an extremely talented liar or that the other characters are very gullible. I think it is a little bit of both. I do give Iago credit for being the mastermind of deceit and wittiness.

Othello 4

"I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak.
My mistress here lies murdered in her bed."
- V.ii.183-184

This quote comes from Emilia towards the end of Act V. Iago tells Emilia to be quiet, because he realizes that she knows what has happened and what his plot was. Unfortunately for Iago, Emilia is a dynamic character. She is no longer the shy push-over that she was in Act II. This is when the reader realizes that Emilia has changed, because she is sticking up for hersself. She has confidence and stands up against men now, which she never would have done before. Without this change in her characterization, the truth about Iago might never have gotten out. Despite Iago's warnings, Emilia speaks against her husband and reveals to Othello, Cassio, and the others that Iago had wanted and planned for all of that to happen. She was then killed by Iago for what she said; however, she did the right thing. I respected Emilia much more after she stood up to Iago, and it was a shame she was killed in the end.