Patterns Repeating: Characterization

"Amanda: (to her son). 'Honey, don't push with your fingers. If you have to push with something, the thing to push with is a crust of bread. And chew-chew! Animals have sections in their stomachs which enable them to digest food without mastication, but human beings are supposed to chew their food before they swallow it down. Eat food leisurely, son, and really enjoy it. A well-cooked meal has lots of delicate flavors that have to be held in the mouth for appreciation. So chew your food and give your salivary glands a chance to function!' "

This is the first thing Amanda says to Tom in the whole play. It's quite the opening speech. She makes several speeches like this, but this is the first. Amanda is the drama queen of the play, a characterization that is most likely dramatized by the fact that this play is reconstructed from a memory. When she and Tom fight, she flies into a fit of rage and refuses to speak to him until she apologizes. When he apologizes, she immediately starts back in the with the obnoxious speeches and bossiness. Amanda has the most obviously dramatized persona (of the nagging mother that drives away her son), but the other characters have them, too. Laura is the all too fragile and delicate sister that can barely stand to go to school or even open the door for a gentleman caller. Tom is the dreamy and poetic warehouse worker who is stuck living paycheck to paycheck with no way of getting out to find his big adventure. As Tom admits in the beginning narration, the play is a memory, and therefore subject to the reconstruction that memory is. This perhaps why the characters assume somewhat predictable and repeating actions and personas.

Horses with Horns: Symbology

"Laura (smiling): 'I'll just imagine he had an operation. The horn was removed to make him feel less- freakish! (They both laugh) Now he will feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don't have horns.' " pg 1283

Laura is definitely a peculiar woman. She has fits of "indigestion" whenever she gets out of her comfort zone. She refuses to go to the business school that her mother paid tuition for; instead she walks around town all day visiting museums all day. Simple things such as little glass figures fascinate her, however. She's quite, shy, and uncomfortable in foreign situations. So it's odd when Jim O'Connor reappears from her past and erases all her fears and insecurities with a candlelit conversation and a dance in the living room. He's very charming, and dives right into very personal conversations right away, something I expected to scare Laura off. She wouldn't even answer the door an hour ago! It might be because he was someone she knew before, but still, Laura looses her fear as quickly as the small glass unicorn broke her horn off.

The unicorn is a symbol for Laura. Jim swept in and broke off her "freakish" horn and made her into a "normal" girl. I didn't think she needed her horn broken off. There was nothing wrong with her to begin with. Sure, it's nice for her to feel normal and be more confident in who she is. But I don't think her probably fleeting confidence should have come at the expense of her loosing what makes her special. So it's probably for the best that Jim didn't stick around. He was around long enough to make her feel special and capable, but didn't stay long enough to change her completely. Maybe she could glue her horn back on...

Adventure is Out There!

"Tom: 'I'm starting to coil inside. I know I seem dreamy, but inside-well, I'm boiling!- Whenever I pick up a shoe, I shudder a little thinking how short life is and what I am doing!- Whatever that means, I know it doesn't mean shoes- except as something to wear on a traveler's feet!" pg 1268

The "spirit of adventure" is a common phrase of the adorable Disney movie "Up". It is so powerful that it moves an old man, a small wilderness scout, and a floating house on a big adventure to South America. However, the main character in "The Glass Menagerie" proves to us that the spirit of adventure is not always so cute and positive. It is elusive, and tempting, and taunting. It drives Tom to the "movies" every night until early in the morning. It drove away his father from his loving family. And Tom openly admits that he s following in his father's footsteps. He leaves his sister and his mother alone with the lights literally out. Tom considers himself an amateur poet and thinks that he can write his way to fame and fortune and other vague somethings that he can't seem to get out of his mind. His family, his life, nothing is powerful enough to keep him home when the spirit of adventure is calling him. The burden of paying and providing for his family was too much. The burden of his family pushes Tom to pursue a spirit of adventure that leads him not to South Africa in a house aloft with helium balloons, but one that is much more sour.

Changes of Heart

" 'Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day/ Men of great worth resorted to this forest,/ Address'd a mighty power; which were on foot,/ In his own conduct, purposely to take/ His brother here and put him to the sword./ And to the skirts of this wild wood he came;/ Where meeting with an old religious man,/ After some question with him, was converted/ Both from his enterprise and from the world/ His crown bequeathing  to his banish brother,' " V.iv. pg 78

This is just one example of the quick "changes of heart" that occur multiple times in the course of this play. The other most significant one is when Oliver decides to love his brother after Orlando saves him form a snake and a lion. These changes of heart are one of the greatest factors that make this play a satire rather than a legitimate example of romance. Rosalind in the epilogue implores the audience to appreciate the play as much as they desire, but to consider it carefully, which helps the audience understand that the love at first sight in the play was more of a joke than actual romance. Besides love at first sight, the quick changes of heart that Oliver and Duke Frederick experience are the closest examples of satire in the play. They make the fast paced action seem more satirical, which was Shakespeare's intent all along. The fact that the others characters accept the changed characters without question is even further testament. The ridiculously happy ending is the final addition that makes the play an official mockery of the chick flicks and paperback romances that must have existed in Shakespeare's time as well as our own.

Orlando: In love or Insane?

" 'Run, run, Orlando; carve on every tree/ The fair, the chaste and unexpressive she.' " III. ii. pg 35.

Orlando falls in love with Rosalind in about 13.6 seconds. He spends a lot of time in the play trying to prove it. Orlando speaks the line above to himself very soon after he arrives in the forest. He spends the next few scenes running around writing love sonnets and proclamation on the trees, effectively defacing them. When Rosalind follows him into the forest, and is in disguise, she spends some time questioning him about his true love. Orlando thinks that she is Ganymede, and answers to convince Ganymede of his genuine love for Rosalind. Rosalind keeps her identity a disguise so she can find out Orlando's true feelings. Orlando's love is called into question by a few characters in this story, and also by me. I had a hard time believing he was really in love, given the short amount of time that he had known or spoken to Rosalind, but also by the fact that he answered Rosalind's questions so ridiculously. When Rosalind asked him what he would do if his love was around, Orlando answered that he would kiss then speak. Rosalind corrected him, saying that he should rather speak first. Conversations such as these make Orlando seem flawed in his intentions. And instances such as his tree-carving escapades make Orlando seem flawed in his sanity. Is he in love or not?

Jaques: Foil Character

" 'I have neither the scholar's melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician's, which is fantastical; nor the courtier's, which is proud; nor the soldier's, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer's which is politic; nor the lady's, which is nice; nor the lover's, which is all of these: but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects; and indeed the sundry contemplation of my travels, in which my often rumination wraps me in a most humorous sadness.' " IV.i. pg 55.

Shakespeare makes a point of using slightly ridiculous characters. They all fall in love at first sight, or make rash decisions, or make very sudden changes of heart. The ridiculous nature of the plot line and the characters in it may be satire of typical love stories, but it is often a little hard to realize it. Jaques is the character that helped me realize that this play was actually a mockery of romances.

The other characters are very stereotypically romantic. They fall in love very quickly and therefore often get happy or sad at the drop of a hat. However, Jaques remains consistently melancholy. His nickname is "Jaques the Melancholy". He even admits in the passage above that he is always in a state of "humorous sadness". His unlikely attitude is very out of place in a love story, which makes the rest of the other characters seem that much more ridiculous. When comparing his actions and speech with that of the others', it becomes more clear that he is a foil character to almost all them. And his purpose is to demonstrate other a contrast so the audience can see that the play is a satire of obnoxious romances.

Interactive Othello Reflection

Obviously, Shakespeare isn’t always the favorite topic of high school students. However, it is undeniable fact that Shakespeare’s plays are renowned as masterfully crafted tales of betrayal, love, and humor that present situations and events that touch readers and audiences because of their universal and timeless nature. The themes and the way they are presented in Shakespeare’s works are popular because audiences find their lines and soliloquies applicable to life hundreds of years later. In particular, Shakespeare’s “Othello” and the wicked manipulation, betrayal, love, and tragedy that the play bases itself on is an especially relevant work. In testimony to its universal nature, other, more modern, members of the creative community have also worked with the concepts that Othello touches on, specifically manipulation and how it affects a budding relationship like that of Othello and Desdemona.

The lies that Iago whispered in Othello’s ear were the scissors that cut short the marriage of Othello and Desdemona too soon. Some of these lies included the infamous and fatal one involving the hankercheif and Iago’s claim that Desdemona gave it to Cassio even though it was a gift from Othello to her, thus officially signifying her preference for Cassio over him. This lie was the last straw for Othello who soon afterward decided his wife had to die and their marriage along with her (“Othello”). Marge Piercy, a poet of the 1930’s, offered an analogous poem about a bonsai tree that “could have grown eighty feet tall”. However, there was a gardener that pruned it, keeping it short at nine inches. The particularly applicable line of the poem reads: “With living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth: the bound feet, the crippled brain,” (“A Work of Artifice”). Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is the living creature, dwarfed, bound, and crippled by Iago’s artifice. It had the potential to become a great, long-lasting covenant, but it was doomed from the start by the shears of Iago the gardener. Here, two writers hundreds of years apart have depicted the same picture in completely different ways. The images of both the poem and the events of the play combined are a testimony of how artifice is an element of human nature, and therefore timeless and universal. Here is a link to "A Work of Artifice" in it's entirety: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-work-of-artifice/

Another, more diverse, form of artistic creation is music. A particularly prolific and popular band, Mumford and Sons, wrote “Lover’s Eye’s” in 2010 about a relationship gone sour due to doubts and uncertainties. This song definitely expresses some of the sentiments that Othello must have been feeling when Iago was feeding him suspicions about his beloved wife, Desdemona. The very first line of the song, “Love was kind, for a time, now just aches and it makes me blind” is an apt description of how Othello’s love for Desdemona combined with the belief that she was sleeping with another man turned his love into a curse rather than the blessing that it really was. The chorus is another great example of how the couple’s relationship was afflicted by Iago’s lies: “But do not ask the price I pay, I must live with my quiet rage. Tame the ghosts in my head, that run wild and wish me dead. Should you shake my ash to the wind, Lord, forget all of my sins. Oh, let me die where I lie ‘neath the curse of my lover's eyes,” (“Lover’s Eye’s”). Othello is feeling rage, experiencing the ghosts of suspicion that plague his marriage, plans on committing the sin of killing his wife, and eventually dies with his lover. This song expresses the results of the pruning of the bonsai tree that is an analogy of Iago’s manipulation and how it ultimately destroyed a young and potentially wonderful marriage. Here is a link to the full lyrics of "Lover's Eye's":http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mumfordsons/loverseyes.html

Artifice is a dangerous tool, but an unfortunate reality and occurrence of human life. Shakespeare wrote a play about it. Marge Piercy wrote a poem about it. Mumford and Sons wrote a song about how it destroys a relationship. All these artists are separated by at least seventy years, and in Shakespeare’s case, many more. Not only are the spread out across time, but all three works are enjoyed and examined by people all over the world. William Shakespeare knew lies have wicked consequences and “Othello” was only one of many creative products to relate these consequences in a memorable, universal, and timeless fashion. 

                                                            Works Cited

Mumford, Marcus. "Lover's Eyes." Perf. Ben Lovett, Country Marshall, and Ted Dwane. Sigh

            No More. Mumford and Sons. Markus Dravs, 2009. CD.

Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, Fort Worth.

            Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-462. Print.

Perrine, Laurence. “A Work of Artifice.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, Fort

            Worth. Harcourt College. 2002. 1077. Print.

Othello's Song

 Undeniably, Othello's predicament in "Othello" make for excellent song writing. He experiences peace, feels love, endures betrayal, expresses rage, and finally had deep remorse. There is a plethora of songs that express one or more of these different emotions, but the one I think Othello would most likely sing that most accurately sums up his feelings of betrayal from both Desdemona and Cassio would be "White Blank Page" by Mumford and Sons. Of course, there was no actual affair. But this is a song that I envision Othello singing right before he kills Desdemona, right before he figures out that none of the rumors Iago fed him were actual truths. Here is a link to the full lyrics:
 http://www.lyricsmania.com/white_blank_page_lyrics_mumford_and_sons.html
The introductory verse into the song is an expression of what Othello would say to Cassio, a man he loved, trusted, and had even given the honor of the title Lieutenant to. The lyrics repeatedly ask how Cassio could lay next to Desdemona and give her his body in good conscious. The last verse is particularly applicable to Cassio and Othello because it references how Casso shouldn't be able to kneel before a "king" (Othello sort of) and call himself "clean".

Heading into the chorus, the rhetorical questioning turns from grilling Cassio on his choice, but now to Desdemona. He asks her where his fault was in loving her with his whole heart. I think this is an accurate portrayal of something Othello might say, because he really loved her and this love was what made the alleged betrayal so painful.

Later, the lyrics say "Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life". Desdemona tried to show him the truth, and when he finally learned it he literally followed her with his life. As in, he killed himself in out of anguish, joining her in death.

Overall, the song portrays the emotions of Othello before he learns the truth with accuracy and awesome lyrics. Here is a picture of Mumford and Sons:

Dramatic Irony Creates Suspense (#4)

" 'Honest Iago hath ta'en order for 't.' " V. ii. v 72.

I literally want to beat my head against the wall. Othello refuses to stop calling Iago "honest". Now I realize that he can't see all that I can or hear the exposition of Iago's plans to the audience, but seriously. If he was truly so in love with Desdemona, why can't he stop for just a second to listen to her? Why is death the only option in Shakespeare's plays? Wife cheated? Kill her! Friend betrayed you? Kill him! Don't like somebody? Kill them! It's ridiculous. But then again, this is a tragedy written by Shakespeare. Somebody has to die. In the mean time, let's drive the audience nuts with suspense created through dramatic irony.

The dramatic irony comes from all the exposition Iago has with the audience. We understand his plan and can see how all the characters accidentally interact without knowing it, but they cannot. So Othello, however rash, doesn't have that much reason to mistrust Iago and take action on his advice. The suspense happens while the audience is sitting on the edge of seats, waiting for Othello to figure out how stupid he has been. Especially in the fifth act, when everything is coming to light, it seems to take a year for Othello to realize that he has been the victim of dramatic irony this whole time. The suspense climaxes and ends in a stab battle which leaves three dead bodies lying on bed with Iago smiling evilly on top of them (in the movie that is). Yup, this is a tragedy.

Iago's Silence

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

Up to this point, I had assumed that Iago is the protagonist in this play. And he is. Therefore, I assumed that when the climax and corresponding bloodbath began, he would be all over it. I expected boasting, bragging, gloating, and a slue of mocking taunts to the characters that had been his puppets for the past four acts. But as quoted in the line above, he merely leaves his victims to their own mistakes without exposition that he has been so fond of up until this point. I found this strange and very uncharacteristic.

The product of this strange silence on Iago's part is an intriguing way to end the story. It creates and unsatisfied, neglected feeling with the audience that is not completely unpleasant. It leaves the audience wanting a little more. This may not be what Shakespeare intended when he wrote the play. I'm not sure whether he was aware that Iago's silence produced this effect, but it was certainly effective in making me ponder whether Iago found any pleasure in his success and what his silence could possibly mean.

Camera Conversations (# 8)

" 'Now will I question Cassio of Bianca,/A housewife that be selling her desires/ Buys herself bread and clothes. It is a creature/ That dotes on Cassio, as 'tis the strumpet's plague/ To beguile many and be beguiled by one./ He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain/ From the excess of laughter. Here he comes. ' " IV. i. v91-97.

Something I noticed while watching the movie of this play in class is that Iago is very fond of staring at the camera and making speeches. This made me read the parts of the play where these speeches were written a little more. Before I had seen Iago staring into the camera and talking to the obvious audience, I had felt like the soliliquies were merely Iago thinking aloud to himself. But now, by seeing the play acted out on a cinematic stage, I can tell that the speeches were written for a different reason. I can tell that Shakespeare envisions the action he writes about on a stage. He empathizes with what the audience can see and understand by the dialogue alone, and adds in exposition where it is necessary to make the audience gets the full effect of what was happening. The above quote is one of the best instances of this happening. If this exposition was not included, I would have had no idea what was going on or how it contributed to Othello's manipulation.

The use of exposition is intended for the audience and their complete understanding of what is happening. Whether this be a close up camera shot of Iago on camera, or a soliloquy on stage, the exposition of Shakespeare shows how well he understood the business of play writing for an audience.