Thursday, January 26, 2012
Othello - Act 3
This act creates even more suspense to the play because Iago's plan keeps working out perfectly. He plants the seed into Othello's mind the idea that Desdemona could be cheating on him. Othello is worrying about it for the rest of the act trying to figure out if she really is cheating on him. Throughout the act, the suspense keeps increasing to find out when Othello is going to call out Desdemona for cheating on him. Iago's deception continues when he tells lies about what Cassio said in his sleep. He said he heard Cassio say, "Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves." Cassio did not say this, but Iago is trying to give some evidence to Othello that his opinion is true. Othello has the final straw and orders Cassio to be dead within three days. I am wondering how Iago plans to do this. If he is considered Cassio's friend, then will he get someone else to kill Cassio or will he do it himself? After Iago receives Desdemona's handkerchief, he decides to use it against her to complete the assumptions that were placed in Othello's mind.
Othello - Act II
Question #2 on pg. 1119
This play is definitely a melodrama because it tries to get the reader (or viewer) to appeal to the characters' emotions. Throughout the play, Iago in the only character on stage but saying his thoughts to himself out loud in order for the audience to know what he's thinking. Often times, the reader will side with the character who is the one giving all the information to the audience because they sort of act like a narrator. In this play, I seem to side with Iago even though he is the bad guy. He is deceiving many people in this act including Montano, Cassio, and Othello. Iago convinces Cassio to drink wine until he's drunk by saying that "they are our friends. But one cup - I'll drink for you." (II.iii.31) Just like Iago wanted everything to happen, Cassio gets drunk and into a fight and almost kills Montano. After, Iago gets Othello to trust him, and it makes the reader seem to think that what Iago is doing may be okay. Experiencing the drama in this play is a significant factor since the play focuses on all of the drama being played out in the story. Shakespeare liked to incorporate the audience and their feelings in his works, and Othello is no different from his other works.
This play is definitely a melodrama because it tries to get the reader (or viewer) to appeal to the characters' emotions. Throughout the play, Iago in the only character on stage but saying his thoughts to himself out loud in order for the audience to know what he's thinking. Often times, the reader will side with the character who is the one giving all the information to the audience because they sort of act like a narrator. In this play, I seem to side with Iago even though he is the bad guy. He is deceiving many people in this act including Montano, Cassio, and Othello. Iago convinces Cassio to drink wine until he's drunk by saying that "they are our friends. But one cup - I'll drink for you." (II.iii.31) Just like Iago wanted everything to happen, Cassio gets drunk and into a fight and almost kills Montano. After, Iago gets Othello to trust him, and it makes the reader seem to think that what Iago is doing may be okay. Experiencing the drama in this play is a significant factor since the play focuses on all of the drama being played out in the story. Shakespeare liked to incorporate the audience and their feelings in his works, and Othello is no different from his other works.
Othello - Act I
Question #1 on pg. 1119
This play employs realistic conventions because it is something that we can relate to doing in our society today. In this act, two men, Roderigo and Iago, go to Barbantio's house because they heard that is daughter was married behind his back. He initially explained thought that "[Othello] hast enchanted her" (I.ii.63) and tricked Desdemona into marrying him, but Desdemona is really in love with Othello. I can definitely see this happening in society now as having a daughter go behind her father's back and get hitched could very easily happen today. On the spectrum, I believe that this play falls on the side of literalistic imitation of reality. Nothing extraordinary like magic or miracles have occurred so far. To be honest, I don't know what the "norm" is in a play so I don't know if there were breaks from it. So far, I can tell that the play has been very dramatic with characters' emotions constantly changing. One thing I did notice that Iago changes the way he speaks when he's around different people. He speaks in prose when with Roderigo, but he talks in poetry to other people in order to impress them. I think most of this act was focused on introducing the plot and characters more than anything else.
This play employs realistic conventions because it is something that we can relate to doing in our society today. In this act, two men, Roderigo and Iago, go to Barbantio's house because they heard that is daughter was married behind his back. He initially explained thought that "[Othello] hast enchanted her" (I.ii.63) and tricked Desdemona into marrying him, but Desdemona is really in love with Othello. I can definitely see this happening in society now as having a daughter go behind her father's back and get hitched could very easily happen today. On the spectrum, I believe that this play falls on the side of literalistic imitation of reality. Nothing extraordinary like magic or miracles have occurred so far. To be honest, I don't know what the "norm" is in a play so I don't know if there were breaks from it. So far, I can tell that the play has been very dramatic with characters' emotions constantly changing. One thing I did notice that Iago changes the way he speaks when he's around different people. He speaks in prose when with Roderigo, but he talks in poetry to other people in order to impress them. I think most of this act was focused on introducing the plot and characters more than anything else.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
You're Ugly, Too
"'I'm going out of my mind,' said Zoё to her younger sister, Evan, in Manhattan." (pg. 353)
I used this quote because I thought it described Zoё perfectly. She is a very odd individual who is eccentric, insecure, selfish, and sarcastic. She randomly tells jokes that aren't really funny to most people, but she finds them hilarious. Zoё has a very bad taste in men as the past three men having been very boring. Someone in my small group today talked about how she is dying slowly internally. I thought this was a pretty accurate description because she acts like it and seems really awkward. When she feels uncomfortable, she uses humor as a defense mechanism. The title is something I don't understand. I know it comes from one of her jokes, but I don't find it funny at all. If someone asks for a second opinion, why would you say that they are ugly?
I used this quote because I thought it described Zoё perfectly. She is a very odd individual who is eccentric, insecure, selfish, and sarcastic. She randomly tells jokes that aren't really funny to most people, but she finds them hilarious. Zoё has a very bad taste in men as the past three men having been very boring. Someone in my small group today talked about how she is dying slowly internally. I thought this was a pretty accurate description because she acts like it and seems really awkward. When she feels uncomfortable, she uses humor as a defense mechanism. The title is something I don't understand. I know it comes from one of her jokes, but I don't find it funny at all. If someone asks for a second opinion, why would you say that they are ugly?
The Drunkard
"I found if I stood on tiptoe I could just reach Father's glass, and the idea occurred to me that it would be interesting to know what the contents were like. He had his back to it and wouldn't notice. I took down the glass and sipped cautiously." (pg. 347)
This short story was very interesting. Humor was definitely found in the story when the drunk child was yelling at the neighbors because they were laughing at him. I think there are undertones of pathos in the story because the father wants people to feel sorry for him. He was the one who had to take the drunk child home and have all the neighbors laugh at him. I saw the father as selfish though because he only cared about his own reputation. I also feel like pathos for the child is felt because his father is an alcoholic who doesn't pay attention to him. One irony in the story is that the father gets angry at the child for becoming drunk when really it is his fault for not watching his drink. The four perspectives of the boy's drunkenness are the people at the bar, his father, the neighbors, and his mother. The people at the bar didn't care about the boy; they just wanted him out of the bar because he wasn't supposed to be there. His father just wanted to get him home. The neighbors found it funny, and the mother thought it was the father's fault. A main point of this story was to show that the boy actually helped the father realize that he drank too much, and he should stop before the habit carries over to his kids.
This short story was very interesting. Humor was definitely found in the story when the drunk child was yelling at the neighbors because they were laughing at him. I think there are undertones of pathos in the story because the father wants people to feel sorry for him. He was the one who had to take the drunk child home and have all the neighbors laugh at him. I saw the father as selfish though because he only cared about his own reputation. I also feel like pathos for the child is felt because his father is an alcoholic who doesn't pay attention to him. One irony in the story is that the father gets angry at the child for becoming drunk when really it is his fault for not watching his drink. The four perspectives of the boy's drunkenness are the people at the bar, his father, the neighbors, and his mother. The people at the bar didn't care about the boy; they just wanted him out of the bar because he wasn't supposed to be there. His father just wanted to get him home. The neighbors found it funny, and the mother thought it was the father's fault. A main point of this story was to show that the boy actually helped the father realize that he drank too much, and he should stop before the habit carries over to his kids.
Popular Mechanics
"In this manner, the issue was decided." (pg. 345, handout)
What is this issue, and how was it decided? I believe the issue was who was going to take the baby. It was decided because the baby died so neither of them would get to keep it. I don't understand the title of the story. What does popular mechanics have to do with anything? Personally, I like the title of "Mine" better because it fits the story well as they are decided who is keeping the baby. I know that the couple is splitting up, but I can't figure out why. The setting is important because it establishes the tone in the beginning. The snow melting into dirty water, cars slushing on the street nearby, and the darkness all create a depressing mood and tone.
What is this issue, and how was it decided? I believe the issue was who was going to take the baby. It was decided because the baby died so neither of them would get to keep it. I don't understand the title of the story. What does popular mechanics have to do with anything? Personally, I like the title of "Mine" better because it fits the story well as they are decided who is keeping the baby. I know that the couple is splitting up, but I can't figure out why. The setting is important because it establishes the tone in the beginning. The snow melting into dirty water, cars slushing on the street nearby, and the darkness all create a depressing mood and tone.
The Lottery
"'Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while.... There's always been a lottery.'" (pg. 268)
This short story has a point of view of third person objective. The narrator does not really describe the characters' emotions, he or she just tells the story. This lottery is very strange because it is a way to determine who is going to be a sacrifice The title threw me off because I was thinking that it would be about someone winning money or a certain prize. The original box has the significant meaning symbolizing the tradition of the people of this society. Traditionally, the people of the society did this to as a way to see who would be made a sacrifice to the sun god so he would grow the corn.. Now, the people just do it because it is a pattern. Participating in Mass is something that seems to have a close relationship to this. Catholics go to Mass every Sunday, but how many of them actually know what they are doing and saying and why? We seem to be like robots and just do and say as we are told without thinking through the true meaning of it.
This short story has a point of view of third person objective. The narrator does not really describe the characters' emotions, he or she just tells the story. This lottery is very strange because it is a way to determine who is going to be a sacrifice The title threw me off because I was thinking that it would be about someone winning money or a certain prize. The original box has the significant meaning symbolizing the tradition of the people of this society. Traditionally, the people of the society did this to as a way to see who would be made a sacrifice to the sun god so he would grow the corn.. Now, the people just do it because it is a pattern. Participating in Mass is something that seems to have a close relationship to this. Catholics go to Mass every Sunday, but how many of them actually know what they are doing and saying and why? We seem to be like robots and just do and say as we are told without thinking through the true meaning of it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)