Tom: "I am the narrator of the play, and also a character in it. The other characters are my mother, Amanda, and my sister, Laura, and a gentleman caller who appears in the final scenes. He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. But since I have a poet's weakness for symbols, I am using this character also as a symbol; he is the long delayed but always expected something that we live for" (1237).
Everything about this play, from the character roles to the setting and scenery, has been carefully crafted in order to successfully convey the writer's view on memories and illusions. Tom had to be the narrator of the play because he is the strongest of the three characters. Both Amanda and Laura make no effort to escape their situation; they only obsess over certain aspects of their lives. Laura finds comfort in her glass animals, and Amanda focuses on her children, especially on finding Laura a husband. Laura is crippled physically and socially, unable to interact with other people. Tom is the only one longing to truly escape, and he dreams of adventure and traveling. He wants to leave in order to find the adventure missing from his life, and finally he does after his mom yells at him about living in an illusion. Laura, Tom, and Amanda all avoid the truth, but Jim is direct when he tells Laura about his feelings and Betty. This is why he is the most realistic character, and he causes Tom to leave and Laura to have some sort of a breakthrough, holding a conversation and letting go of her prized glass unicorn.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Characters Trapped by Illusion: The Glass Menagerie
Amanda: "You don't know things anywhere! You live in a dream; you manufacture illusions!" (1288).
Even though the entire play is mirrored after an illusion, the characters are also caught up in their own illusions. Since they are so focused on their own dreams and memories, their relationships suffer. For Amanda, her illusions revolve around the past, specifically her glory days in the South. She often reminisces about her many gentlemen callers that were enthralled with her beauty and charm. She also recalls memories of her husband as well, never blaming herself for him leaving. Amanda has trouble dealing with her children and their failures, so she retreats to her illusions and memories of the past in order to look more favorably upon her current life. Laura is also consumed by illusions, and Tom mentions how she lives in another world. She is distracted, so painfully shy that she withdraws from reality. She also looks back on her high school days with Jim, one of her few social interactions. Tom also dreams of adventure, escaping realities through movies and his plans for the future.
Even though the entire play is mirrored after an illusion, the characters are also caught up in their own illusions. Since they are so focused on their own dreams and memories, their relationships suffer. For Amanda, her illusions revolve around the past, specifically her glory days in the South. She often reminisces about her many gentlemen callers that were enthralled with her beauty and charm. She also recalls memories of her husband as well, never blaming herself for him leaving. Amanda has trouble dealing with her children and their failures, so she retreats to her illusions and memories of the past in order to look more favorably upon her current life. Laura is also consumed by illusions, and Tom mentions how she lives in another world. She is distracted, so painfully shy that she withdraws from reality. She also looks back on her high school days with Jim, one of her few social interactions. Tom also dreams of adventure, escaping realities through movies and his plans for the future.
Memory is an Illusion: The Glass Menagerie
Tom: "I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion...The play is a memory. Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic" (1236).
The entire play consists of Tom, the narrator, replaying a memory focusing on his interactions with his mother and his sister. Since the story is told by Tom, a certain amount of bias may exist against the other characters. This is Tom's memory, so he could recreate the events to reflect his views on the scenes. Because Tom does not get along with his mother or interacts well with his sister, he might portray them differently in his memory. Laura and Amanda are both portrayed as weaker characters, governed by illusions. All of the scenes involve a dreamlike setting, and the scene directions are very specific.The curtains separating the rooms, the soft lighting, and the music all contributed to the memory being portrayed as an illusion. Another effect adding to the nonrealistic qualities is Tom's narration and his cues for lighting and music. All of this, the stage, the lighting, the narration, is to solidify Tom's statement that this memory gives truth disguised as illusion.
The entire play consists of Tom, the narrator, replaying a memory focusing on his interactions with his mother and his sister. Since the story is told by Tom, a certain amount of bias may exist against the other characters. This is Tom's memory, so he could recreate the events to reflect his views on the scenes. Because Tom does not get along with his mother or interacts well with his sister, he might portray them differently in his memory. Laura and Amanda are both portrayed as weaker characters, governed by illusions. All of the scenes involve a dreamlike setting, and the scene directions are very specific.The curtains separating the rooms, the soft lighting, and the music all contributed to the memory being portrayed as an illusion. Another effect adding to the nonrealistic qualities is Tom's narration and his cues for lighting and music. All of this, the stage, the lighting, the narration, is to solidify Tom's statement that this memory gives truth disguised as illusion.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
As You Like It: Act III
Phebe: "I'll write it straight; the matter's in my head and in my heart: I will be bitter with him and passing short. Go with me, Sylvius." (III.v.54)
Phebe falling in love with Rosalind who is disguised as a man adds to the comedic aspect of the play. While Othello was constantly serious with a somber tone, As You Like It is much more lighthearted. The conflicts are also lighter without intense emotions and manipulation. Not all of the characters are tangled in life threatening struggles with each other, and their problems have a humorous aspect. Phebe falling in love with who she thinks is a man is comical because the audience knows her love is actually a woman. Dramatic irony such as this adds to the humor in the play. Since the characters are mostly clueless, their actions are much more comical to the knowing audience. The dramatic irony in this play does not have a dark tone, but rather the tone is brighter and funnier, adding to the overall comedic effect.
Phebe falling in love with Rosalind who is disguised as a man adds to the comedic aspect of the play. While Othello was constantly serious with a somber tone, As You Like It is much more lighthearted. The conflicts are also lighter without intense emotions and manipulation. Not all of the characters are tangled in life threatening struggles with each other, and their problems have a humorous aspect. Phebe falling in love with who she thinks is a man is comical because the audience knows her love is actually a woman. Dramatic irony such as this adds to the humor in the play. Since the characters are mostly clueless, their actions are much more comical to the knowing audience. The dramatic irony in this play does not have a dark tone, but rather the tone is brighter and funnier, adding to the overall comedic effect.
As You Like It: Act II
Duke Senior: "Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, being native burghers of this desert city, should in their own confines with forked heads have their round haunches gored." (II.i.18)
Another set of foil characters have led to conflict and drama just like Orlando and Oliver. The current duke, Duke Frederick, and the banished duke, Duke Senior, have contrasting personalities. Shakespeare reveals these foil characters through indirect characterization, revealing their personalities by their actions. Duke Frederick is a callous, harsh man that banished his own brother after usurping his domain. Not only did he send his brother into exile with his loyal followers, but he then banished his daughter's beloved cousin for shallow reasons. Even though his brother is cruel, Duke Senior is a kinder, more understanding man. He even regrets the killing of a deer and welcomes strangers like Orlando into his camp. The two brothers are complete opposites, but their conflict leads to Orlando and Rosalind both wandering in the forest.
Another set of foil characters have led to conflict and drama just like Orlando and Oliver. The current duke, Duke Frederick, and the banished duke, Duke Senior, have contrasting personalities. Shakespeare reveals these foil characters through indirect characterization, revealing their personalities by their actions. Duke Frederick is a callous, harsh man that banished his own brother after usurping his domain. Not only did he send his brother into exile with his loyal followers, but he then banished his daughter's beloved cousin for shallow reasons. Even though his brother is cruel, Duke Senior is a kinder, more understanding man. He even regrets the killing of a deer and welcomes strangers like Orlando into his camp. The two brothers are complete opposites, but their conflict leads to Orlando and Rosalind both wandering in the forest.
As You Like It: Act I
Oliver: "Now will I stir this gamester: I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he..But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all : nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither; which now I'll go about." (I.i.5)
Most of the characters are introduced in the beginning of the play, allowing the audience to become familiar with them and their personalities. The protagonist is Orlando, and the antagonist seems to be Oliver. Although Duke Frederick contributes to the drama and misfortune of some characters, Oliver is actively seeking the death of his brother. Oliver and Orlando are also foil characters which contributes to the sibling rivalry idea. Orlando is more like his father Sir Rowland, and he is described as gentile, kind, educated, and well liked. In contrast, Oliver represents a much harsher character as he hopes for the death of his hated brother. Orlando resents Oliver's treatment of him, saying Oliver does not treat him like a brother and is undermining his education and character. Their contrasting personalities will probably lead to more drama and conflict as they have already been established as foil characters. The antagonist, Oliver, sets out to undermine the protagonist, Orlando, and will probably get in the way of Orlando's love for Rosalind.
Most of the characters are introduced in the beginning of the play, allowing the audience to become familiar with them and their personalities. The protagonist is Orlando, and the antagonist seems to be Oliver. Although Duke Frederick contributes to the drama and misfortune of some characters, Oliver is actively seeking the death of his brother. Oliver and Orlando are also foil characters which contributes to the sibling rivalry idea. Orlando is more like his father Sir Rowland, and he is described as gentile, kind, educated, and well liked. In contrast, Oliver represents a much harsher character as he hopes for the death of his hated brother. Orlando resents Oliver's treatment of him, saying Oliver does not treat him like a brother and is undermining his education and character. Their contrasting personalities will probably lead to more drama and conflict as they have already been established as foil characters. The antagonist, Oliver, sets out to undermine the protagonist, Orlando, and will probably get in the way of Orlando's love for Rosalind.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Timeless Theme: Love Turns into Destruction
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| Desdemona and Othello |
The appeal of Shakespeare’s work has endured for centuries because of the timeless themes interwoven in the drama and comedies. In Shakespeare’s drama Othello, ideas connected to man’s undesirable and primal qualities have been told many times before and many times after because the themes are always relevant. A particular message that will always be applicable regardless of the time period is the destructive nature of jealousy and anger, especially when love is involved. This was the driving theme in Othello, acting as the catalyst to many of the conflicts and drama. In addition to causing destruction in Othello, jealousy and anger caused by love have been present in other works, such as the film Troy and the story of Francesca and Paolo in Dante’s Inferno. In these works and many others, uncontrolled and potent emotions driven by love inevitably lead to devastation of the lovers and those around them, and this has been true throughout time.
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| Paris and Helen |
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| Paolo and Francesca |
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332452/
Two other works, Troy and Inferno, exhibit similar mayhem caused by a jealous husband whose love turned to devastating anger. In the movie Troy, Menelaus, husband of the beautiful Helen, has his brother Agamemnon start a war with the Trojans over her affair with the Trojan prince Paris. After Helen runs away with Paris, both Agamemnon and Menelaus start a crusade to destroy Troy and capture Helen. Menelaus vows to get Helen back so he can kill her himself, burning Troy to the ground in the process (Troy). Many soldiers and innocent people died during a war that started because of a husband’s jealousy over an affair. Another story contains the same theme: the story of Francesca and Paolo as told in Dante’s Inferno. Francesca, wife of Giovanni, had an affair with his brother Paolo, and when Giovanni discovered the two, he killed them both. They say, “Love led us straight into sudden death together” (Alighieri, 845). The anger and jealousy of Giovanni led to the sudden and violent death of two young lovers, leaving tragedy in their wake.
http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/circle2.html
Part of the appeal of Shakespeare's work comes from the timeless themes, allowing the messages from the plays to be applied to any time. The theme from Othello about the destructive combination of love, jealousy, and anger can be seen often in other works, such as Troy and Inferno. Not only does this theme appear in works of literature and theater, but this idea has played out many times in real life. This is due to the nature of man, seeking revenge to right a wrong, especially when it comes to love. Because of this, the theme about love turning into destruction will be present for many years to come, making it truly timeless.
Works Cited
Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. W.W. Norton &, 1980. .823-959. Print.
Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. Fort Worth. Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-462. Print
Troy. Dir. Wolfgang Peterson. Screenplay by David Benioff. Perf. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2004. Film.
Monday, February 6, 2012
"Set Fire to the Rain"- Emilia and Iago
I chose to song "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele to represent Emilia standing up to her husband Iago after discovering his manipulations. The lyrics illustrate Emilia's journey from a quiet, meek woman to a strong, loyal friend. A line in the song says "But there's a side to you that I never knew," and this describes how no one knew the evil, manipulative side of Iago. Eventually his wife discovers his web of lies and exposes him to the rest of the characters who previously thought he was honest. Two lines that aptly portray Iago's deception are "All the things you'd say they were never true" and "And the games you play you would always win." Iago lied to every character, making them pawns in his game of revenge. Emilia's moment of strength comes when she confronts Iago about his plans and deception, and the theme about the strength of love is represented as she stands up for her friend in defiance to Iago. In the song, Adele sings, "I set fire to the rain, And I threw us into the flames." This line represent how Emilia "sets fire to the rain" by exposing the truth about Iago and turning against him to defend her best friend. Both Emilia and Iago were thrown into the flames when Iago was finally caught and would be punished for his crimes while Emilia died at the hands of her husband because of her act of bravery.
http://www.lyrics.com/set-fire-to-the-rain-lyrics-adele.html
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| Iago and Emilia |
http://www.lyrics.com/set-fire-to-the-rain-lyrics-adele.html
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| Emilia and Desdemona |
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| Othello and Iago |
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