Othello #3 Analysis

            Shakespeare’s play Othello is structured through two distinct environments. The two settings that this play takes place in are Venice and Cyprus: Venice is represented in an orderly fashion whereas Cyprus is prone to misconduct and chaos. As the play progresses to Cyprus, the storyline takes a turn from happiness and order to chaos and trickery. Iago convinces Montano and Cassio to celebrate the defeat of the Turks by offering “But one cup! I’ll drink for you” (II, iii, 33-34) and by doing so, Cassio’s eventual intoxication forces him to act irrationally towards Montano and Roderigo. The nonsensical brawl that occurs in this scene is a representation of how Cyprus is deemed as a non-orderly, chaotic society. Othello embellishes upon a representation of order by taking control of the situation when he states “Hold for your lives” (II, iii, 154). Othello’s interaction within this chaotic environment demonstrates the assertiveness he takes on dealing with the drunken brawl. He then relates the chaotic scene to the barbaric Turks by mentioning that “Are we turned Turks, and to ourselves do that / Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites” (II, iii, 159-160). Since Othello holds a leadership quality within Shakespeare’s Othello, the representation of an orderly Venice is symbolic and represented through Othello’s assertiveness and intervention within this scene. 

S&S c.13 Exercise pg. 234

1.      The second version by Charles Churchill excels the first version through the euphonious and rhyming phrase “your way by day”. The soft sounds create a more pleasant sound while compared to “shall be your guide by day”.

2.      The second version by John Milton excels the first version through the double-lettered words in “crabbed as dull” and “Apollo’s”. This cacophonous sound deliberately heightens the harshness the poet describes “fools” to be and how these “fools” condescend upon “divine philosophy”.

3.      The second version by Elizabeth Coatsworth is far greater solely through the repetitive sounds in “out-cast crows croak”. The letter C is cacophonous in the sense that the roughness of the sound deliberately contrasts crows to the “whiteness” of the setting.

4.      The phrase “twilight over silent water” contains repetitive cacophonous sounds; however, the repetition of the consonant “t” suggests the tranquility of the scene.

5.      The first version exceeds the second purely in the sense that the second version consists of jumbled “m” and “n” consonants. The second version creates a maelstrom of intermingled sounds whereas the first version consists of a smooth, melodious flow.

6.      The second version consists of cacophonous sounds in “harsh discordant” and “doleful flats”. This version exceeds the first, although keeping in mind that both versions are structurally and meaningfully the same, since the harsh tones highlight the unpleasantness of the lark’s tone.

7.      The second version exceeds the first version. The repetitive “b” sound in “bastions, batteries, bayonets” and “bullets” create a medley of cacophonous sounds to represent the constructiveness of war.

8.      The first version exceeds the second version because the repetitive “s” sound creates a euphonious, mellow tone throughout the two lines. This euphonious sound creates a pleasant tone to the ear.

9.       The second version incorporates a melancholy tone that is supported through hard, cacophonous sounds in “homeward plods” and “world to darkness”.

10.  The second version incorporates repetition in “childs of dirt” and “stinks and strings”. Also, the phonetic intensiveness in “flap” constructs a visual image of a bug along with creating a sensuous sound in “flap”.  

Othello #2 Analysis

            Shakespeare deliberately highlights a clear, observable difference between Othello and Iago throughout his renowned work, Othello. The character foil between Othello and Iago are highlighted through the language they use while conversing with their wives. Shakespeare deliberately characterizes Othello as a man who continuously and willingly favors his wife whereas Iago is characterized as the complete opposite of Othello: insulting and denouncing.

            Iago’s condescending tone towards Emilia is emphasizes the contrast between the way he treats his wife as compared to Othello’s treatment of his wife. The way Iago denounces his wife and explicitly criticizes her is apparent when he mentions that “There’s none so foul, and foolish thereunto” (II, i, 141-142) and that “She never yet was foolish that was fair, / For even her folly helped her to an heir” (II, i, 136-137). Iago’s paradoxical language creates confusion in order to express his somewhat denouncing and condescending remarks toward Emilia. In contrast to Iago, as Othello appears in this scene he describes Desdemona as “soul’s joy” (II, i, 183) and explains that “e’re our hearts shall make!” (II, i, 198) The difference Shakespeare deliberately makes between Othello and Iago is that Othello’s descriptive, exaggerated language is symbolic of his favorable and wooing nature towards Desdemona whereas Iago’s simplistic yet paradoxical language ultimately criticizes and denounces Emilia. 

Othello #1 Analysis

Shakespeare characterizes Iago as a villainous, two-faced individual who wishes to express his anger and jealousy by the sole purpose of revenge. Iago’s revenge originates from the fact that he embodies a two-faced role. Although he completely despises Othello, Iago makes the statement that “Though I do hate him as I do hell pains, / Yet, for necessity of present life, / I must show out a flag and sign of love” (Shakespeare 1.1, 152-154) in order to suggest that his hatred for Othello is evident, yet showing “out a flag and sign of love” refers to his act of putting on a false façade towards Othello. Iago plans to deceive Othello by playing a role where he falsely admires and cares for Othello’s wellbeing. Shakespeare makes the allusion to Roman Gods through Iago stating “By Janus, I think no” (1.1, 33) when both Othello and Iago see that the duke, Cassio, and the officers are approaching instead of Brabantio and Roderigo. Janus, the two-faced Roman god, is a representation of Iago since Iago, knowing that he actually detests Othello, wears a false mask towards Othello and pretends that he is looking out for Othello’s wellbeing. Iago’s revenge is evident through his willingness to conduct such a devious plan in order to simply express his hatred towards Othello.

S&S Chapter 12 Notes

Prathit Kadam

Mr. George

AP English Language and Literature

9 January 2013

Chapter Twelve—Rhythm and Meter

There is a strong appeal for us in language that is rhythmic:

-          Rhythm -- any wavelike recurrence of motion or sound. In speech it is the natural rise and fall of language. Language varies considerably in the degree to which it exhibits rhythm.

-          Accented -- something that is given more prominence in pronunciation than the rest.

The major difference between prose and verse is that in prose, accents occur more innately; in verse, the poet may arrange them to occur at regular intervals, thus giving off a rhythmic appeal.

The rhythmic effects depend almost entirely on what a statement means—different intended meanings will produce different rhythms even in identical statements.

-          Ex// “I don’t believe YOU” vs. “I don’t beLIEVE you”

-          Rhetorical Stresses -- device that makes our intentions clear. Recognizing the meaning of a line is primarily more important than determining its rhythm.

In addition to accent or stress, rhythm is based on pauses.

-          End-Stopped Line­ -- the end of the line corresponds with a natural speech pause.

-          Run-On Line -- the sense of the line moves on without pause into the next line.

There are also pauses that occur within lines, either grammatical or rhetorical.

-          Caesuras -- pauses that occur within lines, and they are another resource for varying the rhythm of lines.

-          Free Verse -- the predominating type of poetry that contains everyday forms of syntax.

There is another sort of poetry that depends entirely on ordinary prose rhythms:

-          Prose Poem -- a form of poetry that depends heavily on prose rhythms.

People often think of the two branches of poetry—free verse and metrical verse:

-          Meter -- the identifying characteristic of rhythmic language that we can tap our feet to.

Even though the terms rhythm and meter are sometimes used interchangeably, they mean different things. Rhythm designates the flow of actual, pronounced sound whereas meter refers to the patterns that sounds follow when a poet has arranged them into metrical verse.

The word meter comes from a word meaning “measure”. To measure something, a unit of measurement must be present.

-          Foot -- basic unit of meter—consists normally of one accented syllable plus one or two unaccented syllables, though occasionally there may be no unaccented syllables. To determine which syllable in a foot is accented, we compare its sound with that of the other syllables within the foot.

There are three units of measurements for meters: foot, line, and stanza.

-          Stanza -- consists of a group of lines whose metrical pattern is repeated throughout the poem.

Metrical form is normally uniform in its regularity; however, poets may introduce metrical variations. There are three forms of metrical variations:

-          Metrical Variations -- call attention to some of the sounds because they depart from what is regular.

1.      Substitution -- replaying the regular foot with another one.

2.      Extrametrical Syllables -- addition of extra metrical lines at the beginning or ending of lines.

3.      Truncation -- the omission of an unaccented syllable at either end of a line.

How do we define metrical form?

-          Scansion -- the process of defining the metrical form of a poem. Rhythm is the actuality in sound, not the pattern or blueprint of meter.

General rule: a noun usually receives more stress than an adjective that modifies it, a verb more than its adverbs, and an adjective more than an adverb that modifies it.

-          Expected Rhythm -- silent drumbeat that is set up in our minds.

-          Heard Rhythm -- the actual rhythm of the words.

The Stranger Outline

Prathit Kadam

Mr. George

AP English Language and Literature

8 January 2013

Mersault’s Eventual Acceptance

Thesis: Despite the hostility and the indifference Mersault experiences in society, Mersault’s indifference is come to a halt as he manages to accept the fate that has bestowed upon him. Mersault recognizes his indifference to the world after reflecting upon the world’s hostility towards him and ultimately recognizes his fate, where he comes to being with himself, despite the ridiculousness and the philosophical nature of Absurdism in Alfred Camus’s The Stranger.

I.                   Before Mersault accepts his indifference to the external world Camus maps out within The Stranger he undergoes various situations where the external world tests his soul.

A.    The first example of where we see Mersault’s curious indifference to the world is when he deals with Maman’s death.

1.      “I was able to understand Maman better. Evenings in that part of the country must have been a kind of sad relief. But today, with the sun bearing down, making the whole landscape shimmer with heat, it was inhuman and oppressive” (Camus 15).

2.      “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed” (24).

B.     The direct relationship between Mersault’s indifference and the sun seems to empower Mersault into an uncontrollable fit of frustration and confusion.

1.      “All that heat was pressing down on me and making it hard for me to go on. And every time I felt a blast of its hot breath strike my face, I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists in my trouser pockets, and strained every nerve in order to overcome the sun and the thick drunkenness it was spilling over me” (57).

2.      “The sun was the same as it had been the day I’d buried Maman, and like then, my forehead especially was hurting me, all the veins in it throbbing under the skin. It was this burning, which I couldn't stand anymore, that made me move forward” (59).

i.                    The sun symbolizes Mersault’s attitude in dealing with the external world. We will come to see how Mersault realizes his indifference and his attitudes to the external world and see how he conforms to this.

C.     During the trial, Mersault’s alienation in society causes him to believe that the external world is fully against him. It is at this point where he realizes his indifference to the world and attempts to reflect upon it.

1.      “I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings” (65).

2.      “He didn't understand me, and he was sort of holding it against me” (66).

3.      “I noticed then that everyone was waving and exchanging greetings and talking, as if they were in a club where people are glad to find themselves among others from the same world. That is how I explained to myself the strange impression I had of being odd man out, a kind of intruder” (84).

4.      “Maman used to say that you can always find something to be happy about” (113).

(Key quotes)

5.      “Nothing, nothing mattered, and I knew why. Throughout the whole absurd life I’d lived, a dark […] wind leveled whatever was offered to me at the time, in years no more real than the ones I was living” (121).

6.      “As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again” (122-123).

i.                    This last quote thoroughly details out Mersault’s ultimate recognition of his indifference and how it ultimately sparked his happiness. Despite knowing of his execution as a response to his crime, Mersault takes realization into account by accepting his indifference in the world. 

The Stranger #5 Analysis

            The protagonist in Alfred Camus’s The Stranger undergoes a gradual transformation where he, Mersault, eventually realizes that the external world is against him. The whole concept of Absurdism applies concretely with Mersault’s realization once he starts to blame the outside world for his crimes and suffering. Since Mersault is aware of the world’s hostility, he manages to reflect upon this by saying “Throughout the whole absurd life [he’d] lived, a dark wind had been rising toward [him] from somewhere deep in my future […] this wind leveled whatever was offered to [him] at the time, in years no more real than the ones I was living” (Camus 121). Mersault claims that nothing in life has a purpose, and his opinionated claim supports the ideals of Absurdism in the way that his indifference is clearly recognizable by other characters within the novel. In support of this claim, he reasons out that what would be marriage with Marie would be insignificant, the passing away of Maman is insignificant, and that any future events would be insignificant to him. Despite the unreasonable opinion, he makes a stretch by stating that “As if that blind rage had washed [him] clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with sign and stars, [he] opened [him]self to the gentle indifference of the world” (122). Mersault purges himself of all the frustration the world has poured on him and takes advantage of the time where he is able to subside in bliss prior to his execution. This moment connects to the protagonist in the motion picture Gattaca¸ where the protagonist finally overcomes his difference and fulfills his dreams by being able to go to space in bliss despite of his terminal illness. In The Stranger, Mersault opens up to his indifference to the world in hopes of relinquishing his continuous frustration with the world. 

The Stranger #4 Analysis

Albert Camus introduces early in the novel how Mersault is withdrawn from society, and how he struggles to come to peace with himself. Despite showing any emotion behind Maman’s death, and despite murdering the Arab, Mersault is characterized as an unemotional being throughout the entire novel. Even though Marie attempts to alter Mersault’s emotional state by suggesting marriage, she inevitably fails to provoke his basic emotions. Camus applies this phenomenon by applying Mersault’s lack of emotion in various situations. As Mersault is familiarizing himself in the courtroom he expresses how he feels separated and distinct while being in a room full of people.

“I noticed then that everyone was waving and exchanging greetings and talking, as if they were in a club where people are glad to find themselves among others from the same world. That is how I explained to myself the strange impression I had of being odd man out, a kind of intruder” (Camus 84).

Unlike previous incidents that merely show Mersault’s isolation from individual and societal points of view, Camus introduces the first instance where Mersault is aware of his isolation, and how this isolation unfortunately haunts him. The fact that Mersault is ultimately aware of his isolation and withdrawal suggests how, over time, Mersault will evolve into a new individual by learning from his past experiences.