Revenge tragedy fits best into act II because it is the act where Iago puts his plan into action with Roderigo in how to get Cassio sacked and Othello to not trust Desdemona. It is seen as a revenge tragedy because it involves complex disguises, and usually some morality of revenge. (Iago shown to be loyal and honest to everyone but in his soliloquy’s we see his true side).An eruption of general violence at the end, which (in the Renaissance) is often accomplished by means of a feigned masque or festivity, (Roderigo provoking Cassio and fighting with him). We also see Iago doesn’t care who he hurts while bringing down Othello and he has no morals and respect for women. We see Iago quickly takes the opportunity to criticize women in general as deceptive and hypocritical, saying they are lazy in all matters except sex: “You rise to play and go to bed to work” (II.i.118). Cassio takes Desdemona away to speak with her privately about Othello’s arrival. Iago notices that Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand as he talks to her, and, in an aside, Iago plots to use Cassio’s hand-holding to frame him so that he loses his newly gained promotion to lieutenant. “With as little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio,” he asserts (II.i.169). This shows that Iago will use any situation to bring Othello down and we see this throughout act II.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Monday, 5 March 2012
Act 2's multiple genres of tragedy
Shakespeare not only masterfully crafts tragedy but in act 2 makes the enhancement of tragedy and tragic hero distinctly unclear by implementing three types of tragedy simultaneously:
Bourgeois tragedy:
The second act to the final act could be examples of bourgeois or domestic tragedy. We are kept in rooms and corridors where affluent but certainly not kingly citizens such as Cassio and Othello are slowly damned despite their characteristics of honor which defines them as a higher status.This greatly enhances the tragedy because from the start of act 2 the bourgeois is obvious, raising expectation of both melodrama and an archetypal redemptive last act to leave audience happy and have learnt a moral message from the play. Our expectations soon become unfounded, Shakespeare cleverly supplements in bourgeois genre to make the subversion of our expectations more bleak and more potent. Iago's evil has no moral foundation behind it to teach us a lesson like "look both ways when you cross the road" or "eat your greens" and the ending is hopeless as you can get. This almost romantic, positive expectation confounds in how the rest of the play will unfold. This is bourgeois written by Nietzsche if you will.
Greek tragedy:
We can see Shakespeare creating this through his symbolism in character. The Greeks represented their characters as ciphers or metaphors for bigger ideas rather than personal tragedies.The idea was to become attached to a great idea rather than a sympathetic character and make the tragedy stem from your attachment to an overridden ideal instead of a character falling from grace. Despite bourgeois elements these characters are are also ideas. It is a argument that in act 2 Othello symbolises the bastion of honor and trust honorably firing Cassio even though "I loved thee" and Iago cowardice and bigotry. This genre is more tragic because after act 2 these two characters seem to swap characteristics due to Iago's machinations, Shakespeare's message being when Iago's lies tell of Othello's weakness in mind and his strength eventually Iago's wishful thinking will come to it's grotesque fruition.
Revenge tragedy:
Despite Iago's characterization as being clearly motivated by malicious thought driven by vitriol and bigotry we as the audience are asked to be empathetic toward Iago by Shakespeare. This can be exemplified by the fact that he talks in prose to the other characters, a mark of a low status character, and blank verse in his soliloquies at the end of scene 3 and 1 of act 2. This direct address is in a more sophisticated manner to how he responds to characters. This proves that not only is he capable of meta-narrative but because he speaks to us in a more intellectual manner and the characters less so we subconsciously insinuate that he believes the reader is on a higher intellectual level of himself rather than the other characters lower status. This minor change in rhythm makes us side with Iago and his revenge genre-esque plot because he is the only one in the play representing the audiences higher level of intelligence so he deserves to have his cruel revenge on Othello because Iago seems most similar and therefore to the audience.
Bourgeois tragedy:
The second act to the final act could be examples of bourgeois or domestic tragedy. We are kept in rooms and corridors where affluent but certainly not kingly citizens such as Cassio and Othello are slowly damned despite their characteristics of honor which defines them as a higher status.This greatly enhances the tragedy because from the start of act 2 the bourgeois is obvious, raising expectation of both melodrama and an archetypal redemptive last act to leave audience happy and have learnt a moral message from the play. Our expectations soon become unfounded, Shakespeare cleverly supplements in bourgeois genre to make the subversion of our expectations more bleak and more potent. Iago's evil has no moral foundation behind it to teach us a lesson like "look both ways when you cross the road" or "eat your greens" and the ending is hopeless as you can get. This almost romantic, positive expectation confounds in how the rest of the play will unfold. This is bourgeois written by Nietzsche if you will.
Greek tragedy:
We can see Shakespeare creating this through his symbolism in character. The Greeks represented their characters as ciphers or metaphors for bigger ideas rather than personal tragedies.The idea was to become attached to a great idea rather than a sympathetic character and make the tragedy stem from your attachment to an overridden ideal instead of a character falling from grace. Despite bourgeois elements these characters are are also ideas. It is a argument that in act 2 Othello symbolises the bastion of honor and trust honorably firing Cassio even though "I loved thee" and Iago cowardice and bigotry. This genre is more tragic because after act 2 these two characters seem to swap characteristics due to Iago's machinations, Shakespeare's message being when Iago's lies tell of Othello's weakness in mind and his strength eventually Iago's wishful thinking will come to it's grotesque fruition.
Revenge tragedy:
Despite Iago's characterization as being clearly motivated by malicious thought driven by vitriol and bigotry we as the audience are asked to be empathetic toward Iago by Shakespeare. This can be exemplified by the fact that he talks in prose to the other characters, a mark of a low status character, and blank verse in his soliloquies at the end of scene 3 and 1 of act 2. This direct address is in a more sophisticated manner to how he responds to characters. This proves that not only is he capable of meta-narrative but because he speaks to us in a more intellectual manner and the characters less so we subconsciously insinuate that he believes the reader is on a higher intellectual level of himself rather than the other characters lower status. This minor change in rhythm makes us side with Iago and his revenge genre-esque plot because he is the only one in the play representing the audiences higher level of intelligence so he deserves to have his cruel revenge on Othello because Iago seems most similar and therefore to the audience.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Genre of act two
Following on from the beginning of Iago's plot top destroy Othello in act one : scene three, act two opens with Montano and two gentlemen awaiting Othello's arrival, scanning the stormy seas for a glimpse of the ship carrying 'brave Othello' . The anxiety between the three gentlemen emphasis's the romantic genre of act two.
Romance is a very important genre within act two.However, not direct romance (as in between Othello and Desdemona). The three men adore Othello - 'his bark is stoutly timbered'-,it could be suggested that he is their embodiment of the Greek demigod Hercules who was the illegitimate son of Zeus . Not only is Othello physically strong as was Hercules, he is also an illegitimate 'son' of Venice. Othello is seen as almost magical to the men,they believe that not even the Turkish fleet's ships could survive this storm yet Othello's will.
Perhaps the romantic genre of act two comes directly after we learn of Iago's plans in order to reinforce just how respected Othello is,thus making the audience more empathetic to Othello in the final tragedy.
Romance is a very important genre within act two.However, not direct romance (as in between Othello and Desdemona). The three men adore Othello - 'his bark is stoutly timbered'-,it could be suggested that he is their embodiment of the Greek demigod Hercules who was the illegitimate son of Zeus . Not only is Othello physically strong as was Hercules, he is also an illegitimate 'son' of Venice. Othello is seen as almost magical to the men,they believe that not even the Turkish fleet's ships could survive this storm yet Othello's will.
Perhaps the romantic genre of act two comes directly after we learn of Iago's plans in order to reinforce just how respected Othello is,thus making the audience more empathetic to Othello in the final tragedy.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Iago's philosophy
Iago’s philosophic speech portrays humans as the masters of their own life ‘Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners’. He believes that people should not obey the social norms- shared morals and values ‘Virtue? A fig.’ and instead they should follow their own desires. Iago also denies the existence of love, to him ‘it is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will’, once more it is all about our own needs which according to his philosophy should be fulfilled by any means but also they should be disguised as not showing your true self is more beneficial ‘defeat thy favour with an usurped beard’. I think that Iago’s philosophy is in many ways true as following it may benefit you materialistically however I believe that as naturally moral beings it is impossible to live free of guilt and that sooner or later those immoral actions would create regrets.
What Genre is Act 2?
Act 2 of Othello begins with a discussion of a storm and the Turkish fleet. The Turkish fleet should be returning from a battle around Cyprus but the characters do not see it. For me, this reminded me of war fictions as it showed the affects it had on characters. Whilst the war itself is not present, characters like Desdemona are affected by it, as she fears the loss of her husband, Othello. This is similar to the books 'The Kite Runner' and 'Small Island' which do not focus on the war as much as they do the effects of it.
The genre of Act 2 however could actually be of romance. The battle may have just served as an obstacle for the couple to overcome, which they do. When Othello meets Desdemona, he says 'If it were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy; for I fear my soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate.' [184-188] What this shows is that Othello sees this as their most happiest memory together and that nothing can surpass it. This could act as the 'happily ever after' common in the romance genre but it is not and this therefore foreshadows a tragic ending.
Perhaps then, the genre that fits Act 2 the most is a tragedy, or more specifically a revenge tragedy. Typical conventions of a revenge tragedy are: periods of plotting, a descent into madness, an eruption of violence and of course, revenge. This can be shown through the following examples: Iago says towards the end 'two things are to be done' [373] which shows plotting; Cassio is coaxed into drinking by Iago which can be said to lead to madness, Cassio whilst drunk says 'Zounds, you rogue, you rascal!' [139] showing that he has little control over himself as he is swearing on God's wounds (Zounds); the eruption of violence is shown by Montano's wounds, 'I am hurt to the death. He dies.' [157]; and finally, Iago demonstrates the convention of revenge by demoting Cassio from his position as lieutenant. Therefore, Act 2's genre is a revenge tragedy.
The genre of Act 2 however could actually be of romance. The battle may have just served as an obstacle for the couple to overcome, which they do. When Othello meets Desdemona, he says 'If it were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy; for I fear my soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate.' [184-188] What this shows is that Othello sees this as their most happiest memory together and that nothing can surpass it. This could act as the 'happily ever after' common in the romance genre but it is not and this therefore foreshadows a tragic ending.
Perhaps then, the genre that fits Act 2 the most is a tragedy, or more specifically a revenge tragedy. Typical conventions of a revenge tragedy are: periods of plotting, a descent into madness, an eruption of violence and of course, revenge. This can be shown through the following examples: Iago says towards the end 'two things are to be done' [373] which shows plotting; Cassio is coaxed into drinking by Iago which can be said to lead to madness, Cassio whilst drunk says 'Zounds, you rogue, you rascal!' [139] showing that he has little control over himself as he is swearing on God's wounds (Zounds); the eruption of violence is shown by Montano's wounds, 'I am hurt to the death. He dies.' [157]; and finally, Iago demonstrates the convention of revenge by demoting Cassio from his position as lieutenant. Therefore, Act 2's genre is a revenge tragedy.
Act 2 - Genre of Tragedy
Act 2 fits the Classical tragedy and the Shakespearean tragedy
the best.
For the classical, Othello’s flaw in reasoning about the
character of Iago being a “good and honest man” meant that Othello relieved
Cassio from his duties allowing Iago’s
plan to prosper. It could also be argued that Othello has a slight revelation
about fate in this Act when he says “for I fear…That not another comfort like
to this/Succeeds in unknown fate”. The structure of Othello also fits the
classical tragedy as it has 5 Acts and in the 2nd Act complications arises
– Iago starts to stir up trouble.
For the Shakespearean, there is a mix of prose and verse in
this act when Iago speaks: “She that was frail and never proud/Had tongue at
will, and yet was never loud”. There are also moments of comic relief when Iago
is singing drinking songs and Cassio’s failed attempt at proving he’s not
drunk. The conflict caused by Iago’s success at getting Cassio drunk meant that
it contrasted with the happiness before in Venice – another element of
Shakespearean tragedy.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
How does the setting of Act 1 allow the play 'othello' to develop as a tragedy
In Act 1 of Othello, the play is set in Venice and this allows Shakespeare to convey to us from the start, that the play is going to be a tragedy due to the fact that Venice, is the city we associate with the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Furthermore, in act 1, Shakespeare closes scene 1 at 'grave' Brabantio's 'doors'. By doing this, Shakespeare is able to use Iago not only as a device to create 'malicious knavery' between Othello and Brabantio, but also as a device to set tragedy in motion because in response to Iago's 'vexation', Branbantio leaves his home with 'servants and torches' hence introducing conflict and chaos from the beginning of the play and reiterating the notion that Othello is going to be a tragedy.
In scene 2 and 3 of act 1, the play is first set in Othello's home then in a courtroom.It is important that the play is first set in Othello's home before the courtroom because it allows Shakespeare to depict a 'round and unvarnished' perspective of Othello's character. A depiction of his character which is neither tainted by the biased and 'bombast ' view we receive from the duplicitous Iago at the start nor by the 'bitter' view we receive from the 'noble father' Branbantio in the courtroom . Shakespeare's structure of setting in scene 2 and 3 , also emphasises the magnitude of Iago's duplicitous nature, which in turn foreshadows his 'monstrous' plans to sabotage Othello's marriage at the end of act 1 and overall hints at the tragedy that is Othello. Shakespeare's choice of setting, also means that by the time we are in the courtroom, we have an idea who the tragic events in othello will be aimed at as well as knowing that the play will indeed be a tragedy.
In scene 2 and 3 of act 1, the play is first set in Othello's home then in a courtroom.It is important that the play is first set in Othello's home before the courtroom because it allows Shakespeare to depict a 'round and unvarnished' perspective of Othello's character. A depiction of his character which is neither tainted by the biased and 'bombast ' view we receive from the duplicitous Iago at the start nor by the 'bitter' view we receive from the 'noble father' Branbantio in the courtroom . Shakespeare's structure of setting in scene 2 and 3 , also emphasises the magnitude of Iago's duplicitous nature, which in turn foreshadows his 'monstrous' plans to sabotage Othello's marriage at the end of act 1 and overall hints at the tragedy that is Othello. Shakespeare's choice of setting, also means that by the time we are in the courtroom, we have an idea who the tragic events in othello will be aimed at as well as knowing that the play will indeed be a tragedy.
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