Conducting Literary Analysis: Shakespeare, Hansberry and Faulkner - Assignment Example

 1. What passions, what lessons, what rights and wrongs does Shakespeare bring to the stage with this tragedy that make it a "must read" for every generation? Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ is one of the most tragic plays ever to be written by Shakespeare and is one of a kind because even in this modern age, it holds great significance to the present or contemporary generation. Othello is a tragic play immersed in imaginary sympathy coupled with raging jealousy. In Shakespeare’s play, there is no doubt that Othello is the tragic hero whose jealousy and stubbornness is beyond compare. Besides being an outstanding soldier in addition to being a virtuous man, yet Othello’s jealousy and anger seems to consume his very being. However, the way in which Shakespeare has chiseled and designed the play, engages the audience in empathizing with Othello for sheer fact that he exuded the qualities of great passion and humaneness that not only touches but affects human nature with all its sensibilities. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why this play is so relevant even in these modern times. Othello’s greatest passion is his undying love for his wife Desdemona, but never-the-less his love slowly turns into an overwhelming possessiveness that makes him lose reality leading him to do things that normally you would never have done. Othello’s great love for Desdemona makes him blind to his own actions and the greatest mistake he makes is the exhibiting his possessiveness and jealousies to everyone around him making their lives a misery too. Another drawback or mistake on the part of Othello is his stubbornness in accepting the facts before him, coupled with heightened rage and incensed jealousy. Though the tragic Moor’s nature is otherwise gentle, novel, tender and generous, yet when he get consumed with jealousy he makes the great mistake of plunging in to an illusory world that becomes most damaging to his psyche. His whole mind becomes inflamed with thoughts of doubt and remorse which brings untold torture and suffering not only to himself would also to all those who come in contact with him. Othello becomes torn between his love for Desdemona on one hand and the pain and anguish he experiences on the other hand. Though he was right in expressing his deep love for his wife, yet what was wrong about it was the way in which he sought to express it. The play flits between reality and illusion, the past and the present and finally from truth to falsehood. Othello’s behavior to all around him is one of ambiguity and denial. He is unable to face the harsh realities that surround him and lives in a state of disillusionment. This play is drenched with so many feelings and emotions that the audience feels a oneness with the suffering and tortured Othello because they identify with his character since it is a common situation which could pose in front of any individual at any given time. The present generation is in no way much different from the generations that went before, but the fact that such situations are even now very prevalent in our homes and societies and therefore this play still holds immense significance and is most relevant even to this modern generation. They key factor responsible for making it appealing to the present generation is the deep human touch that is emphasized by Shakespeare throughout the play. Othello’s pathetic condition and the sympathy he attracts from the audience is mostly because of the human touch portrayed by the author. So without a doubt, not only this modern generation but even the generations to come will continue to be moved by such an excellent play as Othello. 2. What did you think of Hansberry's play (A Raisin in the Sun). Be sure to bring in a few quotes and illustrations to help understand exactly why you say what you do. Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ chronicles the pursuit of happiness in the American dream by portraying the ideals of happiness in life against a backdrop of hard work and liberty. Hansberry beautifully brings out the fact that all dreams do not get realized. For those who are lucky dreams do come true, but for those who seem unfortunate, their dreams do not come true. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ by Hansberry is a touching story that speaks of the despair and disappointment that was faced by her African – American ancestors, who traveled to the North in search of a better life for themselves, but eventually their dream had turned into a nightmare when they had to face disappointment and frustration brought about by great exploitation and painful segregation. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ portrays the hankering after the American dream by the Younger family who try their best to realize their dream by trying hard to escape life in the ghetto. Hansberry’s epic tale narrates the plight not only of the Younger family but all those families who tried hard to make their dream come true but in the end all they got was disillusionment and suffering. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ mirrors the lives of the African American people and at the same time serves as a window which allows other cultures to take a peek at what took place then and helps them to compare it with their own lives and see how different it is to their own. Most of the present generation expect a lot from life nowadays and try to make adjustments to their lifestyles, but as time passes and they are unable to satisfy their gratification they become disillusioned and frustrated. Therefore, this story was very relevant to kindle an understanding within the hearts of this modern generation especially during these times when there is danger of Stereotyping and selfish prejudices and it serves to be a good eye-opener on the ethics and values contained in it. The centrifugal point around which Hansberry’s play revolves is about an African-American family with each of its family members trying hard to chase their dream. The matriarch Lena Younger was supposed to get and insurance check of $ 10,000 from the estate after her husband Walter Lee had passed away. The dreams move each family member forms the backdrop of the play. While Lena the mother wanted to give up her maid’s job in a white family and Peacefully in a new house, Walter lee her son wanted to put up a new liquor store. However, Walter’s wife Ruth, also a domestic hand in a white household desire to move into a bigger apartment, while Lena’s daughter Beneatha nurtured dreams of attending medical school. Tensions rise when the cheque arrives and each one tries to express their point of view as to what is to be done with the money, but Lena buys a ‘nice house’ in a locality of the whites. When they come to know of their colored neighbors, they send Mr. Linder as an emissary to explain all the rules to them. "not rich and fancy people; just hardworking, honest people who don't really have much but those little homes and a dream of the kind of community they want to raise their children in" (164) He also makes them a very generous offer in a bid to buy them out. “Thirty pieces and not a coin less.” But the family believes that they have a right to a better life they refuse his offer and decide to stay at their new house in Clybourne Park. 3. A Raisin in the Sun In what ways is the setting important? Would the play be altered significantly if the setting were changed? 1. Yes, this particular setting is crucial to this kind of a story because of the impact it creates and the feelings and emotions it kindles. In my opinion I feel that if the settings were altered, the play too would have to be altered and would have a lesser impact. 2. How is the exposition presented? What does it reveal? How does the playwright’s choice not to dramatize certain events on stage help to determined what the focus of the play is? For instance, “Trifles” is not a play about murder, but rather a play about relationships between men and women. The drama part of the play takes place among the members of the family, but the exposition has a greater impact when it takes place within a black and white setting which was so apt for portraying the pain and disillusionment of the family whose main focus was to realize their dream at any cost. 3. Are foreshadowings used to suggest what is to come? Are flashbacks used to dramatize what has already happened? Yes, fore - shadowings are used to suggest what is to come and flashbacks are used to dramatize what has already happened. Both the authors made use of this technique as they are not so much concerned with laying down the chronological facts as they are with laying down the facts and experiences which have a direct conflict with time. 4. What is the major conflict the protagonist faces? What complications constitute the rising action? Where is the climax? Is the conflict resolved? The primary conflict faced by the protagonist is that of realizing their dream of leading a better life. The complications that constitute the rising action were varied such as trying to satisfy the desires of each member in the family and also shifting out from their small home in order to lead a better life. The climax is at the end when all agree not to leave their house even if they have to live among the whites. The conflict is only partially realized. 5. By what means does the playwright reveal character? What do the characters’ names, physical qualities, actions, and words convey about them? What do the characters reveal about each other? The playwright very deftly reveals the character of each member by analyzing the thoughts and actions of each member in their trying to realize their own dream. Their behavior and the way they react to situations clearly bring out the essence of their characters and the qualities they possess in fulfilling their motives. 6. What is the purpose of the minor characters? Are they individualized, or do they primarily represent ideas or attitudes? Are any character foils used? All the minor characters have a clear cut role to play and they are mostly foils to make the play move in the right direction. 7. Is the theme stated directly, or is it developed implicitly through the plot, characters, or some other element? Does the theme confirm or challenge most people’s values? The theme is not stated directly, but is gradually developed and implicitly portrayed through the plot, characters, and other elements. The theme serves two purposes-of confirming as well as challenging most people’s values. 8. How does the play reflect the values of the society in which it is set and in which it was written? The behavior and reactions of the different characters and the way each of them are intent on realizing their own dreams and motives in the play reflects the values of the society that existed during the time of writing the play. Some of these values could be put down as selfishness, snobbishness and reckless and thoughtless behavior on the part of some of the characters. Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart (500 words) Edgar Allan Poe, (1809 -1849) one of America’s greatest horror writers of all time has never failed to send chills down the audience’s spine. His short story on “The Tell Tale Heart” is unique and impressive proving the great writer that he was. The simplicity in presentation, in addition to the unpredictable plot and the interesting chain of events all capitulate to form a very captivating and classic story. The story circles around the narrative of a nameless madman, who keeps a close conversation with the reader by constantly professing that he is not mad and he reinforces his baseless claims by retelling the same story over and over again, trying to convince his audience. A good example of this is when he states, "True! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?" (The Tell-Tale Heart, pg. 13) The story is narrated in the present tense and takes place in the form of a recording, a personal diary and a police report. The motive of the murder, which is grossly menial, is explained by the author through the narrator, and by his claiming that he is not mad, that reader starts believing that it may not be true. Poe’s effortless description moves from scene to scene unraveling all the interesting events leading up to the murdering of the despised old man whom the narrator seems to hate. The audience is led into the chain of events with calm simplicity without any threats or doubts posed towards them and leave them with nothing much to ponder or worry about. What makes it more intriguing to the narrator is the presence of the eye of the old man. Poe’s story becomes even more interesting when the narrator claims that he could hear the heartbeat of the old man even though he was already dead. Once again the audience is led to believe that the narrator is sane and is telling the truth. Some of the literary skills and techniques used by Poe to solve the mystery of the old man’s murder are irony, personification, Similes and symbolism. Poe’s trademark of horror fiction coupled with his original and imaginative writing style lures his audience into a mesh of sinister happenings that are most intriguing. The fine line drawn between truth and make believe is somewhat blurred thus prompting the audience to draw their own conclusions at different points in the story. The different nuances used in the play contribute to its overall, compactness and unity. This element of unity was very well demonstrated from the inception of the story where the narrator keeps protesting about the authenticity of his sanity right up to the climax where he confesses to his crime shouting, "'Villains!' I shrieked, 'dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!'" (The Tell-Tale Heart, pg. 21) The stylistic yet emphasizing device of repeated phrases that he employs echo Europe system character of the narrator. Poe has crafted the story so well and has intelligently interwoven the aspect of symbolism thereby creating an eerie effect. The two primary motives used by Poe in his short story of “The Tell Tale Heart” are the psychologically symbolic way in which he handles the concept of time and also the concept of the narrator identifying himself with the narrator. Poe is one writer who was always appreciated by critics for his great talent of writing in addition to his exemplary imagination and style. All Poe’s stories are scary but have a wholesome unity that engages a wide audience. Compare Faulkner’s "A Rose for Emily" with Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart”. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart” is a scary short story which draws its audience to immediately identify with its protagonist for the main reason that it is written in the first person using the word “I”. On the other hand, Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is presented in the 3rd person, yet makes use of words such as “we”, and “our.” Poe’s story has a clear cut narrator who is considered to be the madman who has committed the crime, but in Faulkner’s story we don’t have a very clear cut narrator who moves the story forward but narration takes place through one of the police officials or one of their assistants because it is they who make the discovery of the dead bodies when they go to Emily’s house. The “Tell Tale Heart’s narrator, could have possibly been the old man’s caregiver, who was mentally challenged, and therefore committed the crime of murdering the old man. However, in Emily’s tale there was no sign of insanity in the beginning, but it could have set in gradually as her life takes a downward spiral. This insanity is clearly brought out by Poe by the narrator’s speech and behavior and his incessant stand that he was not insane. However, both the protagonists share the commonality of being murderers, but what distinguishes one from the other is the manner in which each executes his crime. In the case of “A Rose for Emily”, Emily very deftly and carefully plans on how the murder was to take place by purchasing and using some poison. But in Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart”, though the narrator thinks that he is carefully planning and executing his murderous plans, yet it turns out that he basically has no control on himself because he is not in a position to control the strong whims and urges that over power him. He loses complete control when he commits the murder. Once again, we see him losing his control when the officers are seated in his house having come to make an investigation. While the officers are seen calmly discussing with each other, the narrator seems to hear the beating of the old man’s heart above all the noise and conversation going on. Finally, he suspects that the officers already knew that he committed the murder and they are making a mockery of his agitation and horror. Unable to tolerate their hypocritical laughter any longer, he blurts out the truth about the murder he had committed. Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” are not written in direct chronological order but adapt to shifts in time as well as narrative by both stories making good use of flashbacks and foreshadowing to emphasize certain facts in the story. This could be seen clearly by the use of phrases such as the "pervading dust" and the "long strand of iron-gray hair" (Collected Stories of William Faulkner, New York, 1950, pp. 129.) The protagonist in Poe’s story is a tragic male in the form of a mad narrator who tries to absolve himself from the murder he committed, whereas, in Faulkner’s tale involves strange obsession and death by a female protagonist. However, both the characters are weird and whimsical in their own ways and exhibit strange behavior. An example for this is Emily strange behavior when she insists on the aldermen holding a conversation with her dead lover about her tax situation. However, despite all the criticism received, both the stories, Poe’s “The tell Tale Heart” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” have stood the test of time because they are very much favored and accepted even today and though they cannot be categorized as tragedies because tragedies require a hero or heroine to substantiate it, yet the works of both the authors are considered to be remarkable even in these modern times because even today it continues to be adapted to film and theatre for the main reason that people are able to identify with it. References Donald Akers, Overview of “A Rose for Emily,” for short stories for students, The Gale Group, 1999. www.answers.com/topic/a-rose-for-emily-story-8 How can you compare “A Rose for Emily” and “A Tell Tale Heart” www.enotes.com/rose-emily/q-and-a/how-can-you-compare-rose-for-emily-tell Othello – Character Analysis www.absoluteshakespeare.com/.../characters/othello_characters_essay.htm Shakespeare’s Othello www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/othello/othello.htm The Tell Tale Heart – Summary and Analysis www.bookrags.com/The_Tell-Tale_Heart William Faulkner, A Rose for Emily, M. Thomas Inge; Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1970. Pgs. 140 Zachary Schuster (2007) Edgar Allan Poe’s, “A Tell Tale Heart”, A Literary Analysis. www.associatedcontent.com/.../edgar_allan_poes_the_tell_tale_heart.html Read More