It is clear that Shakespeare portrays Othello’s race as setting him apart in some respects from the predominantly white European society in which he lives. Although Othello is respected for his military prowess and nobility of character, he inhabits a culture in which underlying racial tensions, in particular anxieties about the mixing of races through intermarriage, can be exploited. In Othello, racial stereotypes are both evoked and problematised. The racial divide between Othello and Desdemona is portrayed in intentionally shocking language: Iago tells Brabantio that ‘an old black ram/ is tupping your white ewe’ (1.1.87-8). In calling Othello ‘Barbary horse’ and ‘black ram’, Iago associates carnality and animality with Othello and blackness.
For instance, Malcolm describes Macbeth as a ‘sergeant’. To be called a sergeant in the 11th century would be the equivalent of being rewarded as captain; this shows that he was thought to have a high status and a high level of respect from other people. Also, this quote suggests that Macbeth was portrayed as a hero and an inspiration to his fellow soldiers. Whereas Macbeth appears to be respected for his bravery and is seen in a positive light, Heathcliff is thought to be “rough as a saw edge”. This merely demonstrates the sharpness within his personality, yet from Heathcliff’s first appearance in Wuthering Heights, the audience is given the impression that Heathcliff is powerless and vulnerable to ill treatment from other characters.
Making Catch-22 the remarkable as well as groundbreaking masterpiece it is today. Catch-22 is one of Heller’s greatest works because the book consisted of satirical humor which eased the thought of war. Heller changed the way America looked at war by showing the readers another side of war that could only be seen if one had participated in a war themselves, such as WW II. He had turned the realism of war into a surrealistic masterpiece “Mr. Heller’s novel changed the formula, and in the process lifted realism to new surrealistic level” (Solomita).
Othello is portrayed as a Black man in a white man’s world. It was written by Shakespeare in 1603 and has been a well known play since. He has managed to become general of the Venetian Army and has won many wars. Although victorious, he has come from a background of slavery. The original story is thought to be from a book called “Gli Hecatommithi” By the author Geraldi Cynthio explaining the problems that many occur between Husband and Wife.
Literary texts challenge audiences to question thematic concerns within. Thus, by presenting conflicting perspectives of various characters, events and situations in Julius Caesar, Shakespeare creates a political parable that warns his Elizabethan context of the devastating effects of the Machiavellian struggle for political dominance. Four centuries later, Michael Dobb’s political moral fable novel, House of Cards, and Rob Sitch’s television satire, The Hollowmen, also present conflicting perspectives to present similar thematic concerns, thus demonstrating the diachronic relevancy of Shakespeare. These texts have the moral responsibility to warn contemporaries of the danger of self serving ambition, vengeance and jealousy that lie behind a façade of integrity, tainting social order. In order to warn his audience of the dangers of creating false heroes, Shakespeare presents conflicting perspectives between the illusion of honour, and the private reality of Caesar, who believes himself to be the defender of Roman honour, tradition and democracy.
An Analysis of Marcus Brutus’ character Julius Caesar is a historical play written by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. The central theme of the play is the conspiracy hatched against Caesar, his assassination, the subsequent civil war and the ultimate defeat of the conspirators by the loyalists led by Mark Antony, Caesar’s best friend. Marcus Brutus, a principal character in the play, is a very much respected member of the Roman nobility. He is a close friend of Caesar; yet he does not like Caesar’s rising power as a dictator. He lives a life adhering to a set of high moral principals.
Brutus speaks on prose, presenting Caesar as a person who put himself before his people. “…as he was valiant I honour him, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” the use of contradicting binary opposite ideas supports Brutus’ portrayal of a man of ambition. When Antony speaks on the occasion after Caesars assassination to the crowd of Romans he speaks in verse,(in contrast to Brutus who speaks in prose, making Antony appear more educated and knowing)states, “I am no orator...-as you know me all- a plain blunt man that loved my friend.” Antony belittles his influential and powerful position within the Roman Empire to identify with being a “plain blunt man.” This use of
Owen highlights such unjust experiences of the soldiers to augment his argument against the bureaucracy. Parable of the old man and the young is a didactic poem which alludes to a story in Genesis 22:5 and is about Abrams sacrifice to a higher power. In WW1, many soldiers were being sent to fight in an unnecessary war, killing thousands upon thousands of men, for the aid of foreign power. This notion of injustice can be seen in ‘Parable’ where an ‘angel’ tries to ‘offer the Ram of pride instead of him’ to Abram. The biblical allusion of the term ‘angel’ symbolises a moral conscience, in the hope of changing Abrams mind, as well as on a didactic level, symbolising the mothers and loved ones of the soldiers.
Contradictions in Brutus’ Character The central theme of the play ‘Julius Caesar’, authored by the celebrated dramatist William Shakespeare, is the conspiracy against Caesar, his assassination and the subsequent civil war between the pro-Caesar faction and the anti-Caesar faction, that causes much blood shed in the country. This is the precise political background which is set for the play. Caesar’s rising power and his popularity among the plebeians is of much concern to the Roman nobility. While a section of them is jealous of him, Brutus is worried that Caesar will rule the country in a tyrannical manner depriving the liberty of the subject. He is thinking of the common good and not the personal convenience.
It also represents the strength and power the public associated with the British army during WW1. However, the content immediately undercuts this notion and presents the true horror of war through graphic images. This clearly represents the way Owen feels about war. On the outside the nation may seem powerful and strong, however, when you are involved in the war the true horrors are finally shown. Evidently,