The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear | Analysis

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear | Analysis The Owl and the Pussy-Cat In this essay I will be analysing Edward Lears poem ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (Appendix 1), first providing a technical stylistic analysis concentrating on sound patterning, secondly locating its place in the history of poetry for children, and thirdly how the poem envisages childhood. Written in December 1867 for the daughter of a close friend of Lear, it was first published in an anthology by Lear entitled Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets (1871). Since then it has been published, illustrated, translated, and set to music many times. In 2001 it was voted Britains favourite poem. Lear uses simple, but creative language to tell the enchanting story of the voyaging sweethearts; the incongruous bird and cat. Comprising three stanzas, each eleven lines long, it consists of twin ballad quatrains and a three-line refrain, composed in a distinctive iambic metre. The rhyme scheme is ‘abcbdefe alternating between four and three stressed syllables per line, followed by the refrain ‘eee consisting of two lines with just one stressed syllable, and a final line with three. This uniform rhyme scheme not only gives the poem musical structure, but also coheres the very different parts of the story. The rhythmic parallelism of the refrains, in which all three lines end with the same stressed word, is a strict pattern in itself and foregrounds this part of the poem as it takes on an incantatory feel. Although the refrains are not the dominant structure of the poem, they do add musical reinforcement. The regular metrical pattern is what gives the poem its rising rhythm (anapests) and sing song form and there is little to disrupt the flow of the rhythm, or the story. The aim then is simplicit y and repetition; indeed the first instance of repetition occurs in the opening line, which features the poems title words thereby reaffirming the focus of the poem. But in the first stanza, the most noticeable sound pattern is the concentration of /p/ sounds; a phonological parallelism that extends across the text with the words ‘Pussy, ‘pea, ‘plenty‘ and ‘pound as well as occurring in ‘wrapped and ‘up. The recurrence of this plosive consonant emulates the plucking of guitar strings, which not only enhances the rhythm but also the visual effect of the serenading owl. While the plosive /p/ in ‘Pussy paired with the /b/ in ‘beautiful is not quite alliterative, it is sonorous and seductive of music, reflecting the depth and passion of the owls endearments. Note, too, that Lear also uses punctuation to emphasize meaning; the exclamation marks at the end of lines ten and eleven denote an expression of the owls feelings suggesting tha t the relationship is indeed more than just friendship. In addition to repetition and alliteration, Lear employs strong full rhymes to reinforce sound, meaning and rhythm, and they play an active part in the mood and purpose of this poem. Perfect end rhymes are the most noticeable, but there are also strong internal rhymes, namely occurring in every third line of each stanza, but also in the fifth line in the second and third ones. This mix of one and two syllable rhymes act as a sub-refrain bringing the song sound ‘round and round again to our ears while the text becomes more and more whimsical. Sound and musicality are further brought to our attention by the chiming end rhyme between ‘sing and ‘ring in lines thirteen and fifteen. The words are bright and short, as is the vowel sound, but followed by the consonant /ng/ the sound is extended, and the repetition of ‘ring in the refrain helps to mimic the ringing of a bell where we may hear the onomatopoeic resonance of ‘bong (from ‘bong-tree). The third stanza culminates in a concentration of internal and assonant rhymes which conjure a visual and aural feast to match the wedding banquet itself, with the final lines evoking the who-o-o, who-o-o of an owl through the long vowel /oo/ in ‘moon. All the qualities of song are present: pleasure, ease of repetition, memorability, rhythm, rhyme and refrains. The apparent spontaneity of these elements emerge from very traditional principles and Lears witty organisation. Besides musicality, the other main feature of the poem is ‘word-play with Lear incorporating occasional invented words: ‘bong-tree, ‘Piggy-wig and the nonsense adjective ‘runcible. As well as having a humorous effect, they introduce elements of spontaneous fantasy that punctuate the surreal journey of the anthropomorphised animals. Although these words appear made-up they still remain, just, within our normal expectations of English. However, the fact that they do deviate from the poems surrounding simple language means they are foregrounded, thus, the reader/listener pays particularly attention to them because they are satisfying to say without necessarily having to make sense. Even though ‘runcible has no actual meaning (although it has since been popularly defined as a three-pronged fork curved like a spoon) it has a phonological playfulness with the rolling of the ‘r in ‘run followed by the two syllables in ‘cible. The hyphenation o f ‘Piggy-wig actually incorporates the phonemes and meanings of two words, ‘pig and ‘wig, managng to succeed as an internal rhyme. While the inclusion of these words doesnt really add anything to the meaning of the phrase, they do at least sustain, and quite possibly strengthen the rhythm. It is not until the final stanza that the rhythm is disrupted slightly by the ‘running over of line twenty-three into twenty-four without a pause. The effect of this enjambment is that we are hurried on to a pivotal stage in the story, the point at which a transaction occurs. The caesura at the word ‘ring creates not just a pause, but also a brief tension as we await the pigs answer. Note, too, that the direct speech in these lines references traditional marriage vows reinforced by the stress on the words ‘willing and ‘will. Furthermore, this transaction also brings the ‘real world nearer to the surface. Without a ring the marriage cannot take place. Only when the ‘deal has been done can the tale, and thus the poem, continue as before. Once the regular rhythm resumes it drives the narrative onward, ending with feline and fowl dancing ‘hand in hand, on the edge of the sand†¦by the light of the moon. Imagery created by the moonlight (traditionally invoked as being romantic) means the enchantment of the scene dances on with the fantasy sweethearts and is where the reader/listener has to leave them. In spite of the whimsical narrative and word-play the poem is solidly anchored by the strong iambic ‘gait woven through the traditional ballad form of tetrameter and trimeter. The rising rhythms move the poem along whilst being controlled by the full and stable rhymes, making it very satisfying. Lears talent first saw the light of day in A Book of Nonsense (1846) containing a collection of his limericks and amusing illustrations which proved an immediate success with readers and critics. Lears work, along with that of Lewis Carroll, developed and popularised nonsense literature, especially with regard to their use of ‘nonsense words, thus, it is often seen as a distinctively ‘Victorian genre. But literary nonsense existed long before this and, as Styles points out in her essay about the history of poetry for children, can be traced back to the ‘wildness of the nursery rhyme (Styles, p. 211). These ancient and traditional rhymes from the oral tradition, familia rly known as ‘Mother Goose rhymes, are a collection of verses, lullabies, rhymes and tunes offering humour, repetition and storytelling, although few were originally created or intended for children. Eighteenth century poetry considered suitable for children was mostly didactic or moralistic, and often mean-spirited. Its chief aims were concerned with saving the soul and creating good character and, like other childrens literature, mostly reflected the ideas that adults held about what children should be interested in. But as Puritanism waned and new ideas about childhood emerged, poetic collections written specifically for children began to appear. Tommy Thumbs Song Book (1744) was the first attempt to put nursery rhymes from the oral tradition into print, and two collections from William Blake in 1789 and 1794, although not specifically written for children, did capture the essence of childhood. Other volumes of child-centered poetry appeared in the early part of the ninetee nth century, and even though poets at this time continued to follow in the same moralistic tradition there was a growing interest in childrens emotions and experiences. The mid and late nineteenth century produced Stanzaan abundance of poetry for children, including that of Lear, which coincided with the changing views on childhood. Although the roots of nonsense verse are earlier than the nineteenth century, this is the period the most celebrated and notable examples appear. Lears limericks and nonsense rhymes were not just enjoyed by children, but also by adults, who found them a welcome relief from the restrictive teachings of the Church and Victorian society in general. These witty and humorous rhymes were fun to read aloud and easy to remember. But Lears work is not just distinguished by his linguistic play; it also included eccentric and comical drawings. Although his illustrations for ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat are somewhat conservative in that the animals are depicted quite realistically and appear expressionless, they do offer an interpretative effect and would have greatly enhanced the impression of the poem at the time of publication. By contrast, the single illustration in 100 Best Poems for Children (Puffin, 2002) is unsophisticated and childlike. While the small brightly coloured picture does offer a modicum of interpretation, in the context of the anthology its purpose is more generic and there is very little for a child to linger over. The lack of illustrations implies that the value of the text is greater than the visual component, and that the anthology is aimed at the older child who can read independently. Indeed, the publishers own website advertises it for an age group of eight to twelve years. Intere stingly, Montgomery points out that the book ‘includes rhymes for the (just) pre-schooler (Montgomery, p. 137) which suggests that the purpose of this anthology is not just for children to read alone, but also by parents, or in the classroom. Certainly part of the appeal and enduring popularity of ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is that it lends itself to group choral reading. The poems jaunty rhythm, playful rhymes, nonsensical words, and the enchanting tale it tells all conspire to grab a childs attention. Creative words and light hearted verse mean children can explore language and enjoy words for their sound and the images they conjure without it necessarily having to make sense. Although the story is reminiscent of fairytales, it is the ‘nonsense words that distinguish the ‘real world from make-believe. Whether the child believes that owls and pussycats really do sail away and get married in the moonlight is irrelevant: a story, especially one told in the for m of a poem or song, is understood by the child to be part of play and the imaginative world, not the ‘real one. The rhythm and sound-patterns of the poem are more important than the potential ‘reality or credibility of the tale being told. However, the prioritising of sound and rhythm over sense and ‘realism does not mean that this ‘nonsense poem is meaningless. Lear plays on the sound of words, but with or without the nonsensical elements logic still exists and it is a perfectly coherent tale of romantic love. Yet themes emerge in terms of different depths as well as in terms of being central or peripheral. The surface topic, the one most appealing to children, is a jolly tune about animal adventures hinting at love and a comedy of marriage. On another level it is a strange pairing of species and events set to a rather hypnotic rhythm. Deeper down still, both protagonists are carnivores and night hunters. The poem then is not just about innocent ‘nons ense, but also something uncanny. Lear manages to achieve a balance between elements that seem to make sense and elements that do not; a fanciful tale set against the solid foundations of traditional song, familiar everyday language and image unfamiliarly juxtaposed, conventional but also childish. It gratifies the childs appetite for the musical and for the strange. The organisation of the rhythms, rhymes, and nonsensical words gives the poem a whimsical, and yet compelling narrative than lodges in the mind of the adult as well as the child. All these elements contribute to making it entertaining and memorable: ‘nonsense that delights the ear and the imagination.

Organized Crime Essay -- Criminals Mafia Essays Papers

Organized Crime Organized crime has always been occupied with a negative label. Perhaps this is due to the constantly changing environment in America as well as the social state of its homeland, Europe. Our society is convinced that the so-called Mafia is a family of pure criminals, pimps, and murderers. Whatever the opinion, there is no doubt that the Mafia played a big part in the history of America and the way Americans view crime today. "The origins of the secret society known as the Mafia are believed to be as old as the 9th century" (Mafia History). During the 9th century, the Mafia's main purpose was to strengthen themselves against enemies, which invaded their homeland in Sicily. It was supposed to create a strong feeling of togetherness between all Sicilians. "This idea of family was carried through in the structure of the organization, which had a strong hierarchical layout" (Mafia History). The Mafia is said by many to have perhaps the best system of power, than any other group or governm ent known today. One can compare a physical representation of the family almost to a family tree dated all the way back through many generations. Certain people operated the system, but without the help of the people with the less power, the Mafia would be very weak. To put it another way, a leader cannot lead without followers, and the followers cannot follow without leaders. This is why the Mafia was hard to overcome. Although when many think of the location of the Mafia, Chicago and New York often come to mind, but actually the Mafia has been traced back through 26 major cites in America. Within every city were many Mafia families each with it?s own government. "At the head of each family stood the Dons or Bosses. Next in line to the Dons was the Underbosses, who were second in command. Followed by the Consigliere or counselors. And last were the men who did the dirty work for the Mob, the Soldiers. The Soldiers were the one?s who would enforce discipline over both members and no n-members through the use of intimidation, assaults, and murder" (Living Large 3). All the members of the society were expected to go through a ceremony that often was compared to the baptism ceremony. "The induction ceremony is the most important day of a mobster?s life, the day that they become full members of La Cosa Nostra" (Mafia Life). "The ceremony for the newcomers was som... ...sition of the Mob, and the Mafia is known for making comebacks in a hurry. For example, the highpoint of the Mafia was said to be in the 1920?s, and slowly it decreased until the end of World War II when organized crime came back with much stronger than when the war started. This shows a good understanding of what the Mafia is capable of doing in short periods of time. The men who have tried to get rid of the Mafia time in and time out have made some progress. "Responsible groups of Americans have, at times, waged campaigns in the media to obliterate any assumption that crime is dominated by people of Italian descent, claiming that existence of an American Mafia had not been fully established" (Mafia Image). The opinions will differ in that sense. Some say that the Mafia is a vast organization that continues to grow in power, while others say that if the mafia still exists to this day, the old ways of organized crime will never be the same as it has been in this century. The desi re, need, brutality, wisdom, and style of what we know as the Mafia only exists in books and movies. No matter the opinion, the Mafia still claims the place in American History if it still exists or not.

Mercedes Benz’s E-Biz Solution

Free Case Study | Mercedes Benz's E-Biz Solution: The Factory Delivery Reservation System | Free | Case Studies | Case Study in Business, Management Case Details Themes: e-Supply Chain Management Case Length: 06 Pages Period: 1990-2001 Organization : SciQuest. com Pub Date : 2002 Teaching Note : Available Countries : USA Industry : Information Technology (Electronic Commerce) Mercedes Benz's E-Biz Solution: The Factory Delivery Reservation System â€Å"One of our most fundamental goals in developing the system was to strengthen and market the Mercedes-Benz brand in the United States.The fact that we would be one of the first car manufacturers in the United States to have a factory delivery program would be seen as a very positive thing in this regard. † – William Engelke, Assistant Manager, IT Systems, Mercedes Benz US International, commenting on the FDRS. Linking Customers By 2000, Mercedes Benz United States International (MBUSI), builder of the high-quality MClass s ports utility vehicle (SUV), established itself as a company that also delivered superior customer services. One such service was the delivery option where by the customer could take delivery of the vehicle at the factory in Alabama, US.The program called the Factory Delivery Reservation System (FDRS), enabled MBUSI to create and validate 1800 orders per hour. FDRS also automatically generated material requirements and Bills of Material1 for 35,000 vehicles per hour. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution that made FDRS possible was based on Lotus Domino2 and IBM Netfinity3 server4. Analysts felt that with its innovative use of the new program, MBUSI not only managed to improve its customer relations by providing the best service, but also demonstrated its commitment to customers by making them an integral part of the process.Customers were, in a way linked directly to the factory floor – which was a powerful sales tool. Background: Mbusi and its Business Challen ges MBUSI was a wholly-owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrylser AG. 5 In 1993, Daimler Benz realized that the ‘Benz' brand could be extended to wider market segments. Traditionally, Mercedes Benz6 appealed to older and sophisticated customers only. Daimler Benz wanted to attract customers below 40 years of age, who wanted a rugged vehicle with all the safety and luxury features of a Mercedes. Daimler Benz decided to develop a SUV known as the M-Class.It expected strong demand for the new vehicle and therefore planned to build its first car-manufacturing facility – MBUSI – in the (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) US. The MBUSI facility had many advantages. First, labor costs in the US were almost half that of in Germany. Second, the US was the leading geographic market for SUVs. Third, as the vehicles were assembled in the US, they could be distributed to Canada and Mexico more efficiently. In January 1997, the factory started production at partial capacity and by the end of the y ear, it was producing at full capacity.By 2000, the factory was rolling out around 380 vehicles per day. The new M-Class „allactivity'vehicle represented a new concept for the company. Also, mass customization required that each vehicle be treated as a separate project, with its own Bill of Material. To deal with these challenges, Daimler Benz decided to implement an enterprise wide Information Technology (IT) system, with the help of IBM Global Services7. To further strengthen the image of Mercedes Benz in the US, MBUSI planned to deliver vehicles at the factory, becoming the first international automobile manufacturer in the US to do so.MBUSI also wanted to enrich the customers'experience. Commented William Engelke, â€Å"The factory delivery option gives Mercedes-Benz customers something that they do not get from other automobile manufacturers which is why we think the program will resonate with our customers. We think that having the factory delivery program available to Mercedes customers adds to the overall experience of the customer. † The Design of FDRS The FDRS program was proposed in the first quarter of 1998. In the third quarter of 1998, MBUSI entered into a contract with IBM.A development team was constituted with IBM Global Solutions specialists and IBM e-commerce developers, who worked closely with MBUSI. The program became operational by the first quarter of 1999. The IT team at MBUSI had a clear set of functional specifications for FDRS. However, they relied on IBM to transform the concept into an e-business solution. The FDRS was designed in such a way that customers buying the M-Class SUV could specify that will take delivery of their new vehicle at the factory. They could place the order at any of the 355 Mercedes Benz dealers in the US.An authorized employee at the dealership entered the factory delivery order the web interface. Timing was the most important aspect of the FDRS'functionality, as it was closely linked with MBUSI 's vehicle production schedule. Mercedes Benz United States of America (MBUSA)8, based in Montvale, NJ, was the first link in the FDRS program. It was the point where the dealer actually placed the order. MBUSA's role was to coordinate the distribution of vehicles to dealers across the country. Later, it had to add the order to the company's Baan Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)9system, which scheduled the order for production.About three months before the production date, the dealer could schedule in a window, the date and time of arrival of the customer at the factory for delivery. The window was then automatically computed by the FDRS to give the dealer, the possible delivery dates. Apart from the delivery date, the customer could also specify the accessories for the car and also request a factory tour. FDRS was based on Lotus Domino (Refer Exhibit I), Lotus Enterprise Integrator10 and IBM Netfinity servers. It also interfaced with IBM S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server, Model 96 72-R45 located in Montvale, NJ (Refer Figure I).There were two Domino servers – an IBM Netfinity 5500 and an IBM Netfinity 3000. FIGURE I SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE OF FDRS Source: MBUSI The former that acted as the „internal Domino server'was placed behind a firewall 11. It replicated databases through the firewall to the external server. The replication, which was encrypted, represented the primary means by which the FDRS system achieved security. Netfinity 3000 acted as an „external Domino server. ‘It had public information and was also the primary communication linkage for dealers. The ack-end of the FDRS was equipped with an Oracle database that updated the internal Domino server database with order information. The updation was done using Lotus Enterprise Integrator. The data which was replicated to the internal Domino server included lists of valid dealers and lists of order numbers. When an order was placed by the dealer on the FDRS system, the data was fir st stored on the external Domino server, after which it was replicated to the internal Domino server. Then it was replicated to the back-end database via the Lotus Enterprise Integrator.Data replication between the Lotus Notes servers happened every 15 minutes and data exchange with the back-end database three times per day. There was also a link between the back end database and an IBM S/39012 mainframe based system located at MBUSA via a T113 line. MBUSA managed the flow of vehicles to Mercedes dealers across the United States. This mainframe based system, received new vehicle orders (as opposed to factory delivery reservation requests) from individual dealers. The orders were then sent to MBUSI's Baan system and also to the back-end database.The vehicle ordering and factory reservation data were coordinated with each other when the back-end database uploaded the data to the internal Domino server. This coordinated the production and delivery information. FDRS Implementation One o f the most challenging aspects of the implementation seemed to be the complexity of the Lotus and Domino scripts. The development team had to group all the information from diverse systems. Commented William Engelke, â€Å"There was a substantial amount of very complex coding involved in the FDRS solution. This application involves a lot more than having our dealers fill out a form and submitting it.There are many things the servers have to do for the system to function properly, such as looking at calendars and production schedules. We built a solution with some very advanced communication linkages. † IBM faced many technical challenges during the implementation of the program. One of them was the different timing schemes of the Lotus Notes databases and backend databases (ERP). This led to discrepancies in the data. Domino server was a Near Real Time (NRT) Server14, and MBUSI's backend activities were both real time15and batch processing16. Also, to get the best results, th e Domino server was an optimised subset of the ERP table set17.However, the development team achieved a balance between the two „sides'of the solution by focusing on issues of timing, error detection schemes, and alerts. Customer Satisfaction: FDRS Primary Benefit MBUSI seemed to measure FDRS'success in terms of increased satisfaction of its customers. The company also believed that the marketing and customer satisfaction aspects outweighed the significance of more traditional cost-based benefits. Apart from the factory delivery experience, the program also offered the customer a factory tour and ride on the off-road course at a low cost.The company also seemed to gain strategic marketing benefits from the FDRS program, as it was able to establish Mercedes-Benz as a premium brand. (Refer Table I for advantages of FDRS in different areas). Customers could also visit the various tourist spots in Alabama after picking up their M-class vehicles. TABLE I ADVANTAGES OF THE FDRS PROG RAM AREA Strategic Marketing Benefits Cost Savings ADVANTAGES FDRS was expected to improve customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, as it enriched Mercedes' customer's experience. The program also strengthened the brand image of Mercedes in the US.Development of a web-based solution enabled MBUSI to offer the factory delivery program at substantially lower costs, due to less reliance on administrative personnel. â€Å"Package Marketing† the FDRS program with a ride to tourist sites, enhanced the image of Alabama as a tourist destination. The creation of a similar – albeit smaller – factory delivery system to the European Customer Delivery Center in Sindelfingen, Germany, reflected favorably on the MBUSI business unit. Source: MBUSI Regional Economic Development DaimlerChrysler AG Future of FDRS In 2000, MBUSI planned to leverage FDRS'platform by adding a range of other services.MBUSI built an advanced platform to create communication links to its suppliers. Thro ugh the link, MBUSI provided them feedback on the quality of supplies it received. The dealers and suppliers had a user-ID and password, which the system recognized. It then routed them into the appropriate stage of the FDRS. The company also planned to extend the innovative system to include transactional applications such as ordering materials and checking order status on the Web. The company expected that the new system based on FDRS, would be more cost-effective than the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)18 system. ] Bill of Material keeps track of all raw materials, parts, and subassemblies used to create a finished product. 2] A product of IBM Corp. , Lotus Notes and Domino R5 are the industry's leading client/server combination for collaborative messaging and e-business solutions. 3] The IBM Netfinity server offers solutions for file-and-print and application computing needs. 4] A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. For example, a file server is a c omputer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server.A print server is a computer that manages one or more printers, and a network server is a computer that manages network traffic. A database server is a computer system that processes database queries. 5] DaimlerChrysler AG was the result of a merger between two leading car manufacturers – Daimler Benz of Germany and Chrysler Corp. of the US in 1998. 6] A luxury brand of passenger cars, Sports Utility Vehicles from DaimlerChrysler. 7] IBM Global Services is the services and consultancy division of IBM Corp. that offers extensive ebusiness solutions. 8] MBUSA is the wholly owned US subsidiary of DaimlerChrylser. ] ERP attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments' particular needs. 10] A server-based data distribution product that enables data exchange between Lotus Domino and a number of host and relational applications. 11] A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets.All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. 12] The IBM S/390 servers offer direct high speed access to the e-business application and are used for Enterprise Computing. 13] A dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of 1. 544 Mbits per second. A T1 Line actually consists of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64 Kbits per second. Each 64 Kbit per second channel can be configured to voice or data traffic. 14] The NRT Server System supports real time distribution of near-real time data. 5] Real time refers to events simulated by a computer at the same speed that they would occur in real life. 16] Executing a series of noninteractive jobs all at one time. The term dates back to the days when users entered programs on punch cards. They gave a batch of these programmed cards to the system operator, who fed them into the computer. Usually, batch jobs are stored up during working hours and then executed whenever the computer is idle. Batch processing is particularly useful for operations that require the computer or a peripheral device for an extended period of time.Once a batch job begins, it continues until it is done or until an error occurs. Note that batch processing implies that there is no interaction with the user while the program is being executed. 17] The ERP tables are the database tables, (thousands of them), on which the package is built. The programmers and end users must set these tables to match their business processes. Each table has a decision „switch'that leads t he software down one decision path or another. 18] EDI connects all the suppliers in and out of the US. www. icmrindia. org/free resources/casestudies/Mercedes Benz-IT&Systems-Case Studies. htm

Themes of Blame and Justice in Othello Essay - 979 Words

The Play Othello first performed in 1604 written by Shakespeare was a play that portrayed the problems faced in society regarding blame and justice. He showed this by using the setting of Venice where almost everyone was rich, living in houses based in the most powerful part of Italy. Shakespeare used race which tied into the setting as the main character, a black man living in a white society. He used gender to portray labels and to show how different sexes were treated. Shakespeare is showing us that blame and justice are given randomly and are of anyone’s control, whether or not they are guilty. Othello The play began as Roderigo and Iago were blaming Othello for their problems for him existing. He caused Roderigo problems as he was†¦show more content†¦Although convinced by Othello and Desdemona that they love each other deeply despite their differences, the Duke of Venice gives Desdemona permission to travel with Othello. Desdemona Brabantio showed a bellicose determination saying to Othello that if Desdemona deceived him her own father, then she would surely do the same to him ‘Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see She has deceived her father, and may thee’ which meant that Brabantio was already blaming Desdemona in advance for anything that was going to go wrong regarding the two of them. Othello then assigned Iago to bring Desdemona to Cyprus so they could be together ‘Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee: I prithee, let thy wife attend on her: And bring them after in the best advantage’. As Desdemona was in Cyprus she was thrown into trouble as Iago was plotting to imply to Othello that Cassio and Desdemona were lovers. The loss of Desdemona’s virginity is very important because female sexuality was dangerous because men couldn’t control themselves around attractive women this was dangerous because it endangered male control over society which shows di scrimination to the female gender because it would be a danger for them to be in charge. A woman that talked a lot was considered to be open and Desdemona was a woman that spoke her mindShow MoreRelatedOthello - Theme - Lack of Self-Awareness Essay1194 Words   |  5 PagesTheme – Lack of Self-Awareness Definition of the theme and its development through the play: * In Othello, characters not only deceive others, but deceive themselves. They lack self-awareness in that they fail to see or acknowledge their own flaws and weaknesses, and they never see themselves as completely as others perceive them. The truth is likely to destroy either their contentment or their perceptions of themselves * This theme is mainly developed through the major charactersRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pagesprofitable in condition of good and immorality. Othello is presented as good and Iago as evil, but Iago and Othello’s relationship also shares a distrust of their wives. The overall logical argument is based on love, jealousy and betrayal between two lovers that ultimately leads to their separation because of Iago’s evil plan. I am using this article to agree with Berry s view on how Iago separates two lovers just so he can take retaliation on Othello by manipulating everyone to unmasking their trueRead MoreCompare and Contrast of Desdemona and Emilia1295 Words   |  6 PagesAs one of Shakespeares famous tragedies, â€Å"Othello†, is a play that not only shows the love and the humanistic ideal destroyed, but also shows the tragic fortune of women in the era of the patriarchal society. (Snow 384) This play includes several main themes of love tragedies delivered through some contrasting values and characters such as love and jealousy, trust and breach of trust etc. Desdemona, a representative of the perfect embodiment of a faithful loving wife, eventually killed by herRead MoreIts Complicated: Shakespeares Othello1450 Words   |  6 Pagestheir fault. In the Shakespearean play Othello, Iago is seen as a ruthless, power hungry man who wants to see Othello burn. Othello on the other hand appears t o be a wise general who only has one weakness in particular: Desdemona. He is flat out head over heels for her which Iago uses to his advantage through the green eyed monster itself: jealousy. Jealousy is one of the main themes within the play, and plays a very important role in the tragic outcome where Othello kills Desdemona and everything unravelsRead MoreRacism And Its Effects On Society2540 Words   |  11 PagesSociety as a whole need to change. In Shakespeare play Othello, we see a jealous husband that was trick into believing that his wife is cheating on him and he gets so jealous that he kills her then kill himself. Beyond jealously Race and sexism/gender role also plays a big part if the play. This play written in the 1600s and modern time still have a lot in common even after four hundred centuries later. This essay will compare filling in Othello to modern time and see what has exactly changed. FurthermoreRead MoreEssay on The Other in William Shakespeares Othello2354 Words   |  10 PagesThe Other in William Shakespeares Othello In several of Shakespeares plays the writer introduces the notion of being considered an other, and whether certain groups are in or out. This theme is significantly portrayed in the play Othello, in which a black general living in Venice must constantly struggle to balance his dual nature of both Moor and Venetian. It is apparent that before the play begins, Othello has not yet resolved his duplicitous self-image; however, throughout theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Ghost 2757 Words   |  12 Pagesvictim to a woman deserving of the title ‘Th’imperial join tress of this warlike state’ is similar to Emilia’s confession in ‘Othello’’s finale. Both villains of Shakespeare’s tragedies never foresaw their wives’ disobedience and this inadequacy proved to be lethal in leading to their cataclysmic demise. Shakespeare’s conveyance of misogynistic attitudes can also be seen in ‘Othello’. As one of the greatest villain in Shakespeare’s tragedies, Iago is extremely skeptical of women to the point that he isRead MoreRole of Fate in Tess of the DUrbervilles5058 Words   |  21 Pageswhatever be the consequences. It is not so much a consequence of destiny; it is a consequence of human choice. He is choosing this kind of a death. Shakespeare has written four tragedies: the tragedies of Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear and Othello which are supposed to be the four great Shakespearean tragedies. In all of these, we find that it is not fate which plays a major role; it is the character’s destiny. In the case of Macbeth for instance, Macbeth decides that he is going to be theRead MoreImportant Quote from Othello5402 Words   |  22 PagesOthello – important quotes 1.1 * Roderigo to Iago, saying you had my purse / As if the strings were thine * Iago: I know my price, I am worth no worse a place * Othello, described by Iago as loving his own pride and purposes * Iago describing Cassio’s skills: mere prattle, without practise, / Is all his soldiership. * Iago tells Roderigo that Othello has seen Iago fight At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds / Christian and heathen * Iago on serving Othello: I followRead MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagescharacters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning 4. allusion- A reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work. T. S. Eliot, in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock alludes (refers) to the biblical figure John the Baptist in the line Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, . . . In the New