"The Divided Self": Characterization, Identities, and the Supernatural
A cursory first reading of Horace Walpole's Otranto might yield an impression that its characters are thoroughly superficial, shallow, and flat, almost to the point of being laughably so. A single character mold seems to have been applied to each character: Manfred is the incestuous tyrant, Hippolita is the helplessly devoted wife, Matilda is the picture of “tenderness and duty” (38), and Theodore is the chivalrous protector of delicate young ladies. As some critics have pointed out, each character is described heavy-handedly, and the author provides no keys into the inner minds of the characters, relying instead of outward displays of excess emotion (Sedgwick 131).
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Given the eighteenth-century expectation that women depended excessively on their sensibility for knowledge, it is no surprise that Isabella rejects the reality that confronts her, as she has been indoctrinated to disregard her own perceptions.
Although Otranto's characters reflect the social expectations that surround them, it is still an overstatement to claim that these characters are dynamic in the way that a character like Hamlet is. Nonetheless, it is overly simplistic to claim merely that these characters are flat. To account for this middle way, between flatness and dynamism, perhaps a new term needs to be coined? The term that I propose, and will use for the duration of my discussion is “ideologically-reflective.” I take this to mean that the characters are embodiments of expectations and ideology, rather than of realism.
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Part of the explanation for the emergence of these “ideologically-reflective” characters that are neither dynamic nor flat is perhaps tied to the idea of the “divided self” – the self that lacks an individual, self-determined, fixed identity and exists without psychological or emotional depth. My argument is that Otranto's characters can all be seen as “divided selves” because their identities are contingent and imposed from without. Furthermore, the characters can be seen as having “surface” without
The ability of passion to bring destruction upon the lives of the unsuspecting is illustrated in Shakespeare’s Othello with the use of both manipulation and deceit. The curse of fierce passion fell namely on Othello as he transitioned from a respected general to an unstable murderer. His downfall is demonstrated through his increasing self-doubt, lack of ability to articulate, and violence. In the start of the play, he is an accomplished general and happy newlywed, and has yet to be significantly held back due to his being a Moor and outsider in Venetian society. As passion overtakes him, however, Othello truly ingrains the idea that he is less than, and those around him begin to blame his actions on the nature of his ethnicity. He has completely lost his identity to his desires and is unable to think rationally. Shakespeare juxtaposes this version of Othello with his initial composed self in Venice to demonstrate the damage of ignorance to logic and heighten the sense of tragedy. The effects of an overwhelming passion involving love, jealousy, and revenge are shown through Othello’s degradation and loss of stability.
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. In the play Othello by Shakespeare cruelty functions as a crucial motivation, creating a theme of being careful with who can be trusted because, you never know if they’re telling the whole truth. Throughout the play, diction, dramatic irony, and characterization were used to further emphasis the theme.
William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello presents to the audience a picture of many different shades of morality and immorality. It is the purpose of this essay to elaborate in detail on this thesis.
Dalai Lama once said, “We human beings are social beings. Are lives are influenced by jealousy and malicious behavior for the better or for worse”. The darkness of human nature is directly evident in William Shakespeare’s Othello as opposed to J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Within the play Othello, the darkness of human nature is visible through the theme of jealously and how characters react. The emphasis of inequality in the play Othello presents a darker view of human nature as opposed to J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye through the treatment of the protagonists. The dynamic personality of Othello presents a darker view of human nature as opposed to Holden Caulfield as Othello’s personality changes for the worst.
Othello’s race and regression of speech (from calmness to rudeness), Iago’s victims (Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, etc.) being unravelled with manipulation and slyness, Desdemona’s struggling voice and false blame, etc., all participate in the damage the “power of language” causes. Therefore, by exploring the three language devices – “words as power”, “words as character” and “words as conversation” – it is possible to conclude that the language devices are used significantly in the play, “Othello”, because the human behaviour of the characters (Othello, Iago, Desdemona, etc.) is either positively or negatively influenced, and their characteristics and destinies are
William Shakespeare is one of the greatest writer in the world. He has written allot of plays which were amazing and interesting. Even today, people still try to understand and figure out Shakespeare’s master piece in his plays. Many of them are influencing writers’ around the world and one of them is called Junot Diaz. “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is the title of Junot Diaz book in which we can perceive the author’s allusion to William’s Shakespeare play in order to comprehend the book better wise. There are many allusions that Junot Diaz had in mind of the play “The Tempest” while writing his book and the one that beats them all is the resembles of the rightful Duke of Milan in the play, Prospero and Yunior, the narrator of the story of Oscar Wao. Each of their personalities, story and character’s will prove this allusion in which they are such alike and how we perceive the story and the character differently after these following information.
The film ‘O’ directed by Tim Blake Nelson is a recognised contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello, which addresses a number of issues that are relevant to a modern day audience compared to that of the past. The director of the film has changed crucial parts of the play which makes the play such a classic, which has essentially ruined the literary value of Othello. This is evident for a number of concepts including, the overt links between the play and film, the power of words and language and Iago and his motives
In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, several incidents occur that portray the purpose of Roderigo’s character. If one event is isolated from the rest, the thematic desire is lost. It is only when the events are looked at as a whole that the actual theme is obtained. Roderigo is a minor character who carries out a vital role in the play. Although Roderigo has very few lines, he plays a crucial role on a thematic level.
In the book The Castle of Otranto the people of the castle are surrounded by unexplainable events. These events are in most cases damaging to one’s own mind. Those who are seen as great and loving are turn in to violent and unpredictable individuals. Those who were affected include the highest level of nobility, down as far as to the simple servant. While denial is shown by them there is no doubt that they have changed, and only in disastrous ways. Weather the person has good intentions or not they are changed and their intention becomes what they do. A corrupt power which cannot be stopped. People may try to help and form the person to their former self but in The Castle of Otranto this is not the case. When people react to unexplained
Both Agricola and Othello live within modern advanced civilizations of their time and as such are called to uphold the societal expectations required within advanced societies. Their drastic differences from the norm of their civilizations, as well as their positions of power leads to an intriguing exploration of the true nature of societies and civilizations. Those who are different are not typically embraced within society and are usually seen as outsiders, however despite their obvious differences these two men were still seen as insiders because of their power and the many benefits they provide to society in these positions of power. The exploration and understanding
The Age of Enlightenment is a very vital part in human history. This time period was one of a new-found understanding. Many women accepted society for what it was and depended on men for guidance. Some would say a person who isn’t enlightened has characteristics of a child. Most men had the freedom to do as they pleased. Eliza Haywood shows many hardships faced by women during this time period. In the story “Fantomina” she battles the stereotype of women being dependent, “A young lady of distinguished birth, beauty, wit, and spirit”(Haywood, 569). She showed that not only men could become Enlightened, women could also be Enlightened. This is a true display of female authority.
In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villainous Iago devises a plot with the hopes that Othello and his wife, Desdemona, will be separated so that he can take Othello’s position as head of the Venetian Military. Iago’s scheme consists of him convincing Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has told no one else about his ploy so while everyone else’s actions remain true, he manipulates their every move for his benefit. While their actions may not lead to results that they expected, exploring the reasoning behind everyone’s actions, can give insight to their values since the actions were based on what they believed was the best thing to do. To the characters of Othello, honor is more important than
The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains a number of themes; their relative importance and priority is debated by literary critics. In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate.
How important is an individual that most often than not authors focus on the growth of one over the growth of the many? Is it because the growth of one symbolizes the growth of all? Or is the focus on the individual due to the image it presents which is the growth in us? In any event, this outlook of individualism is widespread in literature and different genres and techniques excavate the development of the individual. Another factor that comes into play in the development of the character is the situation and the effects of the environment. Within William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest and Michael Cervantes Saavedra’s satire Don Quixote are two different characters molded and formed or in both cases malformed to incorporate their
Everything about Othello’s mind, on the contrary, is direct, healthy, objective; with an openness and docility of childhood he loses himself in