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Literary scrapbook. Classic English Litereture
Literary scrapbook
Classic English Literature
Literature connection
Shakespeare’s use of irony is very clear in Othello as was in his other literary works. In this particular play, Shakespeare employs the use of three kinds of irony. These include verbal, situational and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is a situation where a character says words that are in contrast to that character’s intention. Situational irony is when a given action of a character is in contrast to the characters actual intentions. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something about the character that the character does not seem to know (Colebrook 45). Shakespeare has used too much of this to make Othello the tragedy it is.
An Instance of verbal irony is like when Lago incriminates Cassio of having an affair with Desdemona, the wife of Othello. Lago says “I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like (Shakespeare 56).” Lago is determined to make Othello jealous by making him believe that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Most of Lago’s statements are meant to have Othello believe how Cassio is evil which the exact opposite of what he is is. Lago is careful though not to mention Cassio’s name but only utters statements that Othello interprets based on his own understanding. The dramatic irony that unfolds here is that Othello is made to believe what is actually not true. The actual enemy here is Lago but Othello does not seem to see this despite Desdemona’s efforts to make him see. The main aim of Lago is to remove Cassio in his place, but instead, Cassio is promoted to a higher position sabotaging Lago’s plan (Shakespeare 78).
Modern connection
There are many instances of irony in this play, but the strongest which revolves on the main theme of jealousy is “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on (Shakespeare 67).” This is probably the phrase that really brings out the irony in this play. The main reason why Lago was telling all those lies about Cassio and Desdemona was because of jealousy. Lago is so jealous of Cassio and so bent on getting the place in the army that Cassio holds. Lago is jealous that Othello could promote a younger man to a higher level than him. He thus plans to use Rodrigo a rich man who Desdemona, the wife of Othello had turned down his hand in marriage. Othello thinks that Lago is loyal to him but in actual sense he is not. Lago tries to cause a rift in everyone’s life while pretending to be a very royal soldier. He is only bent at achieving his own end inspite of anyone. He ends up killing his wife who she believes was against his plans. This was before Lago had used his wife to betray Desdemona, who was her friend unknowingly. He had her pick Desdemona’s handkerchief which she had received from Othello as a present. Lago later uses this handkerchief to implicate Cassio convincing Othello that Desdemona was actually having an affair. He also convinces Rodrigo to kill Cassio, but he eventually kills Rodrigo himself when the attempt to kill Cassio fails. He kills Rodrigo of who they were plotting together since Cassio discovers that it was Rodrigo who had attacked him. That could have been detrimental to Lago’s plans.
Othello’s dramatic irony can be related to Forrest Gump, an American romantic comedy that has elements of drama in it. Forrest Gump, the main character is unaware of the historical significance of the various scenarios as well as the characters (Ebert 234). The audience though knows all this and is a step ahead of him. They thus watch in anticipation to see what his moves would be.
Personal connection
In relation to Shakespeare, I have learned that irony is not only inherent in the characters utterances, but also in the very actions of the characters. The plot of a work and the relation of the characters bring out the literary style of dramatic irony. Literary dramatic irony is according to me very effective in holding on to the attention of the audience. This is evident with the success of both Othello and Forrest Gump.
Works cited
Colebrook, Claire. Irony. London: Routledge, 2004. Print.
Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Four Star Reviews—1967-2007. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel
Publishing, 2008. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Othello; The RSC Shakespeare. (Ed). Jonathan bate and Eric Rasmussen.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Print.
Differences in the family have a long history of causing issues such as breakups in the previously happily married families
Subject
Students Name
Institution of Affiliation
Date
Differences in the family have a long history of causing issues such as breakups in the previously happily married families, causing constant problems to the victims. Most of the families that have been found to be in the disputes are the newly wedded young families that are trying to establish themselves with the pressure from their parents as well as the rising need to be independent. Most of the families go wrong and end up in divorce due to wrong choices that are made by the couples, making it hard for both to continue staying in unison despite their dedicated love to one another. Some forces try to part the families, and the consequences are not always good as the results of the breakups are realized later in life, at a stage where the mess cannot be rectified.
‘Night Mother, a documentary by Marsha Norman is not an exemption as it entails the same content. The film is a drama that takes place in the home with the main characters being a mother and a divorced daughter. The film opens up in the kitchen with Jessie and her mother Thelma conversing with one another, and it is during this that Jessie reveals her awful intentions of committing suicide. Jessie’s intention to commit suicide have been triggered by the lack of love as well as her careless with her family that oversaw her divorce her husband. Jessie is an addict to smoking, and it is due to this that she and her husband got divorced. At some point, her husband asked her to choose what she wanted most smoking or him, but due to her addicted nature in smoking, she chose to divorce her husband.
Jessie is in regrets of having divorced her husband as she loved him, but she could not stay as she had no choice. Back at home, Jessie feels like her mother does not love her and that she stays with her to kill the loneliness that she experiences. In contrast, her mother pleads with her and tries to convince her that she should be happy, but Jessie has a strong stance that she must kill herself. Afterward, they both realize that they love one another but it is too late to express the love that otherwise had not flourished, and therefore this does not bar the young woman from committing suicide. At the end of the drama, Jessie leaves her mother, locking herself in a room and shooting herself and this leaves her mother crying in pain.
The filmmaker intended to portray the problems that most of the families are passing through and how difficult it is to keep firm the decisions made without succumbing to the forces. Love is the most expensive thing in a family, and without love, a whole family can be reduced to nothing. The other intention by the filmmaker is that drugs are not only harmful to a person body through addiction but as well harmful in the relationship matters as, it is through Jessie’s smoking nature that led her to divorce her husband, relocating to stay with her mother and to whom she felt no signs of love. Jessie only thought that her mother invited her to stay because she was lonely and could not find her love. Love needs to be flourishing at every time as it is needed to bring back torn pieces together. If it wasn’t that Jessie had made up her mind to commit suicide, her mother’s affection at the last minute could have changed her mind.
The overall quality of the film is high in that the video quality has been taken in a clear manner. The lighting of the film is great, and a person is able to see clearly everything that happens in the scene. Besides, the audio is clear and therefore distinguishing the different characters when speaking is easier. The coordination of the audio and visual elements in the film are in line, and the actions and words seem to be well coordinated. The setting of the film is at home and the various things that are found in a home are present such as the furniture. Jessie’s intention to commit suicide through a gun has been reinforced by not only her words but also her actions; she holds a gun that she uses to blow herself out. Therefore, the overall quality of the film is great.
The combination of the various elements in the film produces various responses to the audience. For example, the non-verbal communication that is the use of gestures by Jessie along with her wording indicates sorrow and thus triggers the emotions of fear to the audience in that she is just about to do something terrible. Thelma, her mother on the other side, seems to be lost in her world not to know what to do as she sits in the couch contemplating making the audience feel her sorrow of losing a daughter. The gunshot, on the other hand, triggers the minds of the audience that it is probable that their biggest fears have just been confirmed and this may have resulted to astonishing and sad voices from the audience. Therefore, the overall mis-en-scene of the film has been coordinated well with the intention of the filmmaker of family troubles being openly revealed. Drugs should not be part of a family, and on the contrary, love should take over the whole family to avert any incidences such suicide.
Reference
Marsha Norman. ‘Night Mother. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/HjRx3335Hos?t=699
Critique of the modern-day government
Critique of the modern-day government
Author
Institution
Date
081781_QRecitation paper (25 February 2012)
Describe neoliberalism as a form of governmentality.
Introduction
For quite some time, modern political debate has been immersed in the thought of the state as a potentially monstrous and malignant entity. The centralized party states common in the East and the welfare states found in the post-war West have been severely challenged. This has fueled the thought that freedom for human beings starts beyond the state. Various alternatives have been advanced in an effort to rectify the excesses, injustices and inefficiencies brought about by the extended State. The alternatives have been based on the construction of a civil society and free market where individuals, organizations and groups interact freely and in liberty (Rose and Miller, 2010). However, the theories of power pertaining to economic determinism and the liberal pluralist have been challenged. Analysts have argued that the form of state is crucial in comprehending geo-political relations, as well as contemporary forms of exercise of power in national territories.
Neo-liberalism was advanced as a form of government that moves away from welfare states. It reactivates the basic principles of liberal government in which economic activity would be regulated by the markets. The aspects of government that are held as political responsibilities in welfare states would be changed into commoditized forms with market principles guiding their regulation. In neo-liberalism, active agents in economic entrepreneurship, which replaces regulation, are held as the most appropriate to make decisions on their affairs as well as the most effective in determining the outcomes of their actions. In neo-liberalism, individuals would strive to enhance their quality of life in which case active entrepreneurship replaces reliance of responsible solidarity. In essence, neo-liberalism breaks ranks with welfare. According to Rose and Miller (2010), welfare state produces a culture of dependency since the citizens expect the government to do what only citizens can do. In essence, neo-liberalism redefines the position of the state in politics. It outlines that the state should have the capacity to defend the nation’s interests at the international level, and provide the legal framework for economic and social life in order to ensure order. However, autonomous actors within the legal framework must be allowed to conduct their business freely without interference from the state.
Identify and explain the multifaceted and complex relationship between the various structures and dynamics of productive tendencies of neo-liberalism, on the one hand, and the very outcomes of the neoliberal order, on the other.
Neo-liberalism should be viewed as the restructuring of political rationales, which aligns them with the contemporary government technologies. In essence, the political initiatives allow the state entities or even the state to be autonomous and not bear responsibility for the calculations and actions of welfare organizations and businesses (Rose and Miller, 26). The center would adopt a range of devices seeking to distance the state’s formal institutions from other social actors, and approach them in a different manner.
Neo-liberalism has its basis as strategies to develop and sustain a market and use contractual exchange as the basis for reshaping economic exchange. Privatization is essentially one of the most visible strategies, and one that is most aligned to the political ideals pertaining to the market rather than the state. Neo-liberalism entails restructuring programs in such a way that an individual would have full control of his affairs (Rose and Miller, 2010). It is understood that an entrepreneurial individual who has autonomy and freedom would predominate any other, as pertaining evaluations of government political power and programs’ ethical claims. In this case, the political subject is an individual with an active citizenship rather than a social citizen who has powers and responsibilities coming from his being a member of a collective body (Rose and Miller, 2010). An individual’s citizenship would be manifested in the energetic pursuit of fulfillment as well as the calculations that enhance its achievement rather than public largesse.
Outcomes of neoliberal order
It has become clear that neo-liberalism or neo-liberal order is associated with some outcomes that should essentially render it illegitimate. It is noteworthy that neo-liberalism promotes the thought that an individual (and especially, entrepreneurs) should have the capacity to control their affairs and enhance the quality of their lives. There are varied outcomes of neoliberal order, some of which are positive and others negative. For positive outcomes, the liberal order would promote entrepreneurship as individuals would have an incentive to pursue their interests. Decreased state intervention means that only the best survive in the market due to increased competition. Indeed, individuals would reap according to their input in the system, in which case they would have the incentive to place more emphasis on the entrepreneurship. In addition, it is noteworthy that the state would bear fewer burdens as concerning the social welfare of its citizens. This would not only reduce the dependency of its citizens on the state but also ensure that only individuals who are really in need are catered for by the state.
However, there are some negative outcomes that are associated with the neoliberal order. Characterizing the neoliberal order are periodic crises with varied intensity. These crises are triggered by the capital development and result in reduced growth, increased deprivation and a rise in unemployment. In addition, the livelihoods of individuals who depend on relatively lowly occupations such as agriculture would be in danger. It is noteworthy that the laboring poor are dependent on social welfare services from the government. In essence, neoliberal order would in essence change the form and limit the volume or magnitude of state spending. This adversely affects the level at which the state’s welfare expenditures would redress the negative outcomes for the greater section of the population. In addition, giving private capital the free rein would allow the introduction of predatory practices in sectors such as mining and forestry, which would adversely affect the marginalized populations as well as the environment.
What is at stake in a neoliberal order?
It is noteworthy that neo-liberalism seeks to overturn every other aspect of welfare states. In essence, it involves an immense transformation of the mechanisms that govern social life. Rather than the social solidarity and collective provision that comes with welfare states, individuals would be purchasing their own welfare services (Rose and Miller, 2010). These include insurance schemes, housing and health care. In essence, public provision of social security and welfare is not vital as a program for social efficiency and political stability. In essence, the lack of government or state control in the manner in which entrepreneurs carry out their business means that the environment, social welfare and even their employees will be at stake. The main aim of entrepreneurs is profit maximization irrespective of the strategies that they use. In essence, the individualism promoted by neo-liberalism would endanger social welfare especially as concerning population health. In this case, the principles of neo-liberalism undermine the rules of sustainability, justice, sharing and compassion, which are fostered by welfare states.
Where does neo-liberalism lead us?
Neo-liberalism outlines an institutional framework, where individual entrepreneurial skills and freedoms are liberated, with free trade, markets and strong private property rights characterizing it, (Rose and Miller, 2010). It assumes that self-interest is the driving force in human beings. According to neo-liberalism, societal welfare would be advanced by promoting and satisfying individual self-interest. In essence, neo-liberalism forges a society where individuals regulate their satisfaction. This is a society in which the government utilizes experts who have emerged at the point where one’s desire for self advancement intersects with social-political aspirations. The freedom to choose would be used in governing the individuals, (Rose and Miller, 2010).
What is the real face of this structure of social reality?
As much as neo-liberalism outlines a framework in which individual effort would determine the quality of life he or she lives, it is noteworthy that there would be implications on social welfare and environment. Having in mind that the government would not be regulating the activities of the entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurs will aim at maximizing their profits with little regard to the employees, environment and other players. As much as it is desirable to allow individuals to explore their capabilities and better their lives while reaping the maximum benefits of their effort, they should not be allowed to endanger the environment or other individuals.
As much as neo-liberalism (also known as globalization) would increase profitability in the world economy, its shortfalls are glaringly apparent. There would be an increase in the inequality in wealth distribution both within and between nations. In essence, as much as neo-liberalism comes by to solve the problems of welfare states, it is noteworthy that there are some aspects of welfare states that it cannot substitute. In some cases, welfare states have prospered economically as well as socially. Complementing the success is the fact that the welfare states would not sacrifice their moral commitment, which lies in ensuring that all citizens have a chance to have a dignified healthy life. Welfare states also protect all citizens from the threats posed by arbitrary market economy in neo-liberalism.
The main point behind neo-liberalism is cutting the amount of public funds used in providing social services such as insurance, health and others to the public in a collective manner. This is due to the fact that the provision of social services to the general public brings about some dependency on the state. In essence, rather than the estate planning for the social services, the ideals of free market economy would rule. The aspects of government that were held as its political responsibilities would be modified into commodities and adjusted in line with market principles. In place of regulation, there would be economic entrepreneurship with the active agents striving to optimize their advantages. In essence, in place of dependency and passivity that comes with responsible solidarity, active entrepreneurship would take center stage. Individuals would be encouraged to make every effort to maximize the quality of their lives as well as that of their families. As much as the rewards would be tagged onto individual efforts, it is noteworthy that more individuals would be reliant on private health insurance coverage. This may save quite a lot for the state in terms of monetary cost, but the social cost of relying on the private sector for the provision of health is immeasurable.
References
Nikolas Rose and Peter Miller, 2010. Political power beyond the State: problematics of government. The British Journal of Sociology 2010. 272-303
(Rose and Miller, 2010)