Othello, the tragic hero.

       The idea of a tragic hero varies throughout literature; Aristotle’sPoetics states that a hero within a piece of literature must incorporate the following; a peripiteia, anagorisis, hamartia and catharsis in order to be considered tragic. Each of these components collates to create a tragedy which in turn leads to the downfall of a great man, often resulting in his or her death. 

      Aristotle stresses that a tragic hero must be that of a great man and the question to whether Othello can be seen as a great man is questionable.

     The debate to whether the hero Othello has both the characteristics and fortune of a tragic hero has been discussed by a variety of critics including A.C Bradley and F.R Leavis. These two critics have portrayed their views of the play Othello and questioned the extent of Othello’s representation of a tragic hero; Bradley, for example believes that the villain Iago is the main cause of Othello’s downfall whereas Leavis claims that it is due to Othello’s character and Iago is merely a catalyst who speeds the process up.

     In the essay, “Shakespearean Tragedy” A.C. Bradley states that Othello is “the most romantic figure amongst Shakespeare’s heroes” through the way in which he presents himself throughout I, iii as both noble and dignified. Bradley sees this nobility and makes the conclusion that Othello, therefore cannot be wrong in the sense that his hamartia is within his character, rather than his judgement. Bradley continuously supports his opinion that Othello retains his grandeur throughout the play in that even his short speeches, along with his soliloquies, convey this nobility – Othello’s language does not deteriorate, but becomes simplified. However, it can be seen that Shakespeare wants to make Othello’s degeneration apparent;

Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her

When they be-lie her. Lie with her: ‘Zounds, that’s

Fulsome; Handkerchief: Confessions: Handkerchief.          (IV, i   43-45)

  Shakespeare himself is denying Othello’s dignity; his language is clear in that no noble man can be manipulated to the extent where he is unable to construct a sentence in the way Bradley depicts; later on, Othello’s language regresses further to single words. The repetition of “lie” conveys Othello’s sense of confusion; he refuses to accept the concept of his wife with anybody else yet still, eventually, believes Iago. The rhetorical device ‘ploce’ is used to show that Othello is stuck on this train of thought. The deterioration of Othello’s nobility is emphasized when he refuses his wife one last prayer before he kills her,

But while I say one prayer

It is too late                                                                            (V, ii   105-106)

Desdemona’s innocence and purity shines through at this particular part of the play, creating a huge contrast to Othello’s state of mind; in Bradley’s case, this is proof to show the impact Iago has had upon Othello’s reasoning. 

    Bradley argues that the hamartia of which contributes to the tragedy of Othello is Othello’s judgement of the other characters, “his trust, where he trusts, is absolute” which is true when compared to his relationship with Iago, yet not so with Desdemona or Cassio – the two characters closest to him at the beginning of the play. Bradley suggests that Othello has been manipulated by Iago resulting in the loss of trust in those he loves. This is through no fault of his own, but through his openness to Iago’s suggestion; Bradley, however he may romanticise the character of Othello, refers to him as ‘simple minded’ and his nature open and trusting.   

   Othello seems to have a romantic view of himself, which Bradley shares; his speech is full of powerful and poetic imagery which itself romanticises Othello and to the audience creates the illusion of a natural hero.

Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances:

Of moving accidents by flood and field,

Of hair-breadth ‘scapes i’ th’ imminent deadly breach;                      (I, iii   159-161)

  Othello clearly romanticises his past in order to persuade Brabantio to accept him as a son-in-law and also to convince to audience to consider him a tragic hero; what tragic hero has not had ‘most disastrous chances’? Othello is aware that he is being judged and, as A.C. Bradley points out, when he becomes “emotional, his imagination becomes excited”.

  Desdemona’s murder, according to Bradley, was a sacrifice made by Othello to save her from herself; Othello here is under the same illusion fogged by his emotions yet at this time with a negative effect. Bradley argues that Othello’s actions are not made out of jealousy or anger but out of love; if this, however, is the case then his hamartia would be that Othello’s love for Desdemona is too great and, therefore renders the anagorisis of his realisation of Iago’s betrayal, irrelevant. 

   Leavis, opposed to Bradley, argues, in the “Diabolic Intellect and Noble Hero” that it is not due to Iago but the nature of Othello that contributes his name to the list of tragic heroes. Iago is “merely ancillary” and is not successful due to his effective manipulation, as Bradley suggests, but because Othello is so susceptible to Iago’s actions. Leavis clearly argues that Othello is the “main personage” and that Bradley places too much of the focus on the Iago-devil and his role in the downfall of Othello.

  Othello’s character is, fundamentally, egotistical and lacks the self knowledge in which Aristotle refers to for a classic tragic hero. Throughout the play, the audience is led to believe Othello’s love and trust for Desdemona is complete; yet, as Leavis clearly points out, Othello’s openness for suggestion proves this to be incorrect – Iago successfully alters Othello’s perception of his wife and, although Othello asks for proof, Iago having obtained the handkerchief presents the fact he had seen Cassio use it and this, itself completely changes Othello’s direction of trust.

Now do I see ‘tis true. Look here Iago,

All my fond love thus do I blow to Heaven. ’Tis gone.                  (III, iii   464-465)

Othello’s new found trust for Iago exceeds that for his wife; it is now, ironically, Othello who is being disloyal to Desdemona. It is this reason; therefore, that Leavis believes that Othello and Desdemona’s love is based on lust rather than love and full of ignorance thus supporting Bradley’s statement that since Othello was newly married he must have had very little knowledge of her.

    The Aristotelian idea of tragedy states that the protagonist’s learning through suffering is essential but Leavis argues against Othello’s learning, he suggests it is not the fact that Othello has a moment of anagorisis but the theatrical aspect to Othello in that he dramatises his journey so poetically that makes him a hero in the eyes of the audience. The “faultless hero” of whom Bradley identifies Othello to be, Leavis sees him as egotistical and “self-approving” and his love for Desdemona simply self love. Othello’s final soliloquy conveys Othello’s simple nature to begin with, but the description soon alters once again into the self-dramatisation of which he portrays at the beginning of the play. Leavis’s interpretation of Othello’s anagorisis is that he may have discovered his mistake but there is no tragic self-discovery of which is vital for a tragic hero.

Of one, not easily jealous, but being wrought,

Perplex’d in the extreme: Of one, whose hand
Like the base Indian threw a pearl away                                  ( V, ii   529-531)

   The audience is able to see clearly Othello’s regret; he realises he has thrown away something precious and only now sees Desdemona’s innocence. The feelings of regret overcome Othello’s feelings of anger or betrayal, it there are in fact any, towards Iago; he only reflects on his mistake of distrusting Desdemona, not for trusting Iago. Here, his language improves showing some signs of recuperation, the audience is again reminded of his feelings for Desdemona and also supporting Bradley’s argument that at the end of the tragedy the audience are presented with a nobler Othello; perhaps he does not become nobler, just simply attempts to regain his dignity. How the audience perceive Othello depends upon the text they see. In the quarto Othello compares himself to a “base Indian” whereas Othello in the folio is a “Judean”. The change of this single word is significant in the audience’s view of Othello; the word ‘Indian’ in the Quarto gives the impression that Othello is attempting to justify his actions. This being that the Indian is not aware of the true value of the pearl (Desdemona) whereas Othello comparing himself to a ‘Judean’ signifies his immense remorse; that Judas himself felt at the betrayal of Jesus.

  Other characters throughout Othello are significant to the play as a tragedy other than Othello; firstly, it can be seen that Emilia is the character with the role of providing the catharsis for Othello. Throughout Act Five it is Emilia who strives for Othello to see the truth; she is the first character to see Iago’s evil and for that she loses her life. Scene two shows Othello’s anagorisis in which he reaches his moment of realisation through Emilia’s catharsis; it can be seen that she is the character responsible for Othello’s realisation.  

Are there no stones in heaven,

But what serves for the thunder?
Precious villain.                                                        (V, ii     278)

This is the first time throughout Othello where Othello sees Iago as the villain and clearly sees his mistake in trusting him. The tragic hero, in effect, could be seen as Emilia in that she incorporates some of the factors necessary to be considered as one; she has her catharsis when confronting her husband’s use for Desdemona’s handkerchief and figures Iago’s ploy out. Although Emilia does die she does not seem to have a great downfall, which is necessary for a tragic hero.

   The peripiteia of Othello may be in the setting of the play; the reversal of fortune occurs after the characters leave their homes in Venice to travel to Cyprus. The symbolism of Venice being the island of love relates to the fact that Iago’s plan only becomes apparent to the other characters after they have left as is their feelings of love in Venice have clouded their senses – Iago uses this to his advantage. Shakespeare conveys the fact that Cyprus is so far away from Venetian society by showing that their arrival initiates the decline of the relationships between the characters.

  The theme of jealousy mainly relates to Iago; the only reasoning to Iago’s actions of which the audience is aware of is the fact that he wants to take revenge on Othello for the promotion of Cassio. Shakespeare retains all other information about Iago and the introduction of his wife only occurs later in the play. The audience are therefore unable to relate to Iago; his enigmatic character is sophisticated and he cleverly uses language to manipulate Othello. However Leavis believes that the reason for Iago's success in the sense that he gains control over Othello is his great knowledge of him, Iago is aware of Othello’s weaknesses and uses them to his advantage; he also argues that any character with this particular knowledge is able to manipulate Othello in the same way.

    The numerous arguments for and against Othello’s status as a tragic hero express valid   points; Othello, in one way does not represent the idea of a tragic hero in that he never seems to have a catharsis and only a moment of anagorisis endorsed by the character of Emilia. Yet on the other hand Othello shows signs of a hamartia, either being his natural trust in people or his over-dramatisation and openness to suggestion. The play is   successful as a tragedy as it does involve the fall of a great man and evokes pity within the audience but Othello himself perhaps cannot be classed as a tragic hero as, although he does represent some of the traits required, he does not fit fully into Aristotle’s idea of a classic tragic hero. Also, the audience at the end of Othello is left feeling pity for Desdemona, not Othello therefore the role of the tragic hero within the play does not fall entirely upon the protagonist but shared amongst the various characters.

Brass. Composing....

 Two things. Number one: the paper house has finally caught up with the modern world and created a Facebook account - keep your eyes peeled for 'Jennifer Thomas Writes'. Number two: novel number two is well on its way.

Brass is an account of the Yorkshire miner's strike through the eyes of a young woman, eager to find her place within the changing North. 

I am very excited and can barely move my fingers fast enough to type the story spiilling out. Yorkshire is close to my heart and there are many parts of this, while writing, that have genuinely moved me.

 

The research continues. Many thanks already to the wonderful libraries that grace our country. Spending most of my time browsing their shelves and irritating their staff, I can be found on my days off hiding in the deep and dark corners of these magnificent places. If you don't already, I strongly suggest you take a wander down to your local library, and have a gander at the treasures waiting for you in all the words of those wonderful, wonderful books.

Until next time, 

Mrs Thomas.

Death of a Salesman: the setting contributing to dramatic effect.

   Throughout Death of a Salesman each location is designed to convey the different emotions and themes throughout the play. Firstly, the overall layout of the stage is important in that it provides a setting for ‘Willy’s imaginings’, the walls of the Lomans’ house are ‘imaginary’ signifying the fragility of their home and the unlimited boundaries within Willy’s mind. The lack of structure in the layout can also represent the lack of restrictions between the past and present; between memories and reality.

    Certain objects placed around the Lomans’ home signify different things; for example, the ‘silver athletic trophy’ in Willy’s bedroom is used to represent his values of sportsmanship and the desire to succeed in every thing. The fact that this is not an academic reward again suggests Willy sees triumph through physical gain and popularity which is supported further when Willy laughs at Biff’s behaviour at school and asks if “the kids like it?” Also, the arrangement of the kitchen furniture in that there are only three chairs at the table conveys a sense of isolation towards Biff, as if he has been excluded from the family.

   References to the garden are made throughout the drama; Willy complains that he cannot “raise a carrot in the backyard” and remembers about the two “elm trees” suggesting he feels like he should be in the outdoors yet he later criticises Biff for wanting to be a farmer. The feelings of being trapped are conveyed effectively by Miller as the ‘apartment buildings’ can be seen looming ‘under and over’ Willy’s home stressing the fact that they are in the city.

  Howard’s office is an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place for both Willy and the audience; objects such as the tape recorder and the type writer are significant for the audience to compare them to Willy’s belongings. The modern tape recorder is a contrast to Willy’s old fashioned values and emphasises the age gap between Howard and Willy. The type writer also shows Willy’s inability to move into the modern world; the contrast of his simple house and Howard’s modern equipment is clear to the audience and in a way belittles Willy.

  The play’s settings alone have a huge significance to the dramatic effect upon the audience. They supply the surroundings and create an atmosphere which, when collated with the play itself, forms a successful dramatic effect used to convey Death of a Salesman.

The Ilk of Human Kindness

I never thought it would happen. I had always wanted to be a writer.

Then I realised I had to make it happen - that in order to be a writer, I actually had to write!
It sounds obvious, but it was my motivation.

Yes....I have written a book. An entire one. Fair enough, it is kind of a short novel, a novella if you wish, but a decent piece of writing nonetheless.



I present to you - 'The Ilk of Human Kindness' by Jennifer Thomas.


oooh, I get little shivers whenever I say it...

Amazon Kindle - The Ilk of Human Kindness

NaNoWriMo

November is the month of Nanowrimo - National Novel Writing Month. It is 30 painful days where writers write like crazy to reach a fifty thousand word goal. That works out at just over 1600 words a day. Putting it this way sounds a lot more doable no?

So, dear reader, I have joined up - six thousand words in and I am loving it! There is a wonderful sense of community, with local forums with regular chats and meetups. It feels great knowing that thousands of other people over the world, too, are staring at a blank screen struggling to get started. The forums offer a great place to share ideas, discuss worries and just to have a general vent.

Writing a novel is a dream for many; Nanowrimo provides us with a target and reminds us that this dream is possible, you just have to get your head down for a few hours a day.

This concentration on quantity means you cannot get caught up on the quality of your writing - JUST WRITE. It may be crappy, but having thousands of crappy words is a better start than an empty page. This is exciting. Let's see if I feel the same way on November the 30th, rushing to reach that 50K mark.

Here are a few tips on writing a first draft (because that is what Nanowrimo is all about) from a creative writing cheat sheet:

Writing Your First Draft

Writing a first draft of your creative writing project – whether a novel, short story, poem or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organise your thoughts and manage your time:

• Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like.
• Keep the flow going in the early stages – keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading or changing what you’ve written.
• Remember to show not tell – think about how to dramatise what you’re writing about and create visual images.
• Start somewhere else and get going again if you become stuck on a particular passage.

From reading to writing.

I am stepping into the unknown. Having read fiction for years I've come to the point where I say to myself, why not me too?

Creating a piece of readable fiction is my dream. Actually writing it is my nightmare. 

Thank god for motivational infographics, writers' forums and TED. Yes, TED, my favourite place to learn awesome stuff and to generally feel better about the world.

This video in particular is especially apt. 

David Kelley - How to build your creative confidence.

Thanks, Mr Kelley. Now, back to the notebook...

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, published in 1891, was a response to aestheticism. This movement supported the ‘art for art’s sake’ doctrine – that art needs to serve no moral, religious or political purpose and it aimed to free art from responsibility. This book is by far one of my favourites.

 Firstly, the preface. It is a list of aphorisms dealing with art; Wilde states the ‘all art is quite useless’ and warns against reading too much into art (as we all know some of us quite often do) that ‘those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril’.

 This is exactly what Dorian Gray does; he treats life as if it were a work of art and places too much importance on maintaining this belief. For example, when Sibyl Vane ceases to be interested in art (when she acts badly), Dorian ceases to be interested in her.

 There are two important works of art in the novel, Basil’s painting and the Yellow Book. Despite the belief that art should not serve a purpose – Dorian finds a purpose in both. The painting acts as a mirror to his conscience, Dorian constantly finds himself compelled to keep looking at it. This echoes Wilde’s statement in the preface in that ‘it is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors’. Dorian sees himself in this art he finds so beautiful and it is his vanity that one could argue to be the cause of his downfall.

  The role of influence plays a huge part in this book. Both Basil and Lord Henry have a large influence over Dorian, and both contribute to his ruin. Dorian is first introduced to us as child-like; the narrator describes him as a lad ‘swinging round on the music-stool in a wilful, petulant manner’ – presenting as a child like this suggests that Dorian is more susceptible to manipulation than others may be. Basil completely idolises Dorian Gray, he puts him on a pedestal and in his eyes Dorian can do no wrong. By admiring his youth and beauty, Basil teaches Dorian that this is all that will be important throughout his life.

Lord Henry has the most influence over Dorian; he damns conventional morality and is constantly bombarding him with all his theories, not to mention it is he who introduces Dorian to the yellow book. Lord Henry is a really strong, influential character but is ultimately quite static and boring, he doesn't actually do anything. Throughout the novel Lord Henry is always lounging about, relaxing and playing with inanimate objects whilst he is talking. Talking is all the Lord Henry does, and by the end of the novel he becomes quite shallow; both Basil and Dorian undergo changes but Lord Henry is just the same at the beginning of the book as he is at the end. Because of this one can probably blame Dorian for allowing himself to be influenced so much by this personality.

 People’s reactions to Dorian in the novel constantly highlight the superficiality of Victorian society. Because Dorian always looks innocent, most of the people he is in contact with assume that he is a good, kind man. We know this is simply not true. Dorian literally gets away with murder because people are more willing to believe their eyes than anything else, to look upon Dorian as a piece of art, instead of looking beneath the surface.