The racial undertone in Othello is quite obvious, especially in the first Act. Othello is introduced through references to his skin color, anatomical features, and his inferiority to the other Europeans. Shakespeare differentiates Othello from the white Europeans by calling him a "black ram" and "thicklips" and "the Moor, " all names that separate him from higher society, which was caucasian.
In Elizabethan England, there was an idea of racial superiority. Many North Africans were in England, many working class, and there was a feeling of anxiety surrounding these immigrants. Shakespeare was playing on these anxieties when introducing Othello. However, he turns all those fears on their heads by portraying Othello as the opposite of the stereotypes. He is a refined gentleman that is a far cry from the "beast" that he was called. Shakespeare uses the audience's prejudices to form an opinion of Othello before he appears on stage. By flipping the prejudices around, he makes the audience question their own opinions on the foreign immigrants in England.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Mean Girls = Julius Caesar
While watching the movie "Mean Girls" the other day, I noticed a lot of similarities between the movie's plot and the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. Both plots revolve around hatred, jealousy, and backstabbing.
The powerful group in the movie is the Plastics; they are three girls that rule the school and define what is popular or not. The relates to the senator group in the play, the senators define what is okay in Roman society and what is not. Regina is the leader of the Plastics, just as Caesar is at the top of the senators; they are both powerful and power hungry, but in a way that leads to their downfall.
The theme of jealousy is prevalent in both the movie and the play. Pompey and Caesar's jealousy over a fling with Cleopatra and Regina and Cady's jealousy over the senior Aaron Samuels. Cassius' jealousy of Caesar's power leads to Caesar's demise. Cassius basically employs Brutus to help in killing Caesar and sways him to believe that Caesar is using his power wrong. In the movie Cady is jealous of Regina's popularity and sways Gretchen to her side. Gretchen begins to see that Regina uses her power to control others. She also makes a speech about Julius Caesar in her class, pretending to be Brutus:
"Why should Caesar get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet. Whats so great about Caesar huh? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar. Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, and people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar. And when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh? Because that is not what Rome was about! WE SHOULD TOTALLY JUST STAB CAESAR!!"
This shows how Gretchen's character is supposed to equal Brutus'. In the end Regina cannot fall from popularity without Gretchen's help, even though Cady and her friends did most of the plotting. Julius Caesar could not be taken over without help from Brutus, even though Cassius was behind most of the plotting.
The powerful group in the movie is the Plastics; they are three girls that rule the school and define what is popular or not. The relates to the senator group in the play, the senators define what is okay in Roman society and what is not. Regina is the leader of the Plastics, just as Caesar is at the top of the senators; they are both powerful and power hungry, but in a way that leads to their downfall.
The theme of jealousy is prevalent in both the movie and the play. Pompey and Caesar's jealousy over a fling with Cleopatra and Regina and Cady's jealousy over the senior Aaron Samuels. Cassius' jealousy of Caesar's power leads to Caesar's demise. Cassius basically employs Brutus to help in killing Caesar and sways him to believe that Caesar is using his power wrong. In the movie Cady is jealous of Regina's popularity and sways Gretchen to her side. Gretchen begins to see that Regina uses her power to control others. She also makes a speech about Julius Caesar in her class, pretending to be Brutus:
"Why should Caesar get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet. Whats so great about Caesar huh? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar. Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, and people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar. And when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh? Because that is not what Rome was about! WE SHOULD TOTALLY JUST STAB CAESAR!!"
This shows how Gretchen's character is supposed to equal Brutus'. In the end Regina cannot fall from popularity without Gretchen's help, even though Cady and her friends did most of the plotting. Julius Caesar could not be taken over without help from Brutus, even though Cassius was behind most of the plotting.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Lion King and Hamlet
Shakespearian themes and motifs can sometimes be lost on younger generations, but with the premiere of the Disney movie The Lion King, Shakespeare was brought into children's minds without them knowing the Shakespeare was the mastermind behind the plot. The Lion King is very closely related to the play Hamlet, and while the ending is not totally the same (this is Disney after all) a lot of the main action in the movie is the same as in the play.
The prince, or Hamlet, is portrayed by Simba. Simba's father is killed early in the movie and Simba is made to feel guilty for this and he runs away from his duty as prince of the Pride Lands. Similarly, Hamlet's father is killed and he goes into a severe depression and runs away from his right to be king of Denmark. They both avoid vengeance for the death's of their fathers and become old in their depression. Hamlet Sr. and Mufasa both appear to their sons through an apparition or ghost-like appearance. They let their sons know that something must be done about the current ruler of their kingdom (Claudius and Scar) and the nation needs to go back to the peaceful rule it once had.
Timone and Pumba (my favorites) relate to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in that they are almost a relief to the tense nature of the plot as well as catalysts for Simba and Hamlet to return to their home/castle and seek revenge on Scar and Claudius.
The Twelfth Night and comedic drama.
Initially, in The Twelfth Night a love triangle is introduced. Viola loves Orisno, and Orisno loves Olivia. Olivia does not want anything to do with men after the death of her brother, until she meets Caesario (who is actually Viola dressed as a man. So at that moment it is a tri-pointed love situation.
Then we know later that the love 'triangle' is actually a lot bigger. Sebastian, Feste, and Malvolio are interested in Olivia as well as Viola. These men also have friendships with each-other, as well as with Antonio and Sir Toby; these friendships are possibly more than just platonic friendship. All of these bonds between the characters have an aspect of friendship and trust, but a lot of it seems to be physical attraction.
The problem of almost all of these romances is that nothing can come of them, none of them can really lead to marriage.
Orisno cannot marry Olivia because she does not have an interest in him.
Viola cannot marry Orisno because he loves Olivia and Viola is masquerading as a man as well.
Olivia cannot marry Caesario because Caesario is actually a woman (Viola).
The men that questionably like each other more than friends, cannot marry because they are all men.
Mary and Fest cannot really marry because they continually out-wit each other, and are not of the same class.
Malvolio and Olivia cannot marry because they are of different classes and Olivia does not love Malvolio.
The plot of this play revolves around social relationships and how complicated they always are. No relationship (friend or more) is free of drama or problems and that seems to be the point that Shakespeare is trying to get across. All human relationships have problems and different facets, but when you step away and look at it as a play, the relationships become comic, our problems and dramas are actually funny and not as dire as we think when we are within the relationship.
Then we know later that the love 'triangle' is actually a lot bigger. Sebastian, Feste, and Malvolio are interested in Olivia as well as Viola. These men also have friendships with each-other, as well as with Antonio and Sir Toby; these friendships are possibly more than just platonic friendship. All of these bonds between the characters have an aspect of friendship and trust, but a lot of it seems to be physical attraction.
The problem of almost all of these romances is that nothing can come of them, none of them can really lead to marriage.
Orisno cannot marry Olivia because she does not have an interest in him.
Viola cannot marry Orisno because he loves Olivia and Viola is masquerading as a man as well.
Olivia cannot marry Caesario because Caesario is actually a woman (Viola).
The men that questionably like each other more than friends, cannot marry because they are all men.
Mary and Fest cannot really marry because they continually out-wit each other, and are not of the same class.
Malvolio and Olivia cannot marry because they are of different classes and Olivia does not love Malvolio.
The plot of this play revolves around social relationships and how complicated they always are. No relationship (friend or more) is free of drama or problems and that seems to be the point that Shakespeare is trying to get across. All human relationships have problems and different facets, but when you step away and look at it as a play, the relationships become comic, our problems and dramas are actually funny and not as dire as we think when we are within the relationship.
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