Category: Communication

Act 1 scene 1

The Emperor of Rome is dead. His two sons Saturninus and Bassianus are democratically fighting for the throne and as Saturninus is the first born he argues that he has the right as first born to have the title of the throne. However as they are quarrelling they are silenced by the tribunes of the people. Marcus Andronicus then announces that the people of Rome have elected his brother Titus Andronicus as the emperor of Rome.

Titus however through modesty doesn’t accept the this title and gives it to Saturninus and appoints his daughter to be his bride

Titus Andronicus: Shakespeare’s inspiration & the reason for Shakespeare’s acts of violence in the play

Like most plays written by Shakespeare the inspiration of the play Titus Andronicus has a range of sources from which Shakespeare has sampled from. Yet some of the inspired fiction still withholds very loose ties to it’s original source which causes a clash of speculation around the subject of inspiration giving the reader or scholar many ways to interpret the actual events, in the terms of personality or motivation of the characters.

Titus Andronicus however unlike many of Shakespearian Roman set plays is fictional meaning that Shakespeare did not need to cling to the possible or even the humane way of thinking, which may explain why some aspects of the play are so grotesque and  tragic. For example how literally everyone in the play holds little to no humility and mercy, causing the play to spiral down into chaos, with the majority of the characters being “killed off” within the ending scene of the play.
Some scenes of the play do have large amount of 3rd party sources; as “no book worked upon Shakespeare’s imaginary force more vigorously than Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the source of most of his mythological imaginary.”[1] These books would have been studied by Shakespeare in the classroom as he came into the exercise of with writing epistles that imagined a particular situation or impersonated the style of a figure from classical history, or mythology.[2]
These studies of the classics were deeply woven into Shakespeare’s scholarly psyche due to the fact that he had studied them from a very young age, causing him to maybe subconsciously recreate a story that he implemented into his own plays that originally derived from his young studies of the classics. This subconscious grasp may  be the reason as to why lots of his stories have very elusive origins. This is because Shakespeare is not writing all of the original story but only parts of it such as the rape and mutilation of Lavinia.

Within the sixth book of Ovid’s metamorphoses, Ovid tells of the rape of Philomela. She is the daughter Pandion, the king of Athens. Her sister Procene despite ill omens, marries Tereus of Thrace and haves a son for him who is called Itys. Philomela’s sister after spending 5 years in Thrace wishes to see her sister again and asks for her husband Tereus to bring Philomea to her from Athens. Tereus therefore goes to Athens in with the order to bring Philomea to Procene however when travelling from Athens to Thrace with Philomea he begins to lust for her. In his attempts to settle his desires peacefully with Philomea he fails. He furthermore drags her to a forest rapes her. Then cuts out her tongue so she cannot tell anyone and returns to his wife with the lie that her sister is dead.
However Philomea weaves a tapestry in which she explains the events that caused her misfortune. She shows this to her sister Porcene and together in the forest the plot revenge. They attain their revenge by cooking Itys in a pie and serving the pie to Tereus whom oblivious to its contents eats the pie. The sisters then show the head of his son and explain to him what he has just done.[3]

This story from Ovid’s metamorphoses holds great resemblance to Shakespeare’s play as it relates to not just the rape and mutilation of Lavinia but partially to the revenge of Titus with the pies which contain human flesh. Other sources that may relate to the play are other books of Ovid’s metamorphoses, random folk tale such as “a moors vengeance” and the play Thyestes.[4]

As for the acts in the play, Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s first play which is categorized in it’s own genre as a Revenge Tragedy meaning that there will be an inevitable blood bath at the end of the play. Also touching on the fact that the play was Shakespeare’s first, in spite of publicity this play had to to become a hit even with Shakespeare’s lack of experience in play-write. So Shakespeare had to think about how to entertain his audience, so he therefore had to think logically about the contents of his audience.
The type of audience that would normally attend one a play would be a group of men as the difference in society in the Elizabethan era was male dominant meaning that men would have the most of the power in the society making the able to for example dictate the fortune of their wife’s who were most likely at home looking after children while they were out having a good time. So therefore Shakespeare made his first play a very masculine orientated play which gravitated to the subject of extreme, exaggerated violence, which could be said as the male genre at the time and possibly today.[5]
This act of violence also embodies the feeling of Schadenfreude[6] which is the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. Which is another maybe un-pure human characteristic that most people would rather deem not real as it is seen as morally wrong. This Schadenfreude is just another aspect of the play that Shakespeare has implemented to capture the interest of the audience and the way that Shakespeare build’s tension in his play causes the audience who are watching his plays to develop a longing for Schadenfreude. This longing for the displeasure and misfortune of others is fulfilled once a character has been killed.

Overall the way that Shakespeare set his first play was due to the story’s of his childhood and the logistics of his everyday audience. Shakespeare’s first play therefore was quite popular in its day of showing as it showed what the people wanted, a long twisted play that was enveloped a masculine nature. Which ends in a blood bath that fills the audiences longing for the feeling of Schadenfreude.

Notes

1.  Staging the world Shakespeare.
Published by the British museum press.
Written by Jonathan Bate & Dora Thoron
pg 126

2. Staging the world Shakespeare.
Published by the British museum press.
Written by Jonathan Bate & Dora Thoron
pg 124

3. Wikepedia: Titus Andronicus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Andronicus
Heading: Sources
page was last modified on 3 October 2013 at 21:56.
Read 07/10/2013

4. Wikepedia: Titus Andronicus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Andronicus
Heading: Sources
page was last modified on 3 October 2013 at 21:56.
Read 07/10/2013

5. Titus Andronicus: Historical Context
http://waugh11.edutronic.net/titus-andronicus-historical-context/
This work by Christopher Waugh is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0
Written by Christopher Waugh
Last edited 24/09/2013
Seen 07/10/2013

6. Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/schadenfreude
last edited 2010 Douglas Harper
read 07/10/2013

 

 

 

Exam style questions: Bias texts on Gay marriage

Both articles share the same story about the letter imploring David Cameron to delay a vote on same-sex marriage until after the next election which is until 2015. Furthermore, according to the newspaper articles, the letter was also signed by some Conservative party members and delivered by personally by a small group of party members to Downing Street.
Whereas the amount of party members that actual signed the letter to David Cameron differs because in one article 20 Conservative party members signed whereas in another article 22 party members signed the letter.
Yet, these articles are differing in their statement of the overall impact of the letter as there is an apparent 1% of total votes will be against gay marriage and another states that there is a high level of controversy and division in opinion.

The articles overall are bias as both articles a subjective to different opinions and state that there is either a majority or a minority of people that will change their opinions as to who they will vote for in the next election.

Theme Study: Reality and Religion

Reality: The state or quality of being real.

The problem with the subject of reality is that it is difficult to comprehend as we don’t know the state or quality of being true. This state or quality is entirely bound by our beliefs.

In Catholicism people decide on their actions in accordance with the bible furthermore, in their reality there is a life beyond death. However this reality is on the opposite side of the spectrum from atheists that strongly believe that there is no life after death and there is overall, no God. Yet it is quite recently due to science that the popular belief of religion is beginning to shift and more people are starting to believe in the atheist point of view. As in book Sophie’s world the philosopher Alberto Knox describes religion as the creative reason for all things that happen.

“By philosophy we mean the completely new way of thinking that evolved in Greece about six hundred years before the birth of Christ. Until that time people had found answers to all their questions in various religions.”

Sophie’s World: Joestein Gaarder

Sophie’s World is a book entirely based around the history and controversy of Philosophy.

His Dark materials trilogy: Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman

The advertisments intention was to spread the idea that when you smoke, it becomes an addiction, which furthermore becomes an obsession after time. This idea is brought to the audience via the design of the poster. Primarily the cigarette is the central focus of the poster, as it has been placed in an enlarged form in the centre of the poster which, also including the fact that it has been fashioned into the shape of a hook strengthens the slogan that lies above it. This slogan is “and you’ve been hooked” in large font.
Yet what lies below the cigarette are a array of silhouette figures that appear to be in pain. The fact that they are silhouetted figures, produces the effect that they are not really who they are or could give the idea that they are dead because they are only a shadow of their self or simply gone.

Restraint writing

“Come on Back”

What was your life like? Before it happened what were they like? You know, your family, your friends, how you enjoyed the world instead of dreading it. After the trauma and despair, when you finally escaped, did you feel, happy? It wasn’t real freedom that you gained and it certainly wasn’t safe either. It was worse than when you were caught because you lost them, the people that you held dear, seeing as even now there is a sense of emptiness of where they belonged.

Quickly – as a child, an idiot, as one without memory you plunge into the icy waters of the adorable lake.

Theme Study; Reality and it’s perceptions?

The Ideas of Reality…………..

Religion vs Science?

Along with philosophy

Sophie’s world – Jostein Gaarder        Fiction                               Bought         philosophy
The Grand Design – Stephen Hawking     Non-fiction                Idea?             Science

His Dark Materials Trilogy – Philip Pullman     Fiction             Read            Religion – Bad view, Wishful thinking?

Inception – Dimensional theory or paradox

Matrix – Paradox

 

Dystopia description

It was an early morning once the car arrived. The polluted skyline was a murky grey as it hovered above the adamant power-station. Six guards stood on the frontal bridge before the imposing building and drew their cold, double barrelled weapons towards the car as it approached. It was an un-usual site to see a vehicle in this sector of the metropolis and as the car drew to a halt, two guards approached it suspiciously. The mysterious arrival,

Explore the methods Steinbeck uses to demonstrate the effects of isolation on people in “Of Mice and Men” GCSE Assessment DAY 3

Explore the methods Steinbeck uses to demonstrate the effects of isolation on people in “Of Mice and Men”
Isolation: a person, often shy or lacking in social skills, who either avoids the company of others or has no friends in a group.
In “Of Mice and Men”, there is an immense concept of isolation and loneliness that to effects all the characters and events in the story. The Story starts off with a very fitting and supporting quote; “A few miles south of Soledad…” this opening quote is a very movie like scenario but announces one of the major themes of the novella, loneliness. Soledad is the direct translation of solitude in Spanish and if you replace Soledad with its translation the quote says, a few miles south of solitude which furthermore implies that the location of the novella is just away from complete loneliness. This metaphor is also talking about the setting of the book, the 1930’s depression was a time where there was a large amount of people all alone, wandering around the country looking for employment. Finally the quote is Steinbeck’s first use of foreshadow in the novella which is becomes to play an important role of forecasting most events in the book, that Steinbeck subtly sets into motion.
There are a number of ways that isolation is demonstrated in the book and the most common way is the colloquial speech of the characters themselves. However it’s not just the language used, but the themes that envelope isolation. Prejudice for example was a common aspect of everyday life in the Great Depression, so if you were racist, sexist or ageist it was considered alright.
Steinbeck implicates through Curley’s wife that prejudice isolates people and how isolation can become the cause of fragility and depression. Primarily Curley’s wife is isolated because she is the only female character in the whole novella therefore isolating her from all the members of the ranch. Secondarily Steinbeck’s seems to describe her appearance in a sexual light;
“She had full, rouged kips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up.”
This sexual description fits hand in hand with the fact that she isn’t actually given a name so therefore it could be suggested that Steinbeck is describing her as a sexual object, which is owned by Curley. This then gives an atmosphere of fear and anxiety around her, causing all characters with the exception of Curley to keep their distance from her, isolating her because she is owned by another man.
This isolation of both prejudice and fear is the whole reason why she says “You seen Curley?” The quote is evidence that she is lonely and looking for company, but she is oblivious to the fear that she creates, so therefore she starts to flirt with people to attract them to talk to her which only amplifies the fear of Curley, who’s hot tempered and violent nature is a large aspect of danger for the ranch members not to cross, Not to forget that he is the bosses son and could get them fired.
“Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am anyways? You’re a nice guy. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin’ no harm to you”
This quote implies that Curley’s wife is fragile because she is asking a repetition of rhetorical questions that are focused around her solitude. She is stating that she has the right for people to talk to her, that she isn’t doing any harm and that she is so lonely that she will do anything for company, even if she is addressing someone who is incapable of responding, Lennie. This fragility is the cause of her death. Which leads the reader to question, was it really her fault?
In the novella there are a series of recurring themes that are the cause of a number of the events of the book, this is because of Steinbeck’s writing style of realism that every action has a consequence and every comment has an effect. So, for example the time of the Great depression was the cause of unemployed men wandering around, even the most desolate parts of America looking for employment. This isolation of financial difficulties is the very cause of everybody’s employment on the ranch. “Aint many guys travel around together” he mused.” I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” This quote is brought up by Slim, the character who Steinbeck has created to become the vision of the American role model, the ranch’s own mega star that can do no wrong. So the fact that Slim has brought this up means that Steinbeck is implying that there is an important note to be made here about the people in the world at that time. Saying everybody in the world is scared of each other, brings the reader to think on the lines of the cause of this fear, why is everybody scared of each other? The answer is weakness; everybody has a weakness that they try to hide for example Curly resents being a small man, George can’t fight for his dream and Lennie is incapable. All of this fear of revelation of weaknesses is the exact reason why people are traveling in solitude and the fact that there is no trust between anyone, because in the end, for ranch members, it is the survival of the fittest. The quote in the end foreshadows Lennie’s death.
Dreams, in “Of Mice and Men” the story is built on top of dreams and these dreams are the exact reason of what drives the two main characters, Lennie and George, to keep on going. However dreams are hard to achieve because the closer you get to dreams the harder they become to achieve and the loss of them can cause depression and turmoil inside one’s life. “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land”, this quote is a comparison between dreams and heaven, that in the end they are the same thing. Getting your own plot of land in the Great depression is a common dream shared by most sober ranch members but the chances of you achieving it is nil. The destruction of dreams inside the book is a method that Steinbeck uses to emphasise loneliness as it is what causes Curley’s wife’s death and Lennie’s.