English AT2 Othello essay Flashcards
thesis
In the evolution of textual conversations, composers skilfully recontextualise canonical works and reimagine the critical ideas and values they espouse, speaking across time to shape a deeper awareness of our morality that enriches contemporary audiences
introduction
By reimagining William Shakespeare’s Aristotelian tragedy, Othello (1603), Geoffrey Sax’s postmodern film, Othello (2001), reveals how central ideas and values like ________ are reshaped across time, retaining relevance to enlighten our understanding of humanity.
Shakespeare’s purpose
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ (1603) illuminates the power imbalances between dominant and subordinate race and gender groups, thus socially critiquing the fatality of racial and gender prejudice within the 16th century patriarchal Jacobean world of endogamy.
Sax’s purpose
Sax’s ‘Othello’ (2001) aims to be a provocative challenge to the notion of racism in his contemporary context and a scathing indictment of violence against women. He esteems Shakespeare to reveal the congruencies between renaissance and contemporary prejudices regarding race and gender, thus portraying how great art can teach us more about ourselves.
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ context- RACE
Othello’s race places him as an outsider in a predominantely white Venecian society. Stereotypes and prejudice represented his race as monsterous, or exotic people. They were considered to be dangerous and unnatural because they are foreign. Othello is accepted professionally, but this isn’t the case in domestic affairs.
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ context- GENDER
The patriarchy dominates society. A woman’s place was in the home and she had no role to play publicly. They were subservient possessions dependent on their fathers until handed over to husbands. Dessie is a voiceless victim, and Shakespeare gives her as the marginalised a voice.
Sax’s ‘Othello’ context
Othello is set in contemporary London amidst racial tensions involving police brutality which substitutes the war between Venice and Turkey. Sax recontextualises the concepts of racism, power-play, and the role of gender into a new time period, thus commenting on how gender and race stereotypes of the Jacobean era are still present in contemporary society behind closed doors.
conclusion
Sax’s Othello dismantles the absolute truths of Shakespeare’ play, presenting innovative interpretations of canonical ideas of ______________ and _______________. Through this dialogical study, our enjoyment of Shakespeare’s Othello is heightened, allowing audiences to truly learn from old lessons that resonate with our humanity today.
Q1: the outsider definition
The narrative of ‘The Outsider’ is represented by Othello as a non-conformist who wants to be an insider but can’t because of his otherness, thus disrupting the natural order, is utilised by Sax to converse with Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ in revealing truths about humanity. Sax challenges the facade of racial tolerance systemically.
Q1: the outsider ‘shakespeare’ race analysis
context: Othello’s race places him as an outsider. Othello is accepted professionally, but this isn’t the case in domestic affairs.
textual form: Shakespeare gives Othello the heroic capacity for passion but what sets him apart is the fact that he is a man from alien race. Tragedy is caused by disruption of natural order (O and D marriage)
Values: Othello is the personification of honesty, but he isn’t esteemed domestically because of his difference.
Purpose: to suggest that otherness because of one’s race is fatal, and instead Shakespeare esteems diversity.
Q1: the outsider ‘Sax’ race analysis
context: Othello is an outsider because of his race. professionally, he is brought in to acceptance but behind closed doors he experiences prejudice.
textual form: issue of race is modernised into the film adaptation for a disenfranchised audience. He manipulates and exploits the camera as a film medium to represent Othello’s difference. As a postmodern text, Sax integrates context through intertextuality to create meaning.
values: Jago’s dishonesty is represented by Sax to explore the façade of racial tolerance of government constructed for political correctness (otherness)
purpose: to suggest that there are similarities between Shakespearean and contemporary society regarding the prejudice against minority groups (race, gender)
Q1: the outsider ‘Shakespeare’ gender analysis
context: same as generic one
textual form: Othello isn’t the ideal of courtly love because he is an outsider which feeds his insecurities.The divergence from this makes Desdemona the tragic victim.
values: Women were treated as possessions of men with little autonomy that were expected to serve their husbands or fathers as subordinates. They had no role in public life and it their virtue came from their fidelity.
purpose: same as generic one, comment on the victimisation of women failed by the patriarchy
Q1: the outsider ‘Sax’ gender analysis
context: same as generic one
textual form: the issue of race is modernised into the ITV adaptation for a disenfranchised audience. He manipulates and exploits the camera as a film medium to represent to represent the powerlessness and objectification of women. As a postmodern text, Sax integrates context through intertextuality to create meaning.
values: chastity, Sax highlights the destruction of the innocent as a critique of the destructive nature of gender inequality.
purpose: same as a generic one, suggests similarities between the treatment of women in contemporary and Jaccobean society
Q2: power definition
Power is a tumultuous entity that is exploited by those with it to oppress minority groups
Q2: power ‘Shakespeare’ race analysis
context: same as generic one, Othello has professional power but is weakened because of his otherness, power is strongly correlated to reputation
textual form: Othello’s tragic flaw is that he lacks confidence which allows for Iago to manipulate him. Othello views himself as less than which reduces his reputation because of prejudice. Iago manipulates language to manipulate him psychologically until dependency is created
values: Iago simply exaggerates attitudes of the time which suggests that societal prejudice, not the Machiavel himself, is responsible for the fatal end. Aims demean Othello as a Moor. Iago abuses his power as a confidant.
purpose: same as generic one
