Iago's Manipulation

When Iago first plants the seed in Othello's mind relating to the relationship between Desdemona and Cassio, he reacts quickly because of Iago's ability to twist words and situations around to work in his favour because people believe him because he has the reputation of being honest. When Desdemona married the moor, Othello, she went behind her fathers back and deceived him. When Iago mentions to Othello that she decided her father and cold very easily deceive you, this frightens and angers Othello as he does not want to believe that the love of his life is a cheat. Iago then plants another seed in Othello's ear to suggest that the way the communicate is close and as if they were in a relationship. Iago says, "Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio"(3.3.132). This suggests that Desdemona is not being completely faithful towards Othello and that there is more than whats meets the eye, and as Iago knows Desdemona is trying to help Cassio become left lieutenant again. Cassio also has the reputation of a ladies man which does not help the situation at all as Othello sees his actions as flirtation. Reputation is one of the main reasons that Othello believes that Desdemona is unfaithful. With Iago being labelled honest, Othello believes all that he says as accurate and true without question. 

Theme of Race in play Othello

A major theme presented in the play Othello is the theme of Race. It is firstly presented between the characters of Othello and Desdemona and their marriage together. Throughout the whole beginning of the play Othello is not presented as his nobel self but instead as a moor or as Iago calls him, "an old black ram"(I.i.93). This positions the audience to see that people of a different colour do not have as high a status or repeat as white people. When the marriage between Desdemona and himself comes to surface her father is outraged because he is seen as a predator towards his daughter and he believes someone of his race could never win his love without the use of witchcraft. As the play progresses we learn that he has much respect in his roll, and if it wasn't for his race then his marriage to Desdemona would be accepted more to the community. 

I do/ do not feel sorry for Brabantio because…

I do feel sorry for Brabantio at this point in the play as he has suddenly lost his daughter to Othello and he did not know about it until told by someone else. When Rodrigo tells Brabantio he firstly denies it as he thought his daughter would tell him and that the man would ask for permission. When he then finds out that she is marrying someone who is considered an outsider due to his colour it is even more devastating for him as he wanted her to marry someone well respected by the community. I feel sorry for him as it is all put upon him so fast and he the fact has been told that Othello used witchcraft to brainwash his daughter did not help his feelings towards Othello. 

Othello

Why has Shakespeare chosen to introduce the main character in this way? How are we, as the audience, being positioned to see Othello and to see other characters?

In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, people that are moor's are outsiders by people. Shakespeare introduces Othello throughout the whole beginning of the play not by his names but by a rude and racist name to Othello. In the play he is called by Iago  “the Moor” (I.i.57), “the thick-lips” (I.i.66), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113), this is because they thought of them as nothing that was worth considering. Shakespeare does not introduce Othello in the first act as he wants use to see how people act towards and treat him. 

Othello Pre Reading

Venice is a city located in northeast Italy positioned on a group of 118 small islands that are seperated by canals and linked by bridges. The city is renowned for the beauty of its setting, architecture and artworks and is listed as a World Heritage Site. After the Italian turmoil of the early 16th century, Venice entered a long and gradual period of decline. Losing its political will, Venice found the new role which it enjoyed ever since - as a place of pleasure and delight. The republic that was once so pugnacious maintained a cautious neutrality from the mid-16th century onwards and fought only to defend its Mediterranean possessions from the Turks. Throughout the 16th century, Venice became one of the most important musical centres of Europe and also became the first and biggest trading power in the world, controlling trade across the Mediterranean Sea.

 Is located in the Mediterranean Sea. At the time of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire would have been at its height. Cyprus was eventually part of this Empire in the 16th century. So it would have been important in shipping, it was also an important source of the metal copper. It is 1500 miles by sea from Venice. Cyprus is near Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. It is for that reason that Ottoman troops captured Cyprus in the sixteenth century and it remains divided between the Greek dominated Republic of Cyprus and a Turkish Cypriot North Cyprus.

Moors are medieval muslim who came from North Africa. They lost their land and weren’t ruling. They moved to Europe and were hide there religioius values. In Spain, they forced Moores to either turn to Christianity or leave the country. Moors practice Islam, and are Muslims of North African descent. The Moors were very tolerant of different religions and their beliefs.

Many Elizabethans believed that Christianity was the suprerior religion, so they resisted other religions and disliked foreigners such as Turks. The Turks were considered as outsiders and their Muslim rule was resisted, which created much tension between the Turks and the Elizabethan Christians. Even though Turks were considered as exotic, they were very much disliked and regarded as ‘alien’.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition, having an affect on the nervous system..’Epilepsy syndromes are described by their symptoms which can include, confused memory, involuntary movement of arms and legs, blackouts, episodes of staring, fainting spells with incontinence to name a few. In the times of the Renaissance, people who were epileptic were regarded as intelligent and considered as prophets who, while having an episode, could see the past, present and future. During the Renaissance, Epilepsy was treated a few ways, one was using the secretions from the scent glands of a beaver which was ingested, another was the use of silver nitrate mercury, tin and copper zinc oxide and a third was ingesting the scrapings from a human scull for several months. An episode can be triggered by things such as loud noises, toxic chemicals\alcohol, flashing lights, caffeine and having a lack of sleep

Similarities and Differences between Lizzie and Mr Collins

Mr. Collin’s and Elizabeth Bennet have many difference and similarities. Elizabeth and Mr. Collins differ on society’s expectations and rules. Elizabeth challenges society’s expectations by not wanting to marry for money but for love, whilst Mr. Collins supports the expectations society sets by trying to find a wife to please Lady Catherine De Bough. The audience is also positioned to like and admire Lizzie through her quick wit and intelligence and to therefore agree with her views. The audience is positioned to view Mr. Collins as a man who lacks common sense and therefore disagree with his views. However, Elizabeth and Mr. Collins do have some similarities as they both positions us to see that there are problems within the class system. 

Mr Collins - Is he an important character?

Mr Collin's is a very important character in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice so she can explore the idea of marring without love but instead marring for a stable future and a good status in society. Mr Collins is to inherit the Bennet property and Mr Bennet has no sons and Mr Collins is the closest male in the family. He is the sort of man that does not wish to marry for love as he sees his cousins as beautiful when he goes to propose to Elizabeth or Jane Bennet. However we see that he turns an eye to Jane as she soon to be proposed so he offers he proposal to the next most beautiful Bennet daughter, Lizzie. Also when he marries Charlotte Lucus we see that this marriage is a simple arrangement and not based on true love but accept them both meeting societies expectations. For Mr Collin's this expectation of marriage was from Lady Catherine De Bough. Mr Collins is also an important character as through his personality we the reader is positioned to repulse him as a character and not agree with his actions and words. This is important through many aspects in the novel.

My Daddy's A Diver Questions

The story My Daddy’s a Diver meets most of the short story genre requirements to a significant extent, however the short story does not address all areas required. The story includes a title which clearly states what the story is about and who the characters are (Daddy and either a little girl or little boy). The short story only happens in around a 20-minute time frame and therefore it meets the closed setting requirement and the story tells and event and something actually happens. The story is in a restricted setting, follows the pattern of a short story, has restricted number of characters, and uses a balance of dialogue and narration. The use of characterisation to help achieve the purpose of the story is very effective. The writer has used the fish as soul mates to represent this. The purpose of the story is to evoke the feeling of love, compassion and losing someone you love. The areas in which it is lacking is that it is only told from one perspective (the Dad) and does not incorporate a mixture of both ‘showing’ and ‘telling. I believe this story is very effective as it makes you reflect on your inner feelings as to what it would be like to loose someone so close to you. When the father killed the fish he saw that the fish had a companion and now suddenly the companion fish looked lose and did not know where to go. He then had a flashback of his wife that had died whom he was still grieving for. He reflected upon his grief as his companion. He then realized that the companion fish was now about to endure the same pain he was going through. That is when he decided he would never kill another fish because everyone has a companion even if they are just a fish. By putting such a powerful connection in the story it allowed the reader to feel the emotion more. The story is contains an inner and physical journey. It’s a journey in which that dad goes on while he is catching food for his daughter. The author of the short story captures your attention through the powerful connection it develops about losing a loved one. 

Show Don't Tell

Tell: 

The dwarves were kind and helpful. They were hard working and enjoyed helping others. They were also very brave and were willing to stand up to the evil giant.

Show:

As I walked into this giant house, 12 faces stared back at me. I was wet and tired and all I wanted to do was sleep. The dwarves could see that and they all ran over to help me in anyway they could. They made this strange house feel like home.

In the morning when I woke up they were all just watching me, wanting to know my story and help me on my journey back home. They told me stories of how they have helped many lost people in the dark dangerous woods.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and we all just in sheer terror. We all ran to the window to see what is was, and in the distance we could see a big, hairy, green giant coming our way. The giant was yelling something but we couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. As it got closer, we realized what it was saying ‘Snow White I eat you!’

‘Isn’t that your name?’ asked one of the dwarves.

I just stood there in pure shock, not an ounce of my body could move. So this is how I am going to die, oh my.

‘Quick! Hide her!’ yelled one of the dwarves.

They grabbed my hands and told me to go down the little trap door and just stay there. So that’s what I did.

I could here all this yelling and screaming, so I thought I would take a little peek at what was going on. So I lifted the lid to the trap door and poked only the top of my head out.

I could see all the dwarves fighting the evil giant. And then it was over, the giant feel to the floor. The dwarves had won! I ran to them and hugged them all. By brave dwarves saved my life.

Part 3 - Unpolished Gem

Part 3 of Unpolished Gem tells the reader about the Great Australian Dream and also how immigrants are stereotyped by Australians when they arrive into the country. This section of the book describes the Pung's achievement of the Great Australian Dream. We learn that the Australian Dream is owning their own house or land, having a secure job and a better lifestyle then the one in Cambodia, and Alice explains how her family achieved this. She explains how they no longer need clothes form the government, and their attitude towards immigrate have changed. 'Gone were the days of where a one-dollar plastic brown vinyl coat a birthday present from the government.' They now understand how to integrate into society by trying to remove the stereotype about Asian's and peasantry and how they have lost the amazement they once had. This section of the book also tells the reader that immigrants are often stereotyped and as a result the immigrants feel sad and lonely when they arrive in Australia. The journey of part 3 is a physical and inner journey. A physical journey as hey moved from Cambodia to Australia and an inner journey as the Pung family experience new cultures and ways of living and try and live the Australian Dream. 

Childhood Memory

Every Easter, when I was young, my family would have a week camping at my family’s farm. All our cousins were there and we would run around the paddocks and yard for hours on end. We didn’t have a care in the world. We were dirty and tired, but we kept on going until it was dark. Each night we would camp in the yard while all the parents slept in the house. We would sit in the tent trying to think of scary stories to tell. Eventually, we would fall asleep and wake up to find the Easter bunny had come and left chocolate. Then one year we didn’t go due to the weather and then we eventually just stopped going altogether. Thinking about the times at the farm now I can see how carefree and amazing it used to be. If we tried to do it again now it just wouldn’t be the same. We are not willing to be as dirty, we get tired easily and just stop and rest instead of carrying and the Easter bunny is not as real and exciting as it was before. The farm was one of the best memories.