Bahktin on Cultural Materialism
Grotesque Realism in Merchant of Venice
Cultural materialism is a mode of analysis that recognizes the significance of historical and cultural context in literature placing emphasis on the importance of classes and social politics on the content of a work. Bahktin acknowledges the necessity of viewing the world through the lens in which it was written and the manner of language which was used. To establish this mode of discourse he stratifies languages based on various levels of society and life style. These levels include the language of genre, professional and social language, the linguistics of age and generation, and the ever changing jargon of socio-politics. To reach an understanding of any writing, the
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The entire society was based off of this new economic structure and status which shapes the way it is portrayed in this play. Due to the competitive nature of the trade in the city Venice was also the first place in Europe to form a Jewish ghetto, segregating Jewish people from everyday life and limiting their ability to participate in the growing economy. Many people during this time were highly critical and negative towards the Jewish population, many for the same reason the main character of this play, Antonio, is hateful towards the Jewish character of Shylock. The main source of income for those who were ostracized form the community was money lending and those who were money lenders were viewed as greedy and untrustworthy by the majority of society. The fact that the character of Shylock is so mistreated in the beginning of this play and claims that the society in which he lives has driven him to his life style portrays the reality of this situation as it was in the 16th century however by making Shylock a grotesque character Shakespeare gives the audience permission to despise that which they are already wary of. Shylock is a physical representation of greed and dishonor which makes him an extremely grotesque character however it is intriguing to look at his portrayal through the lens of Shakespeare’s life. It seems that in constructing this character Shakespeare reflects some of his own experiences and self-identity, which adds to the realness of his character but also seems to provide a self-critique by the playwright. Shakespeare’s father was a money lender throughout his entire life and Shakespeare himself became a money lender later in life, charging extremely high taxation on the loans that he gave out. Acknowledging the similarities between the character he creates and his own life it is possible to see how Shakespeare is using real character flaws, those he
Bunn has set up the main points for the basis of learning to read like a writer: intended purpose, intended audience, genre, published or student writing, and identifying the writing assignments to be assigned so that the person writing can begin the process. The author’s conclusions are how reading like a writer
Hamlet Character deception is a common characteristic that has and will be a reflecting characteristic in literature for centuries. In many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, deception, whether positive or negative, is being used to mislead, to protect characters, or to hide a crime or future crime. Analyzing why the characters are using deception against each other is very important to the reader’s understanding of the work as a whole. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, He uses Hamlet’s deception of character and also the character’s use of deception towards Hamlet to carry out the overall theme of the tragedy. The theme that is represented, is that in able to get malicious revenge, you must be able to act as if you are someone different than your true self while in turn, being able to deal with others deceiving you.
Looking at “Learning to Read
In Mike Bunn’s reading “How to Read Like a Writer” he discuss the importance of being able to read as a writer. He explains why it’s necessary to be able to understand what the author is trying to get across. Being able to identify why a writer chose is a certain tone for his/her writing is what makes one a better reader. One should put to themselves in the author’s shoes and be able to connect with the writing and understand from what point the author is coming from. When reading like a writer it facilitates one’s ability to understand to do this.
The following passage is significant to the play ‘Othello’ in retrospect to the plot progression, as it reiterates themes and introduces important facets to the plot development. Through Iago’s cunning manipulation and Shakespeare’s crafting of language, this passage is constructed as a pivotal point of the play, marking the transition of Othello’s personality and revealing his deepest insecurities that eventually lead to his downfall and tragic ending. Iago wields a lot of power over all the characters throughout the play, but in this passage in particular he is presented at his most powerful. The passage is riddled with subtle suggestions and insinuations by Iago to raise Othello’s suspicions of his wife’s fidelity, opening with the admonition to “beware, my lord, of jealousy!
1- What makes Miranda a central character in the play? What process must she undergo? What virtues does she possess that make success likely? Miranda is a hero “The Tempest.”
This play captures the rise and fall of King Macbeth. Shakespeare shows the reader that one persons greed can get him killed and other people around to turn on him, By showing the reader what decisions Macbeth made to elevate his status in power. The kind of people who changed around them and how they changed. Furthermore in Act 1, Macbeth is given a prophecy that he would become king by three witches. This leads to him into thinking greedy and commiting murder.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare set in Scotland about a murderous and vehement king who spirals on a path of destruction as he suffers from the consequences of determining his own fate. The predominant theme portrayed throughout the play is honor vs. loyalty. This is represented through the identification, actions, and quotes of numerous characters. To introduce the theme of honor vs. disloyalty, the characters Banquo and Macbeth exemplify traits that are equivalent with the moral of the story.
The personality of such characters as Hamlet from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is much remarked upon. However, it is even more meaningful to analyze changes in Hamlet’s character throughout the play. As Hamlet becomes more driven in his revenge, his actions lose morality and gain consequences. In fact, Shakespeare uses the relationship between a character’s cruelty and the meaning in the pain they cause to comment on the cyclically destructive nature of cruelty.
Michael Olufunsho Fafemi Alan Rosiene HUM 2052 February 6 2018 Hamlet, The Claudius similarity and Machiavellism Shakespeare through the play Hamlet portrays many complex themes through the various characters in the play. Hamlet, the protagonist is in particular a mesh of various complexities and ideas. He is often caught in between his own opposing characteristics and these ultimately affect the course of his actions.
A story of tragedy is not uncommon with William Shakespeare and his works of prose. In his plays, death and despair is more likely than honor and prosperity. This is an included facet to Macbeth as well, having sinister themes of greed, manipulation, and brutality. Macbeth, by the infamous playwright, Shakespeare, presents us with multiple aspects factoring into whether the main character controls his actions that lead to the tragic events.
While traveling towards the path of seeping knowledge and analyzing critical ideals, we’ve become absent minded towards the components that gave us the ability to read. Since reading is always a part of our everyday routine, we have lost the idea that when it comes to learning how to read, we must start from the basics. From reading a case study, to reading a letter from a loved one, comprehension, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and oral language are the six essential components of reading. Before a child develops the ability to read, they begin to develop comprehension. Comprehension can be defined as the ability to understand.
Celia Beyers Tinti Period 1/5 12 April 2015 Literary Analysis: Macbeth In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, he presents the character of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is shown, as a character that schemes into making rebellious plots. She reveals the desire for wanting to lose her feminine qualities in order to be able to gain more masculine ones.
‘The Merchant of Venice’ written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and ‘The Jew of Malta’ written by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) were both written during a period when anti-semitism was prevalent in England. Anti Semitism is the intense dislike for and prejudice against Jewish people. The Jews were considered a despised race and were deeply resented by the Christians. They bore the plaque of disgrace and hostility. As a Jew, Shylock too faced such discrimination.
Those who managed to gain wealth were looked down upon just as much as those who had no money at all. However in Act two scene 5, Shylock says, “I’ll go in hate, to eat the wasteful christians food.” In this quote Shakespeare is alluding to the biblical belief that