Friday, October 25, 2019
Othellos Fainting as a Point of No Return :: Free Essays Online
Othello's Fainting as a Point of No Return In Act IV, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello faints when confronted with the possibility that his wife has been unfaithful. Through the past few scenes, Iago, exploiting Othello’s concerns about his race, has performed a delicate act, slowly but surely leading him towards the inevitable conclusion that his wife and Cassio have ‘cuckolded’ him. When Iago finally refers explicitly to Desdemona’s sexual betrayal, Othello can bear it no longer and faints to escape the reality he cannot bear. From the outset, Othello has been uncomfortable in aristocratic Venetian society. He has deep insecurities about his ability to fulfill his role as Desdemona’s husband, both sexually and socially. Othello is elated when he realizes that beautiful young Desdemona is attracted to him since he perceives himself to be unworthy of her love, primarily due to his old age, physical unattractiveness, and most importantly because he is a black Moor. Thus, his realization of his racial identity figures prominently in his mindset. Sexually, he fears being unable to satisfy his wife’s desires; for it would be only natural for her to, having sealed the vows of marriage, seek a companion more like her. For he is â€Å"rude [†¦] in speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace†(1.3:81-2), most unfit to wed the daughter of the noble senator Brabanzio[1]. Thus, he makes it clear that he prefers the military atmosphere to the aristocratic civilian one. While Othello has thoroughly internalized his concerns regarding his marriage, shrewd Iago is able to perceive and exploit them. Iago’s villainous brilliance is manifest in his ability to take himself into Othello’s confidence. The relationship that develops between the two is of great significance. Iago is most careful to avoid explicitly accusing Desdemona of adultery until the time is right. Instead, he gradually weaves the thought into Othello’s mind so that Othello is able to independently arrive at the same conclusion. While initially Iago exhibits deference and fear of his king, the power dynamic progressively shifts so that the two become almost equal allies in an unholy conspiracy. Othello, at one point, is almost thankful to Iago for revealing to him the truth, declaring that â€Å"I am bound to thee for ever†(3.3:218). Iago reciprocates in the next scene upon being appointed lieutanant, vowing â€Å"I am your own for ever†(3.3:482). Esp ecially in this scene, Iago can be seen as representing Satan himself, inducing good Othello to err thereby securing a vow of loyalty from his servant.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Ethical Dilemma of THE FIRM
There are a number of ethical dilemmas that are quit obvious on the surface in THE FIRM and play a large role in the development of the narrative. These dilemmas revolve around criminal activity and are obvious. The ethical dilemmas that the main character faces are that of whether or not to continue his relationship with illegal activity or to abandon his complicity of the illegality. This is, of course, compounded by the fact that the authorities realize what is going on and will prosecute the main character if he does not aid them and if he does aid them he will risk discover and, possibly, assassination. Again, while much of the narrative and the ethical dilemmas that resonate from it are obvious, there are also a number of subtle ethical dilemmas that equally contribute to the overt dilemmas that the viewer is clearly aware. Consider how Mitch McDeere, the main character, finds himself in the position that he is in, in the first place. McDeere is not a wealthy man and he supports himself through law school by working as a waiter. He is marries and we must logically assume that his wife is also financially supporting him as a waiter’s tips could never finance a full time law degree course load. (A visual motif is employed when we first see Mitch and his wife – they are eating Chinese take out food right out of the cartons. A cheap device to hint that they are short on cash) Mitch is seemingly humbled by his experience and there is a bit of inferiority found within his perception of himself. When the job offer to work at a law firm in Memphis arises, McDeere is enamored with the job for one reason and one reason alone: money. The Memphis firm simply pays the best and it is located in an area where the cost of living is low. Because of this, McDeere will reap cash rewards and, as a result, cleanse himself and his psyche of the inferiority complex that he developed pinching his budget in order to survive. Of course, this also has created a tunnel vision approach to accepting the job offer and McDeere accepts his job offer from a firm he knows relatively little about. Because he rushes into the union based solely out of a desire for a quick profit, he leaves himself woefully vulnerable as he enters a world that is hardly what it seems. He is not so much entering the legal profession as he is entering the criminal profession as the law firm is heavily involved with organized crime and money laundering. For McDeere’s wife, the dilemma becomes one that conflicts her. Should she stay in the marriage and risk her life or should she leave her husband to his own fate? For McDeere’s mentor, Avery Tolar, his dilemma is that he must convince McDeere to literally reshape his own ethical beliefs so as to accept a life of crime. If he can not convince McDeere of this, Tolar is then faced with the dilemma of what to do with McDeere. In other words, Tolar may be forced to have someone whom he considers a surrogate son assassinated. Therein lies a number of complexities within the framework of THE FIRM: the dilemmas posed to McDeere are interrelated with other characters and, ultimately, the dilemma is rooted not so much in the narrative’s complexities as much as they are rooted in the complexities of the motivations of McDeere. This is further compounded by the fact that McDeere’s motivations have shifted from wealth as a source of providing for his family to wealth for wealth’s sake to simply being able to survive. In order to resolve this dilemma, McDeere must figure a way out of a no win situation. He can take his chances with the firm and hope he will not get prosecuted or he can help the police and risk being killed. Either way, his choices are not exactly good so he must seek a third option that may allow him to circumvent the police and his employers at the firm. This leads McDeere to investigate deeper into the business practices of the firm where he hopes to find the magic bullet that will allow him a safe passage out of the dilemma he finds himself. Eventually, he does find an escape and it is the downfall of the film as a serious drama. The way in which the ethical dilemma was resolved is, quite honestly, insane. That is to say, it would appear that the producers of the film did not like the ending of the novel and wanted to create a more upbeat â€Å"Hollywood†ending. In the novel, McDeere and his wife have â€Å"co-opted†quite a bit of the firms money and run away. The novel ends with them on a ship sailing away to a new life and we presume they also will have new identities. The ending of the novel is purposefully ambiguous leading the reader to assume that the escape may or may not work. Whether it does or not is irrelevant as the purpose of the ending of the novel is to show that McDeere has matured and has become self sufficient as well as to provide a cautionary warning to those who make the errors of pride that McDeere embodied. The cinematic adaptation of THE FIRM was a summer release featuring a bankable, box office star. Simply put, there was NO WAY the studio was going to risk losing money with an ending audiences would find too downbeat. In the ending of the film, McDeere’s moral dilemma is solved by presenting the mafia bosses who employ the firm with records of over billings. This way, the mob no longer works with the firm. They will not kill McDeere because he has provided them with proof that they have been â€Å"ripped off†and now the mob will file criminal charges against the firm. To put it mildly, this ending is UTTERLY IDIOTIC, and ruins all the proceedings of the film. It is, however, the way the ending of the film is scripted and it is how a convenient ending is crafted to escape the dilemma the main character faces. Would a different framework to the ending have provided a better conclusion? Had the original ending of the novel been retained the answer would be yes as the ending would have made more logical sense within the genre as the cinematic ending was too ridiculous and contrived. Furthermore, the cinematic ending allows McDeere to EVADE his dilemma that actually confronting it. That is, he plays a sleight of hand game to remove himself from the equation and eliminate the mob’s threat. Again, the ending is silly, but it is the ending we are stuck with. In terms of the overall entertainment value of the subgenres of courtroom/crime/police procedural dramas, there are a number of reasons for the success of these genres despite the fact that these subgenres have a great deal going against them: the age brackets they appeal to are limited and plots are generally not ‘popcorn’ entertainment, yet audiences turn out in droves to see them. (THE FIRM grossed well over $100 million in theaters when first released) Of all the reasons that these subgenres are popular, there are two reasons that stand out the most. First, the audience perceives the films to be â€Å"real.†Of course, what is presented on screen is far removed from what really exists in the mundane world of criminal investigations and courtroom proceedings, but the genres root themselves in the realm of plausibility. While the events that are presented on screen generally do not happen in the dramatic manner in which the events are portrayed, there is the possibility that they could happen in such a manner. As such, the narrative becomes gripping and it draws the audience into the seriousness of the proceedings. Second, the audience finds the morality play in these types of films to be gripping. THE FIRM is not a film that deals exclusively with corruption as it relates to the plot as much as it is a condemnation of corruption in general which is then dramatized in the form of a cinematic morality play. The concept of the audience learning moral lessons in from the entertainment medium is hardly a new concept and it is perennially popular. While such morality lessons started with Greek myths they have carried over into modern cinema where they remain equally popular and will remain so for many years to come. Ultimately, THE FIRM is an excellent thriller that poses a number of ethical dilemmas for the cast of characters as well as the audience. Sadly, the ending cheats both the characters and the audience out of an effective cure for the dilemma, but the film remains entertaining overall despite its flaws. Bibliography Davis, J. (Producer), & Pollack, S. (Director). (1993). The Firm [Motion picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Paramount. Grisham, John. (1992) The Firm. Paperback Edition. New York: Pengui
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Pablo and Braque: Art after World War I Essay
World War I left a tremendously lasting impact all over the world. The economic, social and governmental devastation were immeasurable. The war begins in 1914 and lasted four years. Eight million people lost their lives many being civilians in what has been called the Great War.   Europe was left totally destroyed economically and socially. Europe fell due to how much the war cost and increased inflation forcing them to print more money (http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/effects.htm).  The bleak future caused many to slip into a depressive state because of the ugliness of the war. Europe was forcibly ushered into the industrial age. Those who enjoyed financial comfort before the war were now facing poverty (http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html).             It is hard to imagine then the destructive nature a war could have on the artistic community of that time. Many artist including Braque joined the war leaving behind their talents to pursue battle on the military front. Fighting side by side with their countrymen some lost their lives or sustained major wounds. Other artist witness the effect the Great War had in their home county. However, all were left with a lasting impact that was conveyed through their art work.  Boccioni, Macke, and Marc among others lost their lives fighting or a result of the war. Artists like Picasso and Gris were not asked to enlist to fight because they were in neutral countries. However, many of the artists enlisted because of loyalty to their country or to be part of the drama of the war. Up until this period artists did not have to become part of the war (http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html).            After the war, many artists relived the memories of the war through their sketches and drawings. Others were so depressed by what they saw took their artwork in an opposite direction. Paintings were mainly of city life. There was a hesitation to show the cruelty of the war. Many photographers would only print pictures that show bodies of the enemy, but later photographs of bodies of Germany and French soldiers were shown lying next to each other. (http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html).            The Treaty of Versailles was only a symbolic end to the war. The after effects of the war were still sending shock waves long after the signing of the treaty. Governments became more liberal and Germany angered over the humiliation forcibly lead to the Second World War (http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/effects.htm).  The war had a tremendous impact on the artistic community during and after. Two notable artists of that time Braque and Picasso each reacted to the war through their artistic en devours. For one their faceted style was maintained after the war while the other was left temporarily unable to paint transcended into more still life and back brilliant colors perhaps to phase out the bleakness of the war. Braque’s and Picasso’s style differed after thee war due to the destruction left by the war, Braque’s injury sustained during the war, and notoriety of Picasso during and after the war.            World War I lasted from August 1914 to November 1919. It involved most of Europe and the United States. It was fought from every conceivable position-air, above ground, underground, on water, and under water. This was the first total war where countries used their total population and resources to fight. France lost a whole generation by taking the lives of millions of Frenchmen (Encarta 2005, World War I). The massive body count could not be conceived until the war had ended. The world had not had a war that impacted the entire world until this one. It was only referred to as World War I when World War II begins until then it was called the Great War. It begins with the assassination of Archduke of Ferdinand in 1914 and ended with the demised of three empires: Germany, Russia, and Austro-Hungary. The war sped up the revolution of Europe ushering the technological and scientific age. The war gave rise to the Soviet Union and the Nazi regime because of the humiliation felt by Germany. The face of central Europe was changed for the next twenty years. Painters of every conceivable kind were on the front lines fighting side by side their comrades. Several died during the war such as Boccioni, Macke, Marc and La Fresnaye. Neutral countries such a Spain the home to Picasso and Gris were not asked to fight. Artist s from every genre was asked to fight. Legar was a stretch-bearer, Kokoschka a cavalryman, and Beckmann a medic. They all wrote and painted about what they saw and did.   These artists left a heart wrenching account of the devastation of the war. Their artwork is a testimony.            Little research has been done or their artwork has been forgotten. This probably due to the painful memories associated with the war. Others who made it through chose not depict the drama of war and their style became totally different than before. (http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva /projects/great_war/effects.htm).            One such artist was George Braque who style after the war was different in color and subject matter. He was one of their own from France who fought in the war. He was born in Argenteuil-sur-Seine which was later the home of the impressionist movement. His father and grandfather were both house painters and young George followed in his father and grandfather footsteps. At age 15 Braque’s family moved to Le Haurve and George started taking courses at a local art school. He started his career as an interior decorator. Braque moved to Paris at age 17 to fully submerse himself in his passion for space and color. He enlisted into the military and in 1902 with the financial backing of his family he attended a private art school the vole des Beaux-Arts. He was inspired by African and Greek sculptures and often the visit the Lourve for ideas (http://www.mes.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Braque.html).            George Braque painting was influence greatly by the Fauves-Matisse and Derain. Their wild eclectic style was called Fauvism. Fauvism emphasized wild vivid colors like that of Van Gogh (Encarta 2005 Fauvism). Like some of the artist of the time Braque wanted to challenge the traditional themes in artwork. He wanted his paintings to evoke an emotion, a discussion, and a mood. He accomplished such a task with works like Antwerp and Landscape at La Ciotat of 1906. These paintings showed the vivid colors of Fauvism, but little line . After a year of Fauvism, Braque became impressed by the styles of Paul Cezanne call the father of â€Å"modern art†(Cezanne, Encarta 2005). Cezanne artwork was the opposite of Fauvism. It restored order to the style of the â€Å"wild beasts†of Matisse and Derain. This when the cubist style was formed. Braque admired the way Cezanne’s â€Å"distorted forms†led Braque to immolate that style (http://www.mes.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Braque.html). Cubism defies convention just like Fauvism, but unlike his early work everything-landscapes, houses, people-are reduced to geometric cubes. The colors were bland and the subjects were unemotional. Such as one of his earlier cubist work Little Harbor in Normandy of 1909.            Cubism can be broken into two genres: Analytical Cubism and Synthetic Cubism. It was then in 1909 when Braque formed a friendship with Pablo Picasso that together they revolutionized the Cubist movement. Analytical cubism lasted for roughly two years. From 1911 on synthetic cubism became known. In both genres geometric shapes were used, but now the subject was less fragmented and more recognizable (http://pablo-picasso.paintings.name/). Cubism originated from a rivalry between Picasso and Matisse. Matisse Blue Painting caused a scandal at the exhibit the Paris art show. This how Matisse and others received the title Les Fauves. At around the same time Picasso produced Desmoiselles and young artists that once followed Matisse now begin emulating the style of Picasso including Braque. This infuriated Matisse and others to the point of rejecting all of Braque’s work. Matisse tried to discredit Braque’s work by showing how it was made out of little cubes and that this artistic style was easy to replicate. The term cubism was born and catapulted Braque and Picasso. It marked the beginning of abstract art, even though the art form should dimensions of the subject being painted. Nonetheless, cubism owes it creation to notable artists (http://pablo-picasso.paintings.name/).            In the beginning Picasso’s and Braque’s work dealt with neutral colors and subdued subjects. Objects were shown from a 3-dimensional perspective (http://painting.about.com/). An early example of his work is the Violin and the Candlestick represented analytical cubism. The subdued colors along with the geometric shapes are seen. However, one can not called this artwork fully abstract as the subjects of the painting are still visible and the three dimensional sides are visible (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http). Braque and Picasso worked so closely together that at times their work was indistinguishable (http://www.safran-arts.com/42day/art/art4aug/art0831.html#cmc).  Both he and Picasso began experimenting with collage and would add bits of objects such as paper to their artwork (http//www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Braque.html).            Pablo Ruiz y Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain. He can be called a genius in the art world and undoubtedly a brilliant painter. His father was an art professor so he was destine from birth to become one of the most immovable faces of art (http://www.biography.com/picasso). He moved to Paris where many friendships formed with other artists including George Braque. His work is labeled by different periods. The Blue period showed his use of the color and a representative of the mood of the time. His Rose period featured a more primitive style of art. However, it was the art form of Cubism that made Picasso famous. He shocks his fans and critics with Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907). In this work he used African themes with unemotional subjects painted with varying shades of color (http//www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Braque.html).            The bond formed between Braque and Picasso was broken by the First World War. Braque like many artists enlisted into the French Army to show loyalty for his country. Braque served in the Great War for two years: 1914 to 1916. Braque entered the army as a sergeant. He was decorated twice for bravery. During the war he sustained a significant head wound in 1916 which left him temporarily blind. He spent several months recovering in a hospital. After, he was sent to a nursing home where he spent his time expressing quotes about life and art that start long before the war. A friend put together a book with all of Braque’s â€Å"aphorisms†.  Braque did not begin painting again until 1917. He rejoined the Cubist movement after the military which was now in the synthetic phase (http://www.free-termpapers.com/tp/5/ame43.shtml). Perhaps due to the cruelty of the war or the sever head wound he sustained while fighting, his artistic style quickly changed. Braque left the theme of traditional cubism and returned more to his original roots. He started using more â€Å"softer†drawings, brilliant color and more of an personal influence as in his work the 1919 Playing Cards (www.megaessays.com/ viewpaper/21985.html).. His paintings became more textured after moving to the coast of Normandy. He did not reflect the war in his work, perhaps not wanting to relieve the pain of the war. Braque along with painting also became an engraver, lithographer, and a sculptor. He along with Loewenfield turned his paintings into different images such as jewelry and books. Both had a love for precious stones which solidified their friendship. The idea of taking 2-dimensional objects and turning them into 3-dimensional objects allowed them to create over 100 different jewels. The Apollon Gallery featured their work in 1963 later that year Braque passed away at the age of 81 (www.genesisgallery.com/html/bios/373.html).            During the Great War, Picasso went to Rome where he met and married a Russian dancer named Olga Koklova. In Rome he worked with designer Sergey Diaghilev. He made several portraits of their son (Paulo as Harlequin, 1924) and of their friends. His work reflected neoclassical style showing voluptuous women (Women at the Spring, 1921) and mythological beings (The Pipes of the Pan, 1923). Picasso also picture strange creatures and crudely painted women (Sleeping Woman in Armchair, 1927) which may have indicate trouble in his first marriage (http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/picasso_bio.htm). After the war, went further in his exploration of his style. He emphasized color and dream-like images. Although it appears that Picasso’s artwork wasn’t greatly affected by the war like Braque. Picasso being a spanish citizen living in Paris was able to continue his work. However, he wasn’t without grief. The country was feeling the ill effects of the war and Picasso had to deal with the scrutiny of his friends not having to enlist. His paintings reflected the depressive mood of that time. Picasso had to also deal with the passing of his lady friend Eva Gouel (http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/ picasso/ section8.rhtml).            After the war he tried to stay close to cubism, but was also developing a unique style of his own. He returned to more traditional styles maybe in attempt to be recogzed for his own work and not be associated any longer with the cubist movement and his close friend Braque. It is not noted if their friendship continued after the war. Picasso struck up a friendship with a young poet and became involved with the Russian ballet (http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/ picasso/ section8.rhtml).            The War left major devastation in it is path. No one was left unaffected by the fighting especially the artistic community. Braque and Picasso were the 20 century most notable artists. Their style impacted not only the artistic community but all who enjoy art. However, the war seems to have left a permanent impact on George Braque as seen in his latter artwork. His style softened a contrast to the harshness of war. He focused on still life perhaps to view the world as calmer and beautiful. Picasso artwork changed very little. The notoriety he obtained probably shielded him from the devastation of the war. Perhaps, not being on the front lines allowed him to miss out on the cruelty that came from the war. Whatever the reason, both before, during and after the war, became two great artists emerging and remaining among the brilliance of the 20th century.    Bibliography            http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/effects.htm            http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html.             World War I, 2005 Encarta Encyclopedia.             http://www.mes.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Braque.html            Fauvism, 2005 Encarta Encyclopedia.             http://pablo-picasso.paintings.name             http://painting.about.com/             http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http             http://www.free-termpapers.com/tp/5/ame43.shtml             www.megaessays.com/ viewpaper/21985.html            www.genesisgallery.com/html/bios/373.htm             http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/picasso_bio.htm            Cezanne, 2005 Encarta Encyclopedia            (http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/ picasso/ section8.rhtml).             http://www.biography.com/picasso
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