Othello Essay Example for Free

Othello Essay In the play Othello written by Shakespeare, the issue of racism is addressed. Othello, the protagonist of the play, is African American or black. â€Å"According to Lois Whitney, many of Othello’s specific attributes probably derive from Shakespeare’s reading of Leo Africanus, whose Geographical Historie of Africa which was translated and published in London in 1600†(Berry, 1990). Many critics have different views on this. â€Å"If Shakespeare depended upon Leo Africanus for such details, he must have been much more interested in racial psychology than critics such as Bradley or Heilman suggest†(Berry, 1990). One of the most prominent features of this Shakespeare play is the numerous references to Othellos skin color made by multiple characters however some critics tend to ignore or underplay the issue of Othello’s race. Many critics have different views and arguments on Othello’s skin color. â€Å"A. C. Bradley, fro example, asserts that in regards to the essentials of his character Othello’s race is unimportant, and that Shakespeare would have laughed if anyone had congratulated him on the accuracy of his racial psychology† (Skura 2008). Others differ and believe Othello’s race was important. â€Å"Laurence Lemer calls Othello the story of a barbarian who relapses and concludes that Shakespeare suffered from colour prejudice† (Berry, 1990). Throughout the play Othello is referred to as a Moor. Moor is a term meaning a descent from Africa. â€Å"Harold Clarke Goddard argues that Othello is neither a Negro nor a Moor but any many who is more beautiful within than he is without† (Skura, 2008). Some critics even put the audience of the play into consideration. The potential impact of his physical appearance upon audiences is suggested by Charles Lamb’s frank admission that although he could find Othello admirable in the reading he was only repelled by the figure of a coal-black Moor on stage, he concluded that the play should rather be read and not seen† (Berry, 1990). Many critics have tended to ignore or underplay the issue of Othello’s skin color, but these select critics have not. Along with critics making references to Othello’s race, many characters in the play do as well. The characters that are most racist refer to Othello by his real name less than the people who are least racist. â€Å"Othello’s blackness is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play himself included must respond† (Berry, 1990). Othello does not refer to himself as African but rather as an exotic Venetian. Other characters do not see Othello as that. Many characters call Othello numerous names other than his real one. â€Å"For Iago Othello is an old black ram, the devil, and a barbary horse† (Berry, 1990). Many see Othello’s blackness as a symbol of ugliness, bestiality, treachery, and demonic. None of those words describe how Othello really is. Those words are the stereotypical definition of what a black man is. This stereotypical definition puts Othello is a predicament and makes his acceptance in the Venetian society difficult. â€Å"Once such critics conclude that Othello is not a stereotype, he tends to lose his individuality as a Moor and to become a representative of humanity† (Berry, 1990). The stereotypical image of a black man plays an important role in the play’s ending. Since this play is a tragedy and Othello is a tragic hero, his blackness does play a role in that. A tragic hero is the protagonist in a tragedy. This play is a tragedy considering Othello commits murder and ultimately takes his own life. â€Å"Othello’s Africanness is crucial to his tragedy not because of what he is, innately or culturally but because of how he is perceived by others and himself† (Skura, 2008). If it wasn’t for Othello being black, the play may have had a different outcome. Throughout the play, Othello sees himself either as an exotic Venetian, a convert in the fullest sense, capable of complete assimilation, or he sees himself as a barbarian, worthy of destruction† (Berry, 1990). In the play Othello was worthy of destruction. It was the racism and hatred that drove him to it. If the other characters weren’t so judgmental about his skin color, the play would have ended very differently. â€Å"His failure to break free of this constricting framework, to achieve a true sense of personal identity, is one of the play’s most powerful sources of tragic feeling† (Berry, 1990). With all the commotion over Othello’s race, it really didn’t give him a chance to be himself. By him being black, it makes him feel less accepted into his society. â€Å"Othello attempts to shape an image of himself that will win acceptance in Venice† (Berry, 1990). Critics also even see how Othello’s identity is altered by the constant racial tension against him in the play. â€Å"Stephen Greenblatt argues, Othello’s identity depends upon a constant performance of his story, a loss of his own origins, an embrace and perpetual reiteration of the norms of another culture† (Greenblatt, 1990). All of this racism in the play causes Othello some serious anxiety. Anxiety is a condition that can drive an individual to do things that are out of character for them. â€Å"He cannot probe the real cause of his anxiety because to do so would be utterly destructive, leaving him with only two options: to embrace his blackness and hurl its beauty and power in the face of his enemies, as does Aaron in Titus Andronicus, or to internalize their image of him and yield to self-loathing† (Berry, 1990). Othello doesn’t really do either in the play. He let others put thoughts into his head about his wife cheating on him with another man, which led to a murder scene where he killed his wife and in the end took his own life too. â€Å"His immediate reaction to the murder thus reflects his divided image of himself: he is either doomed like all great men or destroyed by his own blackness† (Skura, 2008). Based on the evidence in the play, Othello is definitely destroyed by his own blackness. His blackness is what drove him to commit the murder and kill himself. In conclusion, Othello’s skin color is central to the play. â€Å"It is important not merely because Shakespeare portrays Othello as a Moor or because racial tension and anxiety pervade the atmosphere of Venetian society, affecting Othello’s relationship with every character and increasing his susceptibility to Iago’s appeal; it is important because Othello himself in his aspirations towards assimilation and anxieties about his blackness, internalizes a false dichotomy that can only dehumanize him† (Berry, 1990). This play does give the stereotype of black people a negative name. Many critics argue what role his race played in the play. Some think it was really important while others argue it wasn’t important at all. One of the most prominent features of this Shakespeare play is the numerous references to Othellos skin color made by multiple characters however some critics tend to ignore or underplay the issue of Othello’s race.

What impression of the Miller does Chaucer create in the portrait? Essa

What impression of the Miller does Chaucer create in the portrait? Extracted from the general prologue, the portrait of the Miller begins by explaining his physical appearance. His physique is said to be ’ful big of brawn and eek of bones’ indicating he was stocky, big boned and had large muscles. He was also ‘short-sholdred’ meaning broad. This suggests he could be quite threatening to look at. The Miller had a red beard as wide as a spade, a hairy wart on the top right of his nose, wide black nostrils and a huge mouth as great as a furnace. Chaucer creates a very clear image in our minds of the Miller and the impression given through his physical description suggests he is rather ugly. In the period of the 14th Century when Chaucer wrote the Canterbury tales, it was considered that you could tell a persons character from their appearance, be it good or bad. Chaucer portrays the Miller as physically repulsive which implies he is an immoral and bad character. His image could reflect his personality. In the case of the miller this is so. It is explained that the Miller participated in a popular sport of the time, wrestling. It is further explained that he always won the ram (the prize given). Chaucer continues to give the impression that the Miller was strong and to a certain extent should be feared. It also says that he carried with him a ‘swerd and bokeler’ (sword and shield) by his side, further suggesting he was always fighting. In mirroring his bad physical appearance, there is a suggestion that the Miller could have been a thief. ‘Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre’ says that there was no door he would not have off its hinges. This implies that the Miller wondered the town banging down d... ...he Miller as the devil to represent that he really was an evil character is only some peoples perception. Others interpret this reference to have a comic element and to be used for the purpose of taking-the-mick. In the 14th Century the general opinion of the Miller was low and he was a disliked man. This was because it was known that he over-priced for his skills and ripped off his customers by taking too much of their grain as a charge. It is therefore some peoples belief that Chaucer is simply comparing the Miller to the devil as a joke and to amuse those who disliked the man to simply make the book popular. Whether Chaucer meant to make this reference as comical or to suggest the Miller was the devil incarnate, the same impression is given. In the portrait of the Miller Chaucer gives the impression that he is ugly, loud, rough and of an evil manner.

Job hunting after graduation Essay

If you’ve left university and don’t yet have a job, here are tips on creating an action plan for finding work. It’s widely acknowledged that it’s harder than it used to be to land your first graduate job, and more people now find they are graduating without a job to go to straight away. If you are one of them, don’t panic. Take the opportunity for a short rest, then focus on what you can do to make things happen. 1. Keep looking The good news for graduate job hunters is that employers are now recruiting all year round. Traditionally, most graduate jobs were advertised in the autumn ‘milkround’, with many students having a job offer before they sat their finals. These days, graduate employers are more likely to advertise on an ad hoc basis, as jobs become available or as they get additional budget for recruitment. So don’t stop looking. The gradireland Summer Fair that takes place each June in Dublin is a chance to meet employers who did not fill all their jobs in the autumn or who have new vacancies. Use the same vacancy sources as when you were at university: gradireland.com, your careers service website etc. But don’t just rely on these: spread your net as far as possible. 2. Network Tell everyone you know that you are job hunting; be open to any suggestions. Start with family and friends, then build new relationships through them. The more contacts you make, the more likely you are to find out about opportunities and meet people who can help you. The majority of job vacancies are not advertised, so word of mouth can be very valuable. It can also be worth making speculative applications. These work best when they are targeted to an organisation that you have researched and know you want to work for: a few carefully-written applications are more  effective than hundreds of standard letters. Work experience or voluntary work can also widen your pool of contacts and provide a foot in the door of the industry you’d like to work in. Don’t spend all summer on Facebook. Use a range of social media to make new contacts and find out about new opportunities. Follow employers on LinkedIn, search Twitter for news of the industry you’re interested in, use everything to ‘meet’ new people. Start a blog: done well, it could be a good addition to your CV by highlighting your expertise, creativity or networking skills. 3. Apply for internships There are several internship programmes now available, many aimed specifically at graduates. These tend to vary from three months to a year. Some offer payment on top of your benefits while others carry accreditation; some even give an opportunity to work abroad for a while. Some of the main schemes currently available are:2. Network Tell everyone you know that you are job hunting; be open to any suggestions. Start with family and friends, then build new relationships through them. The more contacts you make, the more likely you are to find out about opportunities and meet people who can help you. The majority of job vacancies are not advertised, so word of mouth can be very valuable. It can also be worth making speculative applications. These work best when they are targeted to an organisation that you have researched and know you want to work for: a few carefully-written applications are more effective than hundreds of standard letters. Work experience or voluntary work can also widen your pool of contacts and provide a foot in the door of the industry you’d like to work in. Don’t spend all summer on Facebook. Use a range of social media to make new  contacts and find out about new opportunities. Follow employers on LinkedIn, search Twitter for news of the industry you’re interested in, use everything to ‘meet’ new people. Start a blog: done well, it could be a good addition to your CV by highlighting your expertise, creativity or networking skills. 3. Apply for internships There are several internship programmes now available, many aimed specifically at graduates. These tend to vary from three months to a year. Some offer payment on top of your benefits while others carry accreditation; some even give an opportunity to work abroad for a while. Some of the main schemes currently available are: Ireland JobBridge FAS Work Placement Programme IBEC Export Orientation Programme Graduates for International Growth (G4IG) Northern Ireland Graduate Acceleration Programme Applying for internships via an official programme gives you a degree of security. You may, of course, also find an internship by applying directly to the employer. It’s advisable to be aware of your employment rights and the Congress website is a useful source of information. Internships are not just a stop-gap on the way to a permanent job: as a ‘taster’ of a particular sector they can also help you to choose which career you ultimately would like to pursue. Whatever you do, you will gain new skills and experience to add to your CV. 4. Improve your employability Remember that you can still get help from university careers services after you graduate – either at your own university or, if you’ve moved back home, another higher education institution. Make an appointment if you need advice  on how to develop and market your skills or to improve your CV. Despite the downturn, there are still areas where there are skills shortages and unfilled vacancies. If you have the aptitude, consider upskilling, perhaps through a conversion course in IT, or by learning a language. ‘Lifelong learning’ is now considered essential even for those already in work, so if you have spare time use it to read and learn about the area of work you want to get into. Work on your employability skills: writing, administration, team-working, communication etc. You’ll be in a strong position if your job applications can demonstrate these qualities. Consider voluntary work as a way of adding to your portfolio of experience and learning new skills. There are opportunities for short and long-term involvement, whether it’s helping out at a local organisation or working for a national charity. 5. Be open to opportunities Realistically, it may not be immediately possible to get a graduate-level job. If something else is available – even if it is a casual or temporary job – try to use it as a stepping stone. A job in admin or customer support could lead to a more senior position in the same company later. It will let you prove that you have workplace experience and a good work ethic, and can give you transferable skills to add to future job applications. Don’t overlook small businesses. There are a lot of them, so add up to a major force as employers. They may not advertise specific ‘graduate’ vacancies but can be a good environment if you’re at the beginning of your career as there is often more flexibility to learn new skills. 6. Don’t give up Taking a year out or signing up for postgraduate study may be tempting as a way to postpone looking for work. They are worth considering if you are sure that you can demonstrate afterwards the benefits to employers. Otherwise, think carefully about whether this will help in the long term. It’s not necessarily the easy route, but the best course of action may be to stay put, stay positive and stay persistent. If things aren’t going well, review your progress and ask for help and support if you need it.

Mental Illness A Social Problem - 1290 Words

Introducing Mental Illness The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about â€Å"because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated† (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). â€Å"About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder† (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). â€Å"Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders† (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders. Subjectivity of Mental Illness There are many ways in which people view mental illness. â€Å"Some analysts suggest that the difference in types of mental disorders is linked to gender-role socialization, which instills aggressiveness in men and learned helplessness in women† (Kendall, 2013, p. 231). â€Å"Social scientists Joe R. Feagin and Melvin P. Sikes found that repeated personal encounters with racial hostility deeply affect the psychological well-being of most African Americans† (Kendall, 2013). â€Å"Feagin and Hernà ¡n Vera found that white Americans also pay a high psychic cost for the prevalence of racism because itShow MoreRelatedMental Illness Is A Social Problem1501 Words   |  7 PagesMental illness is a health condition that affects an individual’s moods and thinking in a way that changes how that person relates to other people in society. 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