Threatened by a hostile world

Consider and evaluate the different ways in which the writers of your chosen texts 

present the individual as being threatened by a hostile world.

In both Shakespeare's "Othello" and Shaffer's "Equus" the protagonists are threatened as an individual by a hostile world. In Shakespearean time the Elizabethans were westernized, they feared change and 'other'and Othello was considered in the 'other' category. No only he was threatened by the linguistic tongue of the older generation of Brabantio, but society was threatened by him, they believed in magic and accuse him of such witchery. The secularized, 'average' society of the anti-psychiatry movement fear Alan after his attack on horses, they do not fear the average man for having abnormal thoughts, but fear Alan for his indifference and his practical actions which placed Alan in a hospital. 

Although queen Elizabeth had black Moroccan ambassadors at this time,  the majority of society were colonial prejudice, those in Brabantio's generation were not as adapted to the black as Desdemona's generation was. Desdemona and Othello were threatened by the hostile Brabantio, through the use of blank verse and racist lexis; "To fall in love with what she feared to look on!""Against all rules of nature", negative, racial prejudice strongly indicate his fear of change, the threatening actions that his daughter had taken to marry "The Moor". 

Othello the eponymous protagonist is threatened by his superiors, he feels the need to apologize for his speech as he feels less experienced in tongue than his acquaintances, he feels the need to boast his ego through armed force semantic field of battle to prove his worth. "Most potent, grave and reverend signors", the use of triplets suggest an acknowledgment of a lower status and his poetic blank verse of iambic pentameters would flatter the receiver into listening to his case in the matter of his interracial marriage. Before the appearance of Desdemona from which he sent for, due to possible re-enforcement on the matter "send for the lady", Othello coherently uses polysyllabic metaphoric lexis to describe and defend himself from the hostile atmosphere in the room although not as threatened of the Duke as he is in harmony with Othello "say it, Othello" and lets him have his speech. This speech is full of figurative imagery, semantic fields of battle ("battles, disastrous, accidents, deadly, foe"), metaphors: "greedy ear Devour up my discourse", a true monologue of Othello's full potential of idiolect. It is clear he felt threatened into learning such high register speech to be equal to the prejudice white society.

Shaffer portrays the protagonist Alan to be threatened by societies expectations of the average teenager. It is clear that through Alan's idiolect, his neologism of "ek" and "chinkle-chanckle" with the television jingles that Alan was confused in how to act, and was pressured with the hostile world to be accepted. His attempts to be "normal" were difficult through the parallel of his father and mother, the hostile approach of conservative and religious attitudes conflicted upon Alan confused him in a vital hormone change of being a teenager. Alan's education was threatened when he left school early, and was educated through religious lexis by his mother, his father did not educate Alan about relationships, Alan was only taught through the religious tongue. His father has a habit of repetition "receive my meaning" from which Alan childishly manipulates and incorporates into an argument. His attitude seems almost childish, almost at though he is not threatened by the hostile world as he rebels and is at odds with society. 

Othello relies on his ancient antagonist to guide him pasts the threats of the hostile world,to be his "blood brother". Here, Othello is clearly in threat of misjudgment, he is manipulated by the "honest Iago" into what he believes his actions should be. Othello who is portrayed as proud, courageous and self aware of his success during the war against the Turks. Shakespeare wanted the hostile audience of the Elizabethan/ Jacobean to be aware of the courageous actions that black people had taken to help retain their prejudice society from the Vietnam War. Othello is clearly respected by being refereed to as "my Lord" and "Valiant Othello" by his peers, a sign of individuals fearing Othello in the Westernized society. Iago, through his Machiavellian way, knows Othello's disadvantage and gullible persona, Iago seems oblivious to the hostile world, and is possibly a threat to society as he is prepared to take innocent lives to get to the position he wants. Iago uses soliloquy to introduce himself as "I am not what I am" as a threat to Othello and the audience, his idiolect morphs to who he is with, to deceive Othello into presuming Iago is of a lower register.

Just to let you know, I have not finished the essays on this blog, I may/ may not... I have less than a week until my exam, I am just wanting to get my head wrapped around the question types. Hope these help!