Transformation and Change

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

present an individual’s experience of transformation and change.

In Shakespeare's tragedy play Othello and Shaffer's psychoanalytical play Equus the theme of the individuals experience of transformation and change effects characters throughout the plays. This is shown through idiolect, structure and characterization which is similar for both plays. The contextual influence in society of their contemporary audience creates the catharsis meaning of the play by the writers. Othello was written in the early sixteen hundreds where a transformation of the Monarch had undergone with colonial prejudice expansions, Shakespeare would have been aware of this change in society with their hierarchical chain of being from God through angel, King, man, women, animal, vegetable and then mineral. With Elizabeth being in charge Shakespeare deemed Desdemona as "general!" in the words of Iago placing her higher in class, a factor that not everyone would agree with. In Equu's in the nineteen hundreds, society was going through an anti-psychiatry movement and secularization,and obvious theme within this play where theories by psychiatrists like R.D Laing glorify the mad man, resources say "would you rather listen to a sane mans story or a mad mans". This transformation in society is represented in Dysart the play's psychiatrist, who is in harmony with society, but relents in doing so, "it's the core of his life", Dysarts analysis of the transformation of Alan's religion, the emotional worship that had made him who he is and Dysart glorifies his worship. Each protagonist character (Othello and Alan) have transformed and changed through religion.

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• Othello's role as a general, high mode of address, respected by superiors, follows Hierarchy of 'Man' but many would consider the black skin as 'other' in a westernised society. In harmony and at odds with society.  
• Brabantio's racist attitude, represents older generation in Elizabethan times, younger generation more accepting of the black. semantic field of negative racist lexis. "Old black ram (I), devil (I), thick lips(R), Sooty Bosom (B)" This racist attitude would shock modern audience, but the offence would humor the colonial prejudice Elizabethans.
• You would consider Othello's hubristic current class to be a transformation and change from his courageous acts in the Venetian War, his current idiolect of descriptive, high blank verse, iambic pentameter and figurative metaphorical language to be an advancement and transformation of his race. this overconfident attitude is typical of a tragedy, the reason for his fate and the flaws in his character.
• Othello changed his religion from Islamic to Christian and reminds his superiors and the audience constantly of his Christian faith... although transformed into this faith, we do not truly believe he is fully converted, and the death of Desdemona was a result of his previous faiths pride. 

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• However, Alan's at odds with society at the beginning of the play, aware of the reasons why he is is in the psychiatric hospital, rebels against adjacency pairs with Dystart, introduced with the 'usual unusual'
• Alan changes his jingles as a response to not be in harmony with Dysart, Dysart is calm and collective and professional with his response, in harmony with society.
• Hesters societal reference to "immovably English" Pre-modifier to describe the society, the lexis "immovably" suggests no transformation or change with the current audience or society. 
• Alan challenges this unconsciously, by creating his own religion and lexis through monosyllabic neologism "ek", shortened from the latin word Equus, Dysart is repeatedly "fascinated" by the horse and his worship.

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• Desdemona's and Othellos inter-racial marriage was not new in the Elizabethan era, resources say that many women were running away from their family with a black traveler, Brabantio creates foreshadowing in respect of "she deceived her father, and may thee" these threatening words of warning may be a change in Brabantios opinion of Othello "the Moor", connoted to be a warning or a threat, the lexis "may" suggests a less threatening expression.
• Othello's upbringing in a Islamic religion creates a different hierarchy for Othello, Desdemona a woman, comes before man at the beginning of the play, her safety is important to him as he and her part way to the change of scene from Venice to Cyprus. 
• Iago takes advantage of Brabantio's words and reminds Othello with his manipulative Machiavellian persona.
• Othello speaks in blank verse polysyllabic figurative and persuasive dialect to his superiors and Brabantio, to gain respect and understanding of his actions. Elizabethans believed in hell, devil, witches, heaven and God, Brabantio accused Othello of black magic, the use of semantic field of witchcraft "Minerals, poison, conjured" this would have intrigued the audience, as they too would have believed such a thing to be true, whereas a modern day audience would think less of the truth and more humored by the response. Shakespeare craftily formed Othello's response to mock the accusing of black magic by responding with magic of his stories.

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• Alan's family is a big influence for his transformation and change in society.
• Lack of education and religious lexis and sematic field being fed into Alan everyday has a huge impact in his idiolect and worship, the stories of Prince being repeated as a child and then the story of HA from the bible may have had an inpact in his current worship alongside with his atheist father who removed the "kinky" poster of Jesus from his wall and replaced it with a horse.
• The age of Alan at this time - Puberty. Confused with sexual interest and not socialized with girls or watch television. The kinky poster of Christ to a horse may have confused Alan further and the manly naughty western tv shows on cowboys may have excited Alan further as it was banned by his father to watch. Alan picks up parents lexis, Religious and fathers - "receive my meaning" foreshadowing Alans capability to learn and the converging and change of syntax as Alan and Dysarts indirection is is harmony with one another. 

Individuals need to be understood

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

present the individual’s need to be understood by society.

The desire to be understood by society is reflected in both Shakespear's Othello a tragedy and Shaffer's Equus a psychoanalytical play. Othello is a tragedy written and set in the Elizabethan/ Jacobean seventeenth century, they were colonial prejudice and were Westernized into the fear of 'other' and change. Equu's however, was written in a secularized twentieth century during an anti-psychiatrist movement. The context of the plays are important with the understanding of the Characters, and the writers motif and catharsis, through subtle and blatant rhetorical techniques, "Not I, I must be found" a powerful declarative used by Shakespear to characterize a brave, courageous persona in Othello, to show he must be understood by his words and presence only. Openly, Shaffer creates a similar declarative sentence in the introduction of the Psychiatrist Dysart "I'm desperate", a clear understanding of his emotional desires through a dialog towards the contemporary audience, he is desperate to understand Alan his patient, the protagonist of this play.

Shakespeare was influenced by the external factors during the seventeenth century, the racial prejudice and the colonial fear of the different. From this understanding of the audience, Shakespeare was able to use Othello to create a catharsis of difference, and portray a message of understanding of the black individual to the audience. Elizabeth I was known to have Black Moroccan ambassadors, this was just as new to society as Elizabeth herself, as there was a clear line of hierarchy being God first, angels, King, man, women, children, animal, vegetable and then minerals in that order. For there to be a Queen to be a ruler created an upset in society, they were said to not know how to react to this news. This could be the same said for Othello, as we are introduced to Othello in a high role as a general. He is spoken to in high complementary register from the Duke, "valiant Othello", this suggests that the Duke understands that Othello is of a high station and is well needed to help them in the War. Othello, during Act 1 is in need to be understood, he demonstrates this need through high polysyllabic, iambic pentameter, figurative dialog and used similes and metaphors so verbally present his need for understanding in society for the marriage to a white individual. This understanding is unclear to Brabantio, who represents the older generation in the Seventeenth century, his prejudice racist attitude towards Othello and his emotive and disjointed attitude towards Desdemona is portrayed through his semantic field of racist "Moor, feared to look on, hell". Hell was connoted as the devil during this era, the Elizabethans believed in magic, witches, hell and heaven and God, they were Christian, and to be understood furthermore, Othello was converted into Christianity. Resources suggest that you could tell a man's persona from the way his face was structured and his appearance, Othello, being in a Westernized society with black (the devils colour) skin was feared especially with the stereotypical attitude of blacks being over emotional. Othello was Hubristic, typical of a Greek tragedy, this showed his flaws that the audience would analyse and interpret his downfall.