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. 

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!

Social pressures and mental stability

Equus and Othello Essay Plan

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

present the ways in which social pressures can affect an individual’s mental stability.

In Shakespeare's 'Othello' and Shaffer's 'Equus' the protagonists are considerably affected by the social pressures of society, which result in their mental stability /  downfall and the catastrophic means which lead to their crimes of each play writer’s play. The antagonist and Elizabethan/ Jacobean racist society affected Othello's persona and characteristics to fit in, which was a success as the Moor was describes as ''far more fair than black'', but Othello’s persona had negative effects, faults that resulted in actions pressured by society. In Equus, Alan is pressured by society from his upbringing, isolating him from societal advantages, leaving his mental stability characterized by his confusion through puberty. Figuring out the mental stability from the social pressures was typical of a Greek tragedy, the audience's anticipation of the answers and action were crucial as the play writer’s goal, which was also to create a moral lesson / message for society at the time.

Shakespeare's tragedy Othello was published during an Elizabethan/ Jacobean society, where black people were considered 'other', and their personality was stereotyped as aggressive and over-emotional. Othello, the eponymous protagonist, immediately is pressured by his appearance, his difference to the white in a protestant prejudiced society, the change in religion and his persona to be accepted would pressure Othello's mental stability as he would be constantly adapting to new material. Othello had to be Westernized in order to be accepted and progress., The heavy pressure to learn another language and religion in a colonial prejudiced society, "little blessed with the soft phrase of speech", Othello apologizes for not having high knowledge of the language when defending himself against the accusations against him concerning the circumstances of his inter-racial marriage with Desdemona. These factors show Othello socially pressured into being '"far more fair than black", and with these pressures, he relies on the knowledge of  white society to guide him through his actions.

Alan, however, is brought up in a secularized society with an atheist father and a religious enthusiastic mother. During the 1970's the anti-psychiatry movement was being critically analysed by the public, and Shaffer shows society pressures on Alan's mental stability through the theories by R.D.Laing. The audience in the 1970's were consumerists, capitalist and conservative who still lacked knowledge on the mentally ill and were in fear on what they could do to society. They were progressively becoming secularized, which meant that a large proportion of the population were still heavily religious, while generally the younger generations were moving away from religious faith. Shaffer, with the use of the antagonistic character Dysart, has been critically accused of wanting to glorify the mentally ill with the repetition on the positive lexis "fascinated" and he too felt pressured by the adjective "normal". 

Through the traditional structure of the five act tragedy in Othello, the mental stability of the protagonist rises and falls through his idiolect. Othello uses blank verse, iambic pentameter and highly figurative language with polysyllabic lexis when speaking to his superiors, possibly due to pressure of their high register. His confidence, courage and pride is portrayed through his complementary language at the start of the play, "most potent, grave and reverend signors" show his respect and his acknowledgment of his social status in society when he is under pressure in the presence of the Duke. His use of triplets shows his creative tongue, his practiced speech as he poetically used metaphors and similes within his speech. Shakespeare's intention at this stage of the play was to show the Elizabethan audience the equality of speech mastered by a black person, questioning what they feared through his appearance. During Act III, his language deteriorates into monosyllabic base prose, in harmony with Iago's deceptive and antagonistic idiolect. After the climax, the downfall of the protagonist is observed, followed by the expected catastrophe (the deaths) which is typical of a Greek tragedy, Othello's language returns with his figurative, descriptive high register, a possible realization that the social pressures had affected his mental stability, Othello returns to his original individual characteristics; proud, dignified and seemingly in control. Whether we interpret Iago’s influence as evil ‘motiveless malignity’ or merely an embodiment of social pressure; Othello’s mental stability was influenced. This both conforms to the stereotype of black ‘otherness’ as ‘over-emotional’ and challenges his mental stability as equally impacted as Iago’s by the fear of being publically humiliated as a ‘cuckold’.

Similarly, Shaffer introduces Alan as the "usual unusual", an oxymoronic description by Dysart of his clients. The use of television jingles shows Alan's rebellious attitude under pressure of working with another individual. Similar to Othello, the change of Alan’s idiolect mimics the style of the antagonist as the play develops, although this play only has two acts, the change in Alan's register is obvious . The use of neologism by Alan "Ek...Ek" was kept a secret from society, Alan hid his worship and beliefs from society, possibly under pressure to appear ‘normal’, the only individual that noticed Alan's strange attraction to horses was Jill. 

Dysart is also under pressure through society to conform as a working man, his role is vital  to the healing of those who do not conform to societies expectations. The high, intellectual register idiolect that Dysart wears seems nothing but a mask, as described in his dream; "My face is going green behind the mask", this metaphor suggests his mental stability to be the "God of health", his weakness in his conformity from the pressure to perform. Dysart, through metaphorical devices, describes society's pressures of repetition, he openly admits during his monologue that he is "lost", this could connote a variety of meanings. The connotations do not follow the literal definition, Dysart may be lost because of his job, he may be ‘lost’ as an individual, the change in his daily routine. It is clear Alan had affected his mental stability as well as the pressures in society. Shaffer, through Dysart, purposely promotes his views on the Anti-psychiatry movement in Dysart's opening monologue to the audience as a way to attack the "average" man with his lack of "worship". He does this by creating parallel  through the characters Dora and Frank, Alan's mother and father through "extreme" personas. 

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!