"Siren Song" AP Poetry Practice

The poetic works of Homer and Margaret Atwood use varying techniques to portray the mythological Sirens as fatally seductive.

The Sirens’ selection of detail is important in the “Siren Songs” of both works.  The Odyssey’s Sirens sing of their “honeyed voices pouring from [their] lips” (17).  This imagery is sweet, smooth, and tempting.  Their song beckons Odysseus to throw himself overboard with their seductive diction.  Odysseus acknowledges their beauty, noting the “ravishing” nature of their voices and how “the heart inside [him] throbbed to listen longer” (20).  Their multi-faceted attractiveness helps the Sirens to begin to lure Odysseus into their trap.  Similarly, Atwood’s Siren Song creates a physically tempting image of the singer. The singer describes herself as “picturesque and mythical” (15).  She also contrasts herself with her fellow Sirens, calling them “feathery maniacs,” and she asks her audience for salvation (16, 21).  Not only does her description of her situation make her appear more beautiful in comparison with her surroundings, but it also conveys a false impression of innocence and vulnerability, both of which are usually considered appealing characteristics of women.  Both sets of Sirens come across as desirable women in order to tempt and seduce their audience.

While the Sirens make themselves appear to be beautiful and vulnerable, both works make it clear to the omniscient reader that the Sirens are in fact deceiving and murderous.  Both target the specific person who is listening to the song.  In the case of The Odyssey, the Sirens refer to “famous Odysseus—Achaea’s pride and glory” (14).  Odysseus, notorious for his hubris, will likely be tempted by their flattery of him.  They also lie to Odysseus, telling him he will grow in wisdom from hearing their song (18).  Odysseus may feel tempted to leap to them in pursuit of knowledge because he may not realize that they are being dishonest and deceptive.  In Atwood’s poem, the Sirens give the listener a sense of self-importance, telling him two different times, “Only you”: only you, the listener, deserve to hear my song, and only you can save me from this cliff (19, 23).  A proud sailor may feel that attending this singing creature is his duty, if he is that necessary to her.  He does not realize that the Sirens probably says that to every traveler that passes by, all of whom take the bait and jump to their deaths.

A notable difference between these two works is where the reader derives background information on the Siren Song.  Odysseus knows better from the start.  He knows the seductive power of the Sirens, which is why he orders his men to tie him to the mast.  While the reader of the epic can still be impressed by the seductive, albeit dishonest, nature of the song, he may not feel pity for Odysseus because the hero knows exactly what he is in for.  In contrast, “Siren Song” is more tragic because the listener does not realize the danger of the song until it is too late, even though he has already heard the brutal honesty of the Sirens in the second stanza.

Pride and Prejudice #9

When Elizabeth finally visits Mr. Darcy at his estate, it is clear that he is in his element.  The reader sees him outside of his niche early in the novel, particularly during the balls, loud gathering of people he does not know who are expecting him to dance and mingle.  Since Darcy feels painfully uncomfortable in new social situations, he comes across as aloof and indifferent at the ball.  This first impression of Darcy sets up a contrast with Elizabeth's more developed perception of him later in the book.

When she goes to Pemberly, Darcy is dramatically more cordial and friendly.  His housekeeper provides a notable example of this new image of Darcy, raving to Elizabeth about how handsome Mr. Darcy is and about how she wishes that he were home even more often (206-207).  Darcy's initial impression at Pemberly is as an extremely lovable man, an impression upon which he expands when he arrives on the scene in person.  He shows incredible hospitality to the entire visiting party, and he is confident now that he is on his own impressive but classy property.  Now that the setting is his choice, Darcy is no longer feels the need to defend is social incompetence by pulling insults for Elizabeth out of the air, as he does at the ball.  Instead, he appears to be a mature and lovable gentleman.

Pride and Prejudice #8

The reader sees some development of Lydia's character in Chapter 16 of Volume II. Lydia is very youthful and lighthearted. She is amused easily by superficial pleasures, such as her new bonnet, which she concedes is not very pretty, but she bought it impulsively because it was prettier than the other that we're on display. Her inability to control her shopping habits demonstrates her innocent immaturity.

This immaturity also manifests itself in her inability to control what comes out of her mouth. For example, she does not hesitate to voice her concern that Jane "will be quite an old maid soon" (186). This accusation is clearly not socially acceptable to make verbally in the company of other families, but the young and inexperienced Lydia has not yet learned that unspoken rule.

Interestingly, it appears that Lydia represents the common inward thoughts of other women within the novel. While Lydia is the one to actually voice her concern for Jane's approaching old make status, it is evident throughout the novel the Mrs. Bennett is also quite concerned about Jane's age. After all, Mrs. Bennett is the one frantically putting her daughters on display at aristocratic parties as if they are commodities. When Lydia monologues to her family and friends in the coach, she brings to light the thoughts that none of the other women, who have grown more accustomed to the social expectations of their society, plan to say to one another.

Pride and Prejudice 1-5

“Pride and Prejudice” appears to be an apt way to describe the traditional mindset of the people of the Victorian English countryside.  Many of the characters in the novel feel a sense of entitlement based on their birth and on other aspects of social expectation.  For example, Mr. Collins immediately assumes that Elizabeth will agree to marry him for his wealth and his inheritance.  He does not have the humility to ask the question whether or not she will marry him but instead goes on haughtily describing their lives “when [they] are married” (93).  Mr. Collins is so proud of his social stature that he overlooks the possibility of rejection, expecting her to adhere to societal tradition.

Mrs. Bennett is another example of someone who demonstrates prejudice as a result of her place in society. When Mrs. Bennett describes Mr. Bingley, she venerates his land and money more than his personality (5-7).  She does not yet know him personally, so she surmises that he is a wonderful man based only on his societal merit.  Mrs. Bennett makes the same assumption with Mr. Collins when she urges Elizabeth to marry him for the sole reason that she wants to retain the probably that he will soon inherit.  Because of her desire to keep her property within her family, she convinces herself that Mr. Collins possesses qualities desirable of a man who will marry her daughter even though she has no evidence except his wealth.

1983 Open-Ended Question

From a novel of play of literary merit, select an important character that is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances the meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984 is a warning against totalitarianism. The book warns against the strategy by which a dictator or a totalitarian bureaucracy may be able to take complete control of a society. One of the most important components of the books proposed strategy is completely capturing the minds of every citizen. O’Brien, the books most frequently appearing member of the totalitarian Inner Party, is a seasoned master of Outer Party mind control. As the reader of 1984 follows Outer Party member Winston Smith on his journey from cognitive rebellion against the Party to complete intellectual captivity, O’Brien is instrumental in Winston’s tragic transformation from freedom to miserable slavery. O’Brien’s villainy, which aligns perfectly with the evil of the Party characterized by insidious brainwashing, enhances the message of 1984 by perfectly exemplifying the Party’s system of mind control.

The first time Winston makes eye contact with O’Brien, he suspects that O’Brien may also be a rebel against the Party despite his high rank within the Party structure. O’Brien intends for Winston to suspect so because he wants to lead Winston into a trap. He further gains Winston’s trust when he invites Winston into his large home and appears to switch off his telescreen. Winston believes O’Brien’s deception, and he lets his guard down, unaware that O’Brien is recording Winston’s every word and laying Winston a trap. O’Brien is the only character who appears trustworthy for Winston so far, and yet in reality he is an undercover member of the Thought Police. The seemingly trustworthy O’Brien’s deception is significant to the novel’s meaning because it represents the false sense of security that the Party uses to entrap and brainwash all of its dissentients.

Winston’s experience with O’Brien in the Ministry of Love serves as a continuation of the development of O’Brien’s villainy. After deceiving Winston and leading him into a Thought Police trap, O’Brien tortures Winston brutally as a way to engrain unquestioning devotion to the Party into Winston’s mind. As he tortures Winston, O’Brien has the disposition of a madman, screaming in Winston’s face as he holds up four of his fingers, telling Winston that there are five. However, every move he makes is carefully planned and measured. His attention to detail is evident in the beginning of the scene in Room 101; he explains in detail the process of the torture that will ensue, and he even tells Winston that he knows exactly how far along in the process he will be able to trust the information that he has coerced out of Winston. The disparity between the way he acts and his level of planning is parallel to the disparity of what the Party projects to its subjects and their true level of understanding and control over the population of Oceania.

O’Brien the villain represents the Party as a whole through the way he brainwashes Winston through deception and torture. Orwell postulates that this method of deception and torture could be a key tool in brainwashing any citizens that rebel against a totalitarian government. O’Brien is a villain because he destroys the protagonist’s will and identity at the conclusion of the book, and he is a villain that exemplifies the meaning of the 1984 by using his very plausible strategies of mind control to create a terrifying alternate future.

A Third Person Account (individual poem - Michael)

"Yeah, sure," he says. 

"Get out," he says. 

"Shut up," he says. 

"I don't care."

He sees the look on his own family’s face

And feels nothing?

This sensitive

Friendly

Compassionate guy?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the guy. 

I look up to him,

emulate him,

And that makes it so much worse. 

He'll come home, smiling; he had a great day. 

He savors a nectarine as he recounts a funny story. 

But before I know it,

before I can digest what's happening,

I've eaten away at that ugly

short fuse. 

"Don't interrupt me!" he says. 

"Why do you do that?" he says. 

"Stop being stupid!" he says. 

"Just go away."

I set off that dynamite, and there's no use trying to fight. 

I can't know what offends or when it ends, or why he tends these awful trends;

I just want to make amends. 

So finally I get up the courage to tell him how I feel. 

I tell him about the yelling, the swelling,

The bashing, the trashing,

How I look facedown, try not to frown

As my world comes crashing down. 

"I know," he says. 

"I know.

And I hate myself for it every day. 

"I don't know what to do. 

I feel like I have this image to maintain: 

A sensitive,

Friendly

Compassionate guy. 

When I treat you this way, my life feels like a scheme

My short fuse might say that I'm trying to 'seem;'

To seem nice, to seem genuine, caring and kind,

And this isn't the person I'm trying to find.

I'm sorry I'm always exploding at you,

And here on in, when you’re with me, I'll stay true."

So he's realized his fault,

And that's always the first step—scratching the surface of that frozen layer covering up the man he wants to be. 

Boy, is he in for some ice fishing. 

But the journey's not complete. 

It won't be till 

he comes to terms with this entirely. 

It won't be till

he has the balls to admit to himself 

and to others. 

The journey's not complete till he can write this poem

in the first person.

Time Crunch (group poem)

Sometimes, inspiration hits you

At the moment when you least expect it

Like bubblegum exploding in your face

Or better yet,

Inspiration taps you on the shoulder

At the exact moment when you need it most.

It’s like a wave of water

Rushing, gushing

Engulfing you in swirling current

Of thoughts, ideas, words, sounds, images, music—

A masterpiece.

Everything comes so easily.

Essays ooze from fingertips

Poetry is putty in your hands

You splatter similes on a canvas

And come out with abstract art.

And then there are those other times.

Each syllable squeaks and screeches

As you try to force it past another

Your thoughts congeal

Clogging up the pipes that lead to ingenuity and imagination

(If they even still exist).

The harder you try, the more force you exert

The stronger friction fights you back.

Physics may say that’s impossible,

But I bet physics has never tried to write a poem.

You’re plucking ideas like apples from a tree

Just to realize that there’s a gaping hole in your bag

And they’re all tumbling down the slope

Sliding into oblivion:

Aka that dark corner under your bed

Where everything disappears and nothing ever comes back.

Under pressure, you can see time closing in

Peering over your shoulder,

Its knobby fingers twiddling

Around, and around, and around

Inches from your face, so mesmerizing,

Drawing you deeper into its clutches

Twiddling around, and around, and around...

Distracted! Again!

You’re flustered, trying to muster the seeds of

Something

But there is no time

And the river of inspiration is not rushing

It’s not gushing

There is barely a trickle streaming down the page

Yet you try to lick it up anyway.

Time ticking, words sticking, gears clicking away

But somehow stuck in their tracks--

Inspiration runs on its own schedule.

I Matter (3-person poem: Maddie, Halie, Lee)

I’m the first layer that one perceives--

No strings attached, nothing up my sleeves.

I may provide a clue as to what lies inside,

But this is what I choose to show--not what I choose to hide.

I emerge from the mind

And I’m released,

Still with some tact,

As you hear my ideas before I act.

You can’t retract words;

They can deceive, they can abbreviate the truth, corrupt the youth

So choose them carefully.

I am here, here in your mind
In your heart, your soul,
You can’t see me, no,
But do I not exist?
Ha!

I bounce between reality and imagination

So quickly that the lines begin to blur
Faster and faster, round and round
Up and down
In and out
Here, there,
Everywhere.

A brand name shirt, blue denim jeans,

I’m just your average earthly scenes--

The world that you can see and hear

And feel and touch and taste all year.

Slipping and sliding silently through cracks in a conversation

Flowing, growing, going wherever I choose

You use me loud and proud, lose me in a crowd

Spit me out, watch as a fight breaks out

Even from a distance, I connect and take effect,

Making impacts with my syntax.

I tell you where to go

How to get there

If you should stay

But no,

Go where the wind takes you.

If you can believe, you can achieve.

Achieving is believing!

(Or is it that seeing is believing?)

What was I saying?

A solid, contained and clearly defined,

Staying still, in my structure, fixed and aligned.

A liquid, grooving, moving, removing, remodeled

With every ebb and flow,

Every fast and slow.

A vapor, flowing freely within my container.

You can’t see me, but I fill the void until no vacuum remains.

I fill your lungs

Pump through your veins

Hold you as you stand tall

Catch you when you fall

I hold you together when you are falling to pieces

Find the word that eases, releases the pain

Figure out what you have to gain.

Look in a mirror, and you’ll see

Air, blood and bones built these frames together.

(beat)

We’re all matter. And we all matter.

Hamlet 6a

At this moment in the play, Hamlet and Claudius act as foils in that Hamlet is tethered down by logic, while Claudius appears to be much more emotionally charged.  Emotionally, Hamlet has many good reasons to kill Claudius: Claudius has essentially given away the fact that he has murdered the late King Hamlet, and Hamlet  is now alone with Claudius, a sword, and his anger.  Now would be a perfect time to kill Claudius, but Hamlet talks himself out of it with logic: "I, [King Hamlet's] sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven. / Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge" (III.iii.82-84).  While the audience may reason that now is an optimal time to kill him, Hamlet convinces himself otherwise in spite of his emotions towards Claudius.  In contrast, Claudius seems to be stressed and worried about the murder he has committed and the possible consequences.  His soliloquy is loaded with questions; almost every sentence in lines 47-56 ends in a question mark.  This fast-paced introspection creates a tone of desperation and fear of facing justice for his evil actions, and it gives the impression that his either his guilt or his fear is sincere.  The paranoia that leads Claudius into prayer contrasts with the cold logic that leads Hamlet out of his desire to kill his stepfather.

Hamlet 6

In Act III Scene iv, Hamlet wittily lashes out at his mother for her inappropriate behavior. When she says to Hamlet that he has "[his] father much offended," Hamlet turns the statement back on her using the exact same words, changing only the necessary pronouns, but Hamlet refers to his original father rather than to Claudius (12-13). By repeating his mother's phrasing, he voices his frustration with her while simultaneously pointing out her hypocrisy. He does the some with her next accusation that his tongue is "idle," changing the idiomatic "Come, come" to the literal "Go, go" and changing "idle" to "wicked" (14-15). Hamlet once again makes clear to Gertrude that he is frustrated with her behavior in a manner that is dismissive and defensive. Hamlet's strategy of turning his mother's statements against her enhances his sense of alienation from her because it clearly points out her wrongdoings in a way that is likely to expose his emotions and to hurt her feelings.

A Stoic Shoulder to Cry on

Sarabi cried
After what happened to Mufasa.
The love of her life trampled
By nature, arbitrarily turning against him,
Why wouldn't she react how Simba did?

Suppose she was there with Simba when it happened.
Of course she wants to cry,
Wants to scream to the sky,
To ask God why.
But something stops her.

She can't figure it out. Her logic is telling her to cry, but
Not her heart. She looks to Simba.
He's crying just fine.
And that's why.

Where will be look for strength, his only source now cut down?
He needs a role model to guide him,
To be strong for him,
To let him know it will be okay.

It's Harder than It Sounds

Zounds, difficulty abounds.
Pounds and mounds of thought, which confounds.

Finding the right word,
The least absurd, the most preferred,
Both read and heard.

Simply choosing a theme,
It's like a dream or impossible scheme,
Or so it would seem.

So start with the first thought
That comes to you.  You ought
To have artful line breaks as well, but don't get caught
Getting carried away with them.

I wish that I could write a poem
About something other than writing a poem.
But in the meantime, I'll conclude this poem
With some advice never to rhyme "poem" with "poem."

Hamlet 5

In his famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy Hamlet weighs the pros and cons of suicide.  First, he compares a life of "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" to "tak[ing] arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them" (III.i.66-68).  The metaphorical choices Hamlet makes here are important clues to which way the scale is tipping.  Slings and arrows are relatively small, crude weapons and may not be as accurate or as powerful as more modern weapons such as pistols and other firearms.  In contrast, the sea is an image that writers often use to demonstrate endlessness and inevitability.  By juxtaposing these two images, Shakespeare hints that he would rather bear life than end it abruptly.  He would rather soldier his way through life, standing up to a shower of small projectiles that may not even hit him, than take on his inevitable and mysterious death before his time comes.  However, he seems to reconsider the weight of each option later in his soliloquy when he notes how easy it would be to end the suffering of his life.  At line 78, he begins the rhetorical question, "who would bear..."  He finishes the clause with five lines describing the torments that man undergoes throughout life.  Hamlet than compares all these tortures to a description of suicide that lasts a brief line and a half.  His elaborate negative description and relatively painless description of death suggest that, at this point in the soliloquy, he is considering suicide more strongly than when he begins.

Hamlet 4

In Act II, Scene ii, Polonius speaks of the “pregnant” nature of Hamlet’s remarks (227).  By “pregnant,” Polonius means to say that Hamlet’s responses are loaded with meaning, particularly meaning that is poised to come into the world at any time.  Hamlet tells Polonius to be wary of his daughter conceiving a child (201-203).  While the line is humorous because of the irony, it may also be an indicator of Hamlet’s low self-esteem.  His wish to prevent conception may stem from his suicidal thoughts and his current perception of life as futile.   Hamlet’s suggestion to walk “Into [his] grave” has a similar meaning, all though in this line it is more overt (225).  As Polonius sarcastically acknowledges, his grave would technically be "out of the air" as Polonius has suggested (224).  However, Hamlet takes Polonius's well-intended suggestion to clear his head to another level by suggesting that he clear his head by simply ending his life.

Committed

Cancer.

Just one single simple word

Can rock your world completely--turning it

Upside down, spiraling on and on, with no sign of stopping.

Where did my dad go wrong?  Something he ate?  did?  didn't do?

He's doing better , but there have been some rough days, even months

When he can't even move, a prisoner to a bed and to a cell within his mind.

We visit daily when that happens.  I just need to be with him, know that he'll be

Okay in the end.  He tells me there's hope.  His clinical trials are the best around.

But Dana-Farber has some tricks up their sleeves. 37-million-dollar-a-year tricks.

192 miles, 5000 cyclists.                  Committed.                  My dad is one of them.

After months in the hospital, he will get on his bike and cross the state, soaring

Freely across miles and miles of open air, fighting for a cure with his wheels.

I stand at the starting line, 5:30AM, with tears in my eyes.  They're riding

For him, riding to cure my dad, cure all the loved ones that we think of

With the collective heart and the soul of this beautiful community.

"Thank you," my giant sign reads.  Thank you for everything,

For cycling toward Bourne, and Provincetown, and

A cancer-free world.  Cycling in order to

Cure cancer forever.

http://www.pmc.org/

The Universal College Dilemma

Drive carefully!
     Ok.
Good luck on your test today!
     Thanks.
Don't forget to talk to guidance!
     Ok.

Does he even hear me?
He's so dependent on my advice;
What if he needs me?

Does he not even hear me?
He's so independent of my advice;
What if he doesn't need me?

Hamlet 2

Laertes takes after his father in the way he looks after his sister Ophelia. When the audience first meets Ophelia, Laertes is lecturing her about being wary of Hamlet's advances. He warns her to "keep ... in the rear of her affection" and not allow her emotions to overcome her (I.iii.38). He also warns that "his will is not his own" because of his duty to the state, and he therefore cannot be trusted in an intimate relationship (I.iii.20). He acts very patronizing of his sister, while it is clear that his intention is to keep her happy and protected. Their father is the same way. When he enters and gives Laertes his blessing, Polonius lists a myriad of tips that he wants Laertes to remember for his trip, such as "be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar" and "Thou canst not then be false to any man" (I.iii.66, 86). He is very specific in his orders to his grown son, just as Laertes is clear about his instructions to his sister who probably has proficient judgement skills herself. Just like his son, Polonius simply wants to ensure that his loved ones stay safe.

Interestingly, many themes of this dialogue parallel Hamlet's core values. Hamlet holds in high regard the virtue of staying true to oneself, as Polonius advises Laertes as his most important advice. In addition, Laertes warns Ophelia not to allow her emotions to overshadow her logic. Hamlet, another character who is extremely intelligent but in an unstable emotional state, undergoes an analogous internal struggle on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum due to the death of his father.

Death Poem

Reflect upon your life but “as it is;”

Othello knew too well; those words are his.

The joyous times in which you reminisce

Are holy as is God’s own final kiss.

Life is journeys made and lessons learned,

And oceans crossed, storms weathered, fires burned.

Think of what has made you who you are;

It’s not surprising you have come this far.

But what does all this ‘who you are’ entail?

And what defines when you succeed or fail?

These arbitrary words will never end;

Each path meanders to another aimless bend.

But your existence now can have a voice,

All through this one last arbitrary choice.

Othello #8

In the final scene of Othello, the way Desdemona responds to Othello's accusations of her infidelity heightens the tragedy of her death. At the beginning of their dialogue, Desdemona speaks of herself with humble confidence; while she takes care not to anger Othello further, she says that she is confident that any witnesses will deny the claim that she has been unfaithful. This strategy mirrors the way Othello reacted to the accusations of Brabantio, Desdemona's father. Just as he encourages a trial so that the evidence in his favor will speak for itself, Desdemona asks Othello to fetch Cassio so that he can explain away the misunderstanding. Othello, however, refuses to ask Cassio about the matter, and his ignorant refusal is frustrating to the audience, who knows that Cassio could easily solve the problem and stop Othello from killing Desdemona. This dramatic irony enhances the sense of tragedy because it exposes a way in which this massive tragedy could be a life's swiftly and easily.

Furthermore, the tragedy increases as a result of Desdemona's virtue. When Othello makes up his mind to murder her, she stops arguing but instead apologizes for offending him. Her apologies create even more tragedy because the audience knows that she has nothing to apologize for, and that all she wants in the world is to please the man who is about to kill her. She is endlessly forgiving, even to the man who murders her without any good reason. Othello is not only committing a murder; he is murdering someone who is essentially without fault, which makes the action even more tragic.

Othello V.ii.1-24

Othello contemplates both his motives and his possible consequences of murdering Desdemona as he enters their bedroom where she is asleep.  He creates a parallel between "Put[ting] out the light" that guides him through the dark room and "put[ting] out the light" that is Desdemona's living spirit (7).  As he notes later, the important distinction between these two lights is that Othello could easily find another torch to light the way, but he could never find another love like Desdemona to figuratively brighten his life as she has.  Othello makes other connections between fire and life, such as when he connects the two Greek myths of Prometheus: one in which Prometheus creates mankind, and the other when Prometheus shows mankind fire.  By comparing life to a flame about to go out, Othello gives the impression that he is under a lot of pressure and that his time as well as Desdemona's is running short before he must make the important decision whether or not to end her life.

Othello concludes his soliloquy with a chain of paradoxes such as "So sweet was ne'er so fatal" (22).  The contradictory nature of the last several phrases of his speech reflect Othello's conflicted emotions as he contemplates murdering the love of his life on rather inconclusive evidence of her infidelity.

Othello #5

Iago continues to manipulate Othello by inciting his jealousy. However, Iago never makes accusations that would lead to Othello's jealousy; he uses subliminal suggestion to cause Othello to make himself jealous with his own imagination. At the beginning of Act IV, Iago hints that Cassio may have transgressed against Othello, innocently asking, "what of I had said I had seen him do you wrong?" (28). Othello immediately begins to ask Iago questions, and Iago keeps him guessing. When Iago finally gives Othello a taste of an answer, he qualifies it with "what you will," feigning modesty for his own eyewitness account. Upon hearing this vague answer, Othello begins a brief monologue that is very staccato and inquisitive. The quickness of the line demonstrates the Othello is beginning to become paranoid about his wife even though Iago has not even given him a straight answer. Iago has manipulated Othello so that Othello is begging Iago for information that he knows will infuriate him if Iago is correct. This manipulation is an example of the evil of Iago; he manipulates the characters of the play so that they come crawling to him to expedite their own downfall.

Othello #4

Iago has made clear that he intends to wreak havoc upon several of the characters in the play by exploiting their best traits rather than exploiting their weaknesses. For example, he continues to come closer to undermining Othello by exploiting Othello's trust. After Othello strips Cassio of his lieutenancy, Iago continues to sing Othello's praises. Between lines 116 and 134, he addresses Othello as "my lord" four times, which is enough that even Othello notices his excessive flattery. Iago wishes to earn and keep Othello's trust by constantly expressing his feigned reverence for Othello. Iago also brings himself closer to Othello by portraying himself as a man of trust. After Cassio loses his post, Iago notes to Othello, "I think that be is honest," and he repeats himself almost word for word just five lines later (145). By showing that he trusts others and has patience with transgressors, Iago intends to give Othello the impression that he transitively deserves Othello's patience and trust.

Othello #3

The actor's interpretation of Cassio can have a significant impact on Cassio's character.  One example of the flexibility of Cassio's character is when Iago attempts to get him drunk.  Before leaving the stage, when Cassio attempts to prove he is still sober, he indicates both of his hands, saying, "this is my right hand, and this is my left" (II.iii.118-119).  Cassio has two options.  One is to indignantly and defensively prove his sobriety.  The other is to actually be drunk.  The actor that portrays Cassio does not have any stage directions instructing him how to move while reciting this line.  The actor therefore has the option to confuse his right and his left hand.  He has the option to storm offstage in a huff or to stumble off clumsily.  He can maintain or vary the tempo of his lines to convey the effect of control or of loss of control.  Cassio's acting choices help to gauge the speed of the success of this stage of Iago's plan; if he storms off sober, Iago will have to set another trap.  If Cassio chooses to wander drunk off the stage, then Iago's plan is working perfectly based on what he 'confesses' to the audience.

Sound and Sense Chapter 13

1. Verse (a) better adapts sound to sense. "Guard" and "guide" are phonetically linked to each other and also evoke a sense of strength with their hard "g" sounds. This is better than the vague and less concrete "point your way" and "keep you safe.

2. (b). "Crabbed as dull fools suppose" is more cacophonous than the alternative, conveying the line's desired harshness that coincides with its image. Furthermore, "Apollo's lute" is more euphonious than "the lute of Phoebus," highlighting the lute's musical beauty.

3. (b) the alliterated "c" sound is more cacophonous than the alternative, so it more successfully portrays the roughness of the croaking cross that the speaker attempts to convey.

4. (b). "Low voice," with it's long "o" sounds and it's soft "l" and "s," is more euphonious than the staccato "talk." The euphony of the phrase coincides with the tones of the singing bells described in the verse.

5. (b). The first line sounds very busy with its inconsistent meter and awkward phoneme connections, which is appropriate for the rushed tone. The second line contains many "m" sounds, evoking the desired moaning of the doves. The "m" sounds in the third line serve as the bees' murmur.

6. (a) The words "unpleasing sharps" at the end of the voice are more unpleasant than "doleful flats," which contains more soft consonants and long vowels. The first option therefore fits more with the intended unpleasant tone.

7. (b) the first line of option (a) only has three hard consonant sounds and is not at all as "severe" as the speaker intends. The first line of option (b) has twelve, so the words are sufficiently "hard" as to "stick in the soft Muses' gullets."

8. (a). The "s" sounds of "incessantly softly" create a rhythm that parallels the rhythm with which Death and Night wash the world.

9. (b) The meter of the final line is such that the word "me" receives emphasis, highlighting the aloneness of the speaker. The consistent meter of the fourth line I the second option places no extra emphasis on the word.

10. (b) This option is slightly more cacophonous, so its sounds coincide better with the tone of contempt toward the subject.

Othello #2

When Iago is with Roderigo, the audience sees him as clever and conniving.  When he is with Othello, he flatters excessively.  During Iago's first encounter with Cassio, the audience witnesses yet another of Iago's many personalities: the facetious, joking friend.  When Iago enters the scene, he and Cassio exchange words about Iago's wife.  When Cassio kisses her as a greeting, Iago comments, "would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, / You'll have enough" (109-111).  Iago shares a joke with Cassio that could easily be considered rude and disrespectful if heard 'the wrong way.'  Iago intends to make Cassio feel as though he trusts Cassio, creating an impression of confidence and friendship between the two of them.  Iago expects to be able to use this connection to his advantage as he continues to work his way to the top of Venice's military hierarchy.

However, Iago also intends to lure Cassio into a trap by allowing him to fall in love with Emilia.  Iago makes his plans explicit to the audience as he observes Cassio's interaction with Emilia, marveling that "With such a little web as this will [he] ensnare as great a fly as Cassio" (162-163).  As Iago pretends to be a friend to Cassio, he does not allow Cassio to anticipate the trap that Iago has set.

Othello: Iago's Motives

One of Iago’s primary motives for attempting to sabotage Othello is that Iago is frustrated that Othello has made Cassio his lieutenant instead of Iago.  He notes that Cassio is “a great arithmetician” but that he has "never set a squadron in the field” (I.i.20, 23).  Although Cassio is clever, he has far less experience than Iago, so Iago is especially frustrated with Othello’s choice.  He wants to be Othello’s lieutenant, but Othello chooses someone else, so Iago feels offended.  Therefore, he seeks to undermine Othello in order to wreak his revenge.

In addition to Iago’s jealousy of Cassio’s appointment, Iago is also jealous of Othello himself.  Othello is the commander of the mighty Venetian military, a highly coveted post in the most powerful military in Europe.  Iago would love the opportunity to hold this position.  Iago and Othello are like in that they both have extensive military experience; the intellectual Cassio serves as a foil to Iago in this way, which enhances the comparison between Iago and Othello.  Since Iago and Othello are similar in this way, have fought in battle together, and play similar roles in society, either one of them could hold the post.  Othello has earned it through his merit, but Iago feels entitled to it through his aristocratic origins, and may subconsciously wish that he could overthrow Othello and claim the post as his own.