Richard is the type of character that makes his audience uncomfortable. He epitomizes all that is horrible and is personified in human form. He kills his brother, murders his wife, manipulates his niece into marriage, and the most vile and disturbing act of all, he was the soul that organized the slaughtering of two innocent children. The scariest aspect of all these atrocious events is that Richard is never the one doing the actual killing; he is the mastermind behind every evil and disgusting plan.
Richard's hands are soaked in sin from his dirty deeds, but he is not guilty of carrying out of the murders; he was not even around when the actual murders were transpiring. The fact that he was capable of persuading enough people to go along with his maniacal plans is incredibly unsettling. The people Richard would hire to carry out his wishes were well aware of his evil interior and his motives; however, due to their own selfish greed or self preservation, they would cooperate with Richard for fear of what he do to them and their family if he found out that they held a guilty conscious and were unable to fulfill their duty.
When people would turn against Richard and object to his requests, he would have them terminated; regardless of their status and role in society. Buckingham was with him almost the entire way to his quest to kingship, but once he rejected Richard's plans, Richard had him eradicated, along with the rest. He was not going to allow any single person to interfere with his aspirations, and murder and death were not matters of concern to him, as long as he was the one determining who would be decimated; his life and his ambitions were the top priority.
Even civilians were capable of recognizing that Richard was up to no good and was starting to make trouble in the neighborhood and it was not just one little fight where his mom got scared and sent him to live with his auntie and uncle in bel-air; but instead his desire to destruct London to become king was overwhelming and extremely evident to the most simple minded townsfolk. Evil triumphs when good people do nothing, and that is what occurred during Richard the III. They were warned by Lady Margaret that he was nothing but pure evil, but they decided to cast her off as a bewildered mad woman. Then when they would finally realize that Margaret's words were true, it was always too late and Richard would win yet another battle.
Ambition and power are tempting aspects; however, how far is one man willing to go to attain them; and how come it took such a long time for people to stand together and make a change when they knew what was happening was wrong?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Richard III -Analysis
Richard the III immediately takes on the role of the ultimate villain. In the opening scene in Act 1, he expresses his desire to be enveloped by this evil-to have his entire soul and body overwhelmed with the ugliness of it, and he is able to personify evil by his devious traits and manipulative manner.
Richard is cunning and is aware that in order to achieve his aspirations of becoming king, his most vile side of his personality must be hidden from upper society. He wants to appear as though his inner goals are not to be named king; he tangles them in his lies and uses his deformities to evoke pity and compassion. He places guilt upon those that accuse him of evil intentions-using his physical deformities to his benefit and that accusing a man with so little to live for in life is degrading.
There are two tones prevalent in his speech. Richard is reflecting on society as a whole, as well as, himself. War has ended and he wants the battles to rage on. While the countryside is rejoicing due to the peace they are experiencing, Richard is furious with this new found prosperity. The happiness and joy of others only highlights his own self-loathing. He is incapable of focusing on the positive in his life, and he is the cause of his own misery. Richard's mentality and actions are the reasons as to why he is unable to find a woman that is capable of fully loving him without having to be manipulated into it. He allows his physical deformities to plague him internally.
The repetition of the word "I" concentrates on his bitterness and building anger. He is unable to sympathize with anyone; countless people were killed and lives were ruined during the brutal wartime, and he is brewing new and horrible ways in which he can create his own havoc to generate the destruction that occurred during war.
Richard is fully aware of his desire to be evil. He is not manipulated by higher sources or greater powers; he is acting upon free will. He longs for these menacing feelings and thoughts to "dive" deeper into his soul so he is truly capable of embracing these villian-like qualities and become overtaken by the root of all evil. Richard is conscious of the fact that in order to attain such desires, he must be coy and not allow his superiors to see his true face.
Richard is cunning and is aware that in order to achieve his aspirations of becoming king, his most vile side of his personality must be hidden from upper society. He wants to appear as though his inner goals are not to be named king; he tangles them in his lies and uses his deformities to evoke pity and compassion. He places guilt upon those that accuse him of evil intentions-using his physical deformities to his benefit and that accusing a man with so little to live for in life is degrading.
There are two tones prevalent in his speech. Richard is reflecting on society as a whole, as well as, himself. War has ended and he wants the battles to rage on. While the countryside is rejoicing due to the peace they are experiencing, Richard is furious with this new found prosperity. The happiness and joy of others only highlights his own self-loathing. He is incapable of focusing on the positive in his life, and he is the cause of his own misery. Richard's mentality and actions are the reasons as to why he is unable to find a woman that is capable of fully loving him without having to be manipulated into it. He allows his physical deformities to plague him internally.
The repetition of the word "I" concentrates on his bitterness and building anger. He is unable to sympathize with anyone; countless people were killed and lives were ruined during the brutal wartime, and he is brewing new and horrible ways in which he can create his own havoc to generate the destruction that occurred during war.
Richard is fully aware of his desire to be evil. He is not manipulated by higher sources or greater powers; he is acting upon free will. He longs for these menacing feelings and thoughts to "dive" deeper into his soul so he is truly capable of embracing these villian-like qualities and become overtaken by the root of all evil. Richard is conscious of the fact that in order to attain such desires, he must be coy and not allow his superiors to see his true face.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Nikki-Rosa (293) Analysis
Nikki-Rosa is a matured black woman who is reminiscing on her childhood. She identifies that not many people are going to understand that the poverty did not worry her or "no inside toilet" (4) but the fact that "white biographers" are not going to capture the essence of her childhood and the happiness that she felt while "living in Woodlawn" (3).
There is no prevalent rhyme in this poem; it is more of an ongoing thought, something that has been building up inside of her for years and she is suddenly able to exhale and get every last word out before she loses it.
"Nikki-Rosa" has a soulful style to it, breaking into shorter and longer sentences that make it have smooth manner and almost give it a beat in the reader's head.
Nikki Giovanni did an amazing job letting readers see another side of being poor and a minority, that it is not this insurmountable hardship, but it is full of plenty of happiness. And if you look anywhere long enough, you will be capable of seeing that beauty.
There is no prevalent rhyme in this poem; it is more of an ongoing thought, something that has been building up inside of her for years and she is suddenly able to exhale and get every last word out before she loses it.
"Nikki-Rosa" has a soulful style to it, breaking into shorter and longer sentences that make it have smooth manner and almost give it a beat in the reader's head.
Nikki Giovanni did an amazing job letting readers see another side of being poor and a minority, that it is not this insurmountable hardship, but it is full of plenty of happiness. And if you look anywhere long enough, you will be capable of seeing that beauty.
Nikki-Rosa (293) Devices
The only word that is capitalized throughout the entire poem is the word Black. This shows the pride she possesses regarding her heritage. She is not going to let anything bring her down, and she will not be embarrassed for the color of her skin or feel inferior because of the way God created her and her family. She is proud of the way she looks and the life she led, and if anyone has a problem with her being Black she will bravely defy them.
Also, the only punctuation found in the poem is the period found at the very end. It seems like this was just run-on thought, a continuation of pent-up frustration and annoyance at the common arrogance of society. "childhood remembrances are always a drag...all the while I was quite happy" (1 & 27) the first and last lines of the poem connect flawlessly together; I think this was done intentionally to show that everything is connected and comes full circle. That maybe at one point in Nikki-Rosa's life she was upset with being handed the short end of the stick, but through time she realized how lucky she was to have the life and love she experienced. No one will understand her and her family, but that does not matter because they do; all the difficulties she faced-the poverty, the alcoholism-none of it mattered because it molded her into the person she is, and through it all, " everybody is together and you and your sister have happy birthdays and very good christmasses" (22-23).
Also, the only punctuation found in the poem is the period found at the very end. It seems like this was just run-on thought, a continuation of pent-up frustration and annoyance at the common arrogance of society. "childhood remembrances are always a drag...all the while I was quite happy" (1 & 27) the first and last lines of the poem connect flawlessly together; I think this was done intentionally to show that everything is connected and comes full circle. That maybe at one point in Nikki-Rosa's life she was upset with being handed the short end of the stick, but through time she realized how lucky she was to have the life and love she experienced. No one will understand her and her family, but that does not matter because they do; all the difficulties she faced-the poverty, the alcoholism-none of it mattered because it molded her into the person she is, and through it all, " everybody is together and you and your sister have happy birthdays and very good christmasses" (22-23).
Niki-Rosa (p. 293) Reflection
This deals with the life of a black girl growing up and how she can never be understood by those that have had a privileged life because, in their view of her, no one with so little could possess so much.
She gives the impression that she has some hostility toward white people, in general, which is understandable because in the time period in which she grew up there was much more racism and prejudice. Seeing the hardships her own family, herself and her parents had to endure, made her more cynical of the world, and rightfully so.
She is not afraid to tell the audience of everything she did not have, but she is just as proud to share all that her family was blessed enough to be given "Black love is Black wealth" (24).
Nikki-Rosa feels that if she had become a person that was famous and well-known they would be too preoccupied with describing her hardships, instead of revealing all the happiness she had in her life. This was the way that she grew up, that was the lifestyle that she was familar with, so to her and her family it was not bad, it was just another day in the Nikki-Rosa household.
Even though this focuses on a young black girl, I think it is easy to relate to because it emphasizes the strong ties of family and that unbreakable bond that is shared. It crosses color barriers because any family that does not come from much is able to identify with the concept that life is what you make of it.
Nikki-Rosa does not want to waste her time concentrating on all that could have been and all that she could have had had she been a different color or if her family had been different. Instead, she is happy to have had the family and life she was born into, and all she wants is for outsiders to recognize this fortune of hers as well.
She gives the impression that she has some hostility toward white people, in general, which is understandable because in the time period in which she grew up there was much more racism and prejudice. Seeing the hardships her own family, herself and her parents had to endure, made her more cynical of the world, and rightfully so.
She is not afraid to tell the audience of everything she did not have, but she is just as proud to share all that her family was blessed enough to be given "Black love is Black wealth" (24).
Nikki-Rosa feels that if she had become a person that was famous and well-known they would be too preoccupied with describing her hardships, instead of revealing all the happiness she had in her life. This was the way that she grew up, that was the lifestyle that she was familar with, so to her and her family it was not bad, it was just another day in the Nikki-Rosa household.
Even though this focuses on a young black girl, I think it is easy to relate to because it emphasizes the strong ties of family and that unbreakable bond that is shared. It crosses color barriers because any family that does not come from much is able to identify with the concept that life is what you make of it.
Nikki-Rosa does not want to waste her time concentrating on all that could have been and all that she could have had had she been a different color or if her family had been different. Instead, she is happy to have had the family and life she was born into, and all she wants is for outsiders to recognize this fortune of hers as well.
Money (279) Analysis
The speaker appears to be a man that has seen or has experienced for himself the negative power of money. He wants the readers to realize that in the end the money will win "There will be no pain/ but in thirty seconds/ the poison will reach your heart" (27-29).
He keeps his sentences and stanzas short, direct and straight to the point. There are periods at the end of each stanza, finishing a thought, but within that stanza it is a gentle flow describing each stage that the money encounters. Originating from a tamed beast, to a nesting creature, to a friendly play boy, a regenerating organism, an attention seeking plant, then finally showing its true venomous teeth.
I like how it is not drawn out, but Contoski uses images and language that any reader can connect with. He uses the title to show his main focus, but he never has to reuse that word, yet the reader is still capable of fully understanding his ultimate message and idea of the poem. To be able to write an entire poem on a single matter and not even have to use that word to explain it, takes an immense amount of talent and just an universal understanding on the subject he is referring to.
He keeps his sentences and stanzas short, direct and straight to the point. There are periods at the end of each stanza, finishing a thought, but within that stanza it is a gentle flow describing each stage that the money encounters. Originating from a tamed beast, to a nesting creature, to a friendly play boy, a regenerating organism, an attention seeking plant, then finally showing its true venomous teeth.
I like how it is not drawn out, but Contoski uses images and language that any reader can connect with. He uses the title to show his main focus, but he never has to reuse that word, yet the reader is still capable of fully understanding his ultimate message and idea of the poem. To be able to write an entire poem on a single matter and not even have to use that word to explain it, takes an immense amount of talent and just an universal understanding on the subject he is referring to.
Money (279) Devices
Contoski uses personification to show the power and influence of money. The only time the word money is mentioned is in the title. Since the first stanza, Contoski references money as "it." The money takes on the role of a wild animal, that an owner believes can be controlled, but with time, its real and dangerous nature will shine through, "At first it will seem tame/ willing to be domesticated" (1-2) that it is willing to change for a short period of time but it will resort to its instinctive ways.
In addition to the personification, the diction is provoking because these are not words normally associated with money; "nest in your pocket" opposed to folded in your wallet, nested is similar to having a home, having deeper connection with the owner of the money. "Like a dog and lick/ the legs of women" (10-11) shows the idea of seduction, how sex and money tend to go hand in hand. It is not written in a vulgar manner, but it seems as though that is the hidden meaning behind the line; that different kinds of women become attracted to the presence of money and certain men become more attractive to those types of women. "Water it every three days" (18) taking on the role of being attended and cared for, that without nurturing it will not grow and prosper. Watering it will make it multiply and bring more happiness to the proprietor of the money. "Bite" (25) displays the negative and ill-temperateness of money, that no matter how tried they try, it will always have the upper hand.
In addition to the personification, the diction is provoking because these are not words normally associated with money; "nest in your pocket" opposed to folded in your wallet, nested is similar to having a home, having deeper connection with the owner of the money. "Like a dog and lick/ the legs of women" (10-11) shows the idea of seduction, how sex and money tend to go hand in hand. It is not written in a vulgar manner, but it seems as though that is the hidden meaning behind the line; that different kinds of women become attracted to the presence of money and certain men become more attractive to those types of women. "Water it every three days" (18) taking on the role of being attended and cared for, that without nurturing it will not grow and prosper. Watering it will make it multiply and bring more happiness to the proprietor of the money. "Bite" (25) displays the negative and ill-temperateness of money, that no matter how tried they try, it will always have the upper hand.
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