Posts of Othello

It is interesting how these advertisements for Othello portray such different images of the play. In the two with photographs of actual people, they seem to most emphasize the violence against a white woman by a black man. The woman doesn't look happy in either. Yet another advertisement has silhouettes of black and white arms holding hands, as if it is a loving relationship. The other three images just show one person. The two close ups of heads (middle top and lower left) seem to show a conflict over someone's race -- one shows a brown faceless chocolate shell of a head cracked open to reveal a white inside; the other shows an black man whose torso is half black and half white clothed. And finally, the American Globe Theatre poster just shows a silhouette of a figure who could be black but could just be in shadow, peeking out from a curtain.

It seems clear from most of these that race is a big part of Othello. It also seems like an interracial relationship is a big part of the play, but it isn't clear if it is a romantic or abusive one. In terms of how these make me feel, the two photograph-based posters make me uncomfortable because of the man's hand around the woman's neck. The top middle one, with the cracked chocolate head, seems like it may be kind of racist because it compares a brown-skinned human being to food.

Blog #3: The Problems with Poetry

After reading Renaissance poetry over the weekend, I definitely can relate to the feeling that poetry is difficult to understand. I spent half the time I was reading thinking: what is this about? What am I supposed to get from this author? For instance, I thought The Flea was an interesting commentary on taking something small and unimportant and investing it with grand powers of connection between people, but apparently, that was not the interpretation I was supposed to have. Which is depressing because I had actually gotten something out of it, but not the right something.

On the other hand, I have read poetry that I find really meaningful. Sometimes poetry can get the emotion of an idea across in a few words much better than an entire paragraph of text. Langston Hughes's "Dream Deffered" poem is only 51 words long. But it conveys the pain and suffering and disappointment caused by American racism. When the last line asks, "Or does it explode?" the reader sees Hughes's perspective on the possible result of oppression: rebellion.

But poems are only meaningful if you understand them and can relate to what they are saying. Part of the reason that the Renaissance poetry may seem difficult is because of the language and metaphors and outdated phrasing.

So I think we read poetry as a way to connect with other people, to see their experiences expressed in personal ways. But if we can't make those connections, it is hard to find the meaning in the poetry.

Leaders and Heroes: The Difference

King Hrothgar is one of the few people with actual leadership experience. He has gone through a variety of situations, both good and bad. He did not stop Grendel from attacking, but he did save his people from many wars and traumas. His advice to Beowulf is mainly to remember to be humble because he has seen many heroes like Beowulf who become complacent heroes who do not remember the customs and ideals that made them heroes in the first place. This complacency has led to many ex-heroes's demise. This seems to be arguing that being a hero is not the same thing as being a leader. Conquering and destroying enemies is a different skill set from leading a people. For example, when Beowulf went to kill Grendel's mother, he had no fear of death, so he could blindly go forward knowing he could die. As a hero, that was seen as great and selfless. But if he were a ruler, that would have been disastrous for his people, because it would put them all at risk.

Beowulf does show parallels to current politics. As I write this blog post, a television ad is playing that questions whether one presidential candidate can be trusted with nuclear codes. Donald Trump has built his campaign on being a hero who will "Make America Great Again." At the Republican Convention, his speech argued that only he could save America. But this style of individualistic masculine heroism is probably better left to stories and movies. To rule a country, you need to be able to build coalitions and work effectively with many people. Unlike Beowulf, however, the current presidential contest does not seem to be between age and youth. Instead, we might argue that it is a contest between gendered leadership styles.