JAZZ Toni Morrison Character Analysis Joe Trace

JAZZ Toni Morrison Character Analysis Joe Trace


Joe is a kind-hearted and in a general sense great man who is driven by pity and apprehension to shoot and murder his young significant other, Dorcas. Like his wife, Violet, Joe's affliction stems in extensive part from his shaky and agonizing youth. At a youthful age, Joe is informed that he was embraced and that his mom left him "without a follow." An inclination of surrender and a vulnerability about his character infections Joe from that minute on. Joe subsequently does not know where he originates from and considers, erroneously, that he can't be finished without this data, accordingly conceding his bliss and looking to others to make him entirety. He is exceedingly respected in the Harlem group for being a better than average man and something in his face reminds late vagrants to the City of their rustic roots. He treats Violet well however when she gets to be discouraged he can't keep up a feeling of fulfillment. Regardless he searches for a lady to give the adoration that his mom, Wild, did not, and hence he tries to secure Dorcas' fondness by revering her. At the point when Dorcas disdains him, his torment is aggravated by a more profound anguish as he watches the third lady in his life surrender him. In this way, Joe's anguish blasts into a demonstration of viciousness in his homicide of Dorcas.

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JAZZ Toni Morrison

JAZZ
Toni Morrison


Character Analysis
Dorcas 





Likewise with Joe and Violet, Morrison describes the urgent occasions throughout Dorcas' life that formed her identity, making her more thoughtful than she would at first show up. As a young lady, Dorcas lost both of her guardians around the same time when her dad was killed on a streetcar and her mom kicked the bucket in a blazing building amid the East St. Louis riots, which left her stranded and destitute. Like so a considerable lot of the characters in the book, Dorcas relocated to the City where her life was to be revamped by the fanatical consideration of her auntie, Alice Manfred. On the other hand, as an adolescent, Dorcas starts to defy her auntie's old-molded tastes, and refashions herself as a sexually-alluring lady. Dorcas needs to be taken a gander at and respected and when Joe visits her auntie's home she effectively catches the more established man's look. The ethical quality of laying down with a wedded man who is mature enough to be her dad does not figure Dorcas' choice to be with Joe. Like a young lady, she is energetic for the endowments that he brings her and she gets to be irritable and ill humored when she doesn't get her direction. In any case, Dorcas additionally needs a power figure and when she understands that Joe is totally moldable she exhausts with him rapidly. Her new sweetheart, Acton, guarantees to shape Dorcas and control her, so she permits her personality to be made for her. At the point when Joe shoots Dorcas, she decides to bite the dust with a specific end goal to be viewed, making herself a saint by draining to death instead of setting off to the clinic. Then again, Morrison's storyteller sorts out the strings of her story to show how Dorcas as one sees her doesn't relate with her inside life.

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Theme of Jealousy in "Othello"

Theme of Jealousy in "Othello"


1. Introduction
Jealousy is a mental cancer. It is an emotion, and the word typically refers to the thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, concern and anxiety over an anticipated loss or status of great personal value, particularly in reference to a human connection. Five characters in "Othello" by Shakespeare are victims of jealousy. Iago and Bianca are jealous about Cassio, Brabantio, Roderigo and Iago are jealous about Othello, and Othello becomes jealous of Desdemona. Emilia is not jealous about anyone but has a theory that jealousy is a constituent part of masculinity. Except Brabantio's jealousy of Othello and Iago's jealousy of Cassio, all characters are suffering from sexual jealousy - a jealousy which is triggered in a person when a sexual partner displays sexual interest in another person.
2. Iago's Jealousy of Cassio
Iago is a soldier who fights alongside Othello in his army. Proving loyal with every fight, Iago assumes that the upcoming promotion for lieutenant is imminent. Unfortunately, the promotion is given to Micheal Cassio instead. Iago cannot understand this appointment because Cassio is an inexperienced soldier who has no practical knowledge of battle. He is a man of theoretical learning. On the other hand, Iago is given the job of Ensign, or flag-bearer that is humiliating for a man who considers himself intellectually superior to everyone around him. Iago thus becomes jealous of Cassio who is now of higher rank and is young and handsome to boot.
3. Iago's Jealousy of Othello
Othello is a general in the Venetian defense forces. He is newly and happily married to an aristocratic Venetian woman, Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello's position and his ability to woo the young and alluring Desdemona. It is possible that Iago has his own secret passion for the Moor's new bride, and he is enraged at the idea of the "old black ram" attaining what he himself desires. Moreover, Iago is stuck in a loveless marriage to a woman who frequently nags him. Thus he is jealous of Othello and Desdemona's happiness in love. The jealously gets intensified when he hears a rumor that Othello has been sleeping with his wife, Emilia.
4. Brabantio's Jealousy of Othello
Brabantio is Desdemona's father. He is jealous of the Moor for stealing his daughter's love. He accuses his new son-in-law of being a "foul-thief". He becomes jealous because he knows that he will no longer be the most important person in Desdemona's life. After Desdemona makes it clear that she loves and honours her husband, Brabantio remains vindictive, and bitterly warns Othello that Desdemona may turn out to be a slut:
Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:
She has deceived her father, and may thee
No father has ever expressed a more hateful jealousy of his son-in-law as Brabantio.
5. Roderigo's Jealousy of Othello
Roderigo is a wooer of Desdemona. The lovesick Roderigo has trouble with his feelings for Desdemona and is jealous watching Othello and Desdemona in love. He follows Iago's directions easily because of his jealousy of Othello's relationship with Desdemona. Along with Iago and Brabantio, he berates and criticizes Othello about everything, including race. He expresses his jealousy of Othello's marriage to Desdemona by exclaiming,
What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe
If he can carry't thus!
6. Bianca's Jealousy of Cassio
Bianca is Cassio's prostitute girlfriend. She becomes sick with jealousy when Cassio gives her a handkerchief in order to copy Desdemona's handkerchief for him. Bianca is already unhappy with Cassio because he has not been to see her in a week, and the sight of a woman's handkerchief gives her an attack of jealousy. She throws handkerchief back at Cassio, tells him that he should give it to the whore he got it from, and declares that no matter where he got it, she is not about to copy it. Though Bianca's jealousy exists on a much smaller scale, it illustrates that the sentiment is universal.
7. Othello's Jealousy of Desdemona
Iago plants the seed of jealousy in Othello in Act 3, Scene 3. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife; she has an affair with Cassio. Othello believes Iago's lies, despite that there is not much evidence. His jealousy leads him to be too trusting of Iago. As he begins to believe the accusations, his love, affection and kindness for Desdemona fade away. Othello's jealousy reaches its peak when his token of love for Desdemona, the handkerchief, is shown up in Cassio's possession. Othello is completely convinced that Desdemona is unfaithful and he kills her because he has not way to resolve his jealousy.
8. Iago's Remarks About Jealousy
Iago describes jealousy as a "green-eyed monster". The meat that this monster feeds on is a person's heart, which it eats away. At the same time, the monster mocks that person's heart, so that he or she feels shame. And the monster is insatiable, always gnawing away, so that the jealous person is never at peace.
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on;
Iago also describes jealousy as a "poison" that consumes the jealous person, eating away at him and filling him with a passionate desire for revenge.
9. Emilia's Remarks About Jealousy
Emilia believes that jealousy does not need a cause. It is a beast that is born of itself and feeds on itself. The root of jealousy is not some action of infidelity but insecurity on the part of the one jealous. Throughout the play, Iago accuses Emilia of being unfaithful to him, just as Othello accuses Desdemona. She has never been untrue to Iago as Desdemona has never been untrue to Othello. Thus jealousy does not need an unfaithful act to inspire it. It is a part of a man or woman's nature.
But jealous souls will not be answer'd so;
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.
10. Conclusion
In short, jealousy, rooted in fear and anger, is a bad emotion to feel and bad quality to possess. Jealous people do very foolish things, particularly in the case of romantic and sexual jealousy. Abnormal jealousy is a very complex, passionate and fatal emotion that devours those who allow it to dominate their lives. This "green-eyed monster" kills Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia and Othello. Brabantio has also died and Iago will die in the near future after a drawn out punishment. It is ironic that almost all of the characters in the play feel jealous about things that never actually happened -- baseless jealousy for the most part provokes their outbursts.
Notes Prepared By: Prof. Shahbaz Asghar

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Symbolism in Blake's Poetry

Symbolism in Blake's Poetry

Introduction
The poetry as well as the whole art of William Blake is abundant with symbols. There is hardly any poem in the "Songs of Innocence and Experience" which does not possess symbols. A symbol is an object which stands for something else as Shelley's wind symbolizes inspiration, Ted Hughes's Hawk symbolizes terrible destructiveness at the heart of nature and S.T. Coleridge's Albatross represents a psychological burden that feels like a curse. Most symbols are not like code signals, like traffic lights, where red means stop and green means go, but part of a complex language in which green can mean jealously or fertility, or even both, depending on context. The major symbols in Blake's poetry are; lamb, rose, children, tiger, garden, stars, forest, looms and net.
1. Lamb
William Blake loves lambs. They connect religion with both human and natural world. Traditionally, the lamb is a symbol of renewal, victory of life upon death, gentleness, tenderness and innocence. White colour of the lamb stands for purity. In the Christian Gospels, Jesus Christ is compared to a lamb because he goes meekly to be sacrificed on behalf of humanity. Moreover, lambs, as baby sheep, are connected to the theme of childhood that runs through the "Songs of Innocence". By contrast, "Songs of Experience" contains only one reference to a lamb. The Speaker of "The Tyger" asks, 

"Did he who made the lamb make thee"?

2. Rose
Sunflower, lily and rose are the common flowers that appear in Blake's poetry as symbols. Sunflower represents a man who is bound to earth, but is pinning for eternity. Lily is a symbol of love which is without any self-reference, neither defending itself nor causing any pain and destruction. Rose, as a symbol, has a rich and ancient history. In the ancient Rome, roses were grown in the funerary gardens to symbolize resurrection. According to medieval tradition, they represent chastity or virginity and thus are associated with young girls. In Christianity, the rose is a frequent symbol for the Virgin Mary, who is called a "rose without thorns". The rose garden is a symbol of paradise. However, the rose of William Blake symbolizes beauty, virginity, innocence and London. 
3. Children
On account of their playfulness and freshness, Blake sees children as symbols of imagination and artistic creativity. He also uses them as an image of innocence. The child motif emphasizes the suggestions of simplicity and lack of sophistication. Much of the moralistic teaching of Blake's day stressed the infant and boy Jesus as a figure with whom children could identify. However, the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth and childhood include experience of human violence and so emphasize the vulnerability of the child. Thus like the lamb, the child represents gentleness and innocence, together with vulnerability and openness to exploitation.
4. Tiger
It is unclear what the tiger exactly symbolizes. It may symbolize the violent and terrifying forces within the individual man. The splendid but terrifying tiger makes us realize the God's purposes are not so easily understood. At the same time, the tiger is symbolic of the Creator's masterly skill which enabled Him to frame the "fearful symmetry" of the tiger. But the lion described in the poem "Night" offers an interesting contrary to the tiger. Both the beasts seem dreadful, but the lion, like the beast of the fairy tale, can be magically transformed into a good and gentle creature: the tiger cannot. The tiger also represents the energy and imagination of man. Really, the list is almost infinite. The point is, the tiger is important, and Blake's poem "The Tyger" barely limits the possibilities.
5. Garden
The garden is a symbol providing the location of love and temptation leading to captivity. The garden is commonly recalled in the "Songs of Experience". In the garden, mankind is walled or fenced off from his neighbours; man tends his own desires, particularly by self-conscious affections and jealousies. The garden is a sickly consolation among the evils of London. There are "Soft Gardens" and "Secret Gardens". In a garden of delight, mankind is surrounded by shadows. Urizen himself planted a "garden of fruits". This is Eden, never associated with innocence, but always with temptation, the tree of mystery and forbidden knowledge. This aspect of Eden is prototype of Blake's symbol of the garden.
6. Stars
Stars are often used to symbolize heavenly bodies, purity, distance, light in the darkness, unattainable things, good luck and eternity. In dreams, a shooting star is a sign of self-fulfillment and advancement in life. However, Blake uses the star symbol in his own specific sense. The stars are never romantic. At one level, stars and darkness are commonly assumed to endanger health. The symbol of the stars assumes another dimension when it is associated with material and spiritual repression. This is said to reflect Blake's reaction against the rational thoughts of his times.
7. Forest
The forest, that seems to overgrow the hills of Innocence, with its impenetrable superstition, is one of Blake's most powerful symbols. The conventional beginning is seen in the "Poetical Sketches" where the "thickest shades" provide concealment from the sun in "To Summer", and in "To the Evening Star", the lion "glares through the dense forest". This poem is typical in its refined holiness of eighteenth century mannerism, which Blake soon outgrew. In "Songs of Innocence", the groves of "Night" and "The Little Black Boy" still occur in a religious context, and we are moving towards the mention in "America" where the Royalist oppressors crouch terrified in their caverns.
8. Looms and Net
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. In the prophetic books, the symbols of loom, with the action of weaving, the web and the net represent the soft, delusive terror of sexual dominance and these symbols run together. "The silken net" in "How Sweet I Roamed from Field to Field", suggests the trap of tenderness. The eighteenth century sought in public works to slave its conscience over prostitution, poverty and disease. For Blake, it was hypocrisy, while the old order perpetuated itself, and an oppressive social and moral code fostered the destitution and traffic in childhood that all professed to deplore.
Conclusion
It is established that Blake is a highly symbolic poet. His use of symbolism is unique and cinematic. It paints a lively and pulsating picture of dynamic life before us. He has depicted nature and human nature; animals and plants as simple but profound symbols of powerful forces. What is different in Blake is that he is not modeling after any symbols but his own. His handling of symbols is markedly different from that of the French symbolists. His symbols are not mechanical or inflexible. He has used archetypal symbolism in his poetry. In short, symbolism is the main trait of William Blake as a poet and this has been well crystallized in his legendary work, "The Songs of Innocence and Experience".

Notes Prepared By: Prof. Shahbaz Asghar

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Critical Appreciation of "Kubla Khan"

Critical Appreciation of "Kubla Khan"

1. One of the Best Poems of Coleridge
"Kubla Khan" is one of those three poems which have kept the name of Coleridge in the forefront of the greatest English poets -- the other two being "The Ancient Mariner" and "Christabel", and all of the three having been written in 1797 and 1798 dealing with "persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic.". All these three poems were composed when intimate friendship existed between Coleridge and Wordsworth. "Kubla Khan" is considered one of the most famous examples of Romanticism in English poetry. A copy of the manuscript is a permanent exhibit at the British Museum in London. 
2. The Origin of the Poem
One night in 1797, Coleridge was not feeling all that great. To dull the pain, he took a dose of laudanum. Soon he fell asleep and had a strange dream about Kubla Khan, because before falling asleep, he had been reading a story from "Purchas' Pilgrims" in which Kubla Khan commanded the building of a new palace. Coleridge dreamt that he was writing a poem in his sleep, and when he woke up after two hours, he sat down to record the poem. He meant to write two to three hundred lines, but he was interrupted by a tailor from Porlock, who had come to see him on business. When he came back to the poem, he had forgotten the rest. The 54 lines he did manage to scribble out turned into one of the most famous and enduring poems in English literary history. 
3. Title of the Poem
The main title of the poem is just plain "Kubla Khan". It is a pretty great name. Kubla Khan was the fifth Khangan of the Mongol Empire, reigning from 1260 to 1294. He founded the Yuan Dynasty in China in 1271. He was the fourth son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. Thus the title sets a tone for the poem. It transports us to another place and time before we even get started. However, there is another piece. The full title is: "Kubla Khan: Or A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment". "A Vision is a Dream" signifies that the poem is an edifice of a charmed sleep. This is "A Fragment" because Coleridge intended to write two to three hundred lines but could only write 54 due to the interruption of a person. 
4. Themes of the Poem
The major themes of the poem are; creative power of imagination, man and the natural world, and time. The power of imagination is the ultimate creative power. In the last part of the poem, the imagination of Coleridge constructs "pleasure-dome in air". The interaction between man and nature is also a major theme for Coleridge. It is painted all over "Kubla Khan", as we go from the dome to the river, and then from the garden to the sea. Sometimes he has focused on human characters, sometimes on natural forces. Finally, different understandings of time is a major theme of the poem. Is Coleridge recalling the Kubla Khan of the past, or someone who transcends our linear notion of time? 
5. Poetic Structure of the Poem
"Kubla Khan" is a fifty-four line lyric. It has two parts and four stanzas. It is written in iambic tetrameter and pentameter. Iambic just means that the poem is made up of lots of two-syllable units, in which the stress is placed on the second syllable. It has an alternating rhyme scheme in each stanza. Stanza one has a rhyme scheme of ABAABCCDEDE, stanza two has a rhyme scheme of ABAABCCDDFFGGHIIHJ, stanza three has a rhyme scheme of ABABCC, and stanza four has a rhyme scheme of ABCCBDEDEFGFFFGHHG. In short, the poem has a disorganized structure and different in structure from other poems composed by Coleridge. 
6. Symbolism in the Poem
The pleasure-dome, the river Alph, mighty fountain, mazy motion, tumult, ancestral voices and mingled measure are the major symbols in the poem. The pleasure-dome symbolizes immortality and majesty. The river Alph is a symbol of life and force. The ceaseless turmoil of the earth, the fountain forced out with half intermittent burst, the fragments rebounding like hail and the dancing rocks represent agony and power. The mazy motion suggests uncertain and blind progress of the human soul and the complexities of human life. The tumult is associated with war. The ancestral voices stand for that dark compulsion that binds the race to its habitual conflicts. The mingled measure suggests the blend of fundamental opposites, creation and destruction. 
7. The Supernatural in the Poem
Supernatural elements are peppered throughout the poem. The sacred river, the caverns measureless to man, the sunless sea, the deep romantic chasm, the woman wailing for her demon lover, the half-intermittent burst of water from the mighty fountain, the ancestral voices prophesying war, the shadow of the dome floating midway on the waves and the Abyssinian maid -- they all create a world of magic, wonder and enchantment. The frenzy in which the poet is in the last part of the poem also contributes to its supernatural vein. 

For he on honey-dew hath fed, 
And drunk the milk of paradise.

8. Imagery in the Poem
The whole poem is a succession of visual, auditory, thermal, kinesthetic and gustatory images. Visual imagery include; the pleasure dome, the sacred river, the measureless caverns, the deep romantic chasm, the woman wailing for her demon lover, the Abyssinian maid, and the poet himself. The prophecies of war, the song of Abyssinian maid and the warning of the people listening the story of the poet are auditory images. Sun and ice are thermal images. Kinesthetic images include; fragments tossing like hail, chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail, the floating shadow of dome on the waves, and the magic circles drawn by people around the poet. Feeding on honey-dew and drinking the milk of paradise are examples of gustatory images.
9. The Romantic Elements in the Poem
Imagination, supernaturalism, sensuousness, exploration of nature and magical spell are the major romantic elements in "Kubla Khan". The entire poem is based on a vision Coleridge had during an opium trance. The woman wailing for her demon lover and the ancestral voices prophesying war; are obviously supernatural occurrences. The bright gardens, the incense bearing trees, the sunny spots of greenery, the half intermittent burst of the mighty fountain and the rocks vaulting like rebounding hail - are highly sensuous images and explore nature. The poet's eyes and his floating hair are connected with magic. In short, like a true romantic poem, it is a product of pure fancy, a work of sheer imagination and is, therefore, a wholly romantic composition.
10. Sounds in the Poem
The poem is a perfect piece of music. It has all kinds of sounds, movements and tones. When the river is crashing through the caves, we imagine the pounding of kettledrums. The word "rebounding" in "Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail" has a hollow, open sound. Then, when we travel through the gardens, we hear the soft sounds of the woodwinds. The scary, flashing-eyed figure that appears at the end reminds us of the horns, sharp and brassy and starling. The words "Beware! Beware!" are blurted out, quick and loud, like the sound of a trumpet blaring out a warning. Thus the poem is a journey of sounds. It tries to use the effects of language as if they were different parts of an orchestra.
Notes Prepared By: Prof. Shahbaz Asghar

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Chaucer’s Art or Technique of Characterization

Chaucer’s Art or Technique of Characterization




Q. Chaucer’s Art or Technique of Characterization?
OR
Q. Reasons of Chaucer’s being a great Painter of English Literature


Chaucer outlines his thirty pilgrims in “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”. He is the first great painter of characters in English Literature. He has painted the whole of English nation during the fourteen the century, ranging from knightly class to the order of Clergymen. The Character sketches are brief, yet lucid and comprehensive. Both the in and out of the characters are depicted in such a superb way that the entire personality seems moving before the reader’s eyes. It is infect Chaucer’s unique rich and original art of characterization that has enabled him to delineate memorable portraits. For the purpose he employs several techniques of characterization, some of whom were popular among the contemporaries, while the others are purely his own.


I. Characterization by theory of Humor
One of the major techniques of characterization which was current in the medieval authors was the theory of humor. This theory divided personalities according to the pre-dominance of one of the elements-fire, water, air and earth. For example, his character was dominated by humor of blood, which on its turn was understood to produce a large appetite and pleasure in physical satisfaction. Thus, the entire portrait of the Franklin, is just an elaboration of single phrase “Sanguine”.


2. Characterization by Physiognomy
Similarly, the medieval poets usually described their character through their physiognomy, to expose their inner spiritual health. Chaucer has successfully employed this technique in the case of the Summoner. His. “Fire red cherubim face”, “Pimples”, “Narrow eyes” and “scabby black brows” reflect his inner spiritual corruption. Description through physical features is also employed in the case of The Wife of the Bath and The Prioress. Closely connected with this is Chaucer’s technique of character portrait through dress. It also help the audience in understanding, recognizing and differentiating the pilgrims. The Prioress and the Wife of Bath’s fashionable dresses reveal their materialism and amorous nature. Admittedly, Chaucer varies his presentation from the full length portraits to the thumb nail sketch.


3. Characterization by Individual and Type Method
Chaucer’s most superb technique is his presentation of Characters as individuals and types. The Characters are not only representatives of their respective classes and professions but also at the same time they possess individual traits. For example, the Friar is a typical representative of his class in the 14^th century; he is corrupt, hypocritical, greedy and callous. But his good voice, his twinkling eyes, his white neck and above all his name “Brother Hubert” all have individualistic touches. The Old Knight, stands for heroism and manliness that good knight would always show on the battlefield. But he has been individualized by his prudence and his weakness of behavior. The Prioress is the type of a woman who is an epicure but she is portrayed as an individual, with her meticulous care in eating and her courtly manners as well as care in eating and her courtly manners as well as her tenderness of heart. The Monk is the type of Monks of those-times interested not in religion and the study of holy books, but in hunting. But Chaucer’s Monk is and individual with bald head and rolling eyes, glowing like the fire under a cauldron. The Oxford Church is the type of good scholars, not interested in worldly glory, but in the advancement of knowledge and learning. But Chaucer’s Oxford Clerk comes as a figure of individual, by his learning, his hollow-cheeks, grave look and his threadbare cloak. In short Chaucer’s characters are types as well as individuals.


4. Characters are real and universal
Chaucer’s characters are real and universal because no one is like them, and they are real and universal because they are so like us. His people are always on move. Never do they become shadowy or lifeless. They shout and swear, laugh and weep, interrupt the story teller, pass compliments and in general behave themselves, as we might expect the to be.


5. Characterization by profession of Characters
Another portrait delineations technique which Chaucer uses is to define the characters to a great or lesser extent by the job or profession, they do. The deferent pilgrims represent different professions. The War-like Elements is represented by the Knight, The Square, and Yeoman. The Ploughman, The Miller, the Reeve, and The Franklin typify agriculture. The Sargent of Law, the Doctor, The Oxford Clerk represent liberal professions. The Wife of Bath, The weaver, The Dyer and The Tapicer, embodyindustry and trade, the Merchant and the Shipman personate commerce. The poor Village person and the Summoner represent the secular clergy, while themonastic order are represented by the Monk, The Prioress and the Pardoner.


6. Characterization by vices of Characters
Chaucer also presents a vivid picture of his characters by their vices and presents the fourteenth century in “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”, Firstly, the prevalentcorruption of the Church is mirrored in most of his ecclesiastical figures, like The Friar, The Monk, The Pardoner. Secondly, the greed of doctors is typified in his Doctor of Physic, who loves gold. Thirdly his Sargeant of Law is as shrewd hard-boiled as other members of his profession. Fourthly, the dishonesty of the Reeve and the Miller is also typical. Finally, their traditional enmity is reflected between the Reeve and the Miller. This technique enriches his art of characterization


7. Characterization by Irony and Satire
Irony and Satire are undoubtedly Chaucer’s most prominent techniques of characterization. Chaucer treats noble fellows with sympathy and love but his treatment of knaves, rogues and rascals either humorous or ironical or satirical. For example, Chaucer call the Wife of Bath “worthy woman” and then in the very next line ironically qualifies the word “worthy” by commenting

“She was worthy woman all her lyve
Husbands at church door she had five”

But it remains to be noted that though he depicts most of his characters ironically and humorously yet tolerance and sympathy never lose Chaucer’s attention. The characters whom he detests and censures are the two corrupts church offices, the Summoner and The Pardoner . It is in case o these two characters that Chaucer employs satire as a technique of characterization. The goodness of the “Gentle rascal” becomes clear when Chaucer comments that just for a quart of wine he would allow a sinner to keep on committing sins.


8. Chaucer’s use of Contrast
Chaucer utilizes the technique of contrast in drawing the portraits of the pilgrims. The good and the bad rub shoulders together. We have paragon of virtue in the characters of the Parson and The Ploughman, we have monsters of vice in the characters of the Reeve,The Miller and the Summoner. The knight, is foil to his son, the lusty Squire; the Oxford Clerk, is the very opposite of the merrymaking Monk. In this way Chaucer distinguishes the characters through the exhibition of dissimilar qualities.


Chaucer a detached Observer
Chaucer’s art of characterization is free from personal bias. He portrays his characters, objectively, impartially and disinterestedly. He depicts what he sees personally. He has the seeing eye, the memory, the judgment to select and the capacity to expound.


Conclusion


Lastly, two conclusions may be drawn from the above discussion of Chaucer’s art of Characterization. His world of man is varied and wide. In the words of Dryden . “There is God’s plenty” and secondly, it is through the depiction of his characters, Chaucer has managed to give an expression to his vision of life which is both joyous and realistic.





source- literaturenotice

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John Milton’s Grand Style

John Milton’s Grand Style


In his Oxford lecture ‘On Translating Homer: Last Words’, Mathew Arnold used this now famous phrase. ‘Such a style, he maintained, arises when a noble nature, poetically gifted, treats with simplicity or with severity a serious subject’. Arnold refers to Homer, Pindar, Virgil, Dante, and Milton as exponents of grand style. It was a lofty or elevated style suitable for epic, a style Arnold himself attempted in, for instance in ‘Sohrab and Rustum’.


Now, we discuss the devices used in ‘Paradise Lost’ by Milton which have caused his style to be characterized as the Grand Style.


Erudite Style, Full of Allusions


The language of ‘Paradise Lost’ is that of a scholar writing for scholars. A beautiful illustration of the poet’s fondness for allusions is provided by his description of Satan’s forces, which dwarfed the mightiest armies known to history or legend:


the giant brood mentioned by Hesiod
the heroic race that fought at Thebes and Troy mentioned by Homer
the knights of king Arthur mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth
the Crusaders who fought the Saracens mentioned in history, and
the warriors of Charlemagne mentioned in the Italian epics.
The whole treasury of poetry and the whole storehouse of learning are at his command.
Suggestive Quality in Style


In Milton’s poetry more is meant than meets the ear. He means more than what he says. As the poet’s difficulty throughout the poem is to describe what cannot be exactly described– Heaven, Chaos, Hell, God, Angels, Devils– he throws out a broad hint or two of their intended shapes and appearance and asks the reader to imagine the rest. Thus Satan’s huge figure, which nobody can have an idea of, is described with a few suggestive strokes: ‘head uplift above the wave’, ‘eyes that sparkling blazed’, and other parts in bulk as large ‘as whom the fables name of monstrous size’. Hell is described


As one great furnace flam’d: yet from those flames


No light, but rather darkness visible……..


Oh how unlike the place from whence they fell.


We have to suggest a lot to form a whole picture of the Hell.


Unusual Structure of Sentences


Milton’s common practice is to place a noun between its two qualifying adjectives, though the English grammar requires both to be placed before the noun: the upright heart and pure’, ‘the dismal situation waste and wild’, ‘ever burning sulpher unconsumed’. Sometimes he uses one part of speech for another, such as verb as noun in ‘the great consult began‘; adjective as noun ‘the palpable obscure’ etc. In spite of the violation of the accepted rules of grammar, one cannot deny that ‘Paradise Lost’ is a poem for scholarly readers. The violation of grammar is not so much criticized as the beauty of his style is appreciated.


Use of Similes


A striking feature in ‘Paradise Lost’ is Milton’s use of similes. These are expanded to draw complete pictures. They had dignity of the narrative, and do not merely illustrate but also decorate the epic theme and character


Elevated Speeches


The lofty tone is maintained in the speeches of Satan, as for instance in the speech to Beelzebub. One cannot help noting the rhetorical eloquence with which Satan encourages the fallen angels.


So Milton maintains a constant elevation and dignity of style corresponding to the greatness of theme, and Mathew Arnold is absolutely right when he refers to Milton as a poet of grand style.

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John Donne as a Metaphysical Poet

John Donne as a Metaphysical Poet




In brief the term ‘Metaphysical Poetry’ implies the characteristics of complexity, intellectual tone, abundance of subtle wit, fusion of intellect and emotion, colloquial argumentative tone, conceits (always witty and fantastic), scholarly allusions, dramatic tone, and philosophic or reflective element.


Fondness For Conceits


This is the major characteristic of metaphysical poetry. Donne often employs fantastic comparisons. The most famous and striking one is the comparison of the lovers to a pair of compasses in ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’. A clever, though obvious conceit is employed in ‘The Flea’ where the insect is called the marriage-bed and the marriage-temple of the lovers because it has bitten them and sucked their blood.


Wit, Striking And Subtle


No doubt, the conceits especially display a formidable wit. So do the various allusions and images relating to practically all areas of nature, art and learning. Allusions to medicine, cosmology, ancient myth, contemporary discoveries, history, and art abound in Donne’s poetry. In ‘The Legacy’ the lover is his own ‘executor and legacy’. Such paradoxical statements are to be found in several other poems. In ‘Death be not Proud’, he says ‘Death thou shalt die’.Such is the display of Donne’s wit.


Combination Of Passion And Thoughts


Combination of passions and thoughts is another form of wit. There is in Donne’s poetry an intellectual analysis of emotions. Every lyric arises out of some emotional situation, but the emotion is not merely expressed; it is analyzed. ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ proves that lovers need not mourn at parting. ‘The Canonization’ establishes that lovers are saints of love.


Argumentation And Reasoning


Argumentation and reasoning balance the passion in Donne’s poems. No one can deny the passion in ‘The Sun Rising’, but there is also a plenty of argumentation to prove that the sun has no power over the lovers, as love knows no season or clime.


Colloquial Speech


Donne’s colloquial style is especially apparent in the abrupt, conversational opening of many of his poems. For instance


For God’s sake hold thy tongue, and let me love (The Canonization)


Busy old fool, unruly sun (The Sun Rising)


Donne asserts our attention both by the content and the dramatic style of his poetry.


Because of these characteristics, Donne is entitled a metaphysical poet. Grierson aptly sums up:‘Donne is metaphysical not only by virtue of his scholasticism but by the deep reflective interest in the experiences of which his poetry is the expression, the new psychological curiosity with which he writes of love and religion.’

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Chaucer’s Humour -

Q. Chaucer’s Humour?
OR
Q. Chaucer Combines Objectivity with Sympathy?


Definition of Humour
Humour means that quality of action, speech, and writing which creates amusement. The true form of humour is that which makes one laugh only for the sake of pleasure and enjoyment. It does not hurt one’s feelings nor it pinches or agonizes.


Chaucer’s characteristics as a great Humorist
Chaucer is a great humorist because he loves mankind in spite of its or follies and weaknesses. Even while he gently unmasks the roguery of the knaves, he fees grateful to them as they give him pleasure. There is no malice, spite or animosity in his attitude. His attitude is that of benevolence and tolerance. Even his satire is in the form of tender shafts of irony, which neither hurt nor destroys.
Chaucer may be regarded as the first great English humorist because no English literary work before his, reveals humour in the modern sense. His humour does not simply raise a simile but also relieve us from seriousness and gloom. He is a great master of humour and all his writing abound with its rich variety. Masefield Calls him:

“a great Renaissance gentleman mocking the Middle Ages”

Chaucer possess all the characteristics of a great humorist. Firstly, he has catholicity and tolerance of spirit which save it from slipping into satire. Secondly, Chaucer has the faculty of humour which is fed by keen and penetrating observation Finally, Chaucer has a healthy interest in this world an in life.


Chaucer’s humour essentially English in Character
Chaucer’s is an essentially English humour, as we see is qualities in the works of great English humorists like Shakespeare and Fielding. It is not the “wit” of the Frenchman. His humour is chiefly concerned with the people and happenings of everyday life as we see in “The Canterbury Tales”. Some of the facts are quite trivial in themselves but become amusing because of the way in which they are told e.g. the Squir’s locks which as if they were laid in press:

“ With lokkes cruller, as they were leyed in presse”

Similarly, the hat of the Wife of the Bath weighing 10 lbs.

“Hir coverchief ful fine weren ground

I dorste swere they weyeden ten pounds”

The Reeve’s thin legs, the Franklin’s weakness for sharp sauce etc. In these and other instances, we see the comic quality of amused observation.


Chaucer’s humour: Sympathetic and Objective
Chaucer’s humour is without any sting, he is always sympathetic, except in his handling the Monk and the Friar. He makes us appreciate a character even when laughing at it. His humour is not of satirical kind. As compared to the Langland, who attacks the Church with keen and telling thrust, Chaucerexposes the corruption of the Church with good humoured laugh. Moreover, Chaucer makes fu more of the individual than of the institution. The genial sympathy saves the Chaucer not only from bitterness, but also from bias. Satire is born of indignation.
Langland’s picture of evil does not reflectthe real state of affairs, while on the other hand, it is faithfully mirrored in Chaucer. Therefore, he is an objective humourist, a better realist than an indignant satirist.


Chaucer’s humour for man and humanity
Chaucer is essentially the poet of man and is intensely interested in his affairs. Chaucer humour leads him to be the poet of man and humanity. He ha large humanity and good-humoured tolerance for man. He has no disdain for fools and no disgust for rascals. While gently unmasking the roguery of rogues, he is grateful to them for the pleasure they give. He loves to dwell on their funny traits, looks at their pranks and tricks with amused delight –all these make him a great humourist.


Chaucer’s many sided humour
Chaucer’s humour is many sided. Humour can be used in a broad as well as limited sense. In the narrow sense, it means a gentle mirth. In the broader sense, it stands for boisterous humour, intellectual humour (wit) and bitter humour (satire). Chaucer works reflect all these different types of humour. E.Alber has beautiful expresses the many-sided humour of Chaucer: “In the literature of his time, when so few poets seem to have any perception of the fun in life, the humour of Chaucer is invigorating and delightful” For example, his humour is kind as in the case of the Clerk of Oxford, broad and semi-farcical as in the Wife of the Bath, pointedly satirical as in the Pardonerand the Summoner.


Chaucer’s humour is spontaneous ( natural )
Chaucer’s humour is natural and spontaneous. If is because of his peculiar way of looking at things, as the bent of his mind is essentially humorous. His humour is not the result of deliberate, calculated effort, but it is spontaneous expression of his inner self. Therefore, it has unmistakable marks of ease, spontaneity, naturalness and effortlessness. In the words of Walter Raleigh “his joy is chronic and irrepressible”. The Canterbury Tales radiates with the natural joy that Chaucer felt in writing it.


Impartiality and Tolerance in Chaucer’s humour
In the whole company of the prologue to the canter bury tales there are those that are good and those others that are bad, the later more in number than former. But Chaucer’s attitude to them is neither that of unruffled and quiet objectivity nor of partnership. Guided by his sense of humour, Chaucer observes everything and records each detail with smiling eyes, slightly emphasizing one aspect here or another there, in order to evoke in the reader that psychological state which makes him laugh without any malice. To quote Legouis : “He is entirely patient with, ney he accepts with a smile the imperfection of humanity”.
Tolerance, indulgence and capacity for enjoying life are the mainsprings of Chaucer’s humour. The result is that the portraits he draws become true to life, interesting and enjoyable as life always is, to those whose hearts have not been dried up by the apparently dull and boring routine of life.
Humour for the sake of humour; humour is the medium of Chaucer artistic expressions. Chaucer is never a serious satirist. His aim is primarily to entertain his readers. His aim is never to be a moralist or a preacher. He observes his age sympathetically and humorously. Chaucer does not specifically and directly criticize any institution of his age. He is a poet who explores the theme of the individual’s relation to society.


Conclusion


Chaucer’s humour is the outcome of a generous sympathy and broad-mindedness. These excellences are imitated by the greatest English humorist like Shakespeare and Fielding. Critics may be divided in opinion as to Chaucer’s right to be called the father of English poetry, but there can be no question that he is first great English humorist. 

source- literaturenotice

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subject matter of Jealously in "Othello"

subject matter of Jealously in "Othello"

1. advent
Jealousy is a mental most cancers. it's far an emotion, and the phrase generally refers back to the mind and emotions of insecurity, worry, subject and tension over an expected loss or fame of brilliant personal value, specifically in connection with a human connection. five characters in "Othello" via Shakespeare are sufferers of jealousy. Iago and Bianca are jealous approximately Cassio, Brabantio, Roderigo and Iago are jealous about Othello, and Othello becomes jealous of Desdemona. Emilia isn't jealous approximately anyone however has a principle that jealousy is a constituent part of masculinity. except Brabantio's jealousy of Othello and Iago's jealousy of Cassio, all characters are suffering from sexual jealousy - a jealousy which is caused in someone whilst a sexual partner displays sexual hobby in any other individual.
2. Iago's Jealousy of Cassio
Iago is a soldier who fights alongside Othello in his army. Proving unswerving with every fight, Iago assumes that the approaching advertising for lieutenant is approaching. unluckily, the promotion is given to Micheal Cassio rather. Iago cannot understand this appointment because Cassio is an green soldier who has no practical understanding of war. he is a person of theoretical mastering. however, Iago is given the activity of Ensign, or flag-bearer that is humiliating for a man who considers himself intellectually advanced to absolutely everyone around him. Iago for that reason turns into jealous of Cassio who's now of better rank and is young and handsome to boot.
3. Iago's Jealousy of Othello
Othello is a wellknown within the Venetian defense forces. he's newly and happily married to an aristocratic Venetian girl, Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello's function and his ability to woo the younger and welcoming Desdemona. it's miles viable that Iago has his very own secret passion for the Moor's new bride, and he is enraged at the concept of the "antique black ram" attaining what he himself dreams. moreover, Iago is caught in a loveless marriage to a girl who often nags him. consequently he's jealous of Othello and Desdemona's happiness in love. The jealously receives intensified when he hears a rumor that Othello has been dozing along with his spouse, Emilia.
4. Brabantio's Jealousy of Othello
Brabantio is Desdemona's father. he is jealous of the Moor for stealing his daughter's love. He accuses his new son-in-regulation of being a "foul-thief". He becomes jealous due to the fact he is aware of that he will not be the maximum crucial individual in Desdemona's life. After Desdemona makes it clean that she loves and honours her husband, Brabantio stays vindictive, and bitterly warns Othello that Desdemona may additionally turn out to be a slut:
look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to look:
She has deceived her father, and may thee
No father has ever expressed a more hateful jealousy of his son-in-regulation as Brabantio.
five. Roderigo's Jealousy of Othello
Roderigo is a wooer of Desdemona. The lovesick Roderigo has problem with his feelings for Desdemona and is jealous looking Othello and Desdemona in love. He follows Iago's directions without problems because of his jealousy of Othello's courting with Desdemona. in conjunction with Iago and Brabantio, he berates and criticizes Othello approximately the whole thing, including race. He expresses his jealousy of Othello's marriage to Desdemona by exclaiming,
What a complete fortune does the thick-lips owe
If he can deliver't therefore!
6. Bianca's Jealousy of Cassio
Bianca is Cassio's prostitute female friend. She becomes ill with jealousy whilst Cassio gives her a handkerchief with a view to copy Desdemona's handkerchief for him. Bianca is already unhappy with Cassio because he has not been to peer her in a week, and the sight of a female's handkerchief offers her an attack of jealousy. She throws handkerchief lower back at Cassio, tells him that he should give it to the whore he were given it from, and broadcasts that no matter in which he were given it, she isn't always about to copy it. although Bianca's jealousy exists on a miles smaller scale, it illustrates that the sentiment is time-honored.
7. Othello's Jealousy of Desdemona
Iago vegetation the seed of jealousy in Othello in Act 3, Scene three. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has been an unfaithful spouse; she has an affair with Cassio. Othello believes Iago's lies, no matter that there isn't tons proof. His jealousy leads him to be too trusting of Iago. As he starts offevolved to believe the accusations, his love, affection and kindness for Desdemona fade away. Othello's jealousy reaches its top while his token of affection for Desdemona, the handkerchief, is shown up in Cassio's possession. Othello is completely convinced that Desdemona is unfaithful and he kills her due to the fact he has not way to resolve his jealousy.
eight. Iago's remarks about Jealousy
Iago describes jealousy as a "inexperienced-eyed monster". the beef that this monster feeds on is a person's heart, which it eats away. at the same time, the monster mocks that individual's heart, in order that he or she feels shame. And the monster is insatiable, usually gnawing away, so that the jealous person is never at peace.
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
it's far the green-eyed monster which doth mock
the beef it feeds on;
Iago also describes jealousy as a "poison" that consumes the jealous person, eating away at him and filling him with a passionate desire for revenge.
nine. Emilia's remarks approximately Jealousy
Emilia believes that jealousy does no longer want a cause. it is a beast that is born of itself and feeds on itself. the foundation of jealousy is not some action of infidelity but insecurity at the part of the one jealous. all through the play, Iago accuses Emilia of being untrue to him, simply as Othello accuses Desdemona. She has in no way been untrue to Iago as Desdemona has in no way been untrue to Othello. thus jealousy does no longer need an unfaithful act to inspire it. it is part of a person's nature.
but jealous souls will now not be answer'd so;
they are not ever jealous for the cause,
however jealous for they're jealous: 'tis a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.
10. end
In quick, jealousy, rooted in worry and anger, is a terrible emotion to experience and awful satisfactory to possess. Jealous humans do very silly matters, in particular within the case of romantic and sexual jealousy. peculiar jealousy is a very complicated, passionate and deadly emotion that devours those who allow it to dominate their lives. This "inexperienced-eyed monster" kills Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia and Othello. Brabantio has additionally died and Iago will die within the close to destiny after a drawn out punishment. it is ironic that the majority of the characters in the play experience jealous approximately matters that never genuinely took place -- baseless jealousy for the most element provokes their outbursts.

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