Assignment #2

1) Have you ever been betrayed?

     

     Yes I have been betrayed before.

2)  Give an example of when you were betrayed? How did you feel? What did you do?

          

            I was betrayed by two of my closet friends at the time, a boy and a girl. The boy and I were dealing for a very long time but just never made it official, but to make a long story short, the girl who was suppose to be my best friend at the time, had one heavy making out session with him and she knew how I felt about him. My sister and the same girl were the ones who came and told me what went down between them.

After finding out such horrible news, I felt so surprised, confused and hurt. Knowing that we weren’t together, I honestly wouldn’t mind him making out with another girl, I just didn’t expect it to be my best friend so I found that the both of them were wrong mainly the guy though.

When the matter was brought to the light, I basically stopped talking to the both of them for a while but I saw the girl often so we were still friends just not as close. To my surprise they actually got together and when they broke up the guy had the nerves to come and tell me he wanted me back. I just had to set him straight and let him know he had me once upon a time, he messed around with my best friend and now he has the heart to say he want me back. Ha! I’m sorry but you would not get another chance with me, it doesn’t work like that.

3) Have you ever felt that you were betrayed and in the end misunderstood the situation?

    Yes there was a point in time when I felt like I have been betrayed and in the end I totally misunderstood the situation.

4)  Look at the various Shakespeare plays over the years that you have studied. Do you notice that characters in the text always seem to resort to violence, trickery or evilness? Comment.

           Over the years, many Shakespeare plays that I have studied all had some form of betrayal taking place and in most cases the characters always seem to result to some form of violence, trickery and even evilness. Examples can be found in his plays such as: Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet.

Hamlet was a perfect example of betrayal which ended in violence.  It was when Hamlet’s uncle killed his father because he was jealous of him and wanted the crown. The ghost of Hamlet’s father returned to Hamlet and asked him to revenge his life. Throughout the rest of the play many characters lost their lives.

6)    What is The Elizabethean Theater? Historical back ground? Picture of the global theater.

Elizabethan Theatre Historical Background
The history of the Elizabethan Theatre is a short and turbulent one as the Elizabethan Theatre Timeline will clearly indicate. The success and popularity of the Elizabethan theatre during the life of Shakespeare is an outstanding success story for the theatrical entrepreneurs of the era. The Elizabethan era saw the rise in the popularity of theatres and during this time the staging of plays moved from renovated inn-yards to the building of huge outdoor amphitheatres, such as the Globe, which were used for the summer seasons and the building or renovation of indoor theatres, used in the Winter seasons and by royalty, called Playhouses.  The history of the Elizabethan Theatre started in 1576 as the Elizabethan Theatre timeline shows.

  

  

7)    What is The Theatre of the Absurd? Videos, pictures.

'The Theatre of the Absurd' is a term coined by the critic Martin Esslin for the work of a number of playwrights, mostly written in the 1950s and 1960s. The term is derived from an essay by the French philosopher Albert Camus. In his 'Myth of Sisyphus', written in 1942, he first defined the human situation as basically meaningless and absurd. The 'absurd' plays by Samuel Beckett, Arthur Adamov, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, Harold Pinter and others all share the view that man is inhabiting a universe with which he is out of key. Its meaning is indecipherable and his place within it is without purpose. He is bewildered, troubled and obscurely threatened.

The origins of the Theatre of the Absurd are rooted in the avant-garde experiments in art of the 1920s and 1930s. At the same time, it was undoubtedly strongly influenced by the traumatic experience of the horrors of the Second World War, which showed the total impermanence of any values, shook the validity of any conventions and highlighted the precariousness of human life and its fundamental meaninglessness and arbitrariness. The trauma of living from 1945 under threat of nuclear annihilation also seems to have been an important factor in the rise of the new theatre.

The Theatre of the Absurd is a theatrical style originating in France in the late 1940's. It relies heavily on existential philosophy, and is a group for show business of absurdist fiction, written by a number of playwrights from the late 1940s to the 1960s, as well as the theatre which has evolved from their work. It expresses the belief that, in a godless world, human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Logical construction and argument give way to irrational and illogical speech and as its ultimate conclusion, silence.

The Theatre of the Absurd follows the concepts of existential philosophy. The theatrical style aims to show a world where man is born with only himself and nothing else (no God), and must earn his place in the metaphysical world. Often Absurdist works utilize theatrical conventions such as, but not limited to Mime, Gibberish, Heightened Language, Codified Language and Vignette. The pieces generally lack conflict, and involve high levels of contrast, alienation, and irony, for example, a funeral scene performed by actors happily, or a birthday scene performed somberly.

  

8)    Synopsis of Williams Shakespeare? Life, work, plays he has written, tragedies, history, comedies and the time period that they were written in.

In Stratford-upon-Avon on the 26^th of April 1564, William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Out of eight children, William was third for his parents and the only eldest surviving son. At the young age of 18, William married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. During the years they had three children, Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith in the case being male and female respectively.

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. In England he is known as the Bard of Avon. His surviving works include some collaborations which consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems.  Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet 1601, King Lear 1605, and Macbeth 1606, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Some of the plays he wrote are: Romeo and Juliet 1595, Merchant of Venice 1596, Much Ado About Nothing 1599, A Midsummer Night's Dream 1595  and Julius Caesar 1599.   When writing his plays, William Shakespeare writes them in his own conventional style.  He wrote them in a stylised language that does not always spring naturally from the needs of the characters or the drama. The poetry depends on extended, sometimes elaborate metaphors and conceits, and the language is often rhetorical—written for actors to declaim rather than speak.

       

William Shakespeare.

In Stratford-upon-Avon on the 26^th of April 1564, William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Out of eight children, William was third for his parents and the only eldest surviving son. At the young age of 18, William married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. During the years they had three children, Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith in the case being male and female respectively.

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. In England he is known as the Bard of Avon. His surviving works include some collaborations which consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems.  Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Some of the plays he wrote are: Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar.   When writing his plays, William Shakespeare writes them in his own conventional style.  He wrote them in a stylised language that does not always spring naturally from the needs of the characters or the drama. The poetry depends on extended, sometimes elaborate metaphors and conceits, and the language is often rhetorical—written for actors to declaim rather than speak.

Letter to the Editor.

BROTHER MAN'S ATTACK

Dear Editor

                       I write this letter to you as i feel ashamed and hurt to talk about the incident that took place in Orange Lane among the people in society that i live with. It hurts me so to talk about the attack that took place with Brother Man before my very eyes. Brother Man is know as the Christian, a generous pleaser , a saint, a healer who has the ability to cure the sick and injured that he comes around. The fact that some of these people whom he have helped in the past turned on him all because of a false rumor that was spread. They chanted at him saying, "Down de old Ras Tafarite! Murderers dem...." "Nutt'n but chop man an' rape woman, and scuffle an' pass bad money, an' t'ief!", as he walked down the lane the night he was attacked.
                     I felt that what they did to him was very cruel. They beat him up because they thought he was a rasta because he had a long beard and lox. I felt hurt that an innocent man had to suffer for what he didn't do. He was just simple walking down the road all calm and at peace to the world as he always is when the villagers from the lane started to attack him. 

Questions on Brother Man.

1.       Some conflicts in Brother Man are:

2.       Internal Conflict

Inner conflict occurs when one is confronted with a problem that presents difficult choices. One must make a decision one way or another. Think about the events in your life and try to recall a time when you experienced an inner conflict.

 External Conflict

External conflict occurs when one faces someone else or some situation that is working against one's own desires or goals.

3.       Three types of irony are:

o   Verbal Irony - This is the contrast between what is said and what is meant.

o   Dramatic Irony - This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true.

o   Situational Irony - It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected (or what would seem appropriate).

Brother Man Assignment on Narrative Techniques....

1.       Some of the narrative techniques that Roger Mais uses in Brother Man are:

o   Point of View

o   Theme

o   Setting

o   Foreshadowing

o   Characterization

o   Plot

2.       Roger Mais develops characterization by

3.       The setting took place in the slums of West Kingston Jamaica in the late 50’s.

4.       Some themes found in the novel Brother Man are:

o   Betrayal

o   Poverty

o   Greed

o   Abuse

o   Love

o   Religion

o   Infidelity

o   Jealousy 

The religious aspects in regards to Rastafarianism.

The Rastafari movement is a "messianic religio-political movement"  that began in the Jamaican slums in the 1920s and 30s. The most famous Rastafari is Bob Marley, whose reggae music gained the Jamaican movement international recognition. There is significant variation within the Rastafari movement and no formal organization. Some Rastafarians see Rasta more as a way of life than a religion. But uniting the diverse movement is belief in the divinity and/or messiahship of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, the influence of Jamaican culture, resistance of oppression, and pride in African heritage.

Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God, whom they call Jah. In general, Rastafarian beliefs are based in Judaism and Christianity, with an emphasis on Old Testament laws and prophecies and the Book of Revelation. Allegorical meaning is often sought in the Holy Piby.

Rastafarians do not believe in an afterlife,  but instead look to Africa (called "Zion") as a heaven on earth. True Rastas are believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a concept called "everliving."

An important Rastafarian concept is "I and I," which is said instead of "you and I." It emphasizes the oneness between humanity and God as well as the equality of all humans. The Rastafarian lifestyle usually includes ritual use of marijuana, avoidance of alcohol, the wearing of one's hair in dreadlocks, and vegetarianism.

What critics say about the novel "Brother Man".

Some critics say that it’s very interesting to read Brother Man today, when Rastas and things Rastafarian have acquired such cultural charisma that their image, carried abroad by stars such as Bob Marley and other dreadlocked musicians, is now routinely used to advertise Jamaica as a tourist destination. Brother Man recently reissued by Macmillan (the original publishers of many of Mais’s books) to mark its 50th anniversary was the first Jamaican novel to portray a Rastafarian protagonist in positive terms. Writing in the early 1950s, a mere 50 years ago, Roger Mais captured the way Rastas were viewed then.

In addition others view it as being the best writing in the book. Especially in the scenes between Girlie and Papacita, capturing the quarrelsome passion between them, her jealousy and his lust, culminating in an episode of violent sexual struggle between two untamed creatures, a kind of consensual rape.

Furthermore it is grasped as the protagonist’s greeting of “Peace and love”.  With its unfortunate but conventional depiction of obeah as a negative force, and its stilted speech, Brother Man stops short of being a book for all seasons; it is, however, a narrative well worth engaging with, from one of the most interesting literary figures the Caribbean has produced.