Othello 8

"That death's unnatural that kills for loving" (Shakespeare 5.2: 42-43).

As the play nears the climax, it has become quite apparent what Othello is about to do. Desdemona is even aware of her fate. In this last sort of plea, she is pointing out to Othello that a death in the name of love would be against nature. This shows how Othello is going against what love is, instead of loving Desdemona in good times and bad, he has gone a jumped to a conclusion and pledged to bring on her demise. In the same way that their love may have gone against nature, so does Desdemona's death. It comes out of thin air. Nothing to back it up, deception, and unnaturalness, are all found both in their love, and her death. Desdemona's life in a way has come full circle.

Othello 7

"Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust's blood be spotted"(Shakespeare 5.1: 36-37).

At this point of the play, Othello believes that he knows all that is occurring under his nose, when in reality it is merely a figment of his imagination. In these lines, Othello is stating how he will use his bed for the murder of Desdemona. There is a certain irony in this because he believes that he would be killing Desdemona in a place where she emotionally killed him. The very bed that he believes the sins that corrupted his love were committed in, will be the very bed where the drops of blood are shed in payment. Othello is too blinded by his growing jealousy to see the reason and ridiculousness of this all.

Othello 6

"I have heard too much, and your words and performances are no kin together"(Shakespeare 4.2: 180-181).

Roderigo, possibly most easily duped of all the characters, is the first to see through Iago's honest shell, and into his true, manipulative inside. Finally, even if only for a minute, Iago is forced to be scrutinized, and have his plan near disaster. However, in true Iago fashion, he is able to use flattery and deception to distract Roderigo from his new discovery. By doing so, Iago proves that even spontaneously, he can concoct a web of lies to fit any situation presented to him. If Roderigo had simply stuck to his gut feeling, things would have ended differently.

Othello 5

"Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient? It this the nature passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue the shot of accident not dart of chance could neither graze nor pierce?"(Shakespeare 4.1 264-268).

This passage spoken by Lodovico speaks to the immense change that has visibly taken place within Othello. While before, even a rush of emotion could not have shaken Othello's judgement, his mind is now fabricating events and jumping to wrongful conclusions. From fair, to irrational, pensive, to acting on impulse, Othello has become a different person. Even during the brief time that Lodovico has seen him, he can see the changes. Jealousy has consumed Othello and altered his mind and life permanently.

Othello 4

"That the slave had forty thousand lives! One is too poor, too weak for my revenge"(Shakespeare 3.3 339-340).

As the monster that is jealousy is slowing corrupting Othello's judgement, his statements and decisions lessen in rationality. In this scene, he is vowing to punish Cassio so well, that even forty thousand lifetimes would not be enough to save him. Little does Othello realize, he is acting upon nothing more than a figment of his imagination. His own insecurities, mixed with emotion, and Iago's ever precise way of manipulating the trusting people around him, doom Othello to this jealous fate from the start. Cassio may be physically "too poor, too weak"(3.3 339), but Othello too is poor and weak, but in an emotional way. He is allowing his feelings to cloud his judgement, only stumbling further into Iago's trap.

Othello 3

"As if thou were some monster in my thought, too hideous to be shown"(Shakespeare 61).



Iago has successfully planted the seeds of doubt in Othello's mind. He is making him seriously doubt and contemplate the status of Cassio and Desdemona. Jealousy appears to be creeping into Othello's heart. He sees now that maybe something had been going on all along, and he was too blind to see. Has Cassio achieved everything that should be Othello's? Is Cassio working against him? These questions are beginning to enter into Othello's mind, hand in hand with the monster of jealousy. He cannot, however act on these, he has no real basis on which to make these assumptions, especially not against a friend. As the plot continues to unfold, Iago is able to frame Cassio further, causing unrest in Othello's mind. This feeling allows the green eyed monster to find refuge in Othello, changing his perspective permanently.

Othello 2

"They met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together"(Shakespeare 39).

If the audience had not already figured out that Iago is the perfect opportunist who will take anything and spin it to benefit himself, his statement regarding the brief interaction between Desdemona and Cassio certainly allows his true colors to shine. His detailed and blatantly false description is a direct contradiction of the stage direction on the previous page which states that Cassio "takes Desdemona's hand"(36). With this ever so slight seeming change in actions, Iago is able to paint a picture that points to Cassio being in love with Desdemona. It is simply a matter of time before Iago changes everything into a web of lies that would give Othello reason to doubt his newly appointed lieutenant. From a "near kiss" to getting Cassio drunk Iago will stop at nothing to tear down the Innocent soldier. If Iago can take a meaningless action and blow it out of proportion we can only wonder what he will prove capable of down the road.

Othello 1

"For if such actions may have passage free, bondslaves and pagans shall out statesmen be"(Shakespeare 14).



This rather bold statement by Barbantio displays his feelings of urgency and frustration towards the situation regarding his daughter. He cannot be condemned for his rash actions and jump to conmclusions when he finds his daughter gone; it is the way most parents would react. However, his want to punish Othello so immediately is a bit much. In this line, he is basically saying that if the government will allow someone to go unpunished for what he has figured to be a grave crime, then the statesmen might as well be "bondslaves and pagans"(14). This is a pretty bad assumption, seeing as those were most likely two of the lowliest types of people in that era. This statement shows that Barbantio may in the future cause trouble with his temper, accusations, and impetuousness.

Antigone Quote 4

"But high and mighty words and ways are flogged to humbleness, till age, beaten to its knees, at last is wise"(Sophocles 252).

This message from the chorus speaks volumes about what power can do to make you unwise. People with power, who are high and mighty, never learn to mend their ways until it is too late. Also, they become wise to how they should have been, however, at this point the time to change has long since passed. In the case of Creon, he held his own judgement with high regard until at the very end of the play, he seems to the see the light. However, at this point it is too late because he has already caused the death of his prospective daughter in law, son , and wife. He is wise to how he should have been, in the end, once his chances to mend things are dead. This is also a sort of lesson to live by because it shows us how we should not ever become too clouded by success to listen to advice, and never too stubborn in our ways to hear the opinions of others. Both Oedipus the King and Antigone both ended with strong choral messages that give life lessons about how we should live our lives.

Antigone Quote 3

"If yield we must, then let it be to men, And never have it said we were worsted by a woman"(Sophocles 221).

Creon's true colors shine through with this statement. He is fully presenting just how he feels about women. Maybe it is not Antigone's cause that he minds, so much as the simple fact that she is a woman. This brings a new dimension to their dilemma. It becomes more than a matter of abiding by laws and listening, it becomes a matter of disliking her and her ideas because she is a girl. Maybe Creon would be more receptive of her thoughts and causes if she were not a woman. This is a terrible sentiment for Creon to be passing on to his son Haemon, yet he is directing the awful value right to him.

Antigone Quote 2

"And if you judge me a fool, perhaps it is because a fool is judge"(Sophocles 211).

When Antigone is stating this, she has been confronted, by a less than genial Creon who feels as though his laws are being undermined. He refuses to see the good that Antigone is attempting to accomplish, yet by this same token, Antigone is stubbornly refusing to back down. This quote exemplifies the way in which depending on your point of view, you may judge a person or situation differently. Antigone is saying how she may be a fool in Creon's mind, but in the same way, he must understand that he is a fool in hers. This quote is a reminder of the adage regarding not judging a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. If both characters could take a minute to listen to each other and see from another vantage point, much of this tragedy could be avoided.

Antigone Quote 1

"Ah, Money! Money is a currency that's rank. Money topples cities to the ground, seduces men away from happy homes, corrupts the honest heart to shifty ways, makes men crooked connoisseurs of vice"(Sophocles 203).

What Creon is saying here regards to the way in which money, power, fame, and things of that sort have a way of consuming the human mind. When a prize like one of those is dangled in front of a person's eyes, it can lure them away from their best intentions. It may give them a warped sense of what is important. This shows how he feels that possibly the views of the people around him have been changed by the thought of money and bribery. Creon feels as though people are making accusations towards him because they have money on the mind. The sentry in particular may have an ulterior motive in Creon's ever paranoid mind. In these thoughts and blatant disregard for advice, Creon is directly mimicking Oedipus.

October 19th Oedipus Rex Quote Response

"And count no man blessed in his life until he's crossed life's bounds unstruck by ruin still"(Sophocles 81)

These last lines of the text deliver for the audience the underlying moral of the story. No matter how well off, how perfect, how lucky people may have thought Oedipus was, he was truly ruined in the end. Despite his effortless and accidental place on the throne, and the lucky fact that he had seemingly escaped the prophecy, when all is said and done, he ended up worse off than anyone else. The meaning of this quote can still speak volumes, even when not used in the context of the play. It is a good rule to live by, not judging the lives of others until you see how difficult they may actually have it.

October 18th Oedipus Rex Quote Response

"Light of my days, go dark . . I want to gaze no more" (Sophocles 67).

At the point of the play when Oedipus states this, he has come to the sudden realization of his true identity and all to exact fulfillment of his life's prophecy. Despite the fact that the audience has known throughout the majority of the play who Oedipus' real family is, and who Lauis' murderer was, it has taken Oedipus until this pivotal moment in the text. He now sees the error of his ways, if only he had listened, if only he had known, he would not be here hurting the ones he so loved. Also, this line plays off the dark versus light, blind versus seeing theme. Oedipus who was once blind to the situation at hand is now seeing exactly what it all means. However, he does not like this, so he wishes to see this no more.

October 14th Oedipus Rex Quote Response

"I could not covet kingship for itself when I can be king by other means" (Sophocles 33).

When Creon makes this bold statement upon being openly threatened by Oedipus, it provides the audience with a view into his true character. While Oedipus is all about being the flamboyant, famous king, the face and hero of Thebes, Creon is quite content with receiving small recognition and getting to work more behind the scenes. This also is great support for his defense in Oedipus' recent accusation that Creon is in fact Laius' murderer. Oedipus sees Creon as the most obvious choice for having bribed Tiresias, due to the fact that in his mind, it would only make sense that Creon deeply covets the crown. However, Creon dismisses this argument entirely because he goes on to explain, "I am not so simple as to seize the symbol when I can have the sweet reality: Now smiled upon by all, saluted by all ... Why should I let this go, this ease, and reach for cares?" (33) Creon is saying here that he simply would not have had the motive to either murder Laius or pin the crime on Oedipus by way of a profit. Creon is happy with his simple life. This part of the text is important because Oedipus is slowly running out of scenarios with which to elude the truth.

October 7th Oedipus Rex Quote Response

"My designs could not be suited more : to avenge the god and Thebes in a single blow." (11)
I chose to respond to this quote because I feel that this quote is very important to the text. It provides a sort of foreshadow for events that are possibly down the road, as well as allows us to see Oedipus' strong feelings about finding Laius' murdered. Oedipus is determined to avenge the death of the former king and in a way, bring honor back to Thebes. His passionate feelings about this are however, ironic due to the fact that Oedipus is in fact the murderer. This is one of the first major displays of dramatic irony included in the text.
When Oedipus states: "My designs could not be suited more." He is discussing the way in which he is looked upon by his country men as the closest man to a god. Also, they see him as practically the savior of Thebes due to his heroic actions when he was previously pitted against the Sphinx. He must avenge Thebes because they have begun to be under the impression that Laius' murderer may have been bribed to do so. They are of the mind that a conspiracy may be a foot. This is displayed in an earlier section of the text.
This quote sets the stage for events to come by giving us insight into how strongly Oedipus feels about protecting the land he rules. Also, it shows that he will get to the bottom of the situation no matter what must be done. He even brags that he will be able to accomplish all of this "in a single blow." That segment of the quote shows Oedipus' ego, a flaw which may lead to his demise or downfall somewhere down the road. This quote is a very important one because it not only foreshadows the future for us, but also displays irony.

September 12th ASP Quote Response

On page 53 of the novel A Separate Peace, Gene thinks to himself, "You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. You did hate him for breaking that school swimming record, but so what? He hated you for getting an A in every course but one last term.” (53). This quote is the pinnacle point of Gene's conspiratorial rivalry against Finny. At this point, Gene is desperately trying to rectify his deep contempt and rivalry for his best friend. He tells himself that they are both equal, both trying mercilessly to get ahead, so that makes Gene feel better. At this point, he has not discovered that his ill will for Finny is unrequited. As long as Gene can keep telling himself that he and Finny are both against one another, he can, in his mind keep trying to bring Finny down and get ahead. Gene hated Finny for breaking the swimming record because upon smashing the Devon School all time record, Finny needed no recognition. While Gene would have wanted to bask in the glory, notify the papers, and tell everyone he knew, Finny simply continued on with his day, as if nothing extraordinary had occurred. He believes that in return for this hatred, Finny must hate him for getting an A in almost every class. However, Gene is dead wrong. Finny is such a good person that he is pleased when others succeed, especially his friends, so he is very happy for Gene. While Gene may believe that Finny's antics are merely to keep him from being able to study, that was never Finny's intention. He always just believed that ability was natural, like his own. He did not understand that Gene had to work for what he earned. In fact, the very next passage in the book Gene states, "You would have had an A in that one except for him."(53) Gene goes so far as to directly lay the blame on Finny. This adds to the fire burning within him and makes the rivalry all the more real for him. These two quotes are important because they highlight Gene's cold hearted feelings for Finny and pave the way for the events to come.

September 10th ASP War & Text

Throught the novel, A Separate Peace, many different aspects of life greatly changed the way the characters were forced to live their lives. From the way in which they learned, trained, were brought up, and the direction that their futures would take, the boys were expected to change the course of their lives as a result of the raging war. Also, it caused their opinions of one another to change as their opposing views often collided during the course of the book.
Finny, whose athletic prowess is envied by most of his peers, is expected to put his body to work in the war. However, he is a bit of a conspiracy theorist and does not believe that there even is a war. According to his views, the war is practically a figment of the imaginations of the men in charge of everything. Contrary to this, Brinker is a firm believer in all things war related; he often pushes enlistment on his fellow classmates. Leper has a bit of a different situation. He becomes inspired immensely by the thought of skiing in the war. However, his experiences in the service, although not mentioned in detail, drastically change him. He is fidgety and not very mentally stable. The war allowed for a variety of paths in character development. This made the story very interesting.
These boys were not simply allowed to live the lives of the average teenager. They had to prepare themsleves for the lives that lay ahead of them, due to the damper the war put on their world. Also, I believe that the war was a bit of a metaphor for the war that Gene was fighting within himself about his actions against his best friend Finny. His dilemma relates to the fact that he let the jealousy within him overcome his friendship and bring him to the point of purposely harming Finny. This serves as somewhat of an internal war opposite the the real war in the world during the book. His heartless betrayal of Finny to advance himself in many ways mimics the actions of the world leaders who purposely went after other countries, or specific groups of people to simply gain power. The motives behind their ways and actions can be compared to Gene's.
World War II affected the book both directly and indirectly. It directly changed the lives of the characters and the way they grew up. Indirectly, it provided us with a comparison for the main conflict throughout the book. This conflict was Gene's constant obsession with getting ahead; it was never enough for him to be simply Finny's equal, he wanted to be more, and it proved that he would do anything in order to achieve that goal. Although it was not always blatant, the conflicts were quite tied together.