Invisible Race and Gender in Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the unnamed narrator shows us through the use motifs and symbols how racism and sexism negatively affect the social class and individual identity of the oppressed people. Throughout the novel, the African American narrator tells us the story of his journey to find success in life which is sabotaged by the white-dominated society in which he lives in. Along his journey, we are also shown how the patriarchy oppresses all of the women in the novel through the narrator’s encounters with them. One of the major motifs in Invisible Man is blindness. The first time we’re shown blindness in the novel is at the battle royal. The blindfolds that all of the contestants wear symbolize how the black society is†¦show more content†¦Then in my minds eye I see the bronze statue of the college Founder, the cold Father symbol, his hands outstretched in the breathtaking gesture of lifting a veil that flutters in hard, metallic folds above the face of a kneeling slave; and I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place; whether I am witnessing a revelation or a more efficient blinding† (Ellison 36). The empty-eyed statue is a symbol of the black society’s false freedom. He says that the veil is lowered more firmly into place to illustrate how American society is completely blinded from the fact that black men are not completely free. On the surface, it seems like they are free, but they are still oppressed. Our own narrator is still half-blind to this oppression of his race. They are unable to have success like the white man, even though the college fools them into thinking they can. They are still controlled by the white culture. The Founder is also a symbol himself of black identity within the white society. The founder was a successful black man who we never learn the name of. This is because his identity, along with our nameless narrator, doesn’t matter in the white dominated society. Although he founded the college to help black people find success just like he did, his actions were somehow lost within this bird-soiled statue. We are also shown blindness through Mr. Norton. Just like most ofShow MoreRelated Invisible Man Essay: Searching for Black Identity in a White World1229 Words   |  5 PagesInvisible Man: Searching for Black Identity in a White World      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man was published at a time when America was racially divided.   The novel presents the theme of the lack of black identity – a theme supported by the fact that the protagonist, Invisible Man, has no name.   The reader knows the names of Dr. Bledsoe, Ras-the-Exhorter, Brother Jack and others - but the reader does not know the name of the main character.   Ellisons leaves it to the reader to decide whoRead MoreSummary Of Invisible Man1450 Words   |  6 PagesRalph Ellison was a 20th century African-American writer and scholar, who also studied music before moving to New York City, where he worked as a writer. Ralph Ellison was born on March 1st, 1914 in Oklahoma City. In 1936, Ellison went to New York City for an internship and while he was there he earned money for his college expenses. He was a researcher and writer in New York for The Federal Writers Program. Plot Summary: Invisible Man is a story by Ralph Ellison, told in the point of view ofRead MoreEssay on Impact of Rasicm on Idenity in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man1293 Words   |  6 PagesIn society, there are many misconceptions in terms of racism. According to the merriam-webster dictionary, racism is define the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others . Many people would agree with that definition. What is racism? The normal person if asked will simply reply, not liking someone for the color of their skin. Racism from my attitude which is substantiated by historical events is a system of power .ThereforeRead MoreIdenity Affected by Racism Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pages In society there is a lot of misconception of the term racism. According to the merriam-webster dictionary members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of others race which many people would agree with. What is racism? The normal person if asked will simply reply, not liking someone for their color of their skin. Racism from my attitude which is substantiated by historically events is a system of power .Thus is a system of power i.e. to control the world and its people. EmployedRead MoreTo look at Charles W. White’s paintings is to see early 1900s Black America through the lens of a800 Words   |  4 Pagespaintings is to see early 1900s Black America through the lens of a social realist. African-American novelist Ralph Ellison stood behind men and women, like Charles White who used art to express their personal views on their experiences of being Black in America (Heritage Gallery). â€Å"Most of the social realists of the period were concerned less with trag edy than with injustice,† said Ellison during a 1955 interview published in the Paris Review. â€Å"I wasn’t, and am not, primarily concerned with injusticeRead MoreAnalysis Of Double Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston And Invisible Man1335 Words   |  6 PagesNeale Hurston and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison are considered a bildungsroman. In the case of those two novels, there is one unique concept that contributes to their examples of self discovery. Double consciousness is that idea. It emphasizes how a person may struggle to adapt to more than one varying identities in order to fill a role within society. Double consciousness is present in both novels through the mindset and actions of characters who try to conform to the gender and racial roles placedRead MoreInvisible, Invisible Man, By Ralph Ellison1994 Words   |  8 PagesInvisible Race and Gender in Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the unnamed narrator shows us through the use motifs and symbols how racism and sexism negatively affect the social class and individual identity of the oppressed people. Throughout the novel, the African American narrator tells us the story of his journey to find success in life which is sabotaged by the white-dominated society in which he lives in. Along his journey, we are also shown how the patriarchyRead MoreAnalysis Of Ralph Ellison s Invisible Man1190 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Position in Invisible Man In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the author portrays a world in which black men are dominated by a white, racist patriarchy. With this, Ellison draws a connection between both the plight of women and black men—both are oppressed by white males. The author repeatedly portrays women’s suffering from invisibility by continuously erasing their human presence throughout the novel since they only function as devices for men to use. More-so, Ellison depicts how men—includingRead MoreLiterary Analysis : `` Invisible Man `` Essay1905 Words   |  8 Pagesactivist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor and he explored a societal idea that other authors, poets, and short story writers adapted in their pieces of writings as well. The theories of Du Bois’ â€Å"Double Consciousness† made its way into Ralph Ellison s novel Invisible Man, and Langston Hughes series of poems. All of these authors wrote about Double Consciousness in there own way but never cha nged the real meaning of it being, it describes the individual sensation of feeling as though your identity isRead More Racism and Identity in Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man Essay2209 Words   |  9 PagesIn Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible man, the unknown narrator states â€Å"All my life I had been looking for something and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was†¦I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself the question which I, and only I, could answer†¦my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: That I am nobody but myself. But first I had to discover that I am an invisible man!† (13). throughout the novel, the search for

The Effects Of Video Game Violence On Human Aggression...

Throughout a number of recent studies, participants playing violent video games have consistently shown increases in their aggressive behavior, both during and after the gameplay. A study that linked violent video games to child aggression found that in every group they tested, â€Å"Children who were exposed to more video game violence did become more aggressive over time than their peers who had less exposure† (Harding 1). An increase in aggressive behavior after playing violent video games is quite common in most cases, although many gamers would argue that other factors, such as people’s emotions, cause this negative change in behavior. This reveals numerous questions surrounding the effects that video game violence might have on†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Participants in violent video game studies have been less cooperative than participants in non-violent video game studies (Sheese Graziano, 2005)† (Greitemeyer, Osswald 212). Short bursts of negat ive behavioral responses don’t really pose a major threat to the individual, and these short term behavioral changes are much less of an issue in contrast to the possible long term behavioral changes. Long term behavioral changes are nowhere near as prevalent as short term changes. â€Å"In the long run, moral beliefs and various concepts on life can be acquired (Huesmann,1988, 1997)† (Rowell 180). Negative long term effects can often be detrimental to the individual and society in general. The meta-analysis made by Anderson et al. (2010) confirms the concepts made in the hypothesis, and is the most successful study surrounding the effects of video game violence to date. Some would argue that people’s emotions have a much greater influence on the change in behavior while playing violent video games. For example you could base the violent behavior â€Å"...not by the actual game, but by the emotions caused by prolonged use and frustration of not being able to g et through the tough parts. Sometimes the seriousness of people’s emotional responses is not always taken into significant account when the research is conducted† (Danielski 1). â€Å"The violence seen is not caused by the actual game, but by the emotions caused by prolonged use and frustration of not being able to get throughShow MoreRelatedVideo Game Violence And Its Effects On Gamers1205 Words   |  5 PagesVideo Game Violence and its effects on Gamers In recent years there has been a significant increase of shooting incidents, specifically in America. When there is a shooting event the media is quick to question if the suspect had a history of playing violent video games. There is already the initial connection between video game violence and aggression; but is this connection scientifically correct? This topic interests me because of the increase in school shootings and violence. I have personallyRead MoreDo Video Games Inspire Violent Behavior?1713 Words   |  7 Pagesregarding the effects of violent video games and the development of today’s youth. Many people believe that the violence in video games promotes aggression. According to Doctor Brad Bushman’s article, Do Violent Video Games Increase Aggression? he claims that violent video games leads to aggression because it is interactive process that teaches and rewards violent behavior. Yet others believe that this not the case. Gregg Toppo of the Scientific American, writes in his article, â€Å"Do Video Games InspireRead MoreVideo Games : Violence And Violence1301 Words   |  6 PagesThe issue of violence in these media products has been a highly-debated issue for the past few decades. Recently it has become extremely popular in the subject of violence in video games. It is rumored that games such as â€Å"Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, Battlefield, Halo and many more have been the culprit behind a recent spike in childhood aggression. Many people have their own views on the subject, but it has been most commonly deduced that aggression is caused by the games, but violence does not alwaysRead MoreViolent Video Games: Closing the Doors to Success688 Words   |  3 Pagesviolent outbreaks may be linked to violent video games. There has been an increasing amount of crime in the age groups involved violent video games in some way. In turn, watching and/or participating in violent video games can increase violent behavior. Violent outbreaks are more common with age groups that are actively participating in violent video games, or have an active role within the community of violent video games. An article states Sales of video games have more than quadrupled from 1995-2008Read More`` Not Here : If We re Truly Serious About Stopping Massacres Like1687 Words   |  7 Pagesaddiction to evil† informs readers about the truth behind massacres. Metcalf says that violence performed in the form of mass killing have definite causes. People are fascinated by the violence. He further suggests that evil and mass killing incidents in Aurora and Port Arthur are just few examples of that evil. The evil in our society is growing in large portion and people are more attracted towards violence. The article discusses invention of superheroes during late 1930s in order to response toRead MoreAlbert Bandura Social Learning Theory1060 Words   |  5 PagesMass shootings,  youth violence,  and  anti-social behav iors have caused society to point their finger at video games. Video game reformists claim that video game violence causes aggressive behavior which result in violent acts. The best way to approach society’s claim is with Albert Bandura’s cognitive-behavioral â€Å"Modeling† approach. This research shows that although video game violence may condone aggressive behavior,  it is not  the only factor triggering individuals to act aggressively or performRead MoreViolent Video Games and Bad Behavior1531 Words   |  7 PagesFrom the World Wide Web, to cell phones, music, movies and video games the human race has thought of any and everything to keep us entertained. Over the years studies have shown reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects of video games. These games can desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger crowd. The studies especially hit on the games containing player-on-player violence. Though these games are extremely entertaining and can get kids to settle downRead MoreMedia s Influence On The Youth Of America1454 Words   |  6 Pagestelevision, radio, newspapers, and video games practically any time they want. The violence in media, along with the availability of media are increasing, however the most predominant form of media for children is video games. Because of this, many are concerned with the effects on the youth. The violence in video games is a cause for aggressive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in the youth of America. Media is defined as the main means for mass communication. Video games, television, radios, newspapersRead MoreThe Effect Of Violent Behavior1216 Words   |  5 PagesEverybody knows the effects of violence. The effects of violent behavior are generally bad. The causes are something very little known. Most people say that violent video games and television shows are the source of violence in our society but they are not the only source. There are many theories that try to explain what those causes are. Theories include, biological, macrosocial, and psychosocial. Albert Reis and Jeffrey Roth identify two levels of explanation including the individual, microsocialRead MoreGame over: the Effects of Violent Video Games on Children Essay1416 Words   |  6 PagesGame Over: The effects of Violent Video Games on Children Seven hours. That is the amount of hours a day the average American child plays a video games (Anderson 354), and with technology advancing and games becoming more graphic, the concern over a violent game’s effect over a child’s development is growing. What does playing video games for seven hours do to a child’s development? Violent, role-playing video games adversely affects a child’s development and causes aggression in children and adolescents;

Do a detailed critical analysis of the opening of Coetzee’s Foe Free Essays

string(82) " was all I had escaped with\) baking dry upon me, tired, grateful like the saved\." A successful analysis of an opening to any novel can not occur without taking into consideration what sort of journey the author is going to take their audience on. Openings can be deceiving and the point of close is needed to successfully determine the true meanings behind the foundations that the author lays at the start. This is definitely the case in Coetzee’s Foe. We will write a custom essay sample on Do a detailed critical analysis of the opening of Coetzee’s Foe or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hindsight is the analysists greatest ally when looking in detail at the devices and subtext that Coetzee is employing to open this novel. In opening it appears to begin as an alternative story of Daniel Defoe’s classic, Robinson Crusoe. However as the novel unfolds it becomes clear that it is an allegory for many pressing issues of today’s society such as gender, race, politics and power. But not stopping there Coetzee has also created a piece of metafiction attacking the way in which fiction is created. It can also be seen as an attack on the claimed father of the novel Daniel Defoe. With hindsight all these issues can been seen in Coetzee’s opening however I will begin by giving some ideas as to what Coetzee possibly wanted to achieve from the entire novel as it will help shed light upon the structure, devices and meanings that lie in the opening. Coetzee is questioning realism in novel writing, throughout he is proving that, just as Defoe did, he can create realistic characters and setting but he is showing that he too has the power to destroy them. As a piece of metafiction, Foe looks inwardly on its self as a novel and questions itself throughout. Coetzee creates things just to break them down. He is out to prove that Defoe and other authors are, as Paula Burnett described, â€Å"the giver of false witness† and in effect the enemy of reality thus the title and pun ‘Foe’. The attack is on Defoe, the so-called ‘father of the novel’, perhaps because he tried to sell Robinson Crusoe off as a real life biography. Coetzee is trying to show that even if Crusoe was real the writer of the novel he would still hold the power to create and destroy what the want to, so fiction can never be taken as reality. The key central issues in the novel are the themes of gender and racial difference and power. Throughout the book there is a strong feeling that Friday represents a lot more than just the slave of Robinson Crusoe. It is through Friday and his treatment in the hands of his white masters that Coetzee is addressing the way the white people have handled there relations with the Negro race. Coetzee probably wrote this particularly with South Africa in mind as it is where he is from but it can be related to any time in history when the whites have tried to help or enslave the black race. Through Susan Barton he also addresses women and their struggles for equality and recognition. A feminist reading of the text would to claim that Coetzee in providing a narrator is showing that the novels has ‘mothers’ as well as fathers such as Defoe and Fielding. Also, her struggle to establish herself as the main character of the story and the only true story teller can be seen to represent women’s struggle to establish themselves as credible novelists in the early periods of novel writing. So with these underlying issues in mind the structure of the novel is also worth briefly looking at so the opening can be put into context. It must be taken into consideration the stylistically the opening chapter is very different from the rest of the novel. The first chapter is set on Crusoe’s island and is a written account as to what occurred. The style is very realistic and detailed. The second chapter is slightly more removed and is written before our very eyes in a set of letters to Mr Foe. The writing style is still detailed and realistic however towards the end of the chapter a few questions are raised as to who Susan Barton is and who is the child following her around. The third part of the novel is set at Foes house and is again a first hand account but has a very different feel to the opening. It becomes slightly more surreal and raising many questions as to whether Foe exists or is a creation of Susan’s or whether Susan is a creation of his. The final scene is set in a room and under water. It could not detach the reader any more as we lose who is narrating. We know its is not Susan as she appears to be dead. This is Coetzee destroying the realistic world he had created. Out of the four parts the opening is extremely significant as it crucial for creating the world in which Coetzee can put across the points that he is raising. So what is Coetzee beginning to create at the start of the novel? With his opening chapter he creates the foundations for his attacks on Defoe and the cultural and gender issues of today’s society. However my use of the word attacks should not be taken too literally because directly no issues are addressed however it is clear in the subtext what points he wants to throw into debate. The main function of the opening is to throw Defoe’s apparent true novel of Crusoe into debate and also to create a realistic foundation that can crumble in on itself as the novel develops. Anything self-critical has to reflect on itself inwardly and the opening sets Coetzee up to be able to do this. From the very opening it is clear that this is a vivid realistic account. â€Å"There I lay sprawled on the hot sand, my head filled with the orange blazing sun, my petticoat (which was all I had escaped with) baking dry upon me, tired, grateful like the saved. You read "Do a detailed critical analysis of the opening of Coetzee’s Foe" in category "Papers" † ‘ It is clear immediately from this quotation that the narrator appears to physically feeling what she is describing. The opening few pages include many of these vivid descriptions which lay the setting for Defoe’s attack on Crusoe’s story. The reader can not doubt her version, as it appears so real. His first attack on Defoe’s novel appears early on. † For readers reared on travellers’ tales, the words desert isle may conjure up a place of soft sands and shady trees where brooks run to quench the castaways thirst†¦ But the island on which I was cast away was quite another place: a great rocky hill with a flat top†¦ There were ants scurrying everywhere, of the same kind we had in Bahia, and another pest too, living in the dunes: a tiny insect that hid between your toes and ate its way into your flesh. † ‘ This account is a great example of the realism used to put the whole of Defoe’s work into question. This is a direct attack by Coetzee on how realistic Defoe’s island really is. The reader will of course believe Susan Bartons account as it appeals through realism. It is a clever device used by Coetzee because he knows himself that what he is writing is not true. Another area that lays doubt upon Defoe’s story is the figure Crusoe. His name is depleted to Cruso to show he is nothing like the man that Defoe creates. Not only is he a shadow of the main that Defoe created he is also unsure of his own history. ‘ † †¦ he stories he told me were so various, and so hard to reconcile one with another, that I was more and more driven to conclude that age and isolation had taken their toll on his memory, and he no longer knew for sure what was truth†¦ † ‘ This throws again Defoe’s account into doubt and would make a reader believe Coetzee’s version. Another example of Coetzee trying to strengthen Susan’s account is her repetition of the line: â€Å"Then at last I could row no further. My hands were raw, my back was burned, my body ached. † This repetition of the same account to both the reader and Crusoe shows that she knows her story and uses the exact same wording both times she tells it. This is a clever device used by Coetzee to show that Crusoe’s story is fragile and various where as Susan’s is stabile and unchanging. The other main instrument used by Coetzee in the opening of the book to express his subtext is the use of Susan as the narrator and the way she perceives things. Through realism he sets up his attack on Defoe and novel writing but through the narrator he brings in the allegorical themes such as gender and race. From a feminist point of view Susan Barton is, as Patrick Corcoran stated, â€Å"a representative of her sex who has suffered at the hands of men and who struggles to assert herself in a male dominated society. † To expand upon this comment, she does definitely appear to represent the women of society and how even though she shared the island with Crusoe she always felt that she was not there † When I reflect upon my story I seem to exist only as the one who came, the one who witnessed†¦ † She feels that it is Crusoe’s story despite the fact that she is as easily as active as Crusoe and manages to escape, which he does not. Upon arrival she assumes that she is his subject. â€Å"With these words I presented myself to Robinson Cruso, in the days when he still ruled over his island, and became his second, the first being his man servant Friday † She does not even question the fact that he is the master of the island she just excepts that Friday and herself are under his rule. This is put in by Coetzee to question the role of women in Defoe’s novel. There is no place for women in Robinson Crusoe and Coetzee provides us with an idea of what Crusoe would have been like with a woman on the island. Also Coetzee leaves it to the audience to decide what type of woman Susan is. He gives us no social background so we expect nothing from her. Throughout the book it is unclear what she is, whether she is a lady, a whore or a gypsy. This uncertainty is thrown into confusion many times, as she seems very educated and full of ideas ‘ â€Å"You are mistaken! † I cried † I do not wish to dispute, but you have forgotten very much, and with every day that passes you forget more! † ‘ This extract shows that Susan Barton’s type of language is not uneducated and her ability to speak up to and man and disagree shows strength. This may be a result of her life experience gained on her travels. However it is more likely that it is Coetzee toying with the idea of how putting a female on the island would effect Crusoe’s power. These power battles are an important theme in the novel and Susan faces them throughout first chapter with Crusoe then Friday in the second and then Defoe in the third. The other major issue raised by Coetzee is the idea of slavery and race difference. Friday is a shadow that hangs over the story throughout and cannot be ignored, as his silence is perhaps the most telling and powerful factor in the novel. The majority of these issues are raised in the second and third chapters in Susan’s handling of Friday. However they are present in the early stages of the novel in Crusoe’s approach to Friday. ‘ â€Å"How many words of English does Friday know? † I asked â€Å"As many as he needs,† replied Cruso. â€Å"This is not England, we have no need of great stock of words†. ‘ Dispite Fridays disability this shows that Crusoe has no intention of making a companion of Friday and only wishes to treat him as an inhuman slave. Crusoe’s views on Friday can be seen to represent the whites treatment of the African race in the early part of the nineteen hundreds. When Susan takes over the role of master she can be seen to represent the white liberals in South Africa who tried to help the Africans but only tried to help them by trying to make them like white men and by doing so enslaved them further. RM. Post’s view on the political level of the novel is that Crusoe represents the stubborn and corrupt Afrikaner government, with Susan Barton the white sympathetic liberal and Friday the black people. He even goes as far as to compare Susan to Mother Africa as she is searching for a child who is searching for her. He justifies his claim that Foe is an allegory of contemporary South Africa by pointing out the crucial fact that Friday is of completely different race in Coetzee’s Foe than he is in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. † The fact that the latter Friday is a black man helps us see Foe, set primarily in England in the eighteenth century, as an allegory of contemporary South Africa. † Defoe’s Friday has olive skin with straight long hair; Coetzee s Friday is black with a â€Å"head of fuzzy wool. † There are other hints in the opening of the story to suggest some link with the treatment of the blacks in South Africa. The removal of Fridays tongue is perhaps one of the most obvious symbols in the book. He can be seen as having no voice like the Negro’s in post colonial Africa. Susan and Crusoe’s failure to communicate with Friday successfully is of course down to lack of understanding of his culture. However the fact that Crusoe manages to communicate with Friday better than Susan could be seen to flaw RM. Post’s argument as could the fact that Friday was apparently happier on the island before Susan tried to free him. The opening to Coetzee’s foe is a vital part of the novel. As discussed it lays the foundations for all of Coetzee’s allegorical meanings. The opening is essential to understanding the race, gender and power struggles that are central themes in the novel. In terms of realism it sets Coetzee up to question the fundamentals of the novel and how far can an author go in terms of making a book appear an accurate reflection of real life. From this foundation he also highlights the author’s ability to create and destroy there own work no matter how realistic it may appear to be. How to cite Do a detailed critical analysis of the opening of Coetzee’s Foe, Papers

Shakespeares comedy is based on cruelty and subversion free essay sample

Shakespeare created comedy in Much Ado through the characters behaviour, dialogue and prose but his comedy is often seen as cruel and subversive. Cruelty can be defined in many ways, one definition is behaviour which causes physical or mental harm to another, another is to inflict pain or suffering and enjoy the pain or distress of others. Plato said that ‘laughter is an emotion that overrides rational self-control’. From this definition we clearly see that this play cannot be cruel and only comedic because although Don Pedro almost sabotages Claudio’s wedding, all ends well so the characters do not enjoy inflicting pain towards others or at least succeed. This must be a comedy rather than tragedy as it ends in two happy marriages. Much Ado About Nothing is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s best comedies and the play is not only considered a comedy but a romance as well, a romance being a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. We clearly see throughout this play that mystery associated with love through the characters Beatrice and Benedick. This play is classed as a comedy rather than a tragedy as it is about the relationship between two couples and although it almost ends in death it swiftly changes direction into a comedy as the ending is happy and therefore unlikely to be based around cruelty. Critics say ‘the tragic and comic fade into each other by almost insensible gradiations’ and therefore this play can be nothing more than just humorous and not have vindictive humour. Playful humour in one’s eyes can be seen in Act 1 when Beatrice deliberately humiliates or misconstrues the messenger by changing his words and coming back with insults about Benedick ‘I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? ’ Although here Beatrice is throwing insults about Benedick we can read between the lines, we know that she is actually in love with Benedick and she is then in fact the victim of self-deception. This quote refers to Plato’s theory of comedy being cruel as he believed comedy was laughing at people and not with them. The language that the messenger uses in this passage is Petrarchian and Shakespeare deliberately uses the messenger here to seem fake in the words in which he speaks so we see here that Shakespeare makes the messenger mock the language used by Petrarch, ‘He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion. ’ This basically means that he did better than expected considering his age, he may look like a lamb but he behaved like a mighty lion. Petrarch wrote poems about women being perfect, he wrote that they were put on pedestals and admired for their physical aesthetic appeal, his sonnets were admired and imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance and became a model for lyrical poetry so we now see how the Shakespeare used the messenger to mock the ‘emotional and expressional’ language used by Petrarch, ‘Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart, Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea. ’ This is an example of the language Petrarch used in his poems. Benedick too mocks petrarchian language when quarrelling with Beatrice, ‘I cannot endure my Lady Tongue’. This mocks Petrarch because of Lady Love, being a woman who is a ‘sweetheart’ or beloved woman. We see Beatrice’s inappropriate humour in Act 2 where she uses horns as a reference to penises, ‘with horns on his head’, Shakespeare uses her to break the boundaries between men and women, men and women were not equal in the time period as society was very patriarchal and women were frowned upon if they were to take a dominant approach over men but clearly here Shakespeare is using the comic individual, Beatrice, to almost play a male like role. This is clearly Shakespeare using Beatrice to be subversive as this would have been accepted if a man was to joke about rude things, women were not meant to. In the play Beatrice lives with a man named Leonato, he is not her father and it would have been likely that he would have gave her up to another man for marriage but in the play we see this is not the case which suggests that Leonato doesn’t mind her witticism and lack of female like traits and again shows us that he can only find her humour and behaviour funny and not harmful. Hero, Leonato’s daughter on the other hand conforms to the wishes of her father and Claudio as her lover and this is what would have been expected during the Shakespearian era. As mentioned before her humour is seen as inappropriate but only one character in the play dislikes some of Beatrice’s aphorism and that is Antonio but this is only mentioned once throughout the play, ‘Well, niece, I trust you will be ruled by your father. ’ As he is the only character throughout the play to think this the play can only be considered as comedic and not spiteful or cruel. Shakespeare uses horns as a leit motif in the play to refer to cuckolding and Beatrice often mocks men for their obsession of not becoming a cuckold ‘and there will the devil meet me, like an old cuckold, with horns on his head. ’ The comic individual, Beatrice, is clearly mocking men here and is even mocking a character of such authority, the devil. Beatrice gains power from the male obsession and perpetuates the male paranoia of the unfaithful wife. Although she mocks men for their paranoia her comments are seen as funny and aren’t seen as her going too far with the anxiety of men. Benedick also makes a lot of references to horns throughout the play ‘pluck off the bulls horns and set them in my forehead’. A cuckold being a man who is married to an unfaithful woman. This could be interpreted as an act of cruelty on Beatrice’s behalf because of her enjoyment in mocking men’s obsession but we later find out that her humour has no cruel intention towards men so comedy cannot be cruel through Beatrice. At the time of this play Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and this may have been a great influence on Shakespeare’s work on the comic individual. Queen Elizabeth was the first woman on the throne and she was much like no other woman as well, Susan Doran quotes ‘Elizabeth I is the best known and most admired English monarch’. Queen Elizabeth I did not fit the typical Petrarchian image and was much like Beatrice’s character, being powerful and having a dominant role over others. In Act 2, scene 1 there is the masked ball. The masque has been a famously Italian tradition since the 15th Century and these balls are very exciting and stimulating because people can pretend to be someone else. No one knows who is who and people say things that they wouldn’t normally say which leads us on to Beatrice’s ‘rude’ remark. Here Beatrice’s humour goes beyond funny, ‘he is the princes jester’. Here Beatrice oversteps the mark and implies that Benedick goes out of his way to hurt others and this is not seen as funny but cruel, so arguably the comic individuals comedy may be seen as having cruel intentions in this part of Shakespeare’s Much Ado rather than just playful humour. At this part in the play disguise is used intentionally to poke at the characters. This is comedy of situation or mistaken identity. Benedick becomes the victim here, critic Denton Snider suggests he is ‘victimized by the mask’ and Beatrice is not deceived and has complete freedom and control over the situation. This may be seen as cruel as it is intentional but mostly the remarks from Beatrice are not meaningful and are just made to wind up the victim of deception, Benedick. Further on we see serious undertones rather than humour which suggests the play may have quite tragic undertones ‘he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it. ’ Here Beatrice implies that there is a history between her and Benedick which isn’t seen as funny and is meant to give us other feelings towards the individual. Beatrice and Benedick consistently repeat repartee and are in a constant battle to outdo one another, ‘my dear Lady Disdain- are you yet living? ’ ‘Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? ’ Both are victims of deception and are determined that they hate each other. Both characters however have one view that is similar and that is they will never marry ‘if he send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees. ’ We later on see that both characters have been absent minded and do indeed change their ideology on marriage. This again shows us that Benedick and Beatrice are victims of self-deception as they are deluded, they are both blinded by love. Denton Snider wrote ‘He is, in one form or another, the victim of deception. ’ We see Benedick as the victim of deception at the end of Act 2 where Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato trick him into believing Beatrice has admitted her love for him but of course she hasn’t done such a thing and it was a devise to set them up, ‘that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick’. Although the three characters lied this cannot be seen as cruel and only comedic as nobody is getting harmed and the lie turns out to be good and ends up with the two characters being happy and in love. At this point in the play comedy is created in the form slapstick, which again shows the audience that the device made by the three characters in for comedy purpose only. ‘Your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick. ’ Here the slapstick is apparent as the victim of deception would be shocked or what he thinks is shocked and would make noise or possibly fall over. Although Shakespeare did not add stage directions it is obvious where slapstick is acted out in the play. An act of ‘cruel’ deception may be seen in Act 2, scene 2 where Don John and Borachio devise a plan to break apart the upcoming marriage between the two lovers, Hero and Claudio. This isn’t something that the audience would have found comedic at the time and can therefore be seen as slightly cruel. This is the only scene in the play that can be considered to be remotely cruel and spiteful but like every other good play or film there is equilibrium, being where there has to be balance between good and bad but resulting in only a happy ending and therefore this play is none more than a romantic comedy and not a tragedy