answered: Essay #2: Drama Analysis Author of The Compact Bedford Intro

  

Essay #2: Drama Analysis
Author of The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, Michael Myer calls each production of a play (live or video) an interpretation, a director’s cut if you will. What he means is that the director of a visual version of the story changes the story in meaningful ways, interprets the work, as he or she adapts the story to the stage or screen. Myer also notes that as a reader or viewer, “you become the play’s director; you construct an interpretation based on the playwright’s use of language, development of character, arrangement of incidents, description of settings, and directions for staging” (1066 9e). In an essay of 1600 words minimum (about 5-6 pages) make an argument about the interpretive changes that Tim Blake Nelson makes in his film version (“O”) of Shakespeare’s Othello (which is itself a new version of an older story).
As you examine the film, analyze how that version changes the story in meaningful ways. How have the changes in time, setting, character, symbolism, theme, or other elements impacted the story? Do those changes strengthen or weaken the story? You should narrow your focus to only a couple of the story’s most important elements as you see them (in other words, not every element in my list in bold), and you may need to consider different audiences to support claims of how the story is strengthened or weakened.
Important tips: Do not simply discuss the obvious differences in time, language, or the difference between reading a text and watching a film, and do not waste space noting obvious similarities either, but be sure to examine how the film emphasizes significant interpretive ideas about one of the story’s themes, characters, conflicts, or whatever you find important. Of course, there are predictable differences in seeing the work performed (live or on-screen) than reading the written text, but those basics are not worth discussing too much. Think of a live production, video, or movie as an interpretation of what Shakespeare actually wrote. Even films that attempt to follow the script perfectly will create some alternate vision of the story. What is gained or lost by the film over the original play? In the case of “O,” consider narrowing your focus by answering in-depth one of the following five prompts:
How is Hugo significantly different than Iago? In what ways do those changes in his character improve the story or weaken it? Besides his motivation being different, how does Hugo’s use of steroids impact how we perceive him as a villain? What about his use of Odin’s fears of racial inequality in contrast to Iago/Othello? Though it’s clear that Iago hates Othello, does Hugo hate Odin?
How does Tim Blake Nelson’s version emphasize issues of race in ways that differ from Shakespeare’s version? How does each version show that racism influences the outcomes of each story? Does one version emphasize that idea more than the other? Does one version make a stronger statement about racism than the other?
Does Tim Blake Nelson’s version trivialize the importance of the story by placing it in a high school setting rather than the government and military of a nation? If Othello shows us that even the most powerful among us can be brought down by jealousy, how does Nelson’s version impact that theme? What is gained or lost by changing Shakespeare’s characters into high school students? Does the type of audience determine which is the best setting or character choice?
Does Nelson’s hero/villain dynamic improve the story or weaken it in relation to Shakespeare’s hero/villain characters? Do the characters’ ages, hormones, and drug use in Nelson’s version make them less culpable for their actions? If so, what does that suggest about the story’s larger theme? In contrast to Iago’s total villainy, does Hugo’s development as a more rounded, sympathetic character improve the story? In their final speeches, does Odin seem more heroic or less heroic than Othello? In what other ways are the characters more or less heroic? It might help to review literary definitions of “hero” and hamartia to help answer these questions.
How does each story challenge the roles of women given their respective time periods? Do Nelson’s versions of the female characters challenge their society more or less than Shakespeare’s versions of the female characters challenge the social structure of his time? In this focus, you’re evaluating the roles of the female characters within each story as it relates to the time period that story represents. To what extent do the characters reenforce or challenge their roles within their own societies?