The Analysis of Antonio’s Character
The lines selected for analysis are Act II, Scene I, lines 277-291, when Antonio is trying to reassure Sebastian that killing his brother—the King of Naples—is a good idea and well worth the effort. As the reader knows, Antonio usurped his brother, Prospero, and became the Duke of Milan. This sets the stage for his attitude towards Sebastian’s wanting to kill his brother, King Alonso. Because of Antonio’s past actions he sees nothing wrong with getting rid of a family member for personal gain, but his reasons for doing so began at a young age and have been etched into his brain. Antonio’s psychological depth reveals that he is a man jealous of his brother’s rightful power, and stemming from that is his insecurity and lust for power wherever he may find it (in this case, having power over Sebastian). Antonio is not a good person, has few conscientious thoughts, and is now trying to convince his companion to follow his lead. If Antonio’s brother, Prospero, was to hear the selected lines, he would say that the only time Antonio thinks about performing acts that will get him power, by eliminating those who currently have it, is when it is to his advantage. He would say that Antonio devises plans to get rid of leaders when they are at a disadvantage, and he at an advantage, because he doesn’t feel that he could succeed otherwise—his insecurities kicking in. I don’t think Shakespeare agrees with Antonio, and there are two examples in the play to support that.
In response to Sebastian’s question about whether his conscience would bother him after committing fratricide, Antonio replies, “Ay, sir, where lies that? If `twere a kibe / `Twould put me to my slipper…” meaning that if his conscience was a small sore on the heel of his foot (a kibe), it would drive him to wear comfortable shoes but it would certainly not disrupt his life or stop him from doing what he’s doing. This shows Antonio to be a cold-hearted man, one who is able to quiet that little voice inside his head and push it to the back of his brain and continue with his terrible acts. In the next thought, he says, “…but I feel not this deity in my bosom,” admitting he doesn’t feel the tug of a conscience in his heart.
Prospero can be used to exemplify the Prince’s principles of how a ruler should not conduct his business. Prospero was an unfit ruler of Milan because he did not invest his time in politics but instead in “the liberal arts” (Shakespeare I.ii.91). Machiavelli states that a ruler should be invested in the well being of his people. Even though Prospero inherited the power to rule over Milan, Machiavelli would argue that Antonio rightfully acquired this power through prowess (Machiavelli 20). Machiavelli would justify Antonio’s action when he overthrows Prospero for power over Milan. Machiavelli would state that Antonio did what needed to be done in order to attain power. Prospero was not acting as a rightful ruler, so Antonio had the opportunity
When Antonio first became homeless, an older man tried to steal one of his belongings, which was a simple hot plate. His first instinct was to attack the man and take back his property. While doing so, Antonio thought, “We have almost nothing, and this man wants to take it from us” (43). In addition, he mentions how, “It felt good to hit this man… For a moment, he felt strong and free; fury was a much better drug than self-pity.” (43). When Antonio discusses about the old man and his crimes, he may be alluding to Longoria and what he did to Antonio’s family. The man who tried to take away part of Antonio’s possessions is referring to Longoria and how he took away Antonio’s family. The act of beating the old man refers Antonio’s eventual act of revenge against Longoria and the satisfaction he experiences afterwards. Both acts demonstrate Antonio’s willingness to sacrifice and harm other in certain scenarios where it is necessary. The significant difference between Longoria and Antonio is the intention behind their actions. Longoria killed hundreds in cold blood for his own selfish desires and beliefs, while Antonio only harmed a total of two people to get revenge and to enforce justice in the only way he could. As mentioned before, Longoria’s actions are evil because he commits them for selfish reasons and without remorse. In contrast, Antonio’s actions are seen as necessary evils. A necessary evil is defined as an act of evil (as perceived by society) that is committed in a certain scenario where it follows a utilitarian approach; an approach in which the action does more good than harm. When Antonio beat up the old man, he was merely protecting his belongings and enforcing the law. More importantly, when Antonio killed Longoria, it was for his wife, his son, and the hundreds of other innocent lives that Longoria had claimed; Antonio did an act of
Isn 't it ironic when there’s a clown, but he 's not happy like his painted smile portrays, he’s actually quite depressed. In fact he 's actually more than so an individual who can 't seem to get his life in order. In Tandolfo the Great we meet Rodney, a troubled young man who seems to have lost it after reading a letter from his supposed love. Along the way we are met with images of “this isn 't me” and actions that bring us to the question of “Is this really Rodney or could it be an alter ego?” Rodneys ' action consists of “self-destructive behavior, mood swings, and
Through this theme, the author hoped to denote the importance of religion and sins. Antonio is the perfect delineation of the irrefutable desires of man when he says, “And although I did not feel good about it, I ate the golden carrot. I had never eaten anything sweeter or juicier in my life.” (Anaya, 109). Despite knowing that it is a sin to take something of someone else’s without permission, Antonio, even if reluctant, still chooses to consume the carrot. He, being a religious boy who firmly believes in always performing good deeds, still chooses to indulge in wrongdoing and even ends up enjoying it. Antonio’s perspective on god significantly changes after discussing sins with Florence; “there seemed to be so many pitfalls in the questions we asked…would the knowledge of the answers make me share in the original sin of Adam and Eve?” (113). Similar to the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Antonio consumes a vegetable that was not meant for him. He firmly believes that what happened in the Garden of Eden was a result of the irrevocable habit of man to sin; a habit now being attained to Antonio as well. However, shortly after performing this act which was almost identical to that of Adam and Eve, Antonio starts to question the beliefs
Our lady of Guadalupe is the most venerated and respected by the Catholics. The appearance of the Virgin caused a great commotion in the Catholic Church. Ever since the Virgin's first appearance, Catholics have respected and acquired so much faith to the Virgin. The lady of Guadalupe has so many faithful followers that believe in her without any hesitation because of the miracles that she has made for the people that were once suffering and were miraculously helped by her. Because of the help that she has provided for those who were suffering people never forget her and they celebrate the day of her appearance every year by doing parties in her honor. The Lady of Guadalupe’s appearance certainly changed the belief of Catholics and, I believe
In essence, Antonio shows that he is unsure if he truly believes in his religion because of his acceptance of other beliefs, the new ideas that he learns, and the deaths of Narciso and Lupito. Antonio’s experiences lead him to believe that he is in charge of his destiny and he has the ability to choose what he wants, not what his parents want. In the end, Antonio determines his religious values based on what he believes in, so he tells himself to “[t]ake the Ilano and the river valley, the moon and the sea, God and the golden carp and make something new” (247). Antonio’s encounters with religion represent those who follow their religion but are not content with it. All in all, the story suggests that sometimes people want to learn other ideas to discover what fits them best.
This quote not only relates heavily with Othello and two of its main characters, but also with the idea of human weakness. The belief that an individual’s cruelty originates from weakness provides explanation towards some of the major scenes within the play involving cruel behavior. The most prominent example being the change in Othello and Desdemona’s relationship during the time in which Othello becomes increasingly suspicious and aware of his wife’s supposed affair with Cassio. Some examples explaining the progression of cruel behavior from Othello consists of yelling at her without explanation, hitting her in public, and of course murdering her in the last scene of the play. As mentioned before, his inability to control his emotions and rationalize with the situation perfectly demonstrates his character’s weaknesses. During the final scene of the play, Othello has an exchange with Lodovico as he commands him to speak about his intentions behind the murder in which he replies, “Why, anything: / An honorable murderer, if you will; / For naught did I hate, but all in honour” (5.2.293-295). The cruelty in which he unleashes upon Desdemona can be viewed as a type of defense mechanism towards his pride and sanity, as it is possible he believes that hurting Desdemona is a way to redeem his lost honour. Establishing the dynamic between Othello and Desdemona early on in the play, where
“Corrupt” is defined as causing someone and or something to become immoral, dishonest, or dehumanized. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding and “I Only Came To Use the Phone” by Gabriel Garcia, corruption of authority is a theme reinforcing the main idea that humans instinctually understand that savagery is necessary for survival. Throughout both stories the reader gets a substantial perception of the immorality and dishonesty as the animalistic patterns that humans instinctually have represent what the authors are intending to display. The authors, Golding and Garcia, depict the message that when the characters holding the power are corrupt, then all of those around the power will be corrupted as the characters like all humans will instinctually become savage. The authors reinforce this theme by describing the details of the characters, setting, and objects around the corrupted authority in a pessimistic manner.
This key paragraph of advice is given by Machiavelli to all aspiring rulers who are contemplating the act of obtaining a principality through the use of criminal methods. Macbeth is an example of someone who obtains his kingdom in a criminal manner, as he and his wife conspire together to kill the present king and blame his murder on his drunken guards, but in order for Macbeth to be considered completely Machiavellian, he would have to partake in all of the characteristics that Machiavelli urges for leaders of his sort to display. While Macbeth exhibits certain Machiavellian characteristics, he does not heed Machiavelli's advice regarding rulers who desire to obtain their principalities through crime, and through either the ignorance of, or disregard for, this advice, Macbeth cannot be considered Machiavellian.
In Act I of the play, Prospero finally tells Miranda the woeful story of how she and he arrived on the island. From the beginning, Prospero plays his subjects and his sympathetic audience as pawns in his game of manipulation. He explains that twelve years ago he was the Duke of Milan, but being enthralled with his studies, he left most of the governmental responsibilities to his brother Antonio. Antonio, hungry to be "Absolute Milan" himself (1:2, p.6), proceeded to betray him with the help of King Alonso of Naples. When Miranda asks why they were not killed, Prospero sighs, "Dear, they durst not,/ so dear the love my people bore me" (1:2, p.7). From the beginning, Prospero portrays himself as a distinguished scholar and beloved leader unjustly victimized by his power-hungry brother. Who would suspect such a humble man of being psychologically manipulative? Prospero succeeds in deceiving many with this credible guise.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the power that Iago has over Emilia in their relationship helps manifest the unfairness of gender roles thus, leading to a distortion of the worth of women. The power that Iago has over Emilia hurts Emilia’s self-confidence. The distortion of the worth of women ultimately leads to misunderstandings in Emilia’s view of relationships.
Sir Francis Bacon once had a idea of revenge this idea is shown in many different stories just to name a few Romeo and Juliet in which a dashing young man seeks revenge and gets banished. The Interlopers the short story where two men seek revenge and both men end up getting killed. The Blade of Grass in a Dreamless Field the story of a man who seeks revenge his whole life and ends up wasting his whole life seeking revenge. All of these stories have one similarity in each one of them a person seeks revenge and only ends up getting hurt. Not only does revenge end up hurting you, revenge ends up hurting others.
In Antonioni’s La Notte Moreau uses this mastery, which previously brought a new love life, to end a dying one. The film’s final sequence again finds Moreau, this time as Lidia, walking away from a love interest— Giovanni. Like Jeanne, Lidia refuses to look back at the man that trails behind her, but Lidia’s gaze is level, and focused on what’s ahead. She turns only momentarily to respond to Giovanni, matter-of-factly, and as she walks off screen she seems content to leave Giovanni behind. When the two stop, Lydia turns, hesitates, and somewhat reluctantly tells him about Tommaso’s death. She cock’s her head gently at his response, doubting his concern, and then begins to reminisce about Tomasso.
Hieronimo is a symbol for the authority of law within The Spanish Tragedy. From his soliloquy in act III scene II, one can see Hieronimo’s ambiguity in deciding whether to pursue either justice or revenge. It could be argued that Hieronimo’s actions and concerns change throughout the course of the play by the wills of others and not his own desires; thus representing the failed authority of the law. This can be shown by analysing Hieronimo, Bel-imperia, the Gods, Lorenzo and the Law.
The first and arguably most common effect of poverty on society is its financial impact (Veritta, 2008). In many of the societies that experienced significantly high levels of poverty, debt was increasingly common, and especially debt accrued from moneylenders (Hatcher, 2016). For many individuals living in poverty, access to financial services such as banking is often stifled and rudimentary, making it difficult for such individuals to access self-improvement loans at standard and fair rates (Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012). For these individuals, moneylenders are the best option available, which results in them paying exorbitant interest rates. The interconnection between poverty and finance, however, is cyclic in nature. The lack of finances or access to financial services causes poverty, which in turn causes an isolation of individuals from finances and financial services (Hickey & du Toit, 2013). This makes poverty a fairly complex problem to