Fate

I am choosing that free will exists in our world. I think that I make my own choices every day, but I know that God definitely helps me along the way. Every day I wake up, and I make a decision, should I go back to sleep, lie here looking at the walls, or should I get out of bed and go to class? My story takes place before I was a teenager; I would have to flashback twenty years. What is faith? Is it belief in one’s God? How does one find faith? Can someone that claims to have faith ever doubt?

When I was twelve years old, I thought that I was religious. I went to a function with my youth group. In attendance were a great number of kids, I felt lost in the shuffle with so many things going on. Just as I contemplated sneaking away, a boy came over to talk to me, “How thoughtful,” I said to myself. We sat for a very long time and read the Bible together. It made me feel so special like I was starting to belong to the group. I felt it was so wonderful that someone took the time to notice me. This experience had a very special meaning to me.

One of the most important aspects of teenage life is feeling secure, accepted, and loved. At that moment I felt all those things at one time. My preacher came over to talk with me and wondered why I was sitting all alone. I looked up and realized I was alone. I told her about the boy who had noticed me. We read the bible together, and we talked for hours. She helped me look for him and we couldn’t find him anywhere. I was devastated and had no idea where he could have gone. I had been looking all weekend for the boy who noticed me, only I still couldn’t find him anywhere.

That’s when I realized that this was awesome. I know what it is: It is fate or faith? Here I am at a Christian event, and to think I was visited by the Lord. I told the preacher that, and she told me that I need to tell everyone the account of what happened. So there I was, standing in front of this group of kids. I was so anxious, but also calm. The story just flowed out of me. I told everyone what exactly happened to me this weekend. Whether individuals believe in God or not, a person must have a reason for his or her belief. I think fate has dealt me with a wonderful reason to believe in God!!!

As far as my simple self could deduce from Voltaire’s Candide, Pangloss and Martin are as different as they are wise when it comes to the brightness or, in Martin’s case, the darkness with which they view the world. Pangloss is evidently a man of knowing and has put much thought Into his philosophy that “everything Is for the best In the physical as well as the moral universe and nothing could be otherwise… Quite the optimist, he went about life accepting things the way they were, putting up little fight nd attributing everything to the will of God or whatever higher power runs this universe (fate). I’d Ilke to think that Pangloss even looked forward to living life, gathering experiences even If they werent exactly Ideal. Martin on the other hand, finds life very depressing what with having no one to love and nothing to look forward to; he sees no goodness in his fellow man and no happiness in any situation and often expresses exasperation with life.

The Interesting thing about him however Is that he carries still this energy, an angry passion if you will. o live as well as he can (i. e. Martin decides to hang around with Candide because he has nothing to his name while Candide is flowing with riches and people treat the rich much better than those who have none); he’s actually a dark version of a realist, I think. Personally, find Martin to be a much better companion to be with for rather than Just placidly allow things to run way they do, he decides to take action and make things better in spite of his supposedly being fed up with the way the universe is.

‘A man’s character is his fate. ’ To what extent is Othello’s own character the cause of his downfall? According to Aristotle’s Poetics, a classical tragic hero should be renowned and prosperous, superior in some specific way, so that the reversal of fortunes or downfall, stirs up feelings within the audience of a greater intensity. Such disastrous results are often triggered by the mistake of the tragic hero due to their tragic flaw or hamartia, which is often linked to hubris or excessive pride.

In Shakespeare’s Othello, as a General of the Venetian army, Othello meets these criteria, as his mistake is to trust ‘honest Iago’ and convince himself that revenge upon Desdemona will lead to honour and success. In fact, as with most tragic heroes, it is this decision which leads to his destruction. However, it is important to consider whether Othello’s ruin was the inevitable result of the defects in his character or whether there were other forces, outside of his control, which led him to his doom.

If it is solely Othello’s hamartia which leads to his downfall, then it must be related to the change in his perception of Desdemona. In Act 1, when warned by Brabantio that Desdemona may also deceive Othello, Othello retorts passionately: ‘My life upon her faith! ’ The exclamation here demonstrates the dedication and trust that Othello feels towards his new wife, but by Act 3, Othello is already beginning to doubt her: ‘By the world,/ I think my wife by honest, and I think she is not’ (3. 3. 389).

Shakespeare’s use of cosmic imagery when Othello swears illustrates the magnitude of Othello’s resentment at his own hesitation, as his judgement is usually impulsive, as in Aleppo, (5. 2. 361) when he knew immediately to ‘smote him thus’, as he was certain of his enemy, but in this case, doubt has impaired his vision and he is unsure who to trust: his new wife or ‘honest Iago’. Othello’s peripeteia occurs when he decides to trust Iago; however, the audience are surprised at this decision, as it is unclear what has changed his perception of Desdemona so that he condemns her as ‘that cunning whore of Venice’ (4. . 88). Some critics are of the opinion that it is jealousy that has clouded his judgement thus, and argue that this must be his hamartia. However, it is equally possible that Shakespeare has given Othello the ‘fitness of character’ that Aristotle stated was an important feature of a tragic hero, as his true hamartia may be his value of the honour-shame culture which existed among European Elizabethan warriors, and is linked to the hubris common in tragic heroes.

It can be argued that the shame induced by the idea of his wife’s unfaithfulness results in his downfall, which Shakespeare expresses through animalistic imagery: ‘I had rather be a toad/ And live upon the vapour of a dungeon/ Than keep a corner in the thing I love/ For others’ uses’. Therefore, Desdemona’s murder becomes an act of sacrificial love: ‘A murder which I thought a sacrifice’ (5. 2. 64) as he feels that ‘else she’ll betray more men. Perhaps it is for this reason that, in his death scene, Othello says: ‘For naught I did in hate, but all in honour’ (5. 2. 301) and calls himself ‘An honourable murderer’. Either way, possible flaws like these suggest that Othello’s downfall was his own doing as such traits may have driven him to trust Iago and murder Desdemona, actions which in his anagnorisis led to extreme suffering, and caused him to commit suicide. Alternatively, Othello’s impulsive and passionate nature could also have contributed to his downfall, as this may have been his hamartia.

This would fit the necessary ‘consistency’ outlined by Aristotle, as the same passion and instantaneous response can be found in his reaction to Brabantio in scene 1 as in the later scenes, in his immediate reaction to Iago’s suggestive statements. At first Othello responds calmly: ‘Why dost thou ask? ’But the more evasive Iago is of such questions, the more it riles Othello and Shakespeare uses cosmic imagery when Othello swears such as ‘By heaven, I’ll know thy thoughts’ to demonstrate the value that Othello assigns to Iago’s opinions.

When Iago eventually suggests that Desdemona is dishonest, Othello trusts Iago to ‘Give [him] the ocular proof’ (3. 3. 361), and some critics may argue that this rash decision to trust Iago is proof that Othello is impulsive, causing him to make foolish decisions. It is for this reason that he accepts Iago’s story of Cassio’s dream as the ‘ocular proof’ even though Iago admits ‘’Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream’; Othello immediately reacts: ‘I’ll tear her all to pieces! ’ (3. 3. 433).

Shakespeare then uses dark and malignant imagery to show Othello’s passionate rage with phrases such as ‘Arise black vengeance’ and ‘tyrannous hate! ’ Such imagery would have been significant to an Elizabethan audience, as they considered the colour white to symbolise purity and goodness, whereas black had strong connotations of the devil, evil and uncleanness, thus highlighting the wickedness in Othello’s disposition. Therefore, this can be used as evidence that Othello was only convinced by

Iago’s improbable suggestions because he was led by passion and impulse, being ‘Perplexed in the extreme’ by rage, instinctively trusting Iago. The motif of blood that Shakespeare includes supports this: ‘O, blood, blood, blood! ’ (3. 3. 452) as it has connotations of violence, therefore foreshadowing the violence of the final act, in which the motif is repeated by Desdemona: ‘Some bloody passion shakes your very frame’ showing the connection between Othello’s hamartia and Desdemona’s murder.

On the other hand, it can be argued that Othello’s downfall was not his own doing. In Act 3 scene 3, Shakespeare first suggests that Othello truly doubts Desdemona when he says, ‘And yet how nature erring from itself-’ (3. 3. 229) because he thinks that being white, Desdemona would prefer a white man like Cassio to himself. Such racial insecurities are highlighted in Othello’s character throughout the play, and may be the reason behind the pains that he takes to impress people through his speech and experiences.

However this line implies that Othello’s doubt in Desdemona were the result of racial insecurities, and whilst they could be singular to him, the prejudices that existed against ‘Moors’ in the Elizabethan era, and in the play suggest otherwise. Queen Elizabeth complained in 1601 of the “great numbers of Negars and Blackamoors which are crept into this realm,” 1 a feeling also expressed in the play when Othello is condemned as an ‘old black ram’ (1. 1. 89) and a ‘Barbary horse’ (1. 1. 111). Such animalistic metaphors emphasise the low opinion that Elizabethans had of ‘Blackamoors’, which may have been the root of Othello’s downfall.

Similarly, the unconventionality of Othello’s marriage to Desdemona rebelled against Elizabethan ideology, being ‘contrary to nature’ as critic Karen Newman put it, which presented an obstacle in itself. Their marriage broke the natural order causing chaos and consequently, as in most tragedies, this chaotic force had to be destroyed for order to be restored. Such ideals may be evidence that the couple’s ruin was inevitable, as to an Elizabethan audience, they symbolised the unnatural, chaotic force which must be overthrown.

Alternatively, it is equally possible that although Othello had many flaws, it was Iago who acted as a catalyst by exposing them, thus causing Othello’s downfall. Shakespeare frequently alludes to this through recurring motifs which show Iago’s power of corruption, the first of these being poison. For example, when plotting, Iago refers to poison when he says: ‘I’ll pour pestilence into his ear’ (2. 3. 346), and then in the final scene, Lodovico summarises the 3 corpses as ‘poisons sight’, thus demonstrating the link between Iago’s manipulation and the plight of Othello and those around him.

Shakespeare builds upon this manipulation through the motif of turning, as Iago vows to ‘turn her virtue into pitch’ (2. 3. 350), in the same way that Othello turns ‘Turk’ through the metaphor in his final speech, ‘an turbaned Turk… traduced the state… And smote him thus’ (5. 2. 349-52), and is evidence of Iago’s success in turning Othello from a General into an enemy of ‘the state’. Similarly, the black and white imagery of ‘virtue’ and ‘pitch’ is repeated by Othello himself when referring to Desdemona’s reputation: ‘begrimed and black/As mine own face. However, ‘begrimed’ implies that both characters are stained, but as Desdemona is innocent, and Othello’s inherited ethnicity determines his skin colour, the simile could relate to Iago’s manipulation, and the darkness that he has brought upon the couple. This is mirrored by the transformation of Othello’s language: formerly grand verse depicting his former successes becomes sinister and dark, with animalistic imagery of goats, monkeys, toads, and poisonous snakes, and diabolic metaphors for Desdemona such as ‘fair devil’, which liken his language to that of Iago.

These changes are evidence of the vital role of Iago in Othello’s downfall, suggesting that Othello’s flaws, although numerous, may not have been fatal. It is for this reason that the phrase ‘Perplexed in the extreme’ in Othello’s final soliloquy, can take on a double meaning, as although Othello’s passionate emotions of jealousy, rage, and shame clouded his judgement, Iago’s ability to manipulate, which Shakespeare has emphasised through his use of repeated motifs and imagery, could have been the other vital factor.

It was this combination that influenced Othello to make the fatal and mistaken decision that Iago’s suspicions were correct and believe that his honour would be regained if he took vengeance upon Desdemona. Iago was only successful because of Othello’s hidden flaws, but equally Othello’s flaws were deeply buried within him, allowing him to become a General of the Venetian army, proving that they were not fatal, but aroused by skilful manipulators like Iago. 1584 words Bibliography •1 = http://www. suite101. om/content/elizabeth-i-motives-for-expulsion-of-blackamoors-from-london-a248507 •A. C. Bradley (1904) Shakespearian Tragedy, New York: Palgrave Macmillan •Beard & Kent (2008) AQA AS English Literature B, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes •Marian Cox (2003) AS/ A-Level Student Text Guide, Othello, William Shakespeare Oxfordshire: Phillip Allan Updates •http://www2. cnr. edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics. html •http://www. britaininprint. net/shakespeare/study_tools/race. html •William Shakespeare (2003) Othello Edited by Norman Sanders Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

was really a man who wanted to achieve a long lasting fame. The last words of the Anglo Saxon epic showed much tribute to his fame as it stated that he was the most enthusiastic man for praise. This is evidence that Beowulf did not only want to achieve fame but also he ensured that the fame is of adulatory kind. He struggled to achieve fame by engaging himself in extraordinary exploits which were much daring in contest and other heroic deeds. Hrothgar beheld the enormous arm of Grendel hanging from the steep roof of his great wall and praised Beowulf. Through this action, Beowulf earned fame throughout his kinship.

Beowulf did everything that was possible to achieve fame. For instance, Beowulf was only looking for fame as he leaped into battle. He engaged himself in risk moments such as battles with the dragon with an aim of only gaining fame. He continually fought to gain more fame in his life. Despite the fact that Beowulf had fame, he kept fighting fruitfully in order to protect and keep his fame. He gave up his life only to receive fame for that particular minute. Nevertheless, during the fight with the dragon, Beowulf’s men ran away but he does not give up fighting and he remains alone (Breeden, 1).

However, Beowulf died but his fame still remains up to date. Fame was highly desired and valued for the needs of the Anglo-Saxon’s crave to live forever. Beowulf was known as a very famous warrior and he achieved his fame when he sailed to the Danes to kill a monster who was murdering their people. During his fight with the dragon, he managed to kill Grendal, Grendal’s mother and a dragon. Every moment, he receives more fame and more glory. Fate in a person’s life occurs when that particular individual is often involved in a series of events that can lead to predictable death at some point or another.

The main character in the poem Beowulf is very much moved by fate and it is this drive that they acknowledge his mortality as human a being. Despite the fact that the people had Christian or Pagans beliefs that may have been related to their individual view on fate, Beowulf seemed not to have any comportment on his conviction in fate. It is evidenced throughout the poem that, Beowulf fought evil demons with an aim of protecting his people (Breeden, 2). This generates a form of safety that would not have existed were it not for his great potency and audacity.

In struggle to achieve fate as one main purpose in his life, Beowulf is involved in villainous dragon fight . This hero identified the fact that many of his actions are strongly ruled by his belief in fate and whatever might happen was meant to happen in his life. He controlled every move throughout his subjugations and victories. Beowulf predicted a likeness of himself in the warriors who have died in the wrath of the dragons. This is clearly evidenced during his speech with Hrothgar where he says that it is better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in bereavement.

He says that although his time may come to an end someday, his life will have been spent wisely fighting in battles, proclaiming his courage and living each day to his fullest latent. Beowulf achieved his fate when in a great fight is killed by the dragon and remained to be one of the greatest heroes. He dedicated his last breadth with an aim of saving his people from the ravages of a deadly monster. Beowulf lived in a feudal society as a warrior-king figure and he valued loyalty, strength and courage.

Despite the fact that Beowulf never new the outcome of the fight with Grendel, he stated that fate goes ever fate and he had to fight with full strength to see the outcome. Additionally, he believed in the inevitability of fate. Beowulf’s society was ruled by kings and noblemen and therefore destiny was the most common indication of greatness in the society. It was mainly measured by investigating the heritage of a young man or a soldier. Beowulf’s fight with the dragons and his dying words demonstrates his desire and much effort to achieve destiny as one of his main purpose in life.

Beowulf was destined to take part in great acts of heroic magnitudes. The King Hrothgar recognized him as a man who was destined to be a great warrior in Denmark by the fact that the king knew his father (Breeden, 4). Therefore, Beowulf’s destiny is partly determined by his father’s accomplishment and bequest. The songs in the poem literally foreshadowed Beowulf’s predestined fate in life and battle. His dying words and wishes, for instance “fate swept us away, / sent my whole brave high-born clan/to their final doom/ now I must follow them” clearly show and explain how he was committed in the battle to achieve his destiny.

His participation in the fight with the dragons shows how he believed his life is destined and fated to die during the fight so as to leave the terrestrial world and join the monarchy of the eternal. The great warrior always spoke of his death as his destiny. In the final moments of Beowulf’s life, there is a transition between the livings and finally eternal worlds transpire in the conqueror. Works Cited Breeden D. Beowulf. nd. Viewed, August 13 2010 from <http://www. lone-star. net/literature/beowulf/>