Batik Essay -- essays research papers

Batik   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elaborately decorated fabrics and patterns can be seen almost everywhere in the world today. Batiking is a type of decorated fabric, which usually depicts motifs of flowers, birds, butterflies and other natural objects, or simple geometric forms. These designs are rich in symbolic heritage and variety; to date there are over three thousand recorded batik patterns. To perform the art of batiking, one must know a little about its origin, the necessary materials, and the method of creating a batik.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The technique of â€Å"batik† itself is Indonesian in origin; the word â€Å"batik† is an Indonesian-Malay word that means â€Å"to dot.† The art of batiking is more than a millennium old. There are evidences that cloth decorated through a form of resistant technique was used early AD in West African, Middle-Eastern, and Asian communities. Over the past two or three centuries, batik has become one of the best means of expression, spiritually and culturally, in the values of Southeast Asia. This means of coloring and decorating textiles has even reached a higher degree of excellence in the island of Java. From Java, batik cloth has been exported to many other islands, spreading the batiking art around, which is how it is so well known, as are most of the items used to create it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of different materials are used when creating a batik. The primary requirements are cloth, wax, various colored dyes a...

Lost in Identity Essay

Through public opinion, prejudices and stereotypes, one’s identity is subject to change. If one is constantly criticized and put down for their physical appearance or their actions, they will try to modify themselves to fit the norm, and to match the majority. In the three pieces, â€Å"Barbie Doll,† Siddhartha, and â€Å"Black Men and Public Space,† they demonstrate that through society’s expectations and stereotypes, one’s identity will be challenged and thus inhibited. Only when one’s own determination and perseverance pulls through, will they discover their true â€Å"Self.† In both pieces Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, and â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† by Brent Staples, the characters were often seen changing and reevaluating their current positions in society. In â€Å"Black Men and Public Space,† Staples recalls his past connection with outside opinions and stereotyping. Black men are repeatedly labeled as dangerous and suspicious, so in the evening, women would avoid him and the policemen would often pull him over solely due to the color of his skin. Because of his constant mistreatment, Staples is conned into believing he is some sort of ominous being who threatens everyone around him. In the end, instead of conveying his true identity, he tries to make everyone else around him feel more comfortable by â€Å"learning to move about with care,† and to â€Å"give wide berth to nervous people†(Staples). Staples ultimately mutates himself into someone so passive that his only purpose in life is to satisfy others. In Siddhartha, Hesse’s portrayal of Siddhartha illustrates the epitome of conquering â€Å"Self† and understanding one’s own identity. At first, Siddhartha attempts to fight back outside pressures, however he too falls into the trap. As Staples journeys through New York and Siddhartha through India, the paths they decide to take are quite similar. For example, soon after parting ways with Govinda, Siddhartha travels to a new town with fresh obstacles waiting to be overcome. Upon arrival into the new town, Siddhartha owned no worldly possessions except for the clothes on his back. Siddhartha soon meets the town’s very own love mistress, Kamala, and she informs him that he will not be permitted to study love from her unless he attains three things: expensive clothes, shoes and a house. Although Siddhartha easily could have dismissed her conditions, he felt as if he was obligated by society’s standards to live a wealthy life. Staples on the other hand also lives a scripted life because he alters everything about himself, from his standing proximity to even wasting extra time to make sure others don’t feel as if he is following them. In the end, Siddhartha grows wary of societal expectations and learns that it should not govern what he does. If Siddhartha were to advise Staples, he would tell him that instead of enduring continuous racial inequalities, he should take time to look deep within himself in order to reestablish the inner peace that would eventually pull him away from outside expectations. Another common theme addressed in these three pieces is the idea of fitting into society’s archetype. In â€Å"Barbie Doll† by Marge Piercy, her character would give anything to look good and fit into the crowd. Similarly in today’s society, women are continuously pressured to match a certain role and look a specific way in order to feel welcome. It doesn’t make sense why healthy, intelligent and strong women crumble under the low self-esteem of others. Women are getting so torn up by their peer’s critiquing that they focus more on the constant negative reminders, rather than their positive qualities. At the end of the novel Siddhartha, Siddhartha ends up reaching Nirvana by conquering his â€Å"Self† and learning to break free from society’s hold. On the contrary, the ending in â€Å"Barbie Doll,† Piercy’s character could no longer handle any more criticism so she â€Å"cut off her nose and legs and offered them up†(Piercy). Only then did society recognize her beauty, the beauty of the painted on undertaker’s cosmetics and the â€Å"turned-up putty nose†(Piercy). Even though Siddhartha wouldn’t judge â€Å"Barbie Doll† on her looks, he would however critique her on how she gave into outside pressures. Instead of letting society’s expectations take root and fester within, like Staples, she should have listened to her â€Å"Self†, and lived her life through the true beauty found inside. Staple’s mistake in â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† is closely intertwined with â€Å"Barbie Doll’s† in that they both are caught in society’s grasp and they have trouble clawing their way back out. Since Staples has grown so accustomed to the design of other people governing his every motion and every thought, the idea of putting his foot down and standing out from the crowd seems totally inconceivable. If this attitude persists, the only foreseeable outcome is one that will lead to his undoing. â€Å"Barbie Doll† resembles Staples’ ever-growing uncertainty with his life. If Staples continues his charade and prolongs his constant mistreatment, he will ultimately turn out like Barbie Doll, someone who was so thirsty to taste her real identity that in order to escape from the hole she dug herself into she had to kill herself. For Staples, it is not too late. Towards the end of â€Å"Black Men and Public Space,† he admits to â€Å"whistling melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi†(Staples). Staples is under the impression that â€Å"a mugger wouldn’t be warbling bright, sunny selection from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons,† so by finding a way to cope with his situation, Staple’s repressed identity leaks out through the form of music (Staples). Siddhartha suggests that one’s own identity will never be lost, no matter how far one might venture from it, they will always cycle back to it in the end. So with Staples, however dormant his former â€Å"Self† remains, the return is inevitable. As people develop through outside influences as well as their own need to fit in, the connection with their identity will struggle to return. As a result, people become even more detached from reality and live as if they do not have a mind of their own, but like a machine that is programmed to do as others tell it. In the three pieces of literature, â€Å"Barbie Doll,† Siddhartha, and â€Å"Black Men and Public Places† they try to warn their viewers of the dangers of becoming too attached to what other people think. Instead of listening to others and obeying their every command, we must think for ourselves and create our own guidelines and expectations to live by. â€Å"One must find the source within one’s own self, one must possess it. Everything else is seeking- a detour, error†(Siddhartha 5). Works Cited Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam Classics, 1981. Piercy, Marge. â€Å"Barbie Doll.† Circles on the Water: Selected Poems of Marge Piercy. Ed. Alfred A. Knopf. New York: Knopf, 1982. Staples, Brent. â€Å"Black Men and Public Space.† The Norton Reader: Eleventh Edition. Ed. Linda H. Peterson and John C. Brereton. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2004.

The Development of Othellos Character in William...

The Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play Othello was first performed by the King’s Men at the court of King James I on November 1, 1604. Written during Shakespeare’s great tragic period, which also included the composition of Hamlet (1600), King Lear (1604–5), and Macbeth (1606), Othello is set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Cyprus, which is the setting for most of the action, was a Venetian outpost attacked by the Turks in 1570 and conquered the following year. The story of Othello is derived from another source, an Italian prose tale written in 1565 by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio†¦show more content†¦Of course not all people within an audience would agree, there may be people in a modern day audience who would agree with how the majority of a 16th century audience would respond and vice versa. In act 2 scene 1, the setting changes to Cyprus and a flourish of trumpets signify the safe arrival of Othello. He comes and takes his wife in his arms, saying ‘it gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. O, my soul’s joy!’ This shows how much he loves his wife and has missed her while he has been away fighting, that she is the joy of his soul. We learn that Othello is now not afraid to show his love for Desdemona in public. Very different to how he has been more reserved in earlier scenes, now he feels he is able to show his love in public. Further in act 2 scene 3, Iago manages to get Cassio drunk enough to start fighting with Roderigo. When the governor steps in, he is wounded by Cassio. Othello is then woken by an alarm bell rung by Iago and when he arrives at the scene, Iago blames Cassio wholly. Othello is enraged and eventually says ‘Cassio, I love thee, But nevermore be officer of mine’ and he dismisses him. This scene reveals one of Othello’s tragic flaws, his trust in Iago. It is quite clear that he is using this to bring Othello to his downfall. Audience responses would be pretty similar to this scene because allShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play1169 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play At the start of the play Othello is presented as a very confident character. He is a high ranking general in the Venetian army. However during the course of the play Othello is betrayed and manipulated by Iago, and the audience observes the unravelling of his tragic flawRead MoreOthello: Good vs Evil1525 Words   |  7 PagesGood Or Evil: A Critical Analysis of Othello’s Main Characters William Shakespeare’s Othello is a classic depiction of a struggle between good and evil. In the play,, the characters are faced with the choice to either conquer or succumb to the overpowering force of evil. Shakespeare places his characters on a sort of spectrum in which a character’s amount of god or evil can be represented by a shade of color: black representing pure evil, white representing absolute goodness, and a shade of greyRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreRacism In Othello Analysis829 Words   |  4 Pagesthis theory to the play â€Å"Othello† by mentioning how Othello is suffering from primal scene but in the case of racism. Iago makes Othello suspicious of his wife, Desdemona, by putting the image of Desdemona and Cassio in Othello’s mind. Othello, because of this primal scene of racism, believes that Desdemona is cheating on him because he is not of the same race. This shows how Iago was able to easily manipul ate Othello. I will use this article to discuss how Iago exploits Othello’s race to stir up jealousRead MoreExamples Of Othello As A Revenge Tragedy1022 Words   |  5 Pages The development of revenge tragedy has brought the harsh truths of humanity to light and caused the literary world to be more accustom to grotesque natures revolving around vindictive motives. Lucius Seneca wrote a variety of closet dramas which were the models for the revival of tragedy in the Renaissance period. In the book Poetics the Greek philosopher Aristotle formulated his own theory of tragedy based on his observations of other successful tragedies of the time, possibly drawing from SenecaRead MoreSocial Context of Othello667 Words   |  3 PagesOn November 1, 1604, King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello.† The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning such classics as â€Å"Hamlet,† â€Å"King Lear,† and â€Å"Macbeth.† The story of â€Å"Othello† has its roots in the historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centu ries. It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other preexisting stories, and ShakespeareRead MoreLove and Hate Expressed by Characters in William Shakespeares Othello696 Words   |  3 Pagesand Hate Expressed by Characters in William Shakespeares Othello In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, different characters contribute to the development of particular themes. Three strong themes portrayed by the characters are of; misplaced trust, love vs. Hate and jealousy, and shattered innocence. The first theme of misplaced trust is clearly evident in most of all the characters that are manipulated by the depraved Iago. Roderigo is the first character to be entangled in hisRead MoreHis Moorships Ancient: Iago as the Protagonist of Othello1658 Words   |  7 PagesThese unfavorable and evil attributes serve Shakespeares main characters by presenting them as realistically written men, and there always seems a degree, however small, of sympathy associated with their respective downfalls and tragedies. Othello, however, is an anomaly. While he is flawed by his paranoia and pride, Othello is only unstable and destructive after intricate deception. Indeed, he seems maddeningly perfect to his adversaries. Even Othellos greatest enemy, Iago, confesses in act I,Read MoreAp Lit- Othello Prompt-1979 Essay628 Words   |  3 PagesGalo Vasquez Mrs. Erichsen AP Literature 4/11/13 1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might—on the basis of the character’s actions alone—be considered evil or immoral.   In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we might otherwise think.   Avoid plot summary. A man falls into a violent epileptic shock from sheer anger and jealousyRead More Mindful Destruction of Order in Shakespeares Othello1023 Words   |  5 Pageshuman nature. Through the inter and intra personal dialogue between Othello and Iago, a certain image of the character becomes developed because of the continued additions and changes to the character’s situation. Seen as the stronger of the two, Othello holds less intelligence in common matters. Iago’s character shapes out to as more of cunning and strong-headed. Shakespeare uses the characters to effectively reaffirm the basic traits of human nature and show how the traits coincide with the theory The Development of Othellos Character in William... The Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play At the start of the play Othello is presented as a very confident character. He is a high ranking general in the Venetian army. However during the course of the play Othello is betrayed and manipulated by Iago, and the audience observes the unravelling of his tragic flaw (jealousy) which initiates the degeneration of his character into obsession, jealousy, insanity, anger and ultimately suicide. In this essay I will demonstrate how Shakespeare presents this development to the audience, and why†¦show more content†¦The play culminates with the murder of Desdemona, Iago and finally the suicide of Othello; this is by all accounts a tragic ending to the play. This play Othello was first performed at court in 1604. The play begins in Venice which was a powerful and wealthy state in the sixteenth century. Othello was a moor; the term moor was used rather broadly in Shakespearean times. The term moor now means Islamic Arabic inhabitants of Nigeria who invaded Spain in the eighteenth century Shakespeare uses language to present the decline in Othello’s character. At the outset Othello’s language is confident, poetic and flowery. He is a dignified and controlled general of the Venetian and his gift for oratory both inspires those under his command and makes Desdemona fall in love with him. He uses long and complex sentences and it is implied that his voice has a musical and lyrical tone. â€Å"I will around unvarnish’d tale deliver Of my whole course love; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration and what mighty magic, for such proceeding I am charged withal, I won his daughter† and â€Å"She wish’d she had not heard it, yet she wish’d That heaven had made her such a man: she thank’d me, And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her† Othello is noted for the beauty of his speaking about which makes falsely modest jokes, claiming to be rude in his speech â€Å"rude am I in my speech† Also hisShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play1972 Words   |  8 PagesThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play Othello was first performed by the King’s Men at the court of King James I on November 1, 1604. Written during Shakespeare’s great tragic period, which also included the composition of Hamlet (1600), King Lear (1604–5), and Macbeth (1606), Othello is set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Cyprus, which is the setting for mostRead MoreOthello: Good vs Evil1525 Words   |  7 PagesGood Or Evil: A Critical Analysis of Othello’s Main Characters William Shakespeare’s Othello is a classic depiction of a struggle between good and evil. In the play,, the characters are faced with the choice to either conquer or succumb to the overpowering force of evil. Shakespeare places his characters on a sort of spectrum in which a character’s amount of god or evil can be represented by a shade of color: black representing pure evil, white representing absolute goodness, and a shade of greyRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreRacism In Othello Analysis829 Words   |  4 Pagesthis theory to the play â€Å"Othello† by mentioning how Othello is suffering from primal scene but in the case of racism. Iago makes Othello suspicious of his wife, Desdemona, by putting the image of Desdemona and Cassio in Othello’s mind. Othello, because of this primal scene of racism, believes that Desdemona is cheating on him because he is not of the same race. This shows how Iago was able to easily manipul ate Othello. I will use this article to discuss how Iago exploits Othello’s race to stir up jealousRead MoreExamples Of Othello As A Revenge Tragedy1022 Words   |  5 Pages The development of revenge tragedy has brought the harsh truths of humanity to light and caused the literary world to be more accustom to grotesque natures revolving around vindictive motives. Lucius Seneca wrote a variety of closet dramas which were the models for the revival of tragedy in the Renaissance period. In the book Poetics the Greek philosopher Aristotle formulated his own theory of tragedy based on his observations of other successful tragedies of the time, possibly drawing from SenecaRead MoreSocial Context of Othello667 Words   |  3 PagesOn November 1, 1604, King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello.† The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning such classics as â€Å"Hamlet,† â€Å"King Lear,† and â€Å"Macbeth.† The story of â€Å"Othello† has its roots in the historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centu ries. It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other preexisting stories, and ShakespeareRead MoreLove and Hate Expressed by Characters in William Shakespeares Othello696 Words   |  3 Pagesand Hate Expressed by Characters in William Shakespeares Othello In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, different characters contribute to the development of particular themes. Three strong themes portrayed by the characters are of; misplaced trust, love vs. Hate and jealousy, and shattered innocence. The first theme of misplaced trust is clearly evident in most of all the characters that are manipulated by the depraved Iago. Roderigo is the first character to be entangled in hisRead MoreHis Moorships Ancient: Iago as the Protagonist of Othello1658 Words   |  7 PagesThese unfavorable and evil attributes serve Shakespeares main characters by presenting them as realistically written men, and there always seems a degree, however small, of sympathy associated with their respective downfalls and tragedies. Othello, however, is an anomaly. While he is flawed by his paranoia and pride, Othello is only unstable and destructive after intricate deception. Indeed, he seems maddeningly perfect to his adversaries. Even Othellos greatest enemy, Iago, confesses in act I,Read MoreAp Lit- Othello Prompt-1979 Essay628 Words   |  3 PagesGalo Vasquez Mrs. Erichsen AP Literature 4/11/13 1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might—on the basis of the character’s actions alone—be considered evil or immoral.   In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we might otherwise think.   Avoid plot summary. A man falls into a violent epileptic shock from sheer anger and jealousyRead More Mindful Destruction of Order in Shakespeares Othello1023 Words   |  5 Pageshuman nature. Through the inter and intra personal dialogue between Othello and Iago, a certain image of the character becomes developed because of the continued additions and changes to the character’s situation. Seen as the stronger of the two, Othello holds less intelligence in common matters. Iago’s character shapes out to as more of cunning and strong-headed. Shakespeare uses the characters to effectively reaffirm the basic traits of human nature and show how the traits coincide with the theory