Moniem's English Journal

 How Are Love and/or Hate Presented in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and in a range of poems you have studied?

This controlled assessment will  show how love and hate are presented in Julius Caesar and, in contrast, within Robert Browning poetry – which we have studied. The poems that are going to be analysed are Porphyria’s Lover, The Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister, and The Laboratory-Ancien Régime. My cogent argument is that unrequited love is destructive/ leads to hate.

The Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister features hate towards a monk; the speaker hates Brother Lawrence. Firstly, the purpose of a soliloquy, in poems or in plays,  is meant to reveal the characters true feelings to the reader/audience. This soliloquy is the speakers thoughts meaning in the present. From this I can infer that the speaker’s hatred for Brother Lawrence is that he hates his very existence, he hates every moment Lawrence is alive. This can be seen in the second stanza line one, it says, At the meal we sit together: the word sit is in the present tense.

” What’s the Latin name for “parsley”?_ What’s the Greek name for Swine’s Snout. “

The quote shows this constant hatred. I can infer that the speakers hatred reflects his attitude towards B. Lawrence, every time B. Lawrence speaks, the speaker has a negative thing to say back. This hate is ironic in the set time era. The 17th Century religion was crucial and it taught people to be loving, it’s ironic because this monk hates another monk. This can be linked back to my point that unrequited love is destructive.

So if there is a hatred not shown during dialogues it will be revealed in a soliloquy.
In Porphyria’s Lover, the theme is love and hate are similar. Robert Browning uses pathetic fallacy to present hate in the poem.

“ It tore the elm-tops down for spite, And did its worst to vex the lake “,

Pathetic fallacy is used in this quote to set the tone in the poem. Pathetic fallacy is a type of personification where emotions are given to, in this case, the weather. For spite and vex the lake creates an angry beginning, anger is also a manifestation of hate proving that hate is shown in this poem. Love, on the other hand, can be represented in Porphyria’s Lover in this line:

” And kneeled and made the cheerless grate blaze up, and all the cottage warm “.

Love is shown here when the speaker says she made all the cottage warm, I inferred that this can be a metaphor in the sense that she all made him feel warm. Love and feeling warm are strongly associated with one another.

” Made my heart swell, and it still grew. “

This quote, again, shows love and hate, the preliminary clause present hates as it illustrates the heart swelling up because of hate. The secondary clause present love through its illustration of the heart growing, like in the Grinch who stole Christmas. The linkage to my argument is that the speaker was being pining with unrequited love, moreover, this has led to an emotional state of ruination because Porphyria is murdered at the end by her lover. I contemplate that Porphyria is from a higher class in society than the speaker is. Unrequited love is given from the speaker to Porphyria, and killing her is the only way the protagonist can end this relationship. Contextually, in this era, people of higher and lower classes are forbidden to engage with each other, I say she is of a higher class because the speaker would continuously praise her appearance also, why in the poem they have to meet in a cottage in the middle of a storm. Consequently, this is why he has to kill her.

My final poem is The Laboratory-Ancien Régime. This poem accommodates the theme of revenge. Hate is shown in this poem through the speaker’s process of forging poison.

” Grind away, moisten, and mash up thy paste, Pound at thy powder,— I am not in haste “

The sounding of the words forms a sinister atmosphere. The words Pound, Mash, and Grind all sound very violent words, the P, D, and M sounds place very harsh emphasis on the words. The final clause advocates that the speaker, whose heart is broken, wants to perfect this poison in order for a swift death. Alternatively, love is depicted in the poem in this quote:

“ You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will! “

The love in this quote is shown because even after all the planning for this person’s death the speaker shows love by saying that the old man can still kiss her. Additionally, using context that kissing on the mouth is very affectionate and loving, I can further prove that love is embedded in this quote.This theme of revenge contains the negative effects of love which is hate, furthermore, it does show that unrequited love leads to hate. This can be contrasted to Brutus and Caesar’s relationship with Julius Caesar. Brutus loves Caesar in a similar manner that the speaker does in this poem, also, they both plan a swift ending for their loved one. Moreover, both Brutus and the speaker show love towards the person they just killed; in the play, Brutus shows it by allowing Anthony to live and speak at Julius Caesar’s funeral, and in the poem the quote above also show this.

In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar love and hate are both established in the play. Using symbolism and context hate is shown in this quote:

” And therefore, think him as a serpent’s egg. “

This hatred is directed at Caesar from Brutus after Cassius had convinced Brutus to consider betraying Caesar. Serpents are delineated as vicious animals and they become more powerful as they grow in age, and by using the term serpents instead of snakes, Shakespeare wanted to illustrate Caesar as more evil and deceitful furthermore. Being contextual, I would depict that due to the importance of religion during his era further connotations of serpents are that they are creatures of the devil (as shown in the biblical story of Adam and Eve). Additionally, by using the phrase the serpent’s egg, it means that Caesar’s tyranny can still be avoided as it is still yet to ‘hatch’ or yet to reach a turning point where it is too late to do anything.

Brutus is shown to be more altruistic than Cassius during their planning against Caesar. In Act 3 Scene 2, at Caesar’s funeral, Brutus gives his justification to the people of Rome of Caesar’s assassination;

” I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.”

This quote shows the manifestations of Brutus’ love, which are jealously and envy, this is through him saying that he honours Caesar but yet would kill him to get his place in the hierarchy of Rome.

” I loved him, but I love Rome more. “

This quote also shows altruism. Brutus claims that he murdered Caesar for love and safety of Rome, this can also imply that he loves Caesar. That Brutus saved Caesar from Caesar’s own hubris. Also, Shakespeare shows that the effects of unrequited love did lead to Brutus’ hamartia and speaking within context, hamartia is also one of the main conventions of a tragedy play. Cassius is the one that does not return the love.

”  His coward lips… “

This adjective phrase by Cassius to Brutus about Caesar insinuates that Cassius is hating Caesar. The connotations of the word Coward are that he is scared to the point that is not honorable, in consequence, Cassius has lost all respected for Caesar and has begun showing distaste towards Caesar.

This essay’s denouement is that each poem and Julius Caesar portray love and hate differently in their respective manner. Each poem shows differently manifestations of love and hate, per contra, they all interrelate. Revenge from The Laboratory-Ancien Régime, altruism from Porphyria’s Lover, and simply pure hatred from The Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister, are all presented throughout Julius Caesar. Mark Anthony wants revenge for Caesar’s death, altruism is shown through Brutus killing Caesar for the good of Rome, and finally Cassius despises everything Caesar ever does similarly like the monk in The Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister.

Tasks 2 &3

Task 2
Wilfred Owen used personification in this poem to enhance meaning. He personifies the sun in the final line of the first stanza: If anything might arouse him now The kind old sun will know. The way this is used to enhance meaning is this, during the poem the soldiers attempt to revive an unconscious body of a fellow soldier. They eventually decide to bring him out to the sun as they believe that will be his resurrection. By saying that the old sun will know is personification, because he is giving the sun human like qualities(a brain). This enhances meaning as I believe that the sun is almost a God like or father figure to them, they look to the sun for guidance and help. Before they kept saying that the sun woke him one at home, and in France where they are fighting. I chose my quote because they are know looking up to the sun thinking: O, Father we need your help now.

Task 3
Nature and death can be connected to each other in the poem. I believe that the speaker chooses to unite the terms nature and death because it seems, to me, that they could be cousins in metaphoric terms. I think that death takes its toll naturally, death occurs when it needs to occur. Similarly with nature. Man cannot enforce nature same as he cannot enforce death. However, if both are to be force than there shall be a downside to the action by nature and following, death. In nature there are prey and predators, and this is natural yet this leads onto death. Wilfred Owen shows this when you realised that the sun does not save the unconscious body, because nature cannot be reasoned with. Furthermore, this leads onto the person’s death.

Caesar’s gets assassinated by the conspirators in  Act 3 Sc 1. His death ends with a series of stabbing with him seeing Brutus last. Shakespeare uses Caesar’s hubris, in this scene, to present his impeding death. Caesar’s hubris, within the time he is in the play, grows and at this point it reaches its pinnacle, consequently, due to the wheel of fortune Caesar must come down. In this scene, Caesar compares himself to the Gods living on Mount Olympus; Hence, wilt thou lift Olympus ?. However, I believe that Caesar is comapring himself to the mountain that the Gods live upon, instead of the Gods themselves. He is saying that he is Olympus. That he is as strong, as immovable, and as powerful as the mountain, in which the Gods can live on him. With this comparison proving that Caesar hubris has reached its summit, this links to the dramatic irony. Knowing this, the audience can feel the tension of the upcoming death of Caesar because he talks of himself as being invincible.

Shakespeare presents the intentions of Brutus through his conversation with Cassius. Although they both have similar intentions overall, both characters believe Caesar should die. The scence is about killing Caesar, how to kill him and whether anyone should die with him. Contradictingly, Shakespeare’s language also how the present Brutus changes their intentions.

Brutus seems to travel down the road of killing Caesar with ease, or as he says let us kill him bodly, but not wrathfully. This is one of the quotes where Brutus’s intentions are sundered from Cassius’s because he says they shall kill Caesar bodly. The term boldy implies that it will happen with pride and high amounts of respect and courage. On the other hand, the opposing term wrathfully implies the action will occur in a bloodthirsty manor, as Cassius is shown. As comparative adverbs it helps with the clear understand of Brutus’s intentions. The other two quotes:

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers

We shall be called purgers, not murderers

Similarly, Shakespeare uses the comparative words of sacrificers to butchers, I depict that Brutus wants to give Caesar up to the Gods (another quote; let’s carve him into a dish fit for Gods) for the greater good, in this case Rome. Opposing it is butchers, translating to attacking and cutting Caesar up viciously. Lastly, the term purgers connotes to get rid of something/someone whom are impure, instead of murderers, to kill in cold blood.

Identify and label 3 language devices. How do these devices help to enhance meaning?

O.

In the poem, second stanza, the first word is O. I believe that this singular letter could mean Oh however I have reason to believe that the author did not intend to imply Oh otherwise he would have written that. What I believe is that the author has intended for the O, relating to the Shakespearian era. This use of the word O is for sorrowful exclamation.

In the extract, set after Tom Robinson’s trial, Miss Maudie is conversing with Jem and the two present their similar opinions of Maycomb County. The details Harper Lee uses are, such as,  some men in this world were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Personally, this quote suggests that the so called ‘unpleasant job’ is to be a lawyer, like Atticus. Moreover it is not just typical case, it is a racial discrimination case similar to Tom Robinson’s.

The term some men is a noun phrase and in this context I believe that she is alluding to Atticus. She also is placing Atticus above every man and women else in Maycomb by alluding to him

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How is hypocrisy shown in Chapter 24?

Hypocrisy is shown in chapter 24 mainly by the development of newly introduced character, Mrs Merriweather; a teacher and a devout christian. Mrs Merriweather begins to talk about the Mrunas – an African tribe – and J. Grimes Everett, she quotes     ” The poverty… the darkness… the immorality – nobody but J . Grimes Everett. ” The quote states what she thinks the Mrunas live a sinful life, it also shows sympathy for the Mrunas as they don’t live how they live. I believe that it is because they don’t live in Maycomb County, in which is described to us as a ‘Christian Town’ by Mrs Merriweather, therefore they do not have Christianity and God in their lives resulting their lives to be seen as sinful. Tying into the fact that J. Grimes Everett is subjecting them to Christianity.

The hypocrisy is then shown by the comparison of the Mrunas and Maycomb’s black society.

Mrs Grace Merriweather calls the black people ‘darky’ and uses different references for black people who she wouldn’t use towards white people, which oppresses them, terms such as ‘wool of hers’ instead of head of hers.Secondly she needed Scout to remind her of name Tom Robinson,illustrating that she doesn’t care for him especially since there was a significant trial revolving around him.

Overall, Mrs Merriweather shows us that she care for the African tribe through:Oh child, those poor Mrunas,” yet doesn’t show an ounce of care for the well-being of those around her, this is proved by the terminology she uses to describe them.

In this chapter, we see a more masculine side to Scout’s whole tomboy personality because she beats up Walter Cunningham in the school playground. She does this due to Miss Caroline punishing her. As of Chapter 2 we understood the economic situation of the Cunninghams; the are very poor and that they repay debt with labour or goods. Jem intervenes and to Scout’s shock invites him to dinner. During dinner Walter is represented as a gentleman:’  While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked together like two men… ‘, however that is contradicted when Scout sees him use up a lot of food and she begins to complains, additionally her new opinion of Walter’s position in the Maycomb hierarchy drops from almost with Atticus, to back where he belongs.

How is tension created and relieved?

In chapter 15 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates tension and relieves it through Scout and through the situation that Atticus is in. In other words, Scout relieves the tension created by Atticus.

“His face killed my joy. ”

This quote depicts that tension is being created or, at least, has been. Atticus has perpetually been represented as a happy figure, a figure that to Scout doesn’t kill joy. The terminology behind this proves it, using  ‘ kill ‘  Harper Lee  illustrates that Scout’s joy is – in other words – being destroyed or extinguish, furthermore, kill  is a heavy word, Harper Lee could have used other words however, in this situation it represents to us the high concentration of tension.

For me, Jem’s antagonism towards Atticus at that moment relieves tension from the scenario. As Jem is defiant to Atticus by not taking Scout and Dill home, he forces Atticus to change from his flamboyant, two words, two syllables of ” Go home ”  to his more affectionate nature of  “Please Jem, take them home.”  Changing from please to commands shows that Atticus has given up on attempting to force them out of harms way by almost pleading for them to leave, because he cares about them. I believe that Atticus wants them to see that he needs them to go for their safety in addition to his. Moreover, “… grabbed Jem roughly by the collar. He yanked Jem nearly off his feet. ” this narration by Scout amplifies the alleviation of tension. I think this because then afterwards Atticus pleads Jem to go home instantly, knowing that these ‘cold- hearted ‘ men will harm his children as well.