Preface of The picture of Dorian Gray

Why is this a manifesto about the purpose of Art, the role of the artist, and the value of beauty?
Wilde expresses his opinion about art saying that the artist's role is to create beautiful things and keep people interested enough to discuss their work. The purpose of art is art itself and eveerything is art- it all depends on the interpretation of the spectator.

How does he define both artist and critic?
The artist creates the piece of art with their meaning and it is the artist's job to keep the critic guessing because that is the intial intent of the work of art.

What do you think he meant by saying "a book can be moral or immoral?"
Wilde believes that there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. People have different morals or beliefs. There is no morality in art, only beauty or an absence of beauty. A book is either well written or badly written.

Interpret: "Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril." Is this a warning of some kind?
I think this just means that the people who fail, and feel down do so because they want to. If you want to succeed you can, because you can make it happen. You can be optimistic.

Interpret: "It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors."
I think this quote means that art really tries to interpret people and their actions rather than life itself and what is believed life should be and the way people should act.

Explain whimsical last line: "All art is quite useless."
He means that art is useless because you cannot do anything more than just admire it or own it or question it. Art is just art.

The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Aestheticism: the acceptance of, artistic beauty and taste as a fundamental standard, ethical and other standards being secondary.

Decadents: Marked by or providing unrestrained gratification; self-indulgent.

Victorianism: the distinctive character, thought, tendencies, etc., of the Victorian period.

Biography on Oscar Wilde:
Born: October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland
Wilde's education: Royal school scholar at Trinity College, Magdalen College
Married: Constance Lloyd on May 29, 1884
Children: 2 Sons, Cyril (1885) and Vyvyan (1886)
Lovers: Frank Miles, Constance Lloyd (Wilde's wife), Robert Baldwin Ross, and Lord Alfred Douglas
Crimes/Arrests:
Tragedies:
Death of wife: Died of spinal surgery in 1898
Literary Works: -A Florentine Tragedy
-A Woman of No Importance
-An Ideal Husband, Salome
His Death:Died of cerebral meningitis, November 30, 1900 in Paris France.
Any particular quotes that you like:
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal."
"Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing."
"Illusion is the first of all pleasures."
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple."

Act I of Othello

SCENE I:
[Enter Roderigo to speak to Iago on the streets of New York]

Iago: I got a problem with the way Othello's runnin' ---- around here. I hate him.

Roderigo: Word, yo me too son. I've been tryna get with Desdemona for the ill while and now I found out that she's married to Othello. That's some bull----.

Iago: Well, my problem with him is that I've been tryna move up to the position of lieutenant, but that ---hole promoted Michael Cassio instead.

Roderigo: Damn man, He's takin away everything we want. Let's make him pay.

Iago: I was hoping you would say that. (Laughs) I have a plan. First, we'll go to Brabantio's house and tell him of Othello and Desdemona's marriage. Her pops will be so tight when he finds out.

Roderigo: And he's got madd political connections. He'll get the Duke to annul the marriage in no time.

Iago: And when that happens, I'll be there to support him. (Laughs) You know what they say; "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

[Fades Out]

[Enter Iago and Roderigo at Brabantio's house]

Roderigo: Yo Brabantio! Where you at son?

Iago: "Awake! What ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Thieves! Look to your home, your daughter and your bags! Thieves! Thieves!"

[Enter Brabantio at the balcony]

Brabantio: What the hell is going on? What do you two want?

Iago: "Get dressed and come down here because and old black ram is tupping your white ewe."

Brabantio: What the ---- is that supposed to mean?

Roderigo: Son, word on the street is ya daughters been kickin' it wit that old dude Othello.

[Brabantio rushes to Desdemona's room. It's empty. Brabantio then runs down stairs without changing into his day clothes]

Brabantio: Roderigo, Are they married?

Roderigo: Yes.

Brabantio: TREASON!

Roderigo: You know, you can find Othello at 42nd Street and Times Square.

[Brabantio hurries off in a rage]

[Fades Out]

SCENE II:

[Enter Othello joined by Iago]

Iago: "Othello, while speaking to Roderigo, he prated and spoke such scurvy and provoking terms against your honor that with little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him."

[Enter Cassio]

Cassio: Othello, the Duke wants to see you A.S.A.P. It's madd urgent.

[Enter Brabantio and Roderigo]

Brabantio: Who the ---- do you think you are screwing around with my precious daughter?

Othello:With all do respect sir, I love ya daughter. I’d neva do anything to hurt her.

Brabantio: Whatever. You’re a bad--- liar and a no good son of a … I demand that you go to prison.

Othello: I’m sorry sir but that cannot and will not happen because the Duke needs me.

Brabantio: Yeah right. Let’s see what the Duke has to say. He’ll surely name you a criminal.

[Fades Out]

SCENE III:

[Open in the Court Chamber where Othello is being spoken to privately]

Duke: What are we going to do about the attack on the Texas fleet Othello?

Othello: I will do whatever you tell me sir.

Senator 1: We are sending you immediately. Get ready.

Senator 2: Yes and you’ll also be assigned soldiers to go along with you.

[Enter Brabantio]

Brabantio: You -----. “You corrupted my daughter with spells and medicines bought of montebanks.”

Othello: Excuse me senators. Brabantio, to prove our love is true, lets call her here. Her testimony is the only defense I need.

Duke: Quick, someone summon Desdemona.

Othello: Duke, Brabantio. Desdemona and I fell in love about one year ago. I saw her walking on the Upper East Side. She had a lot of shopping bags. It was raining, I offered her my umbrella and we caught each other’s eyes. She thanked me and asked if I wanted to have lunch. Of course I accepted. From then on, we were inseparable.

[Enter Desdemona and Iago]

Desdemona: Daddy, I’m sorry I’ve betrayed you but I am madly in love with Othello.

Barbantio: My child, he’s a dirty Moor. You deserve better than that. (Points to Othello)

[Desdemona walks toward the Duke]

Desdemona: Duke, please allow me to accompany my husband to Florida. I cannot bear to be without my love.

Duke: Yes, you may go. But Othello must leave immediately. You will meet him there at a later time.

[Othello smiles at Desdemona and turns to Iago]

Othello: “Honest Iago, my Desdemona must I leave to thee.”

[Exits Othello, Desdemona, Brabantio, The Duke and his Senators]

Iago: Don’t worry Roderigo. Her love is fading. If you join me in Florida, I’ll continue my plan to ---- up their lives.

Roderigo: Iight son. No Prob.

[Roderigo agrees and exits]

Iago: [Aside] My plan is slowly coming together. Now for phase two, I will continue to make Othello believe I am his “true friend.” He’ll confide in me and trust me to the fullest. Little does he know however, my “friendship” will destroy him. (Laughs) The title of General will soon be mine. Oh My God! I am a genius. I'm gonna destroy both of my enemies with the same lie. That stupid Moor. Destroyed. That job stealing Cassio. Destroyed. Me? Reaping all the benefits. Ah! Life is great.

[Fades Out]

Persona

What tragedies have you experienced? Do you have any tragic flaws or know of someone who has?

One tragedy that I experienced in my life was the death of my step sister Natalie. It was a tragedy all right. She was 18 years old and she got killed. Hit-and-run by 3 cars. It was a very difficult time for everyone. I love her so much and we were so close that it was kind of unbelievable. Sometimes you can get some closure but in this case the pain is still there and the wound still open because even after almost 4 years of her death, nobody has been charged with her murder.

I would say my tragic flaw is that sometimes I am too naive and I believe that everyone else is like me. I trust people that do not deserve to be trusted. I try to help everyone and I always give more than I receive because I believe that you do not have to wait to get, you should just give, and in the end I turn out to be too good in my friendships and relationships.

Elements of Drama

What is a play?
A play is a drama that is performed on a stage.

What is involved in a play?
In a play you have drama, conflict, characters, a setting, props, play writes, music, lighting, etc.

Where did Shakespeare’s plays staged?
English Renaissance theatre.

Who did he write his plays for?
The Queen.

Who was his audience?
His audience was more the people of the courts, because he was afraid of losing the royal favors, which is why he performed here more than in any other place.

Who were the actors/actresses?
His actors were those from the Chamberlain’s and Kings Men.

How were the characters dressed?
Very uptight. Puffy dresses

How did they speak?
Their way of speaking is in the way Shakespeare write his plays, meaning that Shakespeare made his writing and the way it was spoken.

Can we plot a play? Yes. Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution.

What do you think was the cultural background of the actors/actresses? Any people of color?
I would say there might have been because in one of Shakespeare’s plays, Othello, the main character was a man of color.

How many of Shakespeare’s plays have you read or know about?
I haven’t read any but I have heard of Romeo and Juliet.

Have you ever seen an On/Off Broadway play?
No.

Do you like plays? Why or Why not?
I like plays because it is a different kind of literature and it is fun if you actually want to put the play together.

Group Work:
Okay from what you already know, and learned now tell me if you had to put on a play what kind of play would it be, and what would be involved in putting on your play?
Well, I would say a dramatic play of things that happen in our everyday lives like family and love problems. I would involve both men and women, different ethnic backgrounds and a lot of the important events going on at the time.

Here is a topic that you can work on: “if you see something, say something”. Now if this was the name of your play what monologue/dialogue would you expect or write for this play?
I would make it a monologue, maybe when a person sees a suspicious package and wonders what the package contains and then debates with himself whether he should take action and speak up or just assume everything is alright.

The Moors

Who were the Moors?
Who was the most famous Moor?

-Dark skin people from Africa, Spain and Morocco.
-During the 13th century
-Helped advance the culture and education
-They tolerated Christians and Jews
-Known as barbarians
-Known as Muslims

-The most famous Moor was Othello.

SAT Vocabulary List 10

List #10

Affinity n. a liking, fondness, or similarity.
I have an affinity for baseball.

Amenity n. a luxury; an attractive or comfortable feature.
The house has a swimming pool, two fireplaces, and other amenities.

Antithesis n. the direct opposite.
Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly.

Covert adj. secret; hidden.
Covert military operations are dangerous.

Domestic adj. having to do with the household or family; not foreign.
There are animals which are domestic and some that are wild.

Emulate v. to imitate or follow a model; to strive to equal or excel in.
Emulating someone’s strength can make you a smarter individual.

Inept adj. clumsy; awkward; incompetent.
I hate when Mayra calls her cousin an inept.

Integral adj. essential; necessary and important.
Dave was integral to the baseball team, he was the best pitcher.

Inundate v. to overwhelm; to flood.
My friend’s basement inundated twice with all the rain this year.

Nepotism n. showing favoritism to friends or family in business or politics.
She was accused of nepotism when she made her son officer of the firm.

Notorious adj. famous for something bad; infamous.
Tony is a notorious gambler.

Pacify v. to calm someone down; to placate.
To pacify people, the news said that the drought wasn’t that serious.

Philanthropy n. love of mankind, especially by doing good deeds.
People who volunteer for church activities are engaging in philanthropy.

Propriety n. proper behavior; good manners.
It is considered propriety to look people in the eyes when you are speaking to them.

Reciprocal adj. mutual, shared, interchangeable.
We should have reciprocal respect.

Succinct adj. brief and to the point; concise.
We were given so little time to give our speeches that we had to keep them succinct.

Transient adj. not staying for a long time; temporary.
We knew the snow in December wasn’t transient, so we just get used to it.

Trepidation n. fear; apprehension; nervous trembling.
The first day of school for children is always filled with trepidation.

Usurp v. to seize wrongfully.
To usurp somebody’s identity is a crime.

Versatile adj. adaptable; flexible; resourceful.
Photoshop is a versatile tool for young photo masters.

Viable adj. capable of working, functioning, or developing adequately.
Psychology was a viable career alternative.

Voluminous adj. large in number, quantity or bulk.
The volcano had a voluminous flow of lava.

Waive v. to give up a claim to; to forgo.
The application fee can be waived if you provide proof of income.

Wont adj. accustomed or apt; used to (as in habit).
It was her wont to eat breakfast very morning.

Zenith n. the highest point; the culminating point.
I was happy that Jose had hit the zenith of his life.