Domestic tregedy describes a drama in which the tragic protagonists are ordinary middle class or lower class individuals, in contrast to classical and Neoclassical tragedy, in which the protagonists are of kingly or aristocratic rank and their downfall is an affair of state as well as a personal matter.

TITLE: Othello
AUTOR: William Shakespeare
LANGUAGE: English
GENRE(s): Play, (domestic) Tragedy
RELEASED: Around 1603

REFERENCE

The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare written around 1603. The play is a concentrated, tightly-constructed domestic tragedy with almost no subplot relief, revolving around five or six central characters. Othello's ill-placed trust in the villain Iago, resulting in his growing suspicion in his wife Desdemona's infidelity with his lieutenant Cassio, led to the ultimate tragedy. Othello is commonly considered one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, and one of his finest works.

MY REVIEW

Othello is one of my favourites plays. Shakespeare again is ahead of his time, here he deals with racism, male chauvinism, low self esteem due to a life of being viewed as a member of an inferior race, rights of women. Whenever you read – or watch – this play keep in mind some very important questions…

What’s love really? I mean when you love you trust and if you are jealous you are not only not trusting but you are killing love, aren’t you?

What are the consequences of backbiting? Backbiting is almost another character in the play, and very much a central figure. Think about how backbiting can get into your brain and heart and destroy your love or trust for someone – no matter if what was said to you was true or not.

Why can Iago manipulate all the main characters around him? What is in him that make s everyone to feel attracted to him?

Why does Othello fall into the trap Iago set for him?

There’s also a lot of irony in the play, we see as Iago is called “honest Iago”.

Another very interesting fact in the play is the way Iago gives solid proves to Othello… a handkerchief; his version of someone else’s talking while sleeping.

The language used by the villain in something you should pay attention to… I mean, where does he give a reason for his actions? Remember during the whole play he is honest only to the audience.

TITLE: Great Expectations
AUTOR: Charles Dickens
LANGUAGE: English
GENRE(s): Bildungsroman, Novel
PUBLISHER: Hall
RELEASED: 1860 – 1861 (in serial form) & 1861 (in 3 volumes)

REFERENCES

Great Expectations is the story of the orphan Pip told by the protagonist in semi-autobiographical style as a remembrance of his life from the early days of his childhood until years after the main conflicts of the story have been resolved in adulthood. The story is also semi-autobiographical to the author Dickens, as are some other of his stories, drawing on his experiences of life and people


MY REVIEW

I read this book about twelve years ago and I would say it’s an interesting book. Some might tell you it's just a book about a guy trying to woo the girl he is in love with since he is a child but I think it is a book about wanting too much, staying attached to false expectation of growth -a growth in the sense of social status, money and power and not as a matter of inner, psychological or spiritual growth. Pip in his quest for social status hurts and ends up loosing all that really matters. Another thing that is really interesting is the fact that Charles Dickens wrote another ending for this book before he decided to change it.

This is the one that end up being in the book , pretty clichéd and corny I might say

“I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her.“

The original one I perceive it more realistic. And i think it shows a change in the main character (Pip) now, he's been able to grow and has become wiser.

"It was two years more, before I saw herself. I had heard of her as leading a most unhappy life, and as being separated from her husband who had used her with great cruelty, and who had become quite renowned as a compound of pride, brutality and meanness. I had heard of the death of her husband (from an accident consequent of ill-treating a horse), and of her being again the Shropshire doctor, who, against her interest had once very manfully interposed, on an occasion when he was in professional attendance on Mr. Drummle, and had witnessed some outrageous treatment of her. I had heard that the Shropshire doctor was not rich, and they lived on her own personal fortune. I was in England again- in London, and walking along Piccadilly with little Pip- when a servant came running after me to ask would I step back to a lady in a carriage who wished to speak to me. It was a little pony carriage, which the lady was driving; and the lady and I looked sadly enough on one another. "I am greatly changed, I know; but I thought you would like to shake hands with Estella too, Pip. Lift up that pretty child and let me kiss it!" (She supposed the child, I think, to be my child). I was very glad afterwards to have such an interview; for, in her face and in her voice, and in her touch, she gave me the assurance, that suffering had been stronger than Miss Havisham's teaching, and had given her a heart to understand what my heart used to be."


Don't you think, please, I ruined all the fun by telling you the end of the story all the contrary I think you will enjoy it even more .

have fun

love

Gabriel Taylor

TITLE: The Power of one
AUTOR: Bryce Courtenay
LANGUAGE: English
GENRE(s): Bildungsroman, Historical, Novel
PUBLISHER: William Heinemann
RELEASED: February 1989

REFERENCES

The Power of One is a bildungsroman written by Bryce Courtenay, first published in 1989. Set in 1930s and 1940s South Africa and later on in the story, Northern Rhodesia, it tells the story of an English boy who, through the course of the story, acquires the nickname of P.K. The protagonist's true first name is never revealed. (wikipedia)

This riveting novel tells of the coming-of-age of a six-year-old English boy in South Africa during the darkest days of largely pro-Nazi South Africa. It's an inspirational story with a great sense of time and place, combining strong characters, stunning locales and serious social issues. Based on the author's own experiences as a child. (longitudebooks)

MY REVIEW

I first saw the movie and I loved it. The book came to my hands long years after watching the movie for the first time , and I have to say it was very difficult to read, too painful actually. The way Courtenay descrives things happen to PK, how he is beaten in school even by teacher was to painful form me and I drop it. I just read it last week and I have to say I just loved it. Courtenay is like a skilled painter that depicts a very realistic picture of the world he saw in his former land. It is interesting how he is able to show a wolrd through the eyes of a 5 -6 years old boy, and describe situations not only by facts but mainly by feelings. I love how the characters grow ( not only PK but other too as his friend Morrie Levi ) and the suffer an evolition process. I also the clear language he uses not only the way it changes trhout out the novel but also when he wants to state facts, some times he uses a language when he invloves feelings and sensations in other ocations he just say it , right to the point I quote “...racism is a primary force of evil designed to destroy good men.” . There are also some symbols in the novel that are very interesting to look at … such as the snake. It is there not only as an obvious phallic symbol (in the first part of the novel) and something that embarrasses PK almost to a traumatic point but also later on as the story goes on you can see the serpent not only as a symbol of death but mainly as a psychopomp character. You might take a glance at http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/animals2.htm a site about animal symbolism in different cultures or take a look at The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, and other dictionaries of symbols.

Well I don’t know if I want to tell you more about the book and ruining you all the fun … if you saw the movie and liked it surely you will love the book

Love

Gabriel Taylor