Comparative Question - Characters challenging aspects of the Cultural Context in 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Othello'.

2. “Central characters can be successful or unsuccessful in challenging aspects of the cultural context in texts.”

(a) Discuss the extent to which at least one central character is successful or unsuccessful in challenging at least one aspect of the cultural context in one text on your comparative course. Support your answer with reference to the text.

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In the two texts, ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte, and ‘Othello’ by Shakespeare, many of the characters find some way to challenge aspects of the cultural context of their respective texts. In this essay, I will be looking at how these three aspects of the cultural contexts are challenged: the hierarchal structure of society and the idea of marriage, the silencing of women by men, and the treatment of gypsies and servants by the upper echelons of society.

In this point, I will be looking at the hierarchal structure of society in relation to marriage. In both texts, we see two characters challenge this aspect of cultural context by marrying someone ‘below’ their status. In ‘Wuthering Heights’, Isabella is the character that this applies to. She runs away with Heathcliff and marries him in chapter 12 and 13, where we find out she has eloped (the maid tells that ‘She’s gone, she’s gone! Yon’ Heathcliff’s run off wi’ her!), and then when she writes a letter to Nelly explaining what she has done, respectively. Heathcliff, we know, is considered an outsider with unknown parentage, and thus, is ‘below’ the status of Isabella and the rest of her family. This concept is first introduced in chapter when Heathcliff is sent to the barn. Isabella’s challenge of this part of the cultural context is successful, and we can compare this challenge to that of Desdemona’s in Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’. In ‘Othello’, Desdemona successfully challenges the cultural context when she marries Othello. Othello is black and a ‘Moor’, and because if that, he is deemed unfit by certain people (Brabantio) to marry Desdemona. However, Desdemona persuades the Council (with whom Brabantio grudgingly agrees) to agree to her marriage to Othello. She says that ‘So much I challenge that I may profess / Due to the Moor my lord’. This shows how Desdemona is successful, along with Isabella, in challenging the hierarchal society in relation to marriage.

Challenges against the general treatment of gypsies and servants by the upper echelons of society are also seen in both texts. Gypsies and servants were not generally treated with the utmost kindness and respect, and here we see how they are either successful or unsuccessful in challenging their treatment. In the play ‘Othello’, Othello is, as was said before, a ‘Moor’. This means he was classed as an outsider and wasn’t treated like everyone else as a result. In this instance, Othello is successful in challenging his treatment, because he gains respect through his skill on the battlefield and becoming commander of the army. A completely different situation is seen in ‘Wuthering Heights’, where Heathcliff is the outsider. He is a gypsy, and, unlike Othello, Heathcliff is completely unsuccessful in challenging his treatment as a gypsy. Though Cathy Sr. is kind to him, Hindley, and Frances (Hindley’s wife) despise him and treat him horribly. Hindley ‘drove him from their company to the servants’ and told Frances to pull his hair when he first arrived. Heathcliff is mildly successful only because, when Hindley dies, he becomes master, but up until then, he is completely unsuccessful in challenging his treatment. Using this information, it is clear to see that Othello and Heathcliff are successful and unsuccessful, respectively, in challenging their treatment by the upper echelons of society.

The last point I am making is about the silencing of women. In both texts, we see this being challenged but, where in ‘Othello’, Emilia is successful in her challenge, the reverse is true when it comes to Cathy Sr. In ‘Wuthering Heights’, Cathy tries to challenge her silencing by Heathcliff but can’t because Heathcliff is too powerful. She succumbs to his will and is only free to speak and do what she wants after Heathcliff dies. We see Cathy’s state of submissiveness when Mr. Lockwood first comes to Wuthering Heights and he describes her as ‘mute’ and says that ‘she never opened her mouth’. We see a different situation in ‘Othello’. In ‘Othello’, Emilia, in contrast to Cathy, is successful in her endeavour to challenge her silencing by Iago. When she comes in after Othello has killed Desdemona, Iago orders her to stay silent yet she persists: ‘I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak’. Unfortunately, she is too late to fight for Desdemona, and it shows, as she is dying, that she is only free to express herself in death, because the men cannot stand for it to happen. These two examples show how Cathy Sr. and Emilia are unsuccessful and successful, respectively, in the act of challenging their silence.

In conclusion, from the information laid out above, I believe that the characters mentioned above (Isabella, Desdemona, Othello, Heathcliff, and Emilia), are all successful or unsuccessful in challenging at least one aspect of the cultural context in their respective texts.

 

Othello, Wuthering Heights Cultural Context

‘Understanding who holds power and who is powerless helps to reveal the cultural context in texts’

At first glance, the settings of Othello and Wuthering Heights seem a world apart. The exotic beauty of Venice and Cyprus contrasts sharply with the almost barren moors of Yorkshire. However, taking a deeper look at both texts, specifically at who holds power and who does not, not only reveals the cultural context but in doing so reveals the similiarities (and differences) between these two texts.

Othello and Heathcliff both came from difficult backgrounds, where they were all but powerless. In both texts, each character clashes with the established social order. For Othello, this moment comes in Act 1, Scene 3 when Brabantio shows his furious opposition to the marriage between Othello and his daughter, Desdemona. Brabantio is a wealthy man, and represents the powerful noblemen of Venice. Othello, on the other hand is a foreigner and a former slave. On top of this, he is black. In a time when people travelled less, staying closer to home, his race and background cause a wealthy native of Venice like Brabantio to see him as little more than a foreign mercenary. Othello has earned his rank in Venice through bravery and merit, but it matters little in the eyes of Brabantio. Othello came from a background where he was truly powerless, a slave to another man. For men like Brabantio, this stain can never be washed away. No good deed Othello could ever do, no brave victory he could win would ever change his mind. Though the Doge intercedes on his behalf, this scene shows that Othello will never be truly accepted by all who hold power in Venice. Similiarly, Heathcliff is thrown into the social order of Wuthering Heights in Chapter 4, immediately clashing with those who are considered to hold more power than him. Heathcliff arrives at Wuthering Heights with nothing, not even a name. An orphan boy off the streets of Liverpool, he is helpless when Mr. Earnshaw decides to bring him back to the Heights. Nelly describes him as a ‘dirty, ragged, black-haired child’ and Mrs Earnshaw sees him as nothing more than a ‘gipsy brat’. This last insult implies that Heathcliff, like Othello, does not share the same race as most in his society, and certainly not the same as the most powerful men in the Georgian social order. Damningly, at first he is not even given a pronoun, instead described as ‘it’ – a foreign object intruding on the blissful order of things at the Heights. It is difficult not to see how this resembles Othello’s treatment at the hands of conservative, powerful men like Brabantio – simply a foreign asset to be used to fight wars on behalf of the state, and to be kept away from their daughters.

One cannot read Othello or Wuthering Heights without coming to terms with the immense power of men over women in both societies. In Othello, Desdemona has precious little agency throughout the play. In one sense, the central conflict revolves around her actions. On the other hand, her supposed infidelity is nothing more than a fabrication of Iago’s imagination. The plot rolls on without any real input from Desdemona. In Act 3 Scene 3, we see Iago tactically use ingrained mysogyny to convince Othello that she has been unfaithful. He tells Othello that women in Venice ‘dare not show their husbands’, but they betray their trust. He convinces him that the infidelity of Venetian women is well known. Othello believes this, firstly because he is a foreigner to Venice, but also because the position of women in society has made him open to believing just about any slander of them. In the end, Othello feels it is his right, even his duty, to murder Desdemona. As her husband, he holds the power of life and death over her. Othello is the master, Desdemona little more than his servant. Likewise, the marriage of Cathy and Edgar in Wuthering Heights is not one of two equal partners with equal agency. In Chapter 9, Cathy confides to Nelly her intention to marry Edgar. She is clearly conflicted when making this decision, as she has strong feelings for Heathcliff. In the end, however, several factors compel her to go through with the marriage, and her status as a woman cannot be ignored in this. Firstly, as a woman she cannot hope to pursue a career in politics or the army, two avenues of advancement in Georgian society and a very society before it. Secondly, without a father, she will have much more trouble in finding a good husband. Finally, Cathy is nothing if not ambitious, and tells Nelly she wishes to become ‘the greatest woman in the neighbourhood’. However, the marriage will not be an equal partnership, no more than the relationship of Othello and Desdemona. Ultimately, in both texts, husbands and men hold power, and wives and women must abide by their laws and whims.

However, in the two texts, some characters do not meekly accept their lack of self-determination and power and instead criticise and act against social norms. Emilia, the wife of Iago, chafes against society’s reduction of women to passive observers. Though she shows this throughout the play, Act 4, Scene 3 is when she strikes at the heart of the subjugation of women with her words. Her character contrasts with Desdemona, who cannot even imagine that some women might be unfaithful to their husbands. Emilia says it is ‘their husbands’ faults’ if women ‘fall’. She also makes it clear that women are the equals of their husbands, having ‘sense like them’. Although women have grace, as Emilia says, they also have the desire for revenge, as their husbands do. These ideas were certainly radical for the time, and succinctly describe the powerful and the powerless. Cathy may not be as overtly in opposition to the social order of her time, yet her clear affection for Heathcliff was certainly not what was expected of a married woman. When Heathcliff suddenly returns in Chapter 10, Cathy is ecstatic to see him, declaring that she shall ‘think it a dream’ on the morrow to see Heathcliff again after three years of absence. Her obvious love for Heathcliff would have given Edgar plenty of cause to divorce her, if he had wished. Her behaviour is shocking to the conservative Georgian society she lives in. Showing characters acting against the social norms they grew up within the bounds of adds depth to both texts. Cathy is stubborn, and will not let expectations of how a married woman should act prevent her from seeing the person she clearly desires. Equally, Emilia stubbornly refuses to accept her powerlessness in Venetian society. Ultimately, even though both women do not manage to avert tragedy, their attempts not only help to reveal the cultural context, but also inspire the reader to learn from their efforts.

 Question: 

“Different techniques may be used to heighten the impacts of moments of crisis in texts” 

Discuss the technique(s) used to heighten the impact of at least one of the moments of crisis in one of the texts you have studied for your comparative course. Support your answer with reference to the text.” 

                                                                                            --(30 marks) 2016 paper 2, question 2 Literary Genre 

Answer: 

As part of my comparative course I studied, Shakespeare’s; Othello and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Both texts deal with moments of crisis but they are heightened in different styles. 

In the brutal killing of Desdemona, Othello’s language becomes violent and harsh. Othello is so caught up in his own irrational thoughts, that have been planted by Iago, to see Desdemona for who she is. A kind a loyal wife. Shakespeare uses words like; “cruel”, “devil”, “sacrifice” and “bloody passion”. This gothic language and frightful tone heightens the impact of the crisis because an eerie atmosphere has been created. 
    This is in stark contrast to Brontë’s description of death. Although Cathy’s death has a horrific build up, to the point where she doesn’t even recognize her own reflection, her exact moment of passing is peaceful and tranquil. Using words like; “mellow”, “smooth”, “divine rest” and “happy” make it seem like a lullaby. Death brings brief moments of calm to Wuthering Heights. This moment of crisis is heightened by an odd feeling of calm, as if something must be up. 
    Language is used in both texts to create an atmosphere where a moment of crisis intensifies. 

 

Imagery can also be used to heighten moments of crisis. In Othello, Desdemona is compared/linked strongly to the light. This connection allows the readers to find deeper meanings in Shakespeare’s words. Othello says, “Put out the light” and so without having to directly say it we know that he is referring to killing Desdemona. The light imagery firstly gives happiness and life to the text, and then in Cyprus it is twisted, the lines between lightness and darkness become faint and now the light is unbearable. This imagery adds to this moment of crisis because of its ambiguous meaning. 
    Similarly, Brontë uses imagery to reflect a character's feelings. It is important to remember that Brontë is a poet and so the text is layered with imagery and double meanings. In Cathy’s final moments she is described as wanting fresh air. Saying “Open the window” repeatedly. Cathy feels trapped in her marriage and craves freedom. Later, Mr. Linton is described as “opening the gate himself”, which may seem like a simple passing comment. However, because of the efforts of layering of imagery it can’t go unnoticed. She is a woman suffering greatly from oppression and he is a man who thinks nothing of it. This outstanding use of imagery heightens the impact of this moment of crisis because the reader gets an overwhelming sense of pity for Cathy, but we know her fate. 
    Shakespeare’s and Brontë’s use of imagery both add another dimension to their texts. It forces us as the reader to look between the lines and uncover more information every time. The impact of the moments of crisis in both texts and heightened by this imagery, as it allows us to understand the characters in an unbiased way. 

 

Short sentences and exclamation marks add drama and a sense of urgency to these texts. 
In Othello the short sentences show just how quickly this is all unfolding. It adds drama to the text because of its fast pace, and the exclamation marks are used to show the anger of all characters (particularly Othello). Iago’s constant devil references show his evil character. This means that when Othello’s language changes we can see that Iago has gotten into his head and planted seeds of doubt.  
   Similarly, in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff’s fiery character is reminded to us constantly throughout the text. Almost every sentence he says is followed with an exclamation mark and littered with words of an evil nature. “May she wake in torment!”, “She’s a liar to the end!”. His abrupt tone is a true reflection of the horrors of living in Wuthering Heights.This heightens every moment of crisis because there is never a moment of peace. 
    The structure of a texts adds to moments of crisis because it indicates the pace and the generally mood. 

 

Animalistic imagery is scattered throughout both of these texts in very similar manners. 
    Othello is described as a “Black ram”, once again drawing attention to his skin tone. The animalistic imagery is also degrading, Iago often refers to woman as “creatures” and Othello and Cassio to “dogs”. 
    Whereas in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is referred to as a “wolf” and having “sharp teeth”. This adds a frightening almost gothic atmosphere as the characters have become unpredictable and strong. 
    This heightens the impact of moments of crisis in both texts as the constant derogatory terms, and the hunger nature of the animals leaves us wondering when they will strike and fight back. We are always on the edge of our seats.