ENG 1021 (Texts and Contexts)

James Joyce portrays a character in The Dubliners who is caught up in the pursuit of popularity and money, which seems to be leading toward an abrupt downfall. Just as Jimmy in “After the Race” lives life with a care free attitude and no concern for tomorrow, there was a time in my life when I too lived with a somewhat self destructive behavior. Near the end of my junior year of high school, poker began to emerge as a popular hobby among my peers. Kids at my school started to play every day during lunch, and because I couldn’t turn the television on without seeing some poker tournament or celebrities playing poker, I was practically forced to learn about it. I became interested in learning how to play, specifically the variant called “Texas Hold’em”. Math always came easy to me, and I figured the game probably involved a lot of calculating probabilities, so I felt my chances at picking up the game and excelling were good. Also, I had always liked to gamble on sports, even if it was only once or twice a year for the Superbowl or March Madness pools. This was another opportunity to gamble.

Instead of just jumping into one of the games during lunch at school and throwing my money out there, I took some serious time to learn how to play poker and all the strategies involved. I didn’t have a job or much money at the time, so I thought that this could be an opportunity to make some money if I did things right. My learning of the game included taking notes while watching players on television, reading basic poker strategy books, and playing on free websites on the internet. After I felt I had basics strategies and concepts well learned, I finally put a whole $5 on the line in a game with my friends. My studying paid off, and I ended up winning about $20 on the night. This is the spark that fueled my ambitions to play poker seriously. I used the money I won to buy more in depth poker books and I spent most of my free time reading them and taking notes. The more I learned about the game, the more confident I was that I could consistently win. Everything about poker was mechanical to me, and being a fairly routine person, I felt that the game of poker fit my personality and that I would have no trouble with it at all. I also really liked the adrenaline rush I felt while playing. When Jimmy raced cars, “The journey laid a magical finger on the genuine pulse of life…” and this was similar to how I felt when I played poker (40).

During the next few months, I continued to play poker with my friends about once or twice a month. No one could really afford to play it more often than that. I continued to play well and make a profit on most nights I played. Some of my friends quit playing because they were losing too much money. This forced me to started playing with other people from my school that I didn’t know as well, but had more money to throw around. This is similar to Jimmy whose only friends were wealthy, except for one. The quote, “Villona was entertaining also—a brilliant pianist—but, unfortunately, very poor,” shows that pity is taken upon Villona for being poor (39). This reveals how shallow the values of Jimmy and his friends really are. I begun to play poker because I liked the feeling I got from gambling and to make money, but most importantly it was something to do with my friends. Now I was playing simply to gamble and make money. The new people I played with were better and more serious than my friends, but because I was playing cards with them all the time, this meant that I wasn’t spending time with my real friends. I had become shallow just like Jimmy. However, my new poker buddies still did not play often enough for my craving, so I decided to press my luck in online poker.

I transferred $30 from my bank account into an online poker account. I started off just playing penny tables as I didn’t want to possibly blow all my money in a matter of hours. I took things very slowly, and over the course of two or three months of playing almost every day after school, I had made a nice profit of $150. I had played according to the strategies and theories I had learned from my books, which were obviously working. At that time I felt that poker was something I could eventually do for a living. I put nearly all my free time into it, which meant I didn’t see my friends outside of school all that often. My life had become taken over by poker. I was at a very high confidence level after playing so well for so long, and I decided to move up to higher stakes. I lost money my first few times playing at the higher tables, which I thought was just from bad luck. I was oblivious to the fact that I could possibly not be that good. When Jimmy played poker, “[He] was excited too; he would lose, of course. How much had he written away?” (44). This shows that he knew for certain that he was losing money, but he didn’t have the mind to keep track of how much he had lost. I too knew that I was losing money, but I didn’t keep track of how much either. By the end of the week I had lost all $150 which had taken me months to earn.

After this I took a step back and re-examined my poker aspirations. I was in shock that I lost all my money so quickly, it just didn’t seem possible. I realized that I needed to go on hiatus for a while or else I would likely end up losing more money. Considering the fact that I didn’t even have a job at the time, the decision was obvious that I couldn’t afford to keep playing. The risk was higher than I had thought, and it was time for me to give up my hobby, at least for the time being. I still played a few times after that with my friends, but I realized that it was not healthy for me to keep playing. Poker basically took over my life, which somewhat parallels how Jimmy lives his life in “After the Race”.

Jimmy lives a life centered around money and popularity. He spends all his time with his rich friend racing cars or going to parties. The quote “Rapid motion through space elates one; so does notoriety; so does the possession of money,” shows how superficial Jimmy’s life is (39). At the current time, he feels confident and that life is great, just like I did when I was doing well at poker. However, things can quickly change. His only source of money is his parents, which isn’t completely dependable. His father pays for him to go to a good school, but he does poorly because he spends all of his time trying to be popular and gain social status. Jimmy has no real concern for his future. Jimmy’s parents will likely cut off his funds and once this happens, his life will change drastically and quickly. Without money, he won’t be able to pay for his rich friends cars or pay for parties every night. Also, with his lack of attention to his studies, he will most likely be kicked out of school. Without his status, he would lose his rich friends and be left with nothing. This means his happiness is almost totally dependent on his money. This is very similar to how I was. If I was winning at poker and making money, I was happy. When I lost, I became somewhat depressed and dejected.

When Jimmy loses a lot of money on the yacht playing poker, the story says “He knew that he would regret in the morning but at present he was glad of the rest, glad of the dark stupor that would cover up his folly” (44). Jimmy practically gives his money away by playing poker and investing in cars, and has no remorse for it. His destructive behavior is bound to eventually catch up with him, and he will live a life of poverty if he doesn’t stop. Luckily for me, I realized that I was going down a potentially dangerous path and I stopped my bad habit. Jimmy needs to have an epiphany in order to change, and the way the story ends, it does not seem that he will have change his ways.

Choose a song from your personal library of music which best and most thoroughly represents the emotions and conflict in Shakespeare’s Othello. The range of emotions is impressive—Betrayal, Trust, Jealous Rage, pathological lying, reality vs. appearance etc.

Please print out a full set of lyrics for the song and analyze the song in terms of Othello.

• Begin the paper with an introduction of the song, its writer, performer and any background if available.
• Begin by analyzing the song stanza by stanza and how it may directly relate to Othello. Find quotes from the character in the play to support your theory on why this song is the best fit.

• Some portion of the song, perhaps the bridge or chorus must be analyzed line by line. Again, corresponding action and quotes must appear in the play in order to maintain that your song is most appropriate.

The challenge is to be able to dually analyze the song in light of the play and vice versa. Back up your analysis with direct quotes from the play as well as detailed explanation!

I feel that the song “K05-0564” by Kid Dynamite effectively portrays the emotions of envy, betrayal, deceit, and regret strewn throughout Shakespeare’s Othello. It is a frantic, fast paced song lasting under 2 minutes, which is much like the pace of Othello. Othello regresses from a stable, powerful man into a fickle, vulnerable lunatic over the course of only a few days. The song is about the singer not being able to trust his girlfriend and putting an end to their relationship. This basically mirrors the feelings and actions of Othello, though Othello literally puts an “end” to his relationship with Desdemona. Specifically, the lyrics of this song echo how Othello feels about Desdemona as he is being brainwashed by Iago. The lyrics also describe regret, which Othello feels when he is “forced” to take Desdemona’s life. Finally, the song also talks about being controlled and manipulated, which is what Iago does to all the characters in the play.

The first stanza of “K05-0564” talks about not being able to depend on someone when that person should be counted on. When Othello marries Desdemona, he expects that they are to be faithful to each other, as should any husband and wife. Also considering Othello’s power and stature, it is makes it even more unlikely Desdemona would cheat on him. This is why he does not believe Iago when he first tries to plant the seeds of envy into Othello’s head. Othello says, “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest” (3.3.225). But later on, Othello is fully convinced by Iago that Desdemona betrayed him. Lines 3 and 4, “I feel like a fool because I believed in you. / I compared the likes of you to the things I do,” echo how Othello feels betrayed. He thought very highly of Desdemona, but once Iago gets the thought of Cassio and Desdemona together, there is no changing his thinking. Othello says, “Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone; I strike it, and it hurts my hand. O, the world hath not a sweeter creature! She might lie by an emperor’s side and command him tasks” (4.1.183-187). This shows how Othello still does consider Desdemona a beautiful person and how he puts her on his level, but that she cannot be trusted.

Stanza two of “K05-0564” relates to the betrayal felt by Othello. Line 5, “Then the bother builds, I go through it at times,” could be the way Othello feels as Iago builds jealousy. Othello gets only slightly worried when Iago begins to set his plan in motion, as he is a strong man and is not easily swayed by his emotions. When Iago first tries to talk to Othello about Desdemona and Cassio, Othello says, “No, Iago; I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; and on the proof there is no but this; away at once with love or jealousy” (3.3.189-192). Othello wants proof before he believes anything. Over time however, Iago’s words get to Othello. The following line in the song, “You’d think I’d be used to it, but I don’t have the mind”, could show how Othello has become vulnerable to Iago’s tactics. Iago’s consistent efforts to create jealousy and envy in Othello have succeeded. This is the point where Othello has fallen into Iago’s trap and is now under his control. Othello is overtaken by emotion at one point and falls into a trance. Iago says, “Work on. My med’cine works! Thus credulous fools are caught, and many worthy and chaste dames even thus, all guiltless, meet reproach” (4.1.46-49). This is where Iago knows he has control of Othello and his ability to reason is gone. This is very out of character for Othello to lose control.

Lines 7 through 9 of the song, “…to deal with your deceit / or wallow at the feet / of empty promises or its royalty,” could describe Othello not being able to trust Desdemona anymore. It does not matter what she says to him at one point, Othello will not listen to her. Othello confronts Desdemona and says, “Come, swear it, damn thyself; lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves should fear to seize thee. Therefore be double-damned: swear thou art honest” (4.2.34-37). Desdemona responds saying she is truthful, but Othello does not believe her. It too late for him to change his mind about her. The lines in the song could also be interpreted as relating to the deceit of Iago. They are all simply pawns in his master plan, especially Roderigo and Cassio. They are given “empty promises” by Iago, and these words are along the lines of what they might say to him if they were to realize they were being used.

The chorus of “K05-0564” could describe Othello’s feelings after killing Desdemona. Lines 11 and 12, “I only needed you to be there for me. / I just wanted you to stop taking advantage of me,” can show Othello’s sorrow while and after taking Desdemona’s life. These lines makes it sound like he was forced to kill Desdemona, which is also shown in the play. Before Othello kills Desdemona, he says, “O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade justice to break her sword. One more, one more! Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, and love thee after. One more, and that’s the last. So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep, but they are cruel tears. This sorrow’s heavenly; it strikes where it doth love” (5.2.16-22). These lines show how Othello still loves Desdemona, but he is going to kill her anyway. He acts almost if he has to kill her, like he has no choice. Lines 13 and 14 in the song, “Now, I’m not coming around anymore. / You can call it fucked up if you want,” could show how far Othello has fallen. These lines show that he knows it was wrong to kill Desdemona, but he was so jealous he had to do the deed. Othello was so caught up in envy that he lost his ability to reason.

The next stanza could be used to describe Iago’s feelings toward the whole situation. Lines 16 and 17, “I don’t care, I don’t need to be the better man. / I’m sorry if it’s not the decent thing to do,” accurately shows how Iago feels during about the whole situation. When devising his plan, Iago says, “Two things are to be done: my wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; I’ll set her on; myself awhile to draw the Moor apart and bring him jump when he may Cassio find soliciting his wife. Ay, that’s the way! Dull not device by coldness and delay” (2.3.383-388). This shows how he is only there to help himself. He does not care if other people are hurt, as long as he gets what he wants. The last line in this stanza, “Talk about it, maybe someday you’ll see the truth,” could be Iago hinting to everyone that if they were less like him, they could have avoided their fates. All the characters in Othello look out mainly for themselves, just like Iago, except he is craftier than them. The jealousy and envy Iago puts in everyone’s mind causes them to be cautious of each other, and therefore not figure out Iago was controlling each one of them.

The last stanza could be interpreted as Othello giving advice after everything is over. Lines 19 to 21, “There’s one thing that I know. / Friends, they come and go. / A lesson learned in life and I have you to owe,” can be interpreted as Othello regretting killing Desdemona because he knows that he cannot trust most people, but he Desdemona was one person he could depend on. She was one of the only people in the play that was truthful. When Cassio tells him he did not cheat with Desdemona, Othello says, “…speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well; of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, perplexed the extreme; of one whose hand, like the base Judean, threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe…” (5.2.339-344). Othello kills himself after realizing how badly he messed up. He knows he was lucky to have Desdemona and he should have cherished and trusted her. Line 22 of the song, “I’m growing everyday and fools get in the way,” describes how Iago got in his way with his relationship with Desdemona. Without Iago in the picture, Othello and Desdemona most likely would have had a happy relationship. However, their relationship is ruined by Iago and his pawns Roderigo and Cassio. The last line, “If I whistle loud will you come and play?,” could be perceived as one last desperation by Othello to say he is sorry to Desdemona. He knows she is gone and his emotions got the best of him.

“K05-0564” – Kid Dynamite

When you say you will it really means you might.
When you don’t come through I shut up, it may start a fight.
I feel like such a fool cause I believed in you.
I compared the likes of you to the things I do.

Then the bother builds, I go through it at times. ₅
You’d think I’d be used to it, but I don’t have the mind
to deal with your deceit
or wallow at the feet
of empty promises or its royalty.

I never asked you to change. ₁₀
I only needed you to be there for me.
I just wanted you to stop taking advantage of me.
Now, I’m not coming around anymore.
You can call it fucked up if you want.

Smile if you will, a mile, if you can. ₁₅
I don’t care, I don’t need to be the better man.
I’m sorry if it’s not the decent thing to do.
Talk about it, maybe someday you’ll see the truth.

There’s one thing that I know.
Friends, they come and go. ₂₀
A lesson learned in life and I have you to owe.
I’m growing everyday and fools get in the way.
If I whistle loud will you come and play?

I never asked you to change.
I only needed you to be there for me. ₂₅
I just wanted you to stop taking advantage of me.
Now, I’m not coming around anymore.
You can call it fucked up if you want.