Paper 2 Preparation

Macbeth – Play – William Shakespeare – 1606

Persepolis – Graphic Novel – Marjane Satrapi- 2000
Antigone – Play - Sophocles – 411BC
Things fall apart – Novel – Chenua Achebe – 1958

Themes:
1- Abuse of power
a. Macbeth
Quote 1: “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it” (metaphor/
characterization)

This quote shows how the position of Macbeth will give him the opportunity to over throne
Banquo and become king. He must carry out his mission with duplicity and this quote represents
how he abuses his power to betray the Scottish royalty for his own ambitions. The serpent is a
metaphorical comparison to Macbeth and reveals his character development into a devious and
cutthroat man.

Quote 2: And though I could With barefaced power sweep him from my sight” (diction)

This quote presents how the throne and its power changed Macbeth and urged him to turn on his
friends. It also shows that he abuses his power as king to “get rid” of anyone he does not admire
or anyone who disobeys him since he now possesses “barefaced power”.

Quote 3: All hail Macbeth, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor. All hail
Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter. (Repetition).

The witches use their supernatural powers to prophesy Macbeth’s future and manipulate his
ambitions. The witches’ abuse of their powers drives the action of the play, planting the scene for
Macbeth;s violent reign.
 b. Persepolis
Quote 1: “You must understand that their love wasimpossible...because in this country you must
stay within your own social class.” (diction)

This quote highlights the theme of social classism as Mehri, Marjane’s maid can be a symbol of
social classism. Thinking about social and economic inequality in Iran reminds Marjane of the
case of her family's maid Mehri, and her crush on the boy living in the neighborhood. Mehri
was sent to live with Marjane's family at age eight because her family could not take care of her.
When Marjane's father discovers the letters, he immediately recognizes his daughter's
handwriting. He tells the boy that Mehri is not his daughter, but a maid, which ceases
the relationship. In this quote, he explains to Marjane that Mehri and the boy could never have
married because of their separate social classes.

Quote 2: “I wanted to be an educated, liberated woman...and so another dream went up in

smoke.” (Characterization of Marjane) 

After the success of the Revolution, the fundamentalist regime that takes over the Iranian
government decides to close the universities for the time being, since that kind of education was
thought to be too "decadent," leading students away from the "true path of Islam." As an
educated woman, Marjane is crushed--she had dreams of studying chemistry at university, like
her hero Marie Curie.

Quote 3: “Our country has always known war and martyrs, so, like my father said: ‘When a big
wave comes, lower your head and let it pass!” (motif)

As the war rages on, the newspaper prints the names and photographs of "today's martyrs," or the
most recent victims of the war. Marjane tries to talk to her mother about what she sees in the
press, but her mother avoids the topic. In this quote, she explains to Marjane that Iran has seen so
much death and bloodshed in its history that her own father taught her to remain stoic through
even its worst moments. Death is a reoccurringmotif in Persepolis and it is a symbol of the
revolution and the government corruption.
Quote 4: “Suddenly, from the other side of the street, I saw a car full of guardians of the
revolution arrive, followed by a bus. When they came with the bus, it meant a raid. "If they see
me with this lipstick, they'll take me away." (lipstick is a symbol)

This quote highlights how corrupt the government is that they may imprison a woman just
because she was putting on a lipstick or embracing her identity. this quote could be used to
highlight the gender roles imposed by such a strict country and how they forbid women
to express their identities.

Quote 5: "[The police] forbade people to rescue those locked inside." (diction)

This quote highlights the theme police brutality as the police did not only lock citizens inside, as
they also forbade people to rescue them. The affirmative use of diction highlights how
unsympathetic such country is and how it doesn’t care for their citizens

c. Things fall apart

Quote 1: “ When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on
springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he did pounce on people quite often.”
(Diction (positive con.), Symbolism, Simile.)

In Chapter 1, the narrator describes Okonkwo as a physically intimidating man who exhibits a
generally aggressive personality. Well-known for his wrestling prowess, Okonkwo seems to
threaten attacks even while walking. This quote offers one of the first suggestions that
Okonkwo’s violent tendencies border on being socially inappropriate.
 
Quote 2: “Okonkwo walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned he
beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. His first two
wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week. But Okonkwo was
not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess.”
(Diction(negative con.), Characterization) 
Here Okonkwo beats Ojiugo for failing to cook his evening meal, losing himself so thoroughly in
anger that he refuses to stop even when reminded that such violence breaks the peace of the
sacred week. The idea that Okonkwo does not fear divine wrath for his transgression is ironic,
given that he’s otherwise so committed to Igbo religion. Such an irony marks an important rift
between Okonkwo’s commitment to his clan and his commitment to his own power.
 
Quote 3: “As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo
looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna cry,
“My father, they have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his
machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought of as weak.” (Diction (negative con.),
Characterization.)

This passage from Chapter 7 narrates Okonkwo’s execution of Ikemefuna. This scene represents
a tragic culmination of two contrasting emotions in Okonkwo. Okonkwo has grown to love
Ikemefuna like a son, but this love amplifies Okonkwo’s fear of being considered weak. In the
end his fear wins out. Okonkwo’s act also has significant implications for his future. Not only
does the event mark a break in Okonkwo’s relationship with his son Nwoye, who loved
Ikemefuna, but the execution represents yet another instance when Okonkwo goes against the
wisdom of the clan.
 
Quote 4: “Let us not reason like cowards,” said Okonkwo. “If a man comes into my hut and
defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head.
That is what a man does.” (Tone ( irritated and displeased), Diction (negative con.))

In Chapter 18 Okonkwo responds to other clansmen who say that Umuofia has never fought on
behalf of its gods and shouldn’t do so now. Okonkwo argues that the white men pose an
existential threat that could contaminate Umuofia’s entire way of life. To make his point,
Okonkwo likens Umuofia’s situation to one in which a man bursts into another man’s hut and
contaminates the space. The only appropriate response to such an act is retaliation. However,
Okonkwo doesn’t convince the others to take a strong stand, and the longstanding difference in
opinion between him and his fellow clansmen remains intact.
 
Quote 5: “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest,
lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (characterization, pronoun: his, diction: negative
connotation, symbolism)

Okonkwo had a lot of wives, grew a lot of yams and gained a lot of properties which made him
really powerful in their society. Okonkwo used his power to abuse and violently treat his wives
and people with less power than him. He thought he had the right to abuse anyone because of his
power. The pronoun he portrays is that the wives are described as property because of
Okonkwo’s power he thinks he owns them.

2- Gender roles
a. Persepolis
Quote 1: “We found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends.”
Persepolis opens at the moment in Iranian history when it becomes obligatory for women to wear
the veil and schools become segregated by gender. The veil is a symbol of women oppression in
such a patriarchal society. One thing that's important to note is that only women wear the veil.
The boys' clothes change, but they're never as restrictive as a veil. In the “veil chapter” there was
a panel that illustrates how men and women were obligated to change their looks after the
regime. It was evident that women were obligated their whole appearance where men don’t.

Quote 2: "They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against a wall
and f***ed and then thrown in the garbage." (diction and tone)

This traumatic experience happened to Marjane's mother because she's not wearing a veil. The
insulting use of dictionhighlights how women are not respected in such corrupted government. It
also highlights how women who do not embrace this strict rule can be subjected to rape or
violent abuse on the streets. Also, the aggressive and insulting tone shows how women were
degraded.
Quote 3: “I wanted to be an educated, liberated woman...and soanother dream went up in
smoke” (characterization of Marjane)

This shows how women were not allowed to be educated in such country and they were meant to
be house wives in order to serve their husbands. In this chapter there was an allusion made to
marry curry, where Marjane was hopping to be a scientist like her, but due to the extreme gender
inequality, she had to leave her country to receive education. 

Quote 4: "It's against the law to kill a virgin, so a guardian of the revolution marries her and
takes her virginity before executing her. Do you understand what that
means??" (Characterization of Niloufar) (symbol of women oppression)

Marjane’s parents explain the regime’s horrible treatment of arrested women. They explain that
when a girl who is a virgin and also unmarried gets arrested, a Guardian of the
Revolution forcibly marries and rapes her before the execution. The rationale is that it is against
the law to kill a virgin, so they solve the issue by making sure the girl is no longer a virgin. This
horrifying situation is exactly what Niloufar underwent before her execution.

Quote 5: "[Marji] should start learning to defend her rights as a woman right
now!" (Characterization of Marjane’s mother)

This quote shows how Marjane’s mother condemn such restrictions imposed on women and
wants her daughter not to conform to such standards, her worrying tone is a result to the new
rules that were set to restrict women, yet Marjane’s mother refuses to let her daughter be a victim
to such laws.

b. Macbeth
Quote 1: “ When you durst do it, then you were a man” - lady macbeth ( characterization,
symbol)
This quote was said by Lady Macbeth to Macbeth before the murder of King Duncan. In this
quote, the characterization of Lady Macbeth is prominent, as she is seen defying the gender roles
imposed on her and actively challenging Macbeth’s masculinity in order to manipulate him into
serving her ambitious goals, rather than abiding to a woman’s societal role at that time, which
was to suppress men’s needs rather than surpass and challenge them. For this reason, Lady
Macbeth became a symbol for the fate of those who defy not only the king's confidence, but also
their societal role, illustrating Shakespeare's sexist ideologies.

Quote 2: “Come you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.” - Lady Macbeth
( characterization , tone, Theme of ambition)

This quote showcases Lady Macbeth as a character who defies gender stereotypes, begging the
spirits to strip her of her womanhood so she could kill her king, to whom she vowed to be loyal.
Her tone is desperate, demonstrating how her only impediment to success is her gender.

Quote 3: “ O gentle lady, 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak.” - Macduff ( diction,Irony,
tone , symbol)

This was said by Macduff to Lady Macbeth after King Duncan’s demise. He suggested that the
woman shouldn’t hear about the king’s murder, as she would be too fragile and weak to handle
it. This is ironic, as she was the one behind the king’s murder. Furthermore, Macduff's
sympathetic and yet condescending tone is a symbol for how women are seen in society: as
fragile and weak.

Quote 4: “I shall do so but i must feel it as a man.I cannot but remember such things were that
were most precious to me” -Macduff ( tone, Characterization , use of pronouns )

This quote was said by Macduff as he heard that his wife and children are in danger.This quote
perfectly captures the character of Macduff,a man who conforms to his societal
role.Furthermore, The tone conveys protectiveness and determination to hid his fear over his
family.
Quote 5: “You should be woman, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so.” -
Banquo ( tone , characterization)

This was said by Banquo to the witches in a sarcastic tone, showcasing the beauty standards that
woman have to abide to be perceived as ‘normal’.This connects back to the characterization of
the witches who are perceived to ugly and weird , which ultimately makes them evil.

c. Things fall apart

Quote 1: “…was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he
could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia's latest war he was the first to bring home a human
head.” (diction)

Okonkwo is both brave and violent; his strength is astounding, but it also manifests itself in hasty
and aggressive behavior. In the nature of the town men are supposed to be violent and aggressive
that’s what defines their manhood. Although Okonkwo is correct that the call indicates conflict
with another tribe, his tendency to jump to violent conclusions foreshadows how his reliance on
violence will lead to his downfall.

Quote 2: “Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still
preferred the stories that his mother used to tell” (symbolism, diction)

Although Nwoye has begun to take on more manly responsibilities in Okonkwo's household, he
still prefers stereotypically "feminine" activities. The stories are a symbol for femininity
according to Umuofia’s tribe, men are supposed to grow crops and gain prizes and trophies to be
masculine enough. It is notable that biological sex does not necessarily correlate to the gender of
the tasks that one prefers: Nwoye is a boy, but his preference for “the stories that his mother used
to tell” reveals a feminine tendency that Okonkwo hates.

Quote 3: “Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.” (Symbolism, diction)

Okonkwo reflects on this remark as he considers Nwoye's conversion to Christianity. Its
depiction symbolizes Okonkwo's powerful, impassioned personality giving birth to a son deemed
exceedingly feeble. Thus, this statement as an indicator that Okonkwo has embraced the gentler,
"feminine" aspects of storytelling and language, despite the fact that the phrase itself implies the
opposite. Rather, it restores Okonkwo's manly nature as "living fire" contrasting the weak,
feminine Nwoye as "cold, impotent ash." Though Okonkwo has finally engaged in the game of
imagistic language favored throughout the narrative, the manner in which he does so only
reinforces his harsh and divisive worldview.

Quote 4: Ezinma took the dish in one hand and the empty water bowl in the other and went back
to her mother's hut. “She should have been a boy,” Okonkwo said to himself again.
(Characterization, tone)
Enzima is serving Okonkwo, and he is ruminating on her male characteristics once more. This
section clarifies gender roles in Umuofia civilization. Once again, the language separates a
character's sex from the sort of action he or she takes. Enzima, for example, might adopt
conventional male qualities by being forceful with Okonkwo. Okonkwo respects her for
following the instruction and then complimenting her for doing so. However, when Okonkwo
adds, "she should have been a boy," The tone of the narrative shifts: while masculine activities
are commendable, they just make Okonkwo wish he was housed in a male body as well. As a
result, although the narrative challenges some of the gender binaries at play, it simultaneously
reinforces them. Finally, at least for Okonkwo, the gender of acts and the sex of the character
should correlate.

Quote 5: “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest,
lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (characterization, pronoun: his, diction: negative
connotation, symbolism)

Men are the dominant sex in the Igbo society, and they "rule" over their families, including their
wives. Women are forced to a subservient role, frequently living in terror of their husbands.
Okonkwo's fury with his family is never shown as praiseworthy, yet he has every right to be
angry at home. To be considered masculine, he must be forceful and aggressive, which displays
 his character. The pronoun "his women" depicts the way Okonkwo claims his wives as property,
which ties to the objectification and masculinity required to confirm females.
d. Antigone
Quote 1: Creon to Haemon: “one must defend order, and in no way be less than a woman. Better
felled by a man, if need be, than called weaker than women” (diction/tone) 
The statement shows that it is considered disgraceful for a man to be called weaker than a
woman, and it implies that males by their very nature are stronger than females, both physically
and mentally. It suggests that females are viewed as qualitatively worse than males and,
therefore, are less important. In fact, Creon says that it is better for a man to die than be
compared to a woman. This part of the statement points to an extremely negative perception of
female qualities and roles by Athenian men.

Quote 2: Creon to Antigone: “While I live, no woman shall rule me” (tone) 

This statement is in line with an old-fashioned patriarchal perspective on gender, which suggests
that the social roles of men and women are determined by their inherent biological and
psychological characteristics. It implies that women, by their very nature, are unfit for leading
people and especially men who are viewed as more rational and intellectually capable of taking
leadership positions and making the right political decisions.

Quote 3: Ismene: "The rest, if we defy our sovereign’s edict and his power. Remind ourselves
that we are women, and as such not made to fight with men. For might unfortunately is right and
makes us bow to things like this and worse." (diction, tone, characterization)

This quote clearly portrays the position of women being lower than men, therefore being
undermined in this patriarchal society. Women at that time also didn’t have any power over men,
and women are not made to fight men. Furthermore, Sophocles uses Ismene to represent the
women at that period of time because she is afraid of Creon and his power. Therefore, she is
scared to help Antigone bury Polinices. The perspective of general women at that time is also
described by the perspective of Ismene, where she always feels weaker than men. She always
portrays that as a woman she can’t face men.

Quote 4: Creon: “What visitation do I see from heaven? And one I wish I could deny. I am
amazed-it is Antigone. What! They bring you here in charge? Poor Antigone, daughter of
unlucky Oedipus. Were you rash enough to cross the King? And did they take you in your
folly?”

This quote depicts how Creon is amazed that Antigone, a woman, is the one who actually was
brave enough to break the law. Therefore, this portrays that Creon always undermines women,
hence him mistakenly thinking that Antigone wasn’t strong and brave enough to bury
Polyneices. To add on, women were always seen as weaker than men, hence not being brave
enough to break the law.

Quote 5: Creon: “This girl, already versed in disrespect when first she disobeyed my law, now
adds a second insult-vaunts it to my face. O, she’s the man, not I, if she can walk away
unscathed.” (diction, tone, sarcasm)

This quote depicts how Creon is degrading from Antigone, therefore being sarcastic about her
being as brave as a man. Antigone didn’t hesitate when she was speaking with Creon, hence
portraying how she doesn’t believe in rules created by men but believes in the gods. Therefore,
she is opposing the gender roles that Creon and other men are trying to impose on her.

3- Identity
a. Persepolis
Quote 1: With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye." – Marjane  -Symbolism, Mode of
Narration
The cigarette is a symbol of Satrapi's independence, but it is also a symbol of her own act of
rebellion against what is going on in her nation and against her mother, who still considers
Satrapi to be a kid. The shift from metaphorical and idiomatic speech to declarative and direct
narrative is meant to represent Marjane's maturation from a kid to an adult and transition from
childhood to adulthood

Quote 2: "I was playing a game by somebody's else's rules" – Marjane: Lack of Identity.

Individual vs. society

The analogy of the 'game' contrasts society to a game in which the individual must abide by the
rules established by society.

b. Things fall apart

Quote 1: “At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by
constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth.”
(Diction/characterization).

The negative connotation of words like “nagging” and “beating” revealed Okonkwo’s harsh and
relentless character. Okonkwo’s character was always consumed with the image of what a true
man should look like and forced that image upon his son who did not always conform to those
standards. Nwoye’s character can also be seen through the negative connotation in “sad-faced”
which shows how Nwoye grew up without an identity in hopes of satisfying his father.

Quote 2: “He felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul. The words of the
hymn were like the drops of frozen rain melting on the dry palate of the panting earth.”
(Simile/characterization)

Simile compares the hymn sung at the church with rain that quenches the thirst of the panting
earth. This image created is representative of how the church and their values were what
quenched Nwoye’s thirst for a sense of belonging and truly finding his identity.

Quote 3: “Okonkwo’s fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within
himself.” (Characterization)

This quote reveals Okonkwo’s character motivation which is fear. Okonkwo’s fatal flaw was his
fear of failure and fear of not being viewed as a hyper-masculine man.

Quote 4: “And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion – to hate everything that his father Unoka
had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness.”
(Characterization/diction)
This quote reveals the true character motivation of Okonkwo. His entire personality and identity
is derived from his hatred of his father. It can be inferred that Okonkwo is not actually a violent
and hyper-masculine man, he simply created this false identity due to his fear of becoming like
his father. Diction is also skillfully used in the sense that words like ‘gentleness’ which typically
have a positive connotation are used in a negative light to expose how Okonkwo’s identity has
been completely overcome with the false of masculinity.

Quote 5: “Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still
preferred the stories that his mother used to tell” (diction/symbolism)

The phrase ‘knew it was right’ reveals how society has customs that were set in stone for many
years regarding how a man and woman should behave. These confinements restricted Nwoye’s
true identity and for many years led to him becoming someone he is not, someone like his father.
The tales and stories of his mother are symbolic of freedom to express your true identity which is
something Nwoye always thirsted for.

c. Pygmalion
Quote 1: Eliza: “He's no right to take away my character. My character is the same to me as any
lady's” – diction, tone

Diction: “no right”, “character” shows her attachment to her identity. Tone: Angry, determined.

Quote 2: Eliza: “I sold flowers. I didn't sell myself. Now you've made a lady of me I'm not fit to
sell anything else”

Diction: “sell myself” further elaborates her dilemma and man against self-conflict. Symbolism:
The flowers symbolize Eliza’s true identity and the fact that she can’t sell them any more
portrays how she lost her sense of identity and is facing an internal struggle.

Quote 3: Eliza: I'd like to kill you, you selfish brute. Why didn't you leave me where you picked
me out of—in the gutter? You thank God it's all over, and that now you can throw me back again
there, do you?

Diction: “kill”, “selfish”, “brute”, “gutter”, “picked”, “throw” Eliza’s tone and diction portray
her fury and anxiousness due to her fear of loss as she struggles to find her true self. Symbolism:
Eliza symbolizes the internal conflict members of the different social classes suffer from.
Rhetorical Question: Eliza has no clue what her life will turn out to be as she struggles to
maintain her identity.

Quote 4: Eliza: But do you know what began my real education? What? Your calling me Miss
Doolittle that day when I first came to Wimpole Street. That was the beginning of self-respect
for me.

Tone: Thankful, Appreciative. Characterization: A major aspect of Eliza’s identity is her self-
respect, where she found her true self and desire for respect after meeting Pickering and
visualizing his respect for her.

Quote 5: Eliza: There are your slippers. And there. Take your slippers; and may you never have a
day’s luck with them!

Symbolism: the slippers first symbolizes Eliza’s submission to duties of members of the
different social classes (and women); then when she used it to hit Higgins it symbolized her
attachment to identity and her will to challenge the standards imposed on her. Characterization:
Eliza become more aware of her rights to establish her own identity and is becoming more
rebellious. Tone: Eliza used a furious tone, which portrays Eliza’s willingness to establish her
identity.