How are the characters empowered or disempowered in 'Brilliant Lies' and 'Othello'?

Essay by YoakimHigh School, 11th gradeA, March 2007

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The characters in the texts of Shakespeare's 'Othello' and David Williamson's 'Brilliant Lies' show the characters levels of personal power at the start, in which they either lose or lose a degree throughout the plot. The main characters in 'Brilliant lies' are Susy Connor and Gary Fitzgerald and in 'Othello' they are Othello and Iago. The elements of sex, jealousy, and the lies that they have constructed in other individual's perception of events, has enabled characters to manipulate other characters to expose their weaknesses, where by at the end of the texts, there is a reverse in the role of power. The author's different use of techniques such as symbols, stage directions and dialogue contributes to how these characters have been empowered or disempowered.

At the start of the play, Susy is disempowered by being financially reliant on men such as her father and in her past relationships, which has caused her to lose respect and a sense of self worth through promiscuous relationships, "Who supported you for those three years?" "Men".

This is shown through David Williamson's use of the events in Susy's past that has impacted on her present, in which this displays a pattern from her past to her present.

Susy is also disempowered due to her sister Katy's doubt in the validity of the truth that is situated in her claim. Katy reveals the truth to the conciliator Marion, "I was lying. Susy didn't tell me anything", and eventually refuses to life for her sister in the end, which also disempowers Susy. David Williamson shows Susy's past record of lying since childhood, which consequently limits the validity in her story, and this has ultimately led Katy to disbelieve her. Katy acts as the mature sister that also disempowers Susy, as she is...