How does Mahfouz illustrate how fate is a major determiner of one’s happiness in life?

How does Mahfouz illustrate how fate is a major determiner of one’s happiness in life?

Throughout , or more so in the earlier stages of the novel, we see a conflict between Said's fate and his free will. Perhaps, one may argue that Said had many fates, such as his fate to live with Nur or to live a spiritual life, but he chose the fate for violence and revenge by free will. However, when see from Said's stance, the other two options were pointless in a way that it did not fit into his definition of the ideal world that has been set by being Rauf's companion in theft; when he was betrayed by his closest friends and was sent away to jail, he equipped the lens of hatred and vengeance with which he viewed the world after being free from prison. Hence, with such lens, he was predetermined to his fate. 

We can also closely link to one's upbringing and his/her fate. Said, when he was young, lost his dad from a mysterious death and saw his mom get kicked out from a hospital; he, from young age, experienced loss and ill-treatment by others, which later influences his fate and hinders him to pursue a happier life such as the path of love and spirituality. Therefore, Mahfouz is trying to address the importance of circumstance of birth as well as relationship with others in relation to one's fate and the pursuit of happiness. 

The Thief and The Dogs Text Analysis

                

_Yes, these words will glitter; they'll be crowned with a not-guilty verdict. You are sure of what you say. And apart from that, they will believe, deep down, that your profession is lawful, a profession of gentlemen at all times and everywhere, that the truly false values--yes!-are those that value your life in pennies and your death at a thousand pounds. The judge over on the left is winking at you; cheer up!_  

_"I will always seek the head of Rauf Ilwan, even as a last request from the hangman, even before seeing my daughter. I am forced not to count my life in days. A hunted man only feeds on new excitements, which pour down upon him in the span of his solitude like rain."_ 

 The verdict will be no more cruel than Sana's cold shyness towards you. She killed you before the hangman could. And even the sympathy of the millions for you is voiceless, impotent, like the longings of the dead. Will they not forgive the gun its error, when it is their most elevated master?  

"Whoever kills me will be killing the millions. I am the hope and the dream, the redemption of cowards; I am good principles, consolation, the tears that recall the weeper to humility. And the declaration that I'm mad must encompass all who are loving. Examine the causes of this insane occasion, then reach your judgement however you wish!" 

 His dizziness increased.  

Then the verdict came down: that he was a great man, truly great in every sense of the word. His greatness might be momentarily shrouded in black, from a community of sympathy with all those graves out there, but the glory of his greatness would live on, even after death. Its fury was blessed by the force that flowed through the roots of plants, the cells of animals and the hearts of men.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ANALYSIS

               This text uncovers Said’s delusional characteristic which is not only evidence of his hamartia but also his hubris, foreshadowing Said’s later downfall. This part of the novel is situated right after he finds out that he had failed to assassinate Rauf and murdered an innocent man instead, becoming drunk in despair and disappointment of his failure to kill Rauf.  Being drunk, said dreams and talks to himself, thus the text is intentionally italicized to draw a clear distinction between the third-person omniscient view and internal monologues, or in other words, the employment of stream of consciousness. Through this co-existence of both narratives, we as readers are presented with two perspectives, one from the eyes of the publicity of Egypt and the other from the eyes of Said.

               This text, in particular, consists of internal monologues which allow readers to have a glance at Said’s candid mindset. In this case, we see Said’s fervor for vengeance against those who betrayed him and his blindness to realize his wrongdoings; this goes as far as to being overconfidence about himself believing that the public will praise him like a hero. We see him assign heroic archetypes to himself throughout the text when equates his death to the death of the millions, ‘the hope’, ‘the dream’, ‘good principles’, and ‘consolation’.  However, this escalates to be his hubris as exemplified where he calls the peasants as cowards.

               In addition to attributing heroic archetypes to himself to provide justification of his killing of an innocent man, Said appeals to his losses resulting from the betrayal of his wife, mentor, and the society as a whole. Said describes himself as a ‘hunted man’ in ‘Solitude’ and implies that he has been a lone prey to all his enemies. He further adds that he ‘only feeds on new excitements’; the word, excitement, connotes the meaning of bloodthirst to kill and avenge. Said references to ‘Sana’s cold shyness’ and how even a death sentence cannot outweigh the pain, delivering an underlying statement that any consequence of killing is not enough to stop him from beheading his foes.

               The text closes with Said being vindicated and acquiring the title of ‘a great man’ whom all  living organisms-plants, animals, and humans-glorify his greatness. However, we as readers are aware of the asymmetry between Said’s delusions and the corrupt reality of Egypt. By this time of the novel, the readers have observed the “gradual downfall” or precisely, recurring peripeteia, and foresee the death of Said; the only question they have left is whether his death is larger than what he actually deserves. 

The Thief and the Dog: Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that depicts the different emotional, physiological, and subconscious states to form one's awareness. In effect, the readers are exposed to the mind of the character without any restrictions. This technique is usually shown in the form of internal monologues.

Within the novel, Mahfouz makes use of both third-person omniscient view and internal monologues of said, making the readers understand Said's harsh circumstances such as betrayal of his wife and mentor, Rauf. This technique is especially evident in chapter 11 where Said finds out that it was not Rauf he had shot but it was Rauf's body guard and following this, Nur leaves Said. This chain of externalities is depicted thoroughly and candidly through the third omniscient view, but the readers are exposed to the emotional breakdown of Said through the italicized internal monologues. Thus, marking Said's peripeteia, a change in fortune, and Said's later death is foreshadowed through the death imagery elucidated by diction like 'graveyard'. Because the readers become aware of his unfortunate fate when Said himself cannot, this increase the tension required for a crime thriller.

Furthermore, Said becomes blur in his decisions and becomes irrational as shown by internal monologues and especially when he falls asleep and has a dream that is completely contradictory of the actual situation. In the dream, he imagines himself being vindicated by the common people for being an undercover hero working towards the equal distribution within Egypt. However, this is not the case, as the publicity stands against him; there are news and headlines about Said's crime. This clear disparity highlights his irrationality. Such heroic and competent characterization stands in clear contrast with Said’s failure to rob Rauf’s house, his murder on two innocent people and his eventual downfall. It is important to take note of the combination of both omniscient third-person narration and stream of consciousness narration feeding to the characterization of Said’s dual perspective of justice and revenge.

It is also important to take the context of production into account. As learnt in class, it was after the post-revolution of Egypt, and with this in mind, Mahfouz employs the stream of consciousness style in a deliberate and precise fashion to express his ideologies through the protagonist Said who is constantly characterized as a tragic hero experiencing a contextual movement under Nasser. In chapter 1, for example, as soon as Said is released from prison, the readers are exposed to Said's spiteful monologue regarding his revenge against Ilish and Nabawiyya. This is explicitly shown in the quote: "Nabawiyya. Ilish. Your two names merge in my mind...You'll be watching now, but I won't fall into the trap. At the right moment, instead, I'll strike like Fate.” When the readers are presented with this quote, they are presented with a sudden exposition which they believe to be the driving force of the whole plot. Right away, this motive imbues excitement and suspense they expect from the crime thriller novel. Adding on, this novel has been the pioneering novel of Modernism in Arab canon. At the same time, Mahfouz opens a new realm of psychological realism which allows authors to elicit complexities. 

In comparison to Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart, they clearly use different narrative styles: One using a circumlocutory style and the other using a stream of consciousness. Each is used deliberately by each authors in accordance with the historical, political and cultural contexts. 

Blog Post

Your task is to write a response that evaluates the study of literature in translation. Your response should demonstrate an awareness of specific benefits and challenges through references to today’s readings, as well as making tangible connections to the learning outcome from Part 3 of the course. 

It is quite easy to access literature in translation nowadays and not many people can tell the difference between English-translated literature and English-written literature. The reason is that translators put endless effort and time to preserve the authenticity of the original piece. To do this, they take the context in which the original piece was written; understanding of the context influences the connotation and symbolism every word stands for.

Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it sounds. Translators often misunderstand the context and translate in terms of the denotation rather than the connotation, hence, there is now a loss of authenticity and the author's intention. Conversely, even though the translators did understand the context, difficulties lie in the nature of languages; every language has its own characteristics and is distinct to all other languages. Due to this nature, translators have to make sacrifices when translating, as there may be some words in one language that are untranslatable in other languages or may be words that lose their symbolic connotation when they are translated. In conjunction to this, translators may unintentionally or, at times, intentionally add new meanings within the text by misinterpreting the original.

Despite the limitations, there are more benefits of translating literature. The foremost benefit is the promotion of global integration through cultural unification resulting from languages traveling across national borders. When languages cross borders, the cultures and traditions do so as well, as they are deliberately and precisely embedded in literature. Furthermore, this leads to enrichment of languages, as there unique expressions are shared.

All in all, translating literature and publishing in other nations do have limitations, but these could be prevented by the translator; the benefits, on the other hand, are immense.

Pastiche: Cryptocurrencies

Opinion Column Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/stay-away-from-bitcoin-its-complete-garbage-2017-06-15

Column Summary: In this Opinion post, Brett Arends criticizes the uprising popularity of cryptocurrencies, namely Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum, claiming that their primary uses are for online gambling and money laundering. This use of strong negative vocabulary coupled with his technique of incorporating an image of a garbage dump and a dialogue that displays the confusion of cryptocurrency users highlights his hateful attitude towards these cryptocurrencies. As a result, his bias is identified early on, evidence for which is provided throughout his column.
Looking at the dialogue that he uses to emphasize his point: cryptocurrency users and fans often dont understand what they are talking about, he uses irony in the comment “You don’t understand!” wherein he attempts to show his audience the naivety and ignorance of these fans and users. Moreover, the dialogue is between the “fan” and more importantly “you” where he forces his ideology onto his audience by putting them on the spot as against these “fans.”

He then chooses to split his arguments into 3 main sections. In the first, he debates how valid the point is that cryptocurrencies are immune to inflation while highlighting that they fluctuate immensely and can “fall 30% in a week.” In the second section, he goes on to emphasize his point that cryptocurrencies fluctuate a lot using the simple example of potato purchasing which instills a deeper sense of fear in his audience. Finally, in the third section he argues that just like global currencies, cryptocurrencies are also subject to competition with the exception that due to their fast-growing paces and competitive natures, they are subject to even more fluctuations and uncertainty.

Text Recreation: Pastiche

Opinion: Invest in cryptocurrencies – the future of global currency

Published: November 25, 2017 2:11 p.m. GST

Why Cryptocurrencies? Faster Transactions, Secure and NO!! Government Intervention

In a period that has come to be known as the Information-Age, most of everything has to do with some form of digital processing and recording. This has opened up a world of faster communication and faster action. Everything is now digital, from carrying out your daily grocery shopping to the planning of the next Mission to Mars. So, wouldn’t you have expected a new currency that is solely digital and has no physical value or representation? Well, in fact, these so called digital currencies are called “cryptocurrencies” and have been around for the past decade. Almost everyone who is technologically-savvy is aware of these cryptocurrencies and if you manage to bump into one of these people, im pretty sure you’re conversation would be something like this:

You: Why do you choose cryptocurrencies over established global currencies? What makes you think that Bitcoin is going to be a bigger than something like the US$ already is?

Techie: It’s definitely going to be bigger than any national currency and that’s because everything is online. I can buy and sell things online quicker and can even go for vacations without worrying about exchanging my money.

You: Well, I can buy things online almost as easily as you claim you can with Paypal, so what’s all the fuss about with cryptocurrencies?

Techie: I haven’t even got to the best parts yet. With cryptocurrencies, there is absolutely no government inflation and hence these currencies are almost immune to inflations, something that the central bank could easily adjust with Fiscal and Monetary policies. Furthermore, The transfer of money value is instantaneous without any loss. This means that I could leave Abu Dhabi and move to London tomorrow and have all my finances waiting there before I arrive.

You: Woah, so its completely decentralized with no head control? That’s amazing.

Techie: Yep, everything is run and adjusted by the user. Revolutionary.

Its REALLY!! Secure

In what ways could Wallace’s theory about education be applicable to the writing of Alice Munro?

David Foster Wallace’s theory on education was that education shouldn’t solely focus on abundance of knowledge but also or more so focus on simple awareness; he adds in his speech that college injects over-intellectualized stuff in our consciousness. Another intriguing aspect of his theory was that true freedom is achieved when attention, awareness, discipline, effort, caring and sacrifice for others are all involved. In his speech, he referred a person who is able to practice as being ‘well-adjusted’.

This can be applied to the written pieces of Alice Munro whose stories include awakenings of a female character whether it is in terms of her true identity-like in Boys and Girls-or of her surroundings-like in Moons Jupiter. A commonality of the 6 books is that the female narrator experiences a turning point either by observing a certain event second handedly or undergoing the event first-handedly; the narrator feeds to the realization by being a ‘well-adjusted’ person just as David had mentioned in his speech. For example, in Moons and Jupiter, the female narrator-mom- understands her absent children and sick dad although it is done very inexpressively,

Another important notion David brought up in his theory of education was the ‘reality’ and how self-centered mindset cannot persist and shouldn’t persist, but rather having a mindset that is more comprehensive. By comprehensive, I am referring to a mindset that is broad and understanding enough to think for others; this is called, ‘Shared Humanity’.

In Munro’s short stories, we commonly have a gist of shared humanity in a way that the female does break out of their self-centered mindsets. The largest outbreak seems to appear in Passion where the female narrator seduces her brother in law. Although it may be easily argued that the narrator’s self-centered mindset worsened later after the dramatic event where Neil and the narrator almost have a sexual relationship, but after that event her guilt escalates and even more after she receives a thousand dollar note, freeing up the follow up of the story’s ending for readers’ own imaginations. However, as a reader myself I imagine a follow-up where the female narrator matures and determine to care more for others-a typical coming of age

Paper 2 Outline

Prompt: With reference to Things Fall Apart, discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood.

Thesis: To a reader with a contemporary Western understanding of gender, the  rigidly established gender roles both by the Igbo society and Okonkwo, and his relationship with secondary characters i then interpreted as profound hatred. 

Topic sentence 1: Through the precise decoration of the Igbo society in the first part of the book, the readers are presented a story and setting that challenged their former thoughts on Africa. Through this candid decoration and presentation, the readers are almost disgusted by the gender inequality. 
Topic sentence 2: Through the use of such places such as Mbanta, Chinua Achbe also emphasizes that women were also valued, and that gender inequalities within the book were merely anomalies
Topic sentence 3:Through the use of Igbo proverbs and other evidences of orality, Achebe demonstrates the difference in Okonkwo's and the Igbo ideals of gender despite the evidence of rigid gender roles in both. 

Thesis practice

Promt: The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in Things Fall Apart.

Thesis

Chinua Achebe, a Christian but also an Igbo-originated writer presents a text highlighting the complexity and duality of his identity and also the Igbo society. This presentation of complexity and duality servers as a backbone for how the Igbo civilization fell apart. 

Topic sentence 1: The author's style of writing is a reflection of the duality of Chinua Achebe as both a Christian-western influenced person- and also an Igbo.
Topic sentence 2: The introduction of the irrational Igbo customs suggest as to why the members of the society so readily accepted the Western ways. 
Topic sentence 3:  Okonkwo's inflexibility juxtaposes with the Igbo duality, which may insinuate the flaws and the eventual fall of Igbo society. 

Thesis statement

Prompt: With reference to Things Fall Apart, show how sub-plots or secondary characters contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole.


The thorough characterization of Unoka, Nwoye and Enzima exists to underscore the inconsistencies and contradictions of the Ibo society, constructing the idea that the Ibo society was not a perfect one. This idea is the overarching theme which presents the flaws that have existed within the Igbo society and how those flaws were a chance for the western people.

Okonkwo

1. What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? 

Okonkwo continuously strives to achieve success and condemns laziness. He displays hyper-masculinity as well as extreme inflexibility. He has solely one vision of what it means to be a man. Okonkwo's character is significant in that he is a tragic hero archetype, displaying hubris, peripeteia, hamartia, and anagorisis. 
Also, some of his values are reflective of Ibo values. For example, his obsession with titles and recognition is reflective of the hierarchal nature of the Ibo society.  
He represents the old. He is the one holding on to the old values, as evidenced by how he tries to get the tribesmen to drive away the Western influences. Therefore, he is symbolic of the old ways of Ibo life. 
His life falling apart is emblematic of how the Ibo society fell apart, town by town, while the Ibo people themselves weren't fully realizing. 
As a tragic hero archetype, he meets his tragic end. The last hold-on to the old is gone, and so is the old way of life, and the new reality called Nigeria emerges. 

2. What is the purpose of Okonkwo’s character within the text? 

One would be to contribute to the themes as mentioned in the answer to the next question. 
Another is already discussed in the first question, which is to work as a symbol. 

3. How does Okonkwo’s character contribute to themes or meaning

Okonkwo's character contributes to the theme of gender. His inflexible nature exposes the social structure of the Ibo society based on gender to an exaggerated and extreme extent. He calls out on men without titles for being a woman, and is pained by the fact that Enzima is a daughter. It is arguable that this is reflective on the Ibo society as it did have some gender roles. Even in agriculture, there were female crops and male crops. There were female sins, and male sins. Okonkwo's character further highlights this theme of gender already prevalent in the novel. 
Also, his tenacious and inflexible nature leads to adding to the theme of the clash between old and new. 

TRAGIC HERO

We are all very familiar with the Achebe's choice of selecting a protagonist an anti-hero, but we are not very familiar with why Achebe had done this and what effects this has on us as readers in terms of its cultural context. 

To understand this in a deeper level and more easily, let's consider what would have happened if Achebe characterized Okonkwo as an antithesis of his original personality. If Okonkow was of benign and friendly nature, he would have been identical to other members in his clan, very obedient and compliant to changes. Then, Achebe would have not been able to explicitly unravel the destruction and disorder the 'Westerns' have brought, but would have highlighted the upside they have brought such as what Achebe describes in his Interview: 'A more efficient form of life'. However, by delineating Okonkwo as rather a very hostile, easily outraged, and resistant to what he dislikes, Achebe is able to achieve what a benign and gentle Okonkwo would not have. That is, emphasizing the abrupt obliteration that has been put upon the people, the way they think, governmental system, and root of their culture. 

To go into the possible reason why Achebe employed the tragic hero archetype on a more profound level, it is crucial to peruse the characteristics of a tragic hero. A common tragic hero has a hamartia, a tragic flaw or flaws, and in case of Achebe it is inability to be in harmony with his surroundings. Next, tragic heroes undergo perepeteia, a turning point of their fortune and fate, and a course of perepeteia reveals a tragic hero's hamartia. Likewise, when Okonkwo finds out that his land, Umofia, is a city of Christianity followers-this scene being the parapeteia-he is unable to control his anger and be in harmony with the new custom of his village-his inability to control emotion and be in harmony being the hamartias. However, near the end of the story, Achebe deliberately evokes pity and shame for Okonkwo among the audience by illustrating a scene where a number of white officers deride Okonkwo after his lamentable death . If Okonkwo was protagonist who hasn't gone through peripeteia, without hamartias and of good nature, Achebe wouldn't have been able to employ this scene because there would be no need for the white officers to pillory Okonkwo's death. 

SPEECH

Good evening ladies and gentlemen of The Royal Colonial Institute, 

I feel honored to be here as a representative of many missionaries in Africa, and I, as once a missionary in Western-Africa, am here to inform you with how my life was back there. 

There were many great people, although some were very hostile and unwelcoming my existence and Christianity. However, they were willing to give me a small portion of land which they considered evil and unsafe, a burial ground for those who have done misdeed. With the support of Our graceful God, I was able to survive there and was able to prove the very love of our God. Their Gods, or I should say supreme beings, had the name, Chukwu, who, from what I have been told, is relentless, vicious, and materialistic. Then, I had spread the 'Good News' to the Ibo people not as means of colonization,but as means of doing what our foremost Queen and our foremost God have told me to do. The result was favorable: many Ibo people were attracted by this and joined Christianity. Majority of them were outcasts, who have been thrown away from the mainland, but there was this one intelligent and benign child named Nwoye, a son of brave and man-like Okonkwo, who came into my eyes than any other converters. She explained to me about the beauty and valuable cultures and traditions of Igbo. The harmony with nature, the harmony with music, the harmony with people were beyond gorgeous

Yet, these cultures and traditions are being destroyed and crumbled into pieces.by colonizers and of them include us, the British Empire, the appointed and blessed citizens of God. Destroying the harmony with nature, destroying the harmony with music, destroying the harmony with people, and lastly, destroying the beauty of their culture into fragments are not the reasons why God dispatched us to Africa.  

Now, for those who do not appreciate my words and do not appreciate the pulchritude of the Igbo culture, I do want to use this opportunity to open up your eyes. Well, let us not forget that these are humans just like we are, and they are of kind nature. They believe it is a 'must' to be united as a community. Although the village is divided into clans who are not always favorable to each other, they do not forget the importance of union. Occasionally, the whole village gather around to enjoy celebrations and I can't emphasize more how splendid and unforgettable they were. The food people shared across individuals, families, and clans was filled with genuine love. The yams I had eaten was a true resemblance of masculinity and spirituality. The Kola nuts I was offered to break was worth more than just nuts but was rather a symbol of their sincerity and reverence.

However, it would be certainly a lie if I say the journey was only full of felicity. Honestly, there were more fatiguing times than pleasurable times, but I can tell you this, what made me tired was not the Igbo people, but it was us, the colonizers. I strived to resist the British colonizers from enforcing a new governmental system and a new way of living. Instead, they shunned me with cold sight and did everything in their way. Things started to fall apart rapidly. Commissioners replaced village leaders, Jails were built, various goods were imported, and all of these contributed to the downfall of the Igbo culture. Yes, these may have helped them live better lives, but No, these have made them forget the very value of their lives. What do you say, ladies and gentlemen of the Royal Colonial Institute? 

It is not late to turn back. Perhaps, it is the best time to turn back. We have done right things in the past. It is now time to do another.  

Achebe's Interview

1) What was the most meaningful takeaway from today’s discussion relating to the cultural or literary context of Achebe’s work? 


2) Select a specific quote from the interview or a general idea from the discussion and write a brief reflection.
My meaningful takeaway from today's discussion along with the reading we had to was Chinua Achebe's honest but also detailed insight on his literature. I personally liked his critical view on relationship between power,  and literature. In the middle of his interview, where he is questioned and responses:



Questioner: You're talking about a shift, so there would be more of a balance of power between cultures and there is now?

Chinua Achebe Well, not a shift in the structure of power. I'm not thinking simply of political power. The shift in power will create stories, but also stories will create a shift in power. So one feeds the other. And the world will be a richer place for that

This section was one of favorites but was also one of the hardest to comprehend. Specifically, this quote, "The shift in power will create stories, but also stories will create a shift in power" was the most difficult one. 

It wasn't too hard to understand the first part, "The shift in power will create stories", as there were many examples we see everyday. For example, we are more familiar with western tales such as 'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty', or 'Beauty and the beast' whereas we are less familiar with stories outside that box such as the story within 'Things fall apart', 'The singing tortoise' It is very likely that we would have never known if we hadn't read the book. This is primarily because these western countries had more power in many aspects, including economic, political, technological, social asepcts. To sum up all this, they had more power thus more stories well-known to the world, because they brought these tales when they were colonizing other countries. To give an example that I am highly familiar with is 'Ddokkebi' a goblin-like legendary creature from South Korean folktales that is known to be both helpful and harmful to humans. According to research, this 'Ddokkebi' wasn't originally "created' in Korea but was passed by Japanese colonizers. Like these examples, we can easily see that the number of stories spread and well-known in this world aligns with the power a country has. 

Well, the second part of the quote wasn't as easy as the first part. I couldn't quite understand how stories cause a shift in power. Whilte thinking, it struck me how language functions as a form of resistance like how I learned in class. Likewise, Chinua Achebe was a pioneer who first published a book about African cultures, traditions, and a very critical view on the western colonizers. In the book,  he uses imagery to allow the readers to actually have a similar feel for the loss those African local people had to go through. For instance, he effectively illustrates the irony of the Christian missionaries, especially Reverend, and how they sought resources and power instead of true faith and converts. Although, Chinua Achebe was subject to harsh and bitter views from the western community, he was successful in leading many other writers from African ethnic backgrounds to write more about their traditions, and cultures. AS a result of this chain of movements, this world has become a place where there seems to be a better 'balance of power'-like Chinua Achebe describes. Furthermore, I think that technology has also contributed to this achieving this 'balance of power'. Thanks to technology, specifically the internet, almost everyone nowadays is able to voice out his or her opinion and almost everyone is able to see each one another's opinion without barely any restrictions. I think this is what Chinua Achebe refers as 'a Richer Place' in the interview. 

IOC

  

https://youtu.be/VbCuTx_l3LM

Act 3 Scene 3 Coriolanus’s Banishment

SIC.

For that he has                                                                                                     1

(As much as in him lies) from time to time

Envied against the people, seeking means

To pluck away their power, as now at last

Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence

Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers         5

That doth distribute it—in the name a’ th’ people,

And in the power of us the tribunes, we,

Even from this instant, banish him our city,

In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more       10

To enter our Rome gates. I’ th’ people’s name,

I say it shall be so.

ALL PLEBEIANS.

It shall be so, it shall be so. Let him away!

He’s banish’d, and it shall be so.

COM.

Hear me, my masters, and my common friends—        15

SIC.

He’s sentenc’d; no more hearing.

COM.

Let me speak.

I have been consul, and can show for Rome

Her enemies’ marks upon me. I do love

My country’s good with a respect more tender,                 20

More holy and profound, than mine own life,

My dear wive’s estimate, her womb’s increase

And treasure of my loins; then if I would

Speak that—

SIC.

We know your drift. Speak what?                               25

BRU.

There’s no more to be said, but he is banish’d

As enemy to the people and his country.

It shall be so.

ALL PLEBEIANS.

It shall be so, it shall be so.

COR.

You common cry of curs, whose breath I hate                   30

As reek a’ th’ rotten fens, whose loves I prize

As the dead carcasses of unburied men

That do corrupt my air—I banish you!

And here remain with your uncertainty!

Let every feeble rumor shake your hearts!               35

Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,

Fan you into despair! Have the power still

To banish your defenders, till at length

Your ignorance (which finds not till it feels,

Making but reservation of yourselves,              40

Still your own foes) deliver you as most

Abated captives to some nation

That won you without blows! Despising,

For you, the city, thus I turn my back;

There is a world elsewhere.                          45

CORIOLANUS: ACT 1

To start off, Coriolanus was a play written by Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Era. Because Latin and Greek formed the basis of education at that time, many people, including Shakespeare himself, learned about Roman times in depth. Moreover, Shakespeare's audiences were familiar with classical literature of Latin and Greek. Typically, classical literature had a heroic, and almost divine figure, the protagonist, and an antagonist on the opposite side, who was often the rival, Likewise, Shakespeare set Coriolanus as the protagonist, and characterizes him as a typical heroic figure throughout Chapter 1.

 Also, Shakespeare doesn't forget to reveal Coriolanus's Achilles' heel, and that is his hatred of the plebeians. This is evident in Act 1 Scene 1 where Coriolanus (Martius) scowls at the plebeians describing them as useless beings. This scene, in particular, is where Coriolanus's political views are presented. From looking at his disgust of the "lower-class people', it shows that Coriolanus highly believes in hierarchy and meritocracy. However, it is evident that almost everyone in Rome has changed and started to value more of democracy and equality. Hence, Shakespeare is conveying and foreshadowing a friction later in the play between Coriolanus and the others, specifically the plebeians, due to their contradicting political ideologies.

Secondly, Shakespeare hints another weakness of Coriolanus, but in an indirect way. In Act 3 where 3 ladies, Volumnia, Virgilia, Valeria converse, Coriolanus's excessive love for his mom and wife is represented. It is almost expressed as if Coriolanus has attended at wars for the pride of his mom. This high dependency on others reveals his unsuitable nature as a consul; this foreshadows his failure as being a consul later in the play.

Next, in Act 1, there are 2 big settings: One in the city (Capitol) and the other in the battlefield. It is notable that Coriolanus's nature is deliberately characterized differently in these 2 settings. In the city, his nature is depicted as being nasty, condemnatory, vile whereas in the battlefield, he is depicted as bold, praiseworthy and most importantly, a good leader. This clear contradiction of Coriolanus's nature in 2 different places implies and foreshadows Coriolanus's downfall as being a consul, a high position in the capitol, but his more adequacy as a soldier in battlefields.

Another possible purpose of Shakespeare's characterization of Coriolanus in Act 1 might be his attempt to catch his audiences attention, considering that it is a play, through its fast escalation. Unlike other classical literature, this play has an uncommon structure, where the climax happens relatively earlier in the play: The battle between Rome and Volsces from Act 1 scene 4 - 9.