Introduction
Analysis of the literary piece of work critically evaluates the article from a broader perspective to deduce the underlying message the author intends to communicate to the audience. Literature analysts and critics established a set of rules that acts as a Cartesian plane on which all their research arguments are based. According to rhetoric traditionalists, the style is achieved through three signs which include indexical, iconic, and symbolic. The idea is held by the fathers of philosophical and literary criticism, Plato and his student Aristotle. On the other hand, the dramatist perspectives of this school of thought are attributed to Kenneth Burke, a literary theorist, philosopher, and rhetorician. The theory claims human motivation through actions rather than stories. The main focus of this school of thought is how human activities make sense through drama. This final analysis aims to critically evaluate the rhetorical and dramatic perspectives of the song “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid and the play Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare to understand their underlying messages.
Song Analysis – “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid
The song “Lovely” was sung by two artists, Billie Eilish and Khalid. The duo expresses stressful moments caused by trauma and depression in their music. These traumatic situations are defined by lyrical statements such as “Oh, I hope someday I’ll make it out of here even if it takes all night or a hundred years.” The first stanza shows the entanglement of the singer in the state in which she lives despite the difficulty she is faced with. Billie says, “Thought I found a way out, but you never go away, so I guess I gotta stay now. The stanza is proceeded by the trial of hope when the singer says, “Oh hope someday will make it out of here, even if it takes all night or hundred years, need a place to hide, but cannot find one near, want to feel alive outside cannot fight my fear” (Eilish & Khalid). The song presents different perspectives of struggle from the state of mind of those fighting internal depression without hope of extricating themselves from the dilemma. The lyrics are about trying to overcome some disorders or mental illnesses. The author claims that depression is complex to get rid of since it continuously presents itself even when one is confident that they have overcome it.
Rhetorical Perspective
The rhetorical criticism views the academic article from the point of what things are concerning and what they ought to be as conveyed through the signs and symbols in the work. The philosophical view of this song from the rhetoric presented by the singer gives it a broader worldview of what most people suffer from while they silently struggle to battle it. The singers apply a sarcastic claim to the state of their illness when they claim that they have decided to live with it after fighting it for a long time without any hope of success. It (the music) further reflects the actual state of society where most people struggle to cure themselves of depressive chronic illnesses without much success. The author creates pathos through the sympathetic scenes she develops when they are trapped in a mental disorder, which she symbolically refers to the glass. The duo exudes pity through their dire suffering and makes the audience empathize. The song says that the trauma has created a solid, unbreakable stone wall, a feeling that cuts them into pieces from head to toe. The contrast of their alluding voices creates rhetorical sarcasm when the duo claims that this terrifying feeling has become a home for them. The underlying thematic concern of this song is handling stress and depression.
The character analysis of the song gives it a more in-depth understanding of the intended message through the actions the author uses to communicate. The artist writes the music in a more semi-casual language to reach the largest audience possible. Using words such as “Gotta” and “Wanna” is aimed at listeners who are lovers of the genre. The singer also heavily applies different material verbs such as Thought, guess, find, go, welcome, and is. The song employs these verbal characters to put it into a live context within society. The speaker also implies using adverbs of place, such as where to place the piece into a deliverable state.
Dramatist Perspective
The dramatist perspectives place the song into a dramatic context where the soloists’ actions are geared at effecting the message to the audience. The video of this music shows a symbolic representation of the contents of its lyrics. The grey and blue tinge employed in the film create a sense of sympathy from the viewers. The clouds are produced in a gray forecast to reiterate the conditions of the suffering of the affected. The author smiles in agony to encourage the listeners that the challenge faced can be strengthened as those affected can live their lives in the same state of illness (Makiling et al., 126). The actual versus the presentation is the question of discussion in this sense. The dramatist considers advocates for a holistic view of the actions of the world’s perception of such issues. The song shows that people would smile from their outside appearance while inwardly battling severe problems. The author says that when faced with crucial challenges, we should make them part of our lives.
Analysis of the play- Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare is undoubtedly the most excellent writer of all time based on the literary supremacy he created and their related era. The Shakespearean reign began with some of the best-written books which expressed ethos, pathos, and logos. Romeo and Juliet and the merchant of Venice are undoubtedly some of these pieces of art that moved the world. Merchant of Venice depicts the sense of reason on the right course of action to take in life (Shakespeare & Kaplan, 134). When Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, desperately needs money to court Portia, a healthy heiress from Belmont, they resort to a loan from Shylock, who gives them the money but demands impossible collateral for credit. The lender requires Antonio’s flesh should he fail to pay the debt. After Bassanio wins the marriage proposal, Antonio’s ships are unfortunately wrecked, and he cannot pay the obligation to the Shylock, who arraigns him before the duke of Venice. Portia, in the meantime, disguises herself as a young person who presents themselves as the law clerk and Nerissa Portia’s clerk. The two intelligently twist the court case and gives Bassanio a win with lots of gains from Shylocks, which the duke contends with. Jessica, shylocks daughter, and Lorenzo, who was formerly his worker, escape together as the duke offers them the right to half of Shylock’s Wealth.
Rhetorical Analysis
The Shakespearean Merchant of Venice portrays themes of racial prejudice, mercy, and the power of forgiveness and self-interest versus love. These concerns are all embedded in the super construction of the play, which ends comically. The article is a comedy that ends happily, contrary to the audience’s expectations. The author romantically deliberates his ideal, encompassed by various suspense and rhetoric. Portia makes the first judgment against Antonio, giving Shylock the victory to take the piece of flesh from his debtor (Shakespeare & Kaplan, 154). The latter rejoices in his hard stand of taking meat even after Bassanio agrees to provide double the amount he demanded from Antonio. He praises the law clerk for his wisdom without knowing what fate holds for him. The writer puts the villain in a dilemma tragedy when the case is turned otherwise. Portia sarcastically claims that Shylock is entitled to the flesh but should obtain it without spilling a single drop of blood because he is not entitled to blood according to the contract terms (Nambiar, 32). This kind of mockery leaves the villain with no option but to surrender all his wealth according to the jurisdiction of the duke. The Shakespearean play employs the semi-casual dialect combined with the Greek inscription of the time. The utilizof “thou” and “thy” reflects the writings of that era.
Dramatic Analysis
The play is a drama that employs the performed acts to communicate the message effectively. The book shares the actions and uses dramatic techniques to show the difference between the perceived information and the reality it carries, which is relevant to society. The writer expresses human motivations through performed arts. Shakespeare focuses on making sense to the audience through drama. The author creates logical scenes to elaborate on how human actions influence the reactions of their allies or those close to them. The sense of revenge is an instinct triggered by other people’s behaviors. The dramatic effects are grounded on theories of activities other than those of knowledge. The author also sarcastically depicts the behaviors of affluent groups in the society, which he embeds in the characters of Shylock, a Jew (Shakespeare & Kaplan, 37). Shakespeare shows the behavior of these classes as those who would rather forsake their families for some ducats. The punishment for such sins is revealed to be unpleasant. Portia defended the accused in the court case showing the struggle for humanity and torn between what is morally right and the act of love. The play ended with Bassanio giving out the love ring, which he was forbidden to release. He later realizes that the woman disguised in the men’s suit before the duke was the woman he loved and that the ring had not been misplaced.
Conclusion
The rhetorical and dramatic analysis of the two literary pieces of art converges to one point: the intended messages of their creators. The leading information that the authors intend to communicate to the audiences creates themes whose main intentions are to correct the vices and appreciate the virtues of certain people within the society. Billie Eilish and Khalid express the depression they intended to overcome, which remains inextricable in their life, making them live with it. On the other hand, Shakespeare describes the dilemma of doing what is right versus the desire to attain personal interest in the play Merchant of Venice. Literature shows a true reflection of the societal setting when dissected through literary criticism.
Works Cited
Eilish, B & Khalid. Lovely: Vevo music. 2019. Available at: https://youtu.be/V1Pl8CzNzCw
Makiling, Ralph Michael, et al. “Billie Eilish Select Songs: Psychological Study of the Depression of Youth Today.” International Journal of Language and Literary Studies 4.4 (2022): 122-138. Available at: https://ijlls.org/index.php/ijlls/article/download/1091/420
Nambiar, Rakesh. “Shylock v. Antonio: Socio-Legal Complexities in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.” Literary Voice: 42. Available at: https://www.literaryvoice.in/LV%20March%202021.pdf#page=44
Shakespeare, William, and M. Lindsay Kaplan. The Merchant of Venice: texts and contexts. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. Available at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-137-07784-4
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