|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:29 pm
Before I start, let me say:
THE FOLLOWING WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE DEATH NOTE SERIES.
Or just the end, maybe.
So, don't want to know, don't read. 'kay?
Anyway...
As I read Death Note, I found several things that reminded me of other literary works I've read. For example...
In the final showdown (for lack of a better and less cliche word) between Light and Near, Light's little monologue explaining his deeds reminded me very much of Othello at the end of Shakespeare's play. It wasn't necessarily because of content, but because of the purpose I derived from them both. In case you've never read Othello, he has a rather lengthy speech toward the end of the play, just before his death, which is meant to explain his actions and redeem him in the eyes of the readers. Now, this is after Othello murdered his innocent wife and committed other acts of violence and such due to jealousy... Hence the reason why I said content wasn't a factor.
Yet, it seemed to me that Light's whole monolgue to Near about how he was the only one strong enough to be the world's savior, yada yada yada... It really struck me that, as he attempted to convince Near that he was right in all his actions, it was Ohba-san's attempt to redeem Light in the eyes of the readers.
Though I think, at least for me, it did the opposite. sweatdrop
And now that I think about it, content-wise, the two situations are opposite of each other. While Light's actions were (supposedly) of pure intent, he died unforgiven and half-mad at the end... Inversely, Othello was driven by anger, distrust and selfish jealousy, yet for the most part, he was forgiven in the end.
Also...
Iago's hatred toward Othello reminds me of Mello's hatred toward Near. It's relatively unexplained, with rather faulty excuses in the place of reasons for it. Mello says he hates Near for being better, but it seems like his only reasoning behind this is Near's higher test scores, which I doubt he'd carry a grudge for into adulthood. I think he'd also realize, at one point or another, that L never intended to choose between them (I very much believe this, since L knew/expected he would die long before he actually did, and he could have chosen between them during that period of time). Much like Mello, Iago hates Othello for the frailest and most unproven of reasons- he believes Othello is sleeping with his wife, or he just wants Othello's high ranking office.
And there's a chance in both relationships that unrequited love or lust is a factor.. I certainly hope so for the latter, Mello/Near fangirl that I am. whee
What else, what else...
Much of Death Note's plot is reminiscent of Goethe's Faust, with a brilliant mind selling his soul due to boredom and want of something more. Both Faust and Light get carried away with their passions, Faust's being physical, while Light's are more ethereal and supposedly selfless. There are differences, of course; Mephistopheles helps Faust, while Ryuk remains generally uninvolved. Faust's love interest is requited and is something that drives them both to tragedy, while Light has no true interest in Misa, and her tragedy isn't even included in the actual series.
Parallels can be drawn between Misa and Gretchen, though, in the way they both are blinded by their passions to do horrible (and in Gretchen's case, inadvertently so) things. They both meet their end because of those they loved, too- Gretchen to madness, and Misa to her own sorrow.
They both have guardians who try and fail to help them, as well; Rem would be Misa's, while Gretchen's mother would be hers. (I believe it's her mother, it's been too long since I've read the book.)
But perhaps I think too much into things...
Any thoughts? biggrin
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:59 am
I was thinking the same things when we read "Faust" in school just a week or so ago! I haven't read Othello but i wanted to.. D:
Also, i'd bring up "MacBeth" vs "Death Note" but i don't feel like retyping it all (i made a REALLY long post about it somewhere else). Once the forum is back up, i might post it here...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[~ Sonata Euphoriacide ~]
|
Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:25 pm
{SONATA} -->Yeah, I'm (re-)reading Othello and noticing the same things.
Though there's also a bit of Raito in Iago, too, like when Iago uses his mad manipulation skillz on Roderigo for his own benefit.
The big comparison with Death Note is with Crime and Punishment, though. Dude with ego issues commits crime for utilitarian good...? Yup.
Because I'm too lazy to come up with a new rant on this like I always do...I shall copy and paste (and incorporate one of my later replies on that same topic):
"Crime and Punishment is what led up to my obsession with Death Note, since I'm a mad fangirl for Raskolnikov, and Raskolnikov and Raito are actually alike in some fundamental ways...for once, they show tendencies of megalomania-Raskolnikov wants to prove he was the "superman" who can transgress moral boundaries for the good of society (in which Raito actually does succeed him in that fact), and Raito wants to reign as god of the new world. And, one opinion that they both shared caused them to kill. They were both good-looking intelligent young men, so it was definetely not because they were ugly and shunned nor out of ignorance a la inferiority complex; but rather their disdain for humans that they see as disposable or that the world would be better without. And by acting on that notion, they are alienated from the rest of society.
The difference is that Raskolnikov goes insane with the thought that he took two human lives, while Raito turns to the point that he feels no guilt for his killings and murders many people, including those who get into his way (then again, Raskolnikov did this too, when he saw Lizaveta as a threat because she knows that he murdered her sister, he kills her, too). I think it was because Raito had no direct contact with the killings. Anyone can see a person die and not be affected-and with a criminal, there might even be a certain relief seeing them being killed. Raskolnikov had to deal with directly killing the person. Raito did not feel the crack of the human skull, nor see the huge amounts of blood spurting out right in front of him, nor see the look on his victim's face as he approached, nor the grotesque formations of the human body undergoing homicide right in front of him on his first murder like Raskolnikov did with the pawnbroker. Raito just had to write names and causes of death and envision their faces. If Raskolnikov had something like the Death Note, I doubt he would've gone insane as he did originally.
But the main, main difference is that Crime and Punishment focuses on a killer who plunges into a downward spiral but is eventually redeemed through faith and love, while Death Note focuses on a killer who plunges into a downward spiral and is ultimately defeated.
Not to mention, Raito's cause for justice had developed before his cause for superiority, while in Raskolnikov's case, vice versa."Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 8:47 pm
aha! very good conclusions ^-^
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
![[~ Sonata Euphoriacide ~]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/cd/3a/3e9f5f4a2e3acd_flip.png?t=1229732178_6.00_01)
