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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Derek Walcott’s "Goats and Monkeys" is a powerful reimagining of Shakespeare's "Othello", focusing on the tragic love between Othello and Desdemona through the lens of race, myth, and identity. Walcott uses the allusion to Shakespeare’s line "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" to explore the racialized imagery in "Othello", while delving into broader themes of corruption, desire, and the dichotomy between civilization and perceived barbarism. The poem, deeply mythic in its structure, evokes classical references such as Pasiphae and Eurydice to highlight the timelessness of these themes, reinforcing that they still "halve our world" with racial and cultural divides. The poem opens with an ominous, apocalyptic tone: "The owl's torches gutter. Chaos clouds the globe. / Shriek, augury!" This introduction foreshadows the tragedy and darkness to come, drawing on imagery of chaos and destruction that alludes to the internal and external conflicts of "Othello". The owl, traditionally a symbol of death and ill omens, sets the stage for the unfolding drama. The "augury" (a prophetic warning) invokes the sense that the characters, especially Othello, are doomed from the outset by forces larger than themselves. Walcott emphasizes Othello’s race and cultural identity as central to his tragedy. The poem imagines Othello as "Africa, a vast sidling shadow / that halves your world with doubt." The reference to "doubt" echoes the racial tensions in "Othello", where Othello’s identity as a Moor in a predominantly white society leads to suspicion, prejudice, and ultimately, his downfall. This line encapsulates the way Othello's race, a major source of his otherness, causes him to be both revered and feared, both desired and despised. The phrase "Put out the light," a direct allusion to Othello’s act of extinguishing a candle before he kills Desdemona, is expanded in the poem to symbolize the extinguishing of God’s light, or the divine order. Desdemona, dreaming of Othello, sees him as "as huge as night, as bodiless, / as starred with medals, like the moon." Here, Walcott turns Othello into a mythic figure, a being both of vast power and tragic fate, just as Shakespeare did. The moon, an image repeated throughout the poem, represents both a witness and a symbol of the fluctuating fortunes of love, lust, and betrayal. The poem asks whether Desdemona could have known her fate, likening her to Pasiphae, the mythological figure who was seduced by a bull and bore the Minotaur. This connection between Desdemona and Pasiphae reinforces the notion of her coupling with Othello as something forbidden and monstrous in the eyes of the society that surrounds them. Walcott also draws parallels between Othello and other mythological figures, such as Eurydice, whose "flesh a flare / travelling the hellish labyrinth of his mind / his soul would swallow hers." This suggests that Othello’s possessive love for Desdemona is not merely physical but deeply psychological, consuming her and leading them both into a tragic abyss. The phrase "hellish labyrinth" recalls the mental torment that Othello endures, manipulated by Iago’s insinuations and doubts, which eventually leads him to murder Desdemona. The poem also deals with the eroticism and bestiality associated with Othello and Desdemona’s interracial relationship. Their love is described as "Virgin and ape, maid and malevolent Moor," a stark reminder of the racialized language used by characters like Iago in Shakespeare’s play. Walcott emphasizes how their "immortal coupling still halves our world," suggesting that the divisions created by race and desire are not confined to the past but remain relevant today. In the poem’s final lines, Walcott revisits the iconic image of Othello’s handkerchief, the "sibyl’s / prophetically stitched remembrancer," which becomes a symbol of Othello’s descent into jealousy and madness. The handkerchief, embroidered with the zodiac, symbolizes fate and destiny, the inevitable downfall of Othello as foretold by cosmic forces beyond his control. In this tragic world, "only annihilation can resolve / the pure corruption in her dreaming face," suggesting that the purity of Desdemona and the corruption of Othello’s soul can only be reconciled through destruction. The poem closes with a reflection on race and monstrosity, as Walcott declares that Othello, "this mythical, homed beast," is "no more / monstrous for being black." This powerful statement refutes the racial stereotypes that have long been associated with Othello’s character, challenging the audience to see him not as a monster but as a deeply flawed human being, undone by forces both within and outside of himself. In "Goats and Monkeys", Walcott masterfully reinterprets the tragedy of "Othello", engaging with its racial themes while elevating the narrative through classical allusion and mythological imagery. The poem’s exploration of love, jealousy, and identity resonates not only within the context of Shakespeare’s play but also in contemporary discussions of race and otherness. Through rich, layered symbolism, Walcott brings the enduring power of Othello’s tragedy into sharp focus, showing how its themes continue to "halve our world" with unresolved tensions of identity and desire.
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