#4 first DRAFT: concept of awareness

Underlying all critical elements of literary decives is the concept of awareness. When the audience becomes aware of that which the characters are unaware, dramatic irony arises and creates tension that is intertwined throughout the plot. This irony constitues the central core of a tree trunk from which many branches diverge, yet together comprise the tree as a whole. The contrast between what the audience knows and what the characters are aware of provides a context which gives import to the characters' thoughts, decisions, and actions. For example, conflict arises when the audience identifies Othello's blindness to Iago's intentions. His unawareness misleads him to incorrect accusations and the inevitable murder of his most prized possession, his dear Desdemona. The ultimate tragedy which is created by the paradox of killing what he loved most, is heightened by the irony of him unwitingly fulfiling his fate.
The existance of awareness itself enables literary devices such as paradox to aquire significance within the text. Without such awareness, the mere presence of a paradox, has no impact on the plot. For example in Odeipus Rex, Oedipus is paradoxically aware of his fate, yet unaware of his actions. His speach that begins with "I, Oedipus," highlights his dual nature and defines another aspect of dramatic irony. The tension built from the audience's awareness directly correlates to the conflict at hand.
As the story develops and the characters become aware of what the audience already knows, the tension alieviates and the dramatic irony then regenerates to form a situation in which the protagonist faces moral responsability. At this moment, the character is both villinous and heroic which creates the ultimate paradox that then fulfils the completion of the tragedy.

#1 quote/lyrics

"In the womb of winter summer seems a myth
In my desperation I throw my faith into the wind
Born to a world where it is a fight just to fit in
From the cradle to the grave it never ends
Someday, someday
In a cloud of grey I will
I'll make my great escape
So many ways to walk upon the earth
I traced my footsteps to the place of my birth
So what do you do with all your precious time
So many ways in which to reach for the sky"
-Brett Dennen