2nd Ed. Vol F. NY: Norton, 2002. 2282-2336.
A theme of false accusations stemming from misunderstanding and misperceptions runs rampant throughout the play. The man we thought was king, is still a mere slave, and the woman thought of as a prostitute is a hostess for highly respected and cultured company. The entire story slowly removes layer by layer off of these characters to get to their deepest cores of the past, what they believe in, and their hearts desires. She begins to realize he is not arrogant and he begins to admire her purity and courage. He restores her honor by staying with her one night and she restores his title by buying him and giving him back up to the kingdom. In a twist of irony the slave and the whore are revealed as a hero and a heroine with a strong sense of justice and morals. They were spotlighted for shame, but the truth shed light on their identities with grace and dignity.
Escher, M. C. House of Stairs. 1951. World of Escher Gallery. www.worldofescher.com/gallery/A23.html .
House of Stairs is a painting of ambiguity and optical illusions. Staircases run into each other, leaving the eye dizzy trying to find which way is up. The black and white colors (or rather, lack thereof) leave no differenciation for the viewer to set aside which set of steps is which. In the same manner, the reader sees the Sultan maneuvering through the play, first as a king, then as a slave, then as a king for sale, then as a king set free from bondage from the play's most ambiguous character, the Lady. She is the optical illusion. Men seen entering and exiting her house can only imply one thing. Or can it? There was more to this "whore" than met the eye. And ironically, it was the man who's idenity was most visibly shaken that discovered the validty and sincereity in hers.
Rigoletto. Directed by Leo D. Paur. With Alyson Breinholt, Dalin Christiansen, Frank Gerrish. 1993.
The film Rigaletto portrays a small town full of diverse characters going through life and grieving through its troubles. An old manor is renovated and restored and sold to a new mysterious master. The town hears of his ugly, deformed face and because he stays hidden away, they fear what he is hiding. The rumors fly until they are all convinced he is evil. The movie reveals though to the viewer his beautiful voice and his good intentions as he trains Bonnie, the protagonist, everyday to sing after she cleans his house. In the end, the town finds out he has been the anonymous benefactor, saving people from debt, evictions, speech impediments, and a child from dying.
His name is Ribaldi. He is like the Lady in The Sultan's Dilemma. Both characters are beautiful characters with good hearts and truly pure intentions, not caring about what people on the outside think, even finding the onlooker's worst judgements comical because they are so far from the truth. The film and the play even unveil the characters in similar form, first shrouding their names in a cloak of natural assumptions based on stereotypical hints then shedding light on who they really are by telling more of the story until there is nothing left to question and our perception of them is completely turned around. Both were thought of as wicked, but turned out to be the most heroic.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Black Arrow. England, 1888.
Continuing with the theme of misunderstood identity, we examine the book, The Black Arrow. On a noble mission, the story's hero valiantly sets off with his traveling companion - a weak boy who keeps up like a baby and cries like a sisssy. Eventually the boy cannot contain the secret any longer: it is the lady Joanna.
Much like in The Sultan's Dilemma, the narrative's heroine is one who conceals her identity for the greater good, ignoring society's self of dignity. By the end of either tale, the lady is the virtuous beauty, who possesses the mystery and depth that is most desirable and attractive.
Thousand Foot Krutch. "Welcome to the Masquerade." Welcome to the Masquerade. 2009
There's a line at the end of the second verse that says, "Try and dig down deeper if you can." It is a call for more, to looker beyond what meets the eye. And what meets the eye? A masquerade. The chorus follows, "I'm not afraid, Im not ashamed, I'm not to blame, Welcome to the masquerade....I'm not okay, Welcome to the masquerade."
Their reputations ruined by societal norms and unfortunate circumstances, the Sultan and the Lady in the privacy of her house become vulnerable with their hearts. Each explains life through their own eyes, tearing down and rebuilding their opinions of each other. And through these confessions of fearless justified truth, they wipe the misjudged slates clean. They come to see each other "with the mask's off," so to speak, because there's "something deeper than the plastic" underneath his title and her scarlet letter.
We've got the fire who's got the matches
Take a look around at the sea of masks
Come one come all welcome to the grand ball
Where the strong run for cover and the weak stand tall
I'm not one to scatter ashes
But there's some things that melt the plastic
Try and dig down deeper if you canu
I'm not afraid
I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed
I'm not afraid
I'm not okay
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade
We've got the power who's got the action
Break it down til there's nothing but a mere fraction
Out of the fire rise from the ashes
Reject your doubt and release the passion
Let's get on it believe if you want it
Step into the realm where the real ones flaunt it
Come back rewind another time on it
Reach out take that but now step on it
I'm not the one to scatter ashes
But there's some things that melt the plastic
Try and dig down deeper if you can
I'm not afraid
I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed
I'm not afraid
I'm not okay
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not afraid
I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed
I'm not afraid
I'm not okay
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not one to scatter ashes
But there's some things that melt the plastic
Try and dig down deeper if you can
I'm not afraid
I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed
I'm not afraid
I'm not okay
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade
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