2/26/2017 0 Comments Deceiving LoveIago is a truly complex character, by his actions and his motives. Iago's motives are never entirely clear, as we are only given bits and pieces as the play progresses. It is obvious that he is afraid that his wife has cheated on him with Othello (I.iii.429-431) and Cassio (II.i.329), but there isn't much clear evidence of his motives. One could argue that he motive is for the lieutenancy, but he doesn't really care very much when he is promoted.
Iago is clearly jealous of others, especially appearances. He says that he wants to make sure that Cassio is killed, because Cassio's beauty makes Iago look ugly (V.i.20-21). He compares his own appearance to the attractive Cassio, even though most married men wouldn't care at all about this. His love for Othello is clearly greater than his love for Emilia, and he doesn't much care for Emilia's affection at all. Iago tells Othello that he loves him (III.iii.134) and that he is Othello's forever (III.iii.546). He explains to Othello how much he loves him and that he belongs to him, certainly something that a lover would say. Iago also explains how he lays with Cassio, and how Cassio had a sexual dream about Desdemona and Iago did nothing to stop it even when Cassio started kissing and grabbing him (III.iii.470-482). Iago shows no interest towards his wife throughout the entire play, and even has no problem killing her. When Emilia gives Iago the handkerchief, Iago thinks that Emilia is speaking of sexual things when she says she has a "thing for you [Iago]" (III.iii.345). He thinks she is saying she wishes to have sex with him, and he doesn't care and says that she has slept around (III.iii.346). However, does this evidence mean that Iago is gay? He married Emilia, so either he isn't gay or he married because it is the normal thing to do. It is understandable for him to have such a close relationship with men, saying he loves them doesn't necessarily mean he loves them romantically. But if his story about sleeping with Cassio and letting him kiss and touch him is true, that would be something truly odd. I don't think that Iago tells the truth enough for us to know his feelings, especially not his sexuality.
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2/26/2017 0 Comments How to Read ShakespeareI always find reading Shakespeare as a fun challenge. It is satisfying to understand a version of the English language that is quite different than our own. Reading Shakespeare is almost like a puzzle, trying to put together all the things that he says that form brilliant, unique ways of saying things. Reading Shakespeare can be hard, but using simple methods and tools, it can become easier to understand just what makes Shakespeare one of the greatest writers of all time. You Don't Have to Understand Everything Shakespeare can sometimes seem so different than our own language that is sounds like you are reading a whole different language. There are a lot of weird ways that Shakespeare says things that can make it extremely hard to understand what he means. What has always helped me is during a long speech or a large chunk of text, you can sometimes find out the meaning just by picking apart the things that you do know, rather than spending forever trying to understand each and every line. Using your ordinary comprehension you can usually pick apart what Shakespeare means just by understanding the majority of it. It is still Modern English after all. When you can't understand enough to understand past the main idea is where it gets tough. Use Your Tools! When things get really difficult to understand, or when you can't get much more than the main idea, don't be afraid to use outside resources. A great resource to use for important words or phrases that you don't understand is the definitions on the left side of the book (in the Folger Edition). It usually defines words or phrases that are important to know, but not all of them. This goes back to the idea that you don't need to understand everything that is said, just the important things. Be careful not to look up everything, as it becomes hard to stay focused on the play. If there is a part that is extremely important that you just can't understand, it never hurts to look up the meaning. A great website for understanding Shakespeare is Sparknotes. For example, it would be great to use Sparknotes for help in understanding Iago's speech at the end of Act 2 scene 1 as it is one of the first big speeches and it is crucial to the play. Give yourself a break Reading Shakespeare can take a lot of work. When reading Othello I found myself just wanting to get it over with, and not caring whether or not I understood it as I read. I caught myself and tried to focus more, reading slower and doing the same thing just at a slower pace. Eventually I had to leave it and come back and reread after a short break. Taking breaks allowed me to come back ready to actually read and comprehend, rather than just saying the words in my head and hoping I retained it. Don't be reluctant to take breaks while reading Shakespeare, it can be hard! Learning to actually analyze whether you are comprehending things or if you are just skimming and not understanding is crucial to reading any piece of literature. Plays are great for breaking up what you are reading into different parts, as there are a lot of different sections and changes in topics. If you know that you aren't focusing on what you are reading, take breaks in-between scenes, and even when characters enter and exit. This will give you a good place to come back to without being completely lost and confused as to what was happening before you left. Have Fun! I know, Shakespeare isn't exactly the top on your list of fun things to do, but it can be interesting. Picking out the clever name-calling, jokes, and other unique things that Shakespeare does can make it much easier to work your way through reading. Using all these strategies will have you on your way to finding out who dies at the end in no time!
2/26/2017 0 Comments Communication is KeyAs any Shakespearean tragedy, the reader can't help but be frustrated by the tragic result of Othello, The Moor of Venice. But who is to blame? It is easy to jump to the conclusion that Iago is the one that we should blame for this tragedy, but can the full blame be put upon him? Who could have stopped it, and who contributed to the outcome? The answer is... Just about everyone Sure, Iago was the one who set up everything, made sure that everything was carried out just how he wanted it to, and even found some luck along the way; but everyone else made it extremely easy for Iago's plan to work. The biggest problem is that nobody communicates with each other, so they are all blind to the things that Iago is doing. For example, nobody understands what Othello is going through, and nobody tries to talk to him and just assumes that his stress is just state business. This absurd interaction is shown when Desdemona, Lodovico, and Othello are all in the same room and Desdemona asks "What, is he angry?" (IV.i.259) to Lodovico when Othello is in the room. She easily could have asked her husband if he was angry, but she acts like a classic Shakespearean character and makes things complicated. If only Desdemona would have talked to her husband and understood what was going on, she could have prevented not only her death, but the destruction of her love. The entire tragedy could have been saved if many key characters would have just talked to each other. Iago's schemes couldn't have succeeded if characters were not as gullible and if they communicated. Othello and Roderigo were two extremely gullible characters. Roderigo goes along with Iago's plans even if he doesn't even believe that Iago is right. In Act 2 Scene 1, when Iago convinces Roderigo to make Cassio look like a villain, Roderigo doesn't even believe that Cassio is in love with Desdemona. Roderigo repeatedly expresses that he thinks that Iago's claims are incorrect, but he still goes along with his plans (II.i.235-293). Roderigo is extremely weak; but if he wasn't, Iago couldn't make anything work because Roderigo is the tool that makes any action happen. Such is the case with Othello. Othello is easily convinced by anything that Iago says, even when Othello believes strongly that Iago is lying. When Othello comes to Iago and expresses his anger that he believes Iago lied to him, Iago persuades Othello with a completely bogus story about Cassio having dreams about Desdemona (III.iii.383-482). Othello is able to be persuaded by absurd statements that have absolutely no evidence, which turns into his motivation for killing Desdemona. Just like Roderigo, Cassio is a weak character. Cassio may be a great wooer, but apparently he can't talk to Othello himself about getting his lieutenancy back. Cassio instead talks to Desdemona, creating a great opportunity for Iago to basically point out "Hey Othello, Cassio is over there wooing your woman! Don't talk to anyone about it though, I have all the information!" Emilia is a complex character. It is hard to tell if she even loves Iago or not, because she acts differently throughout the play. She follows Iago's orders to steal the handkerchief, which would be a sign that she loves him. She then tells Desdemona how she would cheat on him if it would make him a king (IV.iii.85-87), and then finally she reveals the truth about the handkerchief once Othello has killed Desdemona. If Desdemona had revealed the truth about this act earlier, she could have prevented Desdemona's death, and possibly her own. STOP LISTENING TO IAGO! Almost all the conflict in Othello could have been prevented if everyone would have communicated with each other, and stopped listening to Iago's nonsense. Roderigo and Othello should not have believed Iago and did what he said, and they were the key factors in the tragic outcome. Desdemona should have communicated with her husband, and Emilia should have revealed the truth about stealing the handkerchief. Overall, if the characters of the play would have talked to each other and drew connections as to what Iago was doing, they would have been able to reveal the villainous acts of Iago.
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