Othello Blog
Written by Sophia Weller
Shakespeare isn't the absolute worst.
Shakespeare isn't the absolute worst.
2/7/2018 0 Comments (dis)Honest IagoAnother name for Othello could have been The Side Effects of Dishonesty. For crying out loud, even a little bit of candor would have turned the tragedy into a mundane, but deathless, story. Lies drive Othello to insanity, give Cassio a guilty demeanor, and ultimately result in the death of five people. Iago ranks at the top as the biggest liar. For starters, he could have told Othello “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place [the lieutenancy],” (I.i.12) expressing his feeling undervalued and worked to fix the problem. Instead, he begins a string of lies that spirals out of control. He seeks out Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, in the cover of dark and says, “...sir, you’re robbed...an old black ram is tupping your white ewe,” (I.i.94-98). While it is true that Othello and Desdemona are together, Iago’s deceiving manner gives Brabantio the impression that Othello is taking advantage of Desdemona against her will, which raises havoc because it is an interracial relationship.
Because of Iago’s outstanding deception, that Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio, Othello doesn’t believe the truth when his wife tells him. He is brainwashed by all of the lies. Starting in act three, Iago puts open ended thoughts in Othello’s head. He doesn’t directly say that Desdemona is cheating on Othello, but he hints at it and gives evidence-- weak evidence if I do say so myself-- that the affair is taking place. It haunts Othello to the point where he doesn’t believe his word Desdemona says (V.i), and kills her instead of listening. If only he would have gotten all sides of the story, as opposed to just Iago’s twisted version, from Cassio, Desdemona, and Emilia about the alleged affair, the play would not have been so tragic. The lives of Othello, Desdemona, Brabantio (by default), Emilia, and Roderigo could have been spared had they not fallen subject to Iago’s trickery. The lies, while brilliantly crafted, could have been detected had each character been less naive. If Iago had confronted Othello in the first place, none of it would have happened. This goes to show that in life, honesty really is the best policy and lying always ends in disaster.
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2/6/2018 0 Comments It's not TOTALLY Iago's fault!Let’s be honest. We all hate Iago, and truthfully he’s the number one reason Othello is such a disaster. To be fair, Othello and Emilia assist in this villian’s evil ways. The blame can be shared-- not evenly of course-- between the three of them.
2/6/2018 0 Comments How to Tolerate ShakespeareSo, you’re going to read Shakespeare. If I had my guess, I’d say it’s not by choice, which means you probably aren’t thrilled about it. Whether it’s assigned to you, or you just find yourself exploring the Shakespearean world, it will take continuous practice to get through a page without chucking the play across the room out of sheer frustration. With my tried and true tips, which I used while reading Shakespeare’s Othello, your play could actually be an enjoyable experience. Read in Packs
Hear the Play
Take Notes
Don't Look it Up!
Dive in! Your Shakespeare experience is only as good as you make it, so try to keep a positive attitude and an open mind. And who knows… You just might end up loving it.
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Sophia Weller
I'm just your average AP Lit student. I read. I write. I eat. I sleep...in that order. |