Woo Hoo Shakespeare

Othello is hands down the best literary work we have learned and studied all year long. At first, I was intimidated because of the language it is spoken in; however, it turned out to work in my favor. Although reading Shakespeare can be difficult at times, it is never hard to understand. The basic story line is always easily comprehended, and the characters mostly have raw, basic emotion. There is no extremely complicated analysis required because the characters act on how they feel. Sure, the villain always has their evil schemes in which they have every aspect planned out, but for the most part, the concept of the plot can be easily understood. I am glad we are reading another Shakespearean play! It is a great alternative to poems that go straight through my head.

Tragic Romance??

Othello is a Shakespearean tragedy. Shock to all, I know. However, if one was not aware of the classification of the play, their hopes will be more optimistic than those who are informed. In the play, there is no murder or intense action until the fifth act; therefore, one may hope that things will turn around in favor of Desdemona, Othello, and Cassio. There is no hope for them. Even though I was aware of the classification of the play, I still thought that MAYBE POSSIBLY Othello will discover the truth before anything too severe takes place. I really love and appreciate a good romance, but I do not know how if I can really classify this as a romantic play. Yes, the last scene is romantic because Othello takes his life because he did something so terrible to the woman he loved. However, most of the play consisted of hatred, revenge, and jealousy. In order for me to say that the play was romantic, there needs to be some more affection show.

Unrealistic aspects

Compared to modern theatrical productions, Othello seems to employ unrealistic conventions to me. The basic themes of the play are realistic, and common nonetheless. For example, jealousy is often used as a theme to a literary work, but displaying it the way that Shakespeare had is not so common. For example, Othello never questions Cassio about the suggested affair between him and Desdemona. If this had a been a realistic play, there would be some sort of confrontation between the two men. Also, instead of directly going to Desdemona to ask her about the affair, he avoids seeing her or bringing up the situation. It just seems odd to me that asking Desdemona and Cassio would not be Othello's first reaction to Iago's story. The relationship between Othello and Desdemona is also a tad unrealistic. If she is his most prized possession, then shouldn't Othello hold her word over everyone else's word? The way that Othello handles the news is unrealistic, also. His first instinct is to kill the both of them, but why not leave Desdemona? If it's because he loves her so much that he cannot deal with it, then YES it is romantic, but it just does not seem realistic. Only insane people kill out of anger or jealousy. Othello has no self control.

Feelings towards the characters

The interesting concept about this play is that racist people, or people who are convinced by Iago's lies, could easily take Iago's side. If what Iago is saying about Othello sleeping with his wife is valid, then I could see where Iago is coming from as well; however, I do not believe that it's true. Automatically, I judged Iago to be a bad guy or the villain, and I believed Roderigo to be naive. In fact, I feel awful for Roderigo because he is being dragged into something that will never allow him to benefit. I mean, obviously Barbantino would not approve of his love for Desdemona. "In honest plainness thou has heard me say my daughter is not for thee." (I.i.114-115) And I think Desdemona made it pretty clear she did not want him either. The really odd thing is, I do not necessarily feel sympathy towards Desdemona. I am not sure why, but although she is the victim in the situation, I do not feel like she deserves pity...yet. I do feel sorry for Othello, because he seems like a good man, and he seems to be truly trustworthy and in love with Desdemona. Let's just hope these rumors about him sleeping with Emilia are not true.

Themes and whatnot

In the first three acts, there is one theme that throws itself at the audience: jealousy. You would have to be blind not to pick up on it. In the first scene of the first act, Iago begins to explain his reason for despising Cassio and his reason for betraying Othello: jealousy. Because of Iago's jealousy for Cassio and his position as lieutenant, there is a plot for the rest of the play. It shows how far people will go when they envy another person. If Iago was not jealous of Cassio, then he would not betray Othello. Also, another theme is present throughout the first three acts: prejudgment based on appearance. In act one, Barbantino, Iago, and Roderigo make several remarks toward Othello and the color of his skin. "...an old black ram is tupping your white ewe." (I.i.87-88) By doing this, the men make Othello seem inferior when in fact he is the commander-in-chief of Venice and a highly respected man. If the man had been white, Barbantino would adore Othello and surely approve his marriage to Desdemona. The fact that there is racial discrimination in the play provides more reason to hate Iago and Barbantino's characters.

Protagonist/Antagonist

Throughout Othello, there are several examples that display Iago as the antagonist of the story. For example, in II.iii.300-326, Iago speaks to himself and announces how his plan to destroy Cassio is going accordingly. Iago puts on a happy face, and pretends to be on Othello and Cassio's side; however, Iago is plotting to bring them both down. The protagonist of the story (so far) is Cassio. It is a hard pick between Cassio and Othello, but in all reality, Iago is angry because he believes he deserves Cassio's position as lieutenant; therefore, there is more jealousy between Cassio and Iago. The different characteristics between the two can be seen in II.i.165-166 when Cassio treats the women with respect, but Iago is rude and disrespectful. "He speaks home, madam. You may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar." Not only do they play the protagonist/antagonist roles, but they are also foils. Without their contrasting personality traits it would be difficult to see the conflict between the two. Also, it makes it easier to take sides between the villain and the hero. By seeing an evil side to Iago, we can tell that his motives for his actions are selfish, and derive from jealousy.