So, how is going with Iago, Desdemona, and Othello?
6 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Hello Ms. Minor. My fellow blogger seems to have not yet appeared...I wonder what identity she will possess... Anyways, I shall now discuss Othello. Or rather, I shall discuss a major theme that creeps into the play--DECEPTION. Othello has it, Hamlet has it, the economy has it. The aura that nothing is how it seems. Businesses practice deception to get our dollars so the people operating can feed their families--it is in our best interest to save our dollars so we can feed our own families. Capitalism breeds competition, winners and losers. But enough about the economy. Iago practices deception pretty blatantly. He tricks men on all sides, convincing Othello to turn against Cassio and Desdemona, and convincing Cassio to essentially dig his own grave. Meanwhile, everyone remains in awe of how upstanding Iago is. Iago is a very jealous man and shows no empathy to anyone, including his own wife. One could almost determine him a sociopath--he possesses both the cunning and the lack of empathy. This theme of deception raises many philosophical questions. One may notice that Shakespeare frequently compares men to just players on the stage, and life a stage itself. The difference between reality and acting in life is a thin, gray line. When one plays the part often enough, doesn't one essentially assume the role? To an extent, whatever enters our consciousness is injected by influences. What is natural and what mimics society is hard to differentiate and often blends together. What would life be like without movies, music, and media planting ideas about what life should be like into our minds? Its hard to imagine because psychology is and always will be a blend of nature and nurture. One cannot leave life unscathed. Thus, the difference between deception and reality is murky. Shakespeare plays accentuate this, but they also offer some relief--in this case, I know that Iago is practicing deception. I pity Othello, Cassio and Desdemona.
Well, I wouldn't call Iago a sociopath. He does seem like a very jealous person though. I think he's really lashing out against the world. He seems like the victim of class. Cassio got the promotion that Iago felt he deserved, most likely because Cassio is a higher class then him. Iago, every time he insults another person, compares them to the lower class, even though it seems like of the characters in the book, Iago is the lowest class. He is a man obsessed and oppressed by the class system. He is certainly wicked and cruel, but at times it seems like he is lashing out. At others it seems like he is using all the excuses to justify his own wickedness.
I think it is very interesting that the title character in this play doesn't make many appearances in the first two acts. Othello is likable and very calm as he breaks up fights (which is his primary role in the first two acts), but he also has hubris in spades. I really like Iago's statement that he will manipulate Othello easily because Othello is a good man and expects other people to be good as well. I thought that was a very interesting and insightful observation on his part.
Perhaps he has an inferiority complex and overcompensates by elevating himself (at least in his own mind) above others. If this is the case, how galling to watch as a moor waltzes away with the girl, not him.
Clearly I need to jazz up my persona if I am to associate with the likes of Hedda G and Lord H
Iago certainly is a jealous, manipulative person--and he clearly cares for no one but himself. As the play progresses, Othello's character is revealed more clearly. I find it disturbing how easily Othello is swayed to believe absurd lies about his wife AND murder her. He reacts to Iago's claims rashly and immediately--passion clearly controls him. The way Othello and Iago treat their wives is disgusting. Othello is ready to believe that his wife is unchaste at the drop of a hat--and he lets her know, calling her "whore," "commoner," and even offering her money for her business, drawing parallels between Desdemona and a prostitute. The cruel irony of the play is how devoted Desdemona truly was to Othello--she was ready to disown her own family for him. Othello, however, is more concerned about his honor than his love. He smothers his own wife, and denies her a final prayer. Iago regards everyone with cold apathy, including his own wife. His only use for other humans is to further his reputation and career, perhaps to validate his own self-importance. He murders Roderigo the second he has no more use for him. He murders Emilia for speaking the truth. He shows no real empathy or care for anyone except himself. Emilia proved to be my favorite character in the play--I admired how she stood up to Iago, and her undying trust in Desdemona's character. She had more faith in Desdemona than Othello, partly because she spent more time with her and partly because she thinks much more rationally. I found the scene where Desdemona and Emilia are speaking very interesting. She is somewhat of a feminist, condemning men for treating their wives as if they are inhuman. She also acknowledges the fact that women fall prey to lust just like men do. She lacks love in her own marriage, and thus does not feel the marital obligations that Desdemona feels. Her love for Desdemona (as well as her love for truth) far exceeds her love for Iago, as she reveals his deception to Othello. Iago stabs her in response and then quickly flees, further proving his cowardly and "inferior" nature.
I really loved the scene between Desdemona and Emilia too. It was probably my favorite scene in the play. I think in Othello has strong female characters, as opposed to many other Shakespearean heroines. Desdemona seems well-spoken, determinded, and devoted for the entire course of the play, whether she was sith Othello or apart from him. I don't understand why Emilia would have given Iago Desdemonas cloth if she was as truely devoted to her mistress as she says. She knew what it meant to Desdemona, knew that she carried it everywhere with her, and knew that she went crazy looking for it, but she still didn't let on that she knew where it was. I think she has a deeper subtext and motives that aren't as discussed as much as those of Iago and Othello.
Othello does seem extrodinarily quick to sway, but I really don't think he's a bad person. He put faith in the wrong people. Iago said that he is an honest man and therefore will expect honesty out of other people. He didn't see the motives Iago had for lying, and couldn't think of a reason for him to lie, so he trusted him. He and Desdemona had a very quick marriage as well so he didn't really know her all that well. The only reason they married was because she was so impressed by his life story. He also was probably so outraged at even the thought that she might love another, that he was blinded by his jealousy and was unable to see logic. I was wondering though, the kind of trance that he went into when he was angry, was that more of a medical condition, or psycholoical? Iago told Cassio that it was medical and happened often, but Iago's words really can't be trusted. I think Othello is passionate-- to passionate and is blinded by his passion to the point were he sees and hears nothing else, like he is in a trance (maybe even a trance that Iago, the charmer, put him under).
I think it was more psychological with Othello--he is very brash (a little like our friend Macbeth) and Iago speaks utter nonsense and is not to be trusted. I didn't think about the hasty way Othello and Desdemona wedded--quick, passionate love and its failings seem to be a theme in Shakespeare plays.
You are correct that Desdemona married Othello because of his "impressive" life story. This makes me wonder--is this more honorable than marrying someone because they are of the same race as you? It seems as if both scenarios value the "trophy" spouse, or who will look better to society, when choosing a mate. I wonder what constitutes an honorable marriage. Is it a marriage out of duty? This pains the romanticists but humors realists. Is it a marriage out of lust? This satisfies our animal instincts but is not 'responsible.' This is a huge assumption, but it seems as if Emilia married Iago for security, obviously not love. Is she better off than Desdemona? She is still alive and so is her husband, but her husband is also a cold-blooded, murdering manipulator.
I do not know why Emilia gave the clothe to Iago. Perhaps she was conflicted between her duties as a wife and her duties as a maid. I think her actions at the end of the play represent her character more clearly.
6 comments:
Hello Ms. Minor. My fellow blogger seems to have not yet appeared...I wonder what identity she will possess...
Anyways, I shall now discuss Othello. Or rather, I shall discuss a major theme that creeps into the play--DECEPTION. Othello has it, Hamlet has it, the economy has it. The aura that nothing is how it seems. Businesses practice deception to get our dollars so the people operating can feed their families--it is in our best interest to save our dollars so we can feed our own families. Capitalism breeds competition, winners and losers.
But enough about the economy. Iago practices deception pretty blatantly. He tricks men on all sides, convincing Othello to turn against Cassio and Desdemona, and convincing Cassio to essentially dig his own grave. Meanwhile, everyone remains in awe of how upstanding Iago is. Iago is a very jealous man and shows no empathy to anyone, including his own wife. One could almost determine him a sociopath--he possesses both the cunning and the lack of empathy.
This theme of deception raises many philosophical questions. One may notice that Shakespeare frequently compares men to just players on the stage, and life a stage itself. The difference between reality and acting in life is a thin, gray line. When one plays the part often enough, doesn't one essentially assume the role? To an extent, whatever enters our consciousness is injected by influences. What is natural and what mimics society is hard to differentiate and often blends together. What would life be like without movies, music, and media planting ideas about what life should be like into our minds? Its hard to imagine because psychology is and always will be a blend of nature and nurture. One cannot leave life unscathed. Thus, the difference between deception and reality is murky. Shakespeare plays accentuate this, but they also offer some relief--in this case, I know that Iago is practicing deception. I pity Othello, Cassio and Desdemona.
Well, I wouldn't call Iago a sociopath. He does seem like a very jealous person though. I think he's really lashing out against the world. He seems like the victim of class. Cassio got the promotion that Iago felt he deserved, most likely because Cassio is a higher class then him. Iago, every time he insults another person, compares them to the lower class, even though it seems like of the characters in the book, Iago is the lowest class. He is a man obsessed and oppressed by the class system. He is certainly wicked and cruel, but at times it seems like he is lashing out. At others it seems like he is using all the excuses to justify his own wickedness.
I think it is very interesting that the title character in this play doesn't make many appearances in the first two acts. Othello is likable and very calm as he breaks up fights (which is his primary role in the first two acts), but he also has hubris in spades. I really like Iago's statement that he will manipulate Othello easily because Othello is a good man and expects other people to be good as well. I thought that was a very interesting and insightful observation on his part.
Perhaps he has an inferiority complex and overcompensates by elevating himself (at least in his own mind) above others. If this is the case, how galling to watch as a moor waltzes away with the girl, not him.
Clearly I need to jazz up my persona if I am to associate with the likes of Hedda G and Lord H
Iago certainly is a jealous, manipulative person--and he clearly cares for no one but himself. As the play progresses, Othello's character is revealed more clearly. I find it disturbing how easily Othello is swayed to believe absurd lies about his wife AND murder her. He reacts to Iago's claims rashly and immediately--passion clearly controls him.
The way Othello and Iago treat their wives is disgusting. Othello is ready to believe that his wife is unchaste at the drop of a hat--and he lets her know, calling her "whore," "commoner," and even offering her money for her business, drawing parallels between Desdemona and a prostitute. The cruel irony of the play is how devoted Desdemona truly was to Othello--she was ready to disown her own family for him. Othello, however, is more concerned about his honor than his love. He smothers his own wife, and denies her a final prayer.
Iago regards everyone with cold apathy, including his own wife. His only use for other humans is to further his reputation and career, perhaps to validate his own self-importance. He murders Roderigo the second he has no more use for him. He murders Emilia for speaking the truth. He shows no real empathy or care for anyone except himself.
Emilia proved to be my favorite character in the play--I admired how she stood up to Iago, and her undying trust in Desdemona's character. She had more faith in Desdemona than Othello, partly because she spent more time with her and partly because she thinks much more rationally. I found the scene where Desdemona and Emilia are speaking very interesting. She is somewhat of a feminist, condemning men for treating their wives as if they are inhuman. She also acknowledges the fact that women fall prey to lust just like men do. She lacks love in her own marriage, and thus does not feel the marital obligations that Desdemona feels. Her love for Desdemona (as well as her love for truth) far exceeds her love for Iago, as she reveals his deception to Othello. Iago stabs her in response and then quickly flees, further proving his cowardly and "inferior" nature.
I really loved the scene between Desdemona and Emilia too. It was probably my favorite scene in the play. I think in Othello has strong female characters, as opposed to many other Shakespearean heroines. Desdemona seems well-spoken, determinded, and devoted for the entire course of the play, whether she was sith Othello or apart from him. I don't understand why Emilia would have given Iago Desdemonas cloth if she was as truely devoted to her mistress as she says. She knew what it meant to Desdemona, knew that she carried it everywhere with her, and knew that she went crazy looking for it, but she still didn't let on that she knew where it was. I think she has a deeper subtext and motives that aren't as discussed as much as those of Iago and Othello.
Othello does seem extrodinarily quick to sway, but I really don't think he's a bad person. He put faith in the wrong people. Iago said that he is an honest man and therefore will expect honesty out of other people. He didn't see the motives Iago had for lying, and couldn't think of a reason for him to lie, so he trusted him. He and Desdemona had a very quick marriage as well so he didn't really know her all that well. The only reason they married was because she was so impressed by his life story. He also was probably so outraged at even the thought that she might love another, that he was blinded by his jealousy and was unable to see logic. I was wondering though, the kind of trance that he went into when he was angry, was that more of a medical condition, or psycholoical? Iago told Cassio that it was medical and happened often, but Iago's words really can't be trusted. I think Othello is passionate-- to passionate and is blinded by his passion to the point were he sees and hears nothing else, like he is in a trance (maybe even a trance that Iago, the charmer, put him under).
I think it was more psychological with Othello--he is very brash (a little like our friend Macbeth) and Iago speaks utter nonsense and is not to be trusted. I didn't think about the hasty way Othello and Desdemona wedded--quick, passionate love and its failings seem to be a theme in Shakespeare plays.
You are correct that Desdemona married Othello because of his "impressive" life story. This makes me wonder--is this more honorable than marrying someone because they are of the same race as you? It seems as if both scenarios value the "trophy" spouse, or who will look better to society, when choosing a mate. I wonder what constitutes an honorable marriage. Is it a marriage out of duty? This pains the romanticists but humors realists. Is it a marriage out of lust? This satisfies our animal instincts but is not 'responsible.' This is a huge assumption, but it seems as if Emilia married Iago for security, obviously not love. Is she better off than Desdemona? She is still alive and so is her husband, but her husband is also a cold-blooded, murdering manipulator.
I do not know why Emilia gave the clothe to Iago. Perhaps she was conflicted between her duties as a wife and her duties as a maid. I think her actions at the end of the play represent her character more clearly.
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