Othello--CRAZY!

I knew characters would die at the end of the play because it was a tragedy, but I did not expect the people to die like this. I was sure that Cassio would die after Iago told Roderigo to kill him (IV.ii.221). He was the one who ending up living! I liked that he would get his revenge on Iago by deciding how he would be tortured (V.ii.366-369). I found it like poetic justice because all along it was Iago. Everyone thought Cassio was a terrible person when in reality he wasn't. I was also surprised that Iago actually hurt Cassio because he had done nothing really. I mean he had told people things and put thoughts in their mind, but he had never taken action like that. Emilia was surprising in standing up for herself by telling Iago she would not "charm her tongue"(V.ii..183). Instead, she calls him out and pretty much tells him he is a worthless liar who should die. Lastly, it was sad that Othello killed himself and Desdemona. He knew that she had done nothing against him, and what they had (according to the story) was true love. If it weren't for Iago, they would have lived happily ever after.

Othello--Protagonist and Antagonist

Othello is the protagonist of this play, or the hero. He is respected by lots of people, including the Duke (I.ii), and he has Desdemona. Desdemona is what Roderigo wants, so it can be said that Othello is who people want to be. His major flaw,or hubris, is how gullible and jealous he gets. By falling into the traps of Iago, he sets himself up for disaster. In Act IV, he slaps Desdemona as a result of the jealous ensued by Iago (IV.i.224). It shows that this is his flaw when Lodovico says "is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate call all-in-all sufficient?"(IV.i.249-250). This statement shows that Othello is not who he truly is after he gets jealous. He is not the person that the others know. The antagonist in the play is Iago. He is the evil one, and the character initiating all of the problems. He wants to bring down Othello because he thinks that he has slept with his wife, even though Emilia says that she did not(IV.ii.147). Also, he wants to bring down every other character until he gets what he wants. A set of foil characters would be Desdemona and Emilia. Emilia does not speak out against Iago's view of women while Desdemona does. Another would be Iago and Cassio because Cassio is seen as poliet since he treats women with respect while Iago does not. Lastly, I think that minor characters play an important role. They reveal things to the audience. I said above how Lodovico brings to attention that Othello really is respected, so it enhances the fact that he changed. Lastly, Roderigo plays an important role in the plan of Iago (V.i.23).

Othello--Themes

In Othello, there are a few themes that stood out to me. One of these themes is jealousy. Jealousy is the driving force in many of the actions the characters make. The worst part is that some of the jealousy is based off a notion or feeling, not even facts. Othello is a character who displays jealousy in Act V when he murders Desdemona. He says that "she must die, else she'll betray more men."(V.ii.6). This shows that his jealousy of Desdemona is great enough for him to find it reasonable to kill her. Also, his jealousy is based off what Iago makes him believe, which is based on no proof or facts. Iago always says "I think" or "I have heard". He never definitively says whether he knows for a fact Desdemona had an affair. Another person who has jealousy is Iago. He is the most jealous one in the play by far. Not only does he lie to every person in the play, but he even wounds Cassio in the leg (V.i.). He does everything because of his jealousy towards other people. He even says that he must have Cassio dead because if not Cassio's "daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly"(V.i.19-20). This shows how Iago is so jealous that he must try to get rid of anyone who makes him feel lacking.

Drama Blog- Othello 3

I do not like Iago at all. He is so sneaky towards every character in the story. In III.iii.322-323, He puts the handkerchief in Cassio's home. He lies and does anything in his power to get his way. I find him rude, especially when he talks down to Desdemona and Emilia in II.i.130-142. He is even decieving and rude to his wife, the one person you would expect him to treat right! Also, I find it very ironic when he talks about jealousy to Othello in Act III.iii.167-169. Earlier in the story he tells about his own jealousy for Cassio and his hate for Othello (I.ii.349-355). He is trying to warn someone about jealousy, yet jealousy is what is driving him to do all of the bad deeds he does. Also, he is very two faced. He tells about how he hates Othello(I.ii.349-355), and then he tells Othello "My lord, you know I love you" (III.iii.117). I just overall do not like Iago, and he is obviously the evil one in this play. I can't believe he is decieving so many people!

Drama Blog- Othello 2

The suspense in this play is created through Iago. I think that suspense is created by the many asides by Iago about his plan. In Act II.iii.39-54, Iago has an aside about his plan concerning Cassio. He plans on having him drink, which will lead to the next 'phase'. The suspense is created by the audience knowing what the plan is while all the characters besides Iago do not. The audience is filled in, so they have suspense by wanting the character to not fall into the plan set out by Iago. Also, I think that the suspense is caused by the audience knowing that the play is a trajedy, yet they are not sure of how things will happen. Instead, they are told the plan right before it happens. This leaves them wondering what is next. In the scene shared above, Iago and Cassio talk about how Cassio will not drink, then Iago says he will get him to drink. After drinking, Cassio leaves before fighting with Montano(II.iii.135). The time between the aside of Iago until the point of the plan being fulfilled causes suspense.

Drama Blog- Othello 1

The play Othello is a tragedy. I am not exactly sure how I would have known this besides being toldbefore we read it. By knowing what type of play this is, I think that the audience definitely reads and understands it in way different than that of a comedy. The issues and encounters of certain characters is not seen as humourous. Rather, the scenes relay a more serious and almost dark tone. Even if the scene seems to be a little funny, there is always that thought of the overalll trajedy and questions of what role it plays in that trajedy. I feel that this thought in the back of the minds of the audience causes them to read and take certain scenes in a different way. One example would be the talk between Iago, Emilia, and Desdemona in Act II. He says that "would she giver you so much of her lips as her tongue she oft bestows me, you'll have enoug"(II.i.109-111). In a comedy, this could be taken as a teasing thing to say. In the trajedy, it is taken seriously, and it reveals more about the character of Iago, which is very decietful, untrustworthy, and harsh. Also, the knowledge of the type of play allows for the sudience to pick up on people who have a dark vibe or personality because they are lookingout for those who are 'bad' and those who are'good'. For example, Iago is quickly established as one with jealousy for Moor in I.ii.349-355 and in the opening scene in Act I Scene I. The audience recognizes this aspect of his character and can infer that he will most likely have some kind of a role in the trajedy. Since jealousy is associated with sin or things that are bad, he will most likely be a almost villian like person.