Hello

Because we have to start writing our essays soon I thought i'd do some more posts so that I can get more ideas. The question I would like to bring up this time is "If Roderigo wasn't a chracter in the play then would Iago carry out his plan or not?" My first thoughts were course he would being the selfish character that he is but on the other hand he's too smart to risk trying to kill doing all the dirty work like killing Cassio

Any who I'm off now. Goodbye.

Munieb

"The Song of Willow" O, misery!

The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,

Sing all a green willow:

Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,

Sing willow, willow, willow:

The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;

Sing willow, willow, willow;

Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;

Lay by these:--

Singing

Sing willow, willow, willow;

Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--

Singing

Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-

Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks?

This song is sung by Desdemona a few minutes before her death. At this point I think she knows that Othello has been led down a course she does not understand and feels she cannot avert.

'Shakespeare's revision of the words of this song, his requirements of the music, the subtle and purposeful way in which he has embedded the composition in his scene, comprise of one of his most astonishing feats in dramaturgy (playwriting)- a feat which has not yet been completely analysed and evaluated.'

In my opinion this song gives more insight into Desdemonas character than any soliloquoy of hers could have done.
Her premonition of death pervades the scene. As she asks Emilia to unpin her she recalls a song sung by her mother's maid Barbary. Barbary sang this song because the man to whom she was in love "prov'd mad,/ And did forsake her (4.3.27-28)." So in love was she, and so overwhelmed with sadness, that when she sang the song, "she died singing it (4.3.30)." It expressed Barbary's fate, and for some reason that song came back to haunt Desdemona's memory and she also began to sing it.

She started singing a made up part of the song which revealed her inner feelings but quickly corrected herself: 'Let nobody blame him: his scorn I approve, - nay! thats not next'

'We find our lives in music; we find ourselves in witnessing the performance of others. We enter into that performance, adding meaning where meaning is only adumbrated. We sing the verses, weeping by the fresh streams with tears that soften the stones, adding our own woes to the troubles of the song. Art not only shows us life but leads us to act on our own life by seeing our life in the artistic representation. It is neither good nor bad; neither moral nor immoral. It is a picture of our lives, painted by others, that we need to enter into and complete. Our lives are not complete until we listen to the art, watch it closely, sing it and lose ourselves, and maybe our lives, in it.' -- William R. Long

p.s. Desdemona has often been called the heroine! I know shes not exactly a villainous character but heroine!?!?

Scarlett

Desdemona is evil and Othello is a fool!!

Hey guys, Leah here. thought it was about time I posted, so I decided to expand on Jodies one about Desdemona and describe my pure hatred of her.

Desdemona REPULSES me!!! She is such a wet ninny and lets people walk ALL OVER HER! Especially Othello. To me, this makes it seem like the relationship is rather ridiculas, as Desdemona has the upmost respect for her husband and to begin with he respects her too. However, soon after Iago begins to plant seeds of doubt in Othellos mind, he completly takes advantage of his wife and walks all over her. Why does she let that happen?? Why doesn't she stand up for herself?? Is it because she's afraid of her husband? Or is she just afraid of being abandoned by him? Is it because of the era where Othello was set? Who knows?! All I know is that she is pathetic!

And this brings me to another point. You've got to have trust for a relationship to work, and although Desdemona is obviously besotted with Othello and would believe every word he said without question, he obviously doesn't trust her at all. This is evident because if Othello did trust Desdemona completly he wouldn't have believed Iagos lies.But, if truth be told, Desdemona did not do much to defend herself did she? In fact, I'd say she made matters worse! ESPECIALLY when it comes to the bit about the missing handcerchief. I know it wasn't her fault that she dropped it, but she should have told Othello the truth when he questioned her about it. Again I ask, was she AFRAID of Othello?? He was a top person in the military,m so he must have been quite scary I guess.

Another thing that annoys me about Desdemona is at the end of the play where Othello gets hysterical and goes on the rampage. He makes a speech at Desdemona hinting that he will kill her. It is so obvious that he will murder her, so why doesn't she defend herself? Tell him truth? RUN AWAY!!!!! I'm thinking yhat maybe she likes it when he gets angry and she wanted to die? Not likely, whats more likely is that she was thinking 'oooh darling Othello would never kill me, I'm too pretty, I need to go and style my hair, hmmm hmm hmmm.' Or something to that effect. WHY did she get killed? WHY didn't she defend herself? WHY& DIDN'T SHE SCREAM???? It REALLY frustrates me!!!

Anyway, enough rambling for now, hope you have enjoyed this rather amazin post.

Leah, undiscovered overtalented genius

Suspicious minds

Having made careful observations of the video (Well some parts anyway) I think that Emilia suspects Iago's hatred to othello all the way though the play.

In the video Zoe Wanamaker has that prose when acting as though you can read her thoughts like a book. (In other roles she has played as well) It is the suspicious looks that give her away, as though she is silently going 'hhhhmmm' to herself.

I have also noticed that Emilia refers to othello as the moor. Not even leutenant, (Maybe once or twice but that's not the point.) I think that she secretly hates the moor too. But she is more causious than Iago. Emilia is a strong willed character, but is also held back due to the fact that she is a woman and in those days men were superior, and aslo because she thinks Othello is a sterotypical moor and his anger will eventually take over his kindness. (Da, Da, Da)

I hope this has enlightened you all..

From Ashley x

Love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave...

An initial assumption may be that because Othello kills his beloved wife after the devious machinations of Iago, then perhaps Othello is as much a victim of Iago's evil as Desdemona is of Othello's wrath. Some may argue that the sin of Iago - to plot the downfall of the Moor - is worse because it blossoms in a diabolical, calculating mind, as opposed to the sin of Othello which is committed because he has become a mere pawn in Iago's hands, blinded by hurt, ruined by his own naiveness. However, it can be shown that Othello allows himself to be manipulated. Iago's suggestion of the infidelity of Desdemona provides just the excuse Othello needs to justify the destruction of the wife he believes cannot truly love him. The argument can be made that Desdemona's murder is a result of Othello's pride and rush to judgment and, as a result, he must be held accountable.

"The first sign of love is the last of
wisdom"

Othello, unlike the base Iago, is capable of forming strong, loving relationships -- his genuine friendship with Iago confirms this fact. Othello allows himself to be influenced by Iago, and allows Iago to bring out his most evil characteristics. Although Iago may be the more innately evil of the two, Othello does little to prevent his base instincts from becoming dominant.

"That's the greatest torture souls feel in hell: In hell, they
must live and cannot die"

To see why Othello commits his crime and why he has to be held accountable for it, we must examine his motive. It can be claimed that what actually causes Othello to commit murder is not him being mentally weakened and manipulated by Iago, but rather his own pride and lack of confidence which he allows to gain control. Othello is a strong leader, self-assured in his ability to handle military matters, but he is insecure with his personal qualities. He is in a new city with different customs. He has a new bride - a young and beautiful girl - whom he loves but does not know well.

Here's something that I wrote; I think it reflects the relationship between Othello and Desdemona. Hope you like it.

"I love the way you smile,

I love the way you touch me,

I love the way you talk,

I love the way you think,

But I hate that I am as dark as this rose,

And that I can't love you..."

From yours truly
私は日本の
~Deathgod Captain~
人を愛する
死の神 ~ Seema~ の大尉

Desdemona; Women or mouse?

Howdy,
I have decided to make a post plainly based on Desdemona's 'stupidity'. Why is it that she was so submissive to Othello? Loyalty? I don't believe so. There was obviously a part of her which was so loyal to Othello that made her not want to question him or his actions but not that alone could of made her helpless when he tightened his hands around her neck.

Maybe it was just the time era of the play that made her character so dismissive for it might have been custom in that period of time, but if so then how is it that Emilia took her stand? Sure it weren't until it was too late but she still stood up for her morals in the ends.
What is it that you think made women more inferior in the first place?

And with that I leave you to your thoughts.
Leave a comment,
Jodie

OR

YOU DECIDE!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Konichua everyone!!

Check this out guys!! I got the happiest shock of my life when i found this :D Enjoy!

貴社いよいよご隆盛のこととお喜び申し上げます。日頃は格別のお引き立てを

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan in 1933, Shozo Sato was always interested in the Kabuki style of performing. He graduated from the Bunka Gaukin College in Tokyo with a degree in fine arts.

But what exactly is Kabuki?" 'Ka' means music or song, 'bu' means dance, and 'ki' means acting skill," Sato explained.

Basically, Kabuki is a form of performance that combines dancing, singing and acting into one. The effect is something very different. However, Sato explained that he shies away from the traditional form of Kabuki."If I were to present the traditional style of Kabuki, people would think it is too strange," Sato said. So instead, he created a fusion of Kabuki with classic literature. He explained that he could not use modern literature because the lives of people today are too different from that of the Kabuki performances. "By blending a well-known western script and then presenting it in Kabuki style,

it makes more sense to people" Sato went on to say that Kabuki style really is not that different than Shakespearean style.

向寒の候、貴社いよいよご隆盛のこととお喜び申し上き立てを賜り、ありがたく厚

"When Shakespeare was just beginning to become successful in Europe, Kabuki was appearing in Asia, It's interesting that at two different ends of
the world, humans were really evolving in the same direction without having any
knowledge of the other"

き立てを賜り、ありがたく厚く御礼申し上げます。き立てを賜り、ありがたく厚く

Sato continued. Besides the fact that they are both ways of performing, Shakespearean and Kabuki style have other similarities as well."Just like Shakespeare, Kabuki is traditionally only carried out with male actors," Sato said. Since Sato's form of Kabuki is so similar to Shakespeare's style, he tends to choose works done by Shakespeare originally, as well as other classic play rights. A few well-known performances of Sato's in the Chicago area include "Kabuki MacBeth" and "Kabuki Medea," both of which were held at the Wisdom Bridge Theater in Chicago.

Sato created this form of Kabuki performance with a set goal in mind."The whole purpose is for Americans to enjoy another form of theater. But if I present it in the traditional style, it is too different from American culture for people to handle, so I created this fusion of the two," Sato explained. Extremely devoted to theater, Sato began preparations for Othello in early spring of 2006. After casting was finalized, rehearsals began.

実はお願いがあるのですが

"It's a cultural experience similar to that of learning a new language. It's strange at first, but after a little while you begin to understand it more and it becomes more interesting," Sato said.Sato believes that experiencing different styles of theater, as well as language, is important for all young people.

"It gives students a chance to expand their awareness of another form of art and theater," Sato said. Othello premieres at ISU on Nov. 8 and Sato encourages all students to give the Kabuki style a try."It really makes a person more well-rounded," Sato said.

ご健康にはくれぐれもお気を付けください。

How awesome is that! A Japanese version of "Othello", I really wish I could go and see it. I reckon we should go for it ;) I was seriously amazed when i found out. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as i did!

Syonara everyone

私は日本の

~Deathgod Captain~

人を愛する

死の神 ~ Seema~ の大尉

And they say romance is dead...

I do have to admit - as most of you probably wouldn't have worked this out yet - my favourite character from 'Othello' would have to be Iago. Surprising I know. Yes, he is evil and ingenius, but there's more than that. There's the kind of 'bad' when a teenager goes out late at night, drunk, gets in a fight and kills somebody. That may be 'bad' but not something to impress the Devil. True evil, genuine malice, is when you scheme, you take time and intentionally plan something, which will harm others. That takes courage, it means risk and danger, and it certainly means intelligence. It means destroying others, seeing not only physical pain and gore, but also emotional agony and being able to stomach it and still wish for more. Iago is truly psychotic (maybe a sociopath?) and knows exactly what he's doing and completely keeps his cool throughout the play. Come to think of it, wouldn't it be interesting to have a psychiatric session with the characters?

He constructs every single detail of the downfall of Othello, Cassio, Roderigo, and basically anyone in his way. Everything falls into place with immaculate timing. Pure chance? Or his doing? During a scene of complete chaos, e.g. when Roderigo is dead and Cassio injured, there is a panic and frenzying from everyone's part, safe for Iago. He's certainly a talented actor; he manages to portray every emotion that he isn't actually feeling for the right moment in order to get the outcome he hopes for. He seems concerned, caring, honest, he wants to get help, he advises Othello and doesn't want to speak about people if it will land them into hot water... In fact, he is everything but what he seems to be. He doesn't have a concern for others' well being, he is planning their death. He isn't in any way honest, practically every word that comes out of his mouth is the opposite of what he knows or is thinking (the speech about Cassio sweet-sleep talking and rolling on top of him etc. is particularly amusing).

Althought he's such a pure villain, he's a villian that one simply must adore. I admire him for everything, just the way he carries out his actions is awesome. He's thought about absolutely everything and everyone that could affect his plan, and knows exactly what would happen if he were to, for example, plant a beloved handkerchief into Cassio's hand, therefore causing Othello to believe his wife has been unfaithful. Just like that. More importantly, he feigns this character, this alter-ego in front of others so that they trust him completely, they don't suspect him or question his for a second, they ask him for aid and advice, they keep him by their sides, which certainly gives him a great advantage. He's working from the inside. Everyone knows. Everyone in the audience, that is, the characters don't have a clue until Emilia confesses all.

Ah...Emilia. My second favourite. Her death had to be the most poignant for me. She lived a mediocre life, she didn't seem to have a loving marriage (well heck, her husband killed her after all) and the one person she felt affection for - her mistress Desdemona - is killed before she can do anything about it, and perhaps she could have prevented it. Perhaps, if she were to open her eyes earlier on and stand up to her husband, she may have been able to stop the madness. Her rather feminist and powerful speech about women and their husbands is particularly strong and motivating, I think that's the moment that I thought, 'I like her.' And she was the only one that could see through Iago, it is evident from her speech, and her confession that she was an intelligent, bold woman. Which is quite rare for her time and status. To be frank, she impressed me. Othello drew his sword, and she didn't waver at all, she stood her ground and told him that she didn't care if she died or not, as long as she told the truth. (Which is more than I can say for Desdemona - wimp. Husband strangling you? Fight woman!) Even though I knew she was going to be killed, I guess I hoped that somehow she'd magically end up alive. She seemed like the kind of woman who could have changed things and made a difference; she did, but perhaps she could have done more on a bigger scale if she weren't killed. On the other hand, she did have a good death, she died into bliss, she spoke the truth and died in song, which she deserved. "Her bliss is a function of her discovery of the power of speaking true, of her speaking as "liberal as the north." Her bliss comes because she refused to follow her husband's command to go home and to charm her tongue. Using language from earlier in the play, her words "out-tongued" the others (cf. 1.2.19). When words become the instrument for truth and thinking, they become an occasion for bliss." - William Rudolf Long. She dies doing the right thing.

Her death was so heart-rendering and sweet, "What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan. And die in music. Singing, Willow, willow, willow, Moor, she was chaste; she loved thee, cruel Moor; So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true; So speaking as I think, I die, I die."

"Emilia says 'alas,' because she realizes for a fleeting moment how nice it would have been to have lived in the strength of truth throughout one's life. But it simply is not to be. And so she can only say her last words, 'I die.'" - William Rudolf Long. Quite beautiful really. The most touching speech in the play, in my opinion.

I'll have to end there for now...my little ramblings again...

Blessed be,

~~*Buffy Bloom*~~

~~*Gamze*~~

Love is not a bandage to cover wounds...

Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in "Othello," is "Honest" Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. Iago is not your ordinary villain, oh hell no, the role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. He is an expert judge of people and their characters and he uses this to his advantage.

"Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some
sense to know how to lie well."

Although he is obsessive, relentless, bold, and ingenious in his efforts to manipulate and deceive the other characters—particularly Othello—Iago's motivations are notoriously murky. At various points in the play, he claims to be motivated by different things: resentment that Othello passed him over for a promotion in favour of Michael Cassio; jealousy because he heard a rumour that Othello slept with Iago's wife, Emilia; Iago gives the impression that he's tossing out plausible motivations as he thinks of them, and that we'll never understand what really drives his villainy.

"It is bitter to lose a friend to evil, before one loses
him to death."

The techniques that Iago uses enable the reader to appreciate his full wickedness. It also gives the audience an insight into the hysterical jealousy of Othello, which rapidly gets out of control - an emotion based entirely upon Iago's potent influence and manipulation.

Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognise the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to forward his purposes. Throughout the story he is commonly known as, and commonly called, "Honest Iago." He even says of himself, "I am an honest man...." (Act II, Scene III),

Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily abused. Othello, "Holds [him] well; /the better shall [Iago's] purpose work on him." Iago is a master of abuse in this case turning people's trust in him into tools to forward his own goals.

Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. "And what's he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free I give, and honest," (Act II, Scene III), says Iago, the master of deception. And thus, people rarely stop to consider the possibility that old Iago could be deceiving them or Manipulating them.

"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they
infect the soul with evil."

Lowly Iago is capable of anything - not even Othello is safe from this villain. Othello holds Iago to be his close friend and advisor. He believes Iago to be a person, "of exceeding honesty, (who) knows all qualities, with learned spirit of human dealings." (Act III, Scene III)

Yes, he does know all about human dealings, but no, he is not honest. He uses the trust Othello puts in him to turn Othello eventually into a jealous man, looking everywhere, after all, he is "Honest Iago."

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing
annoys them so much."

From yours truly

私は日本の

~Deathgod Captain~

人を愛する

死の神 ~ Seema~ の大尉