Othello Act V

In act V of Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is finally discovered. This doesn't happen until significant blood has been shed. Through the course of the act, due to Iago's villainy Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello all die. Cassio gets a potentially crippling injury from Iago's blade, and Othello stabs Iago, but not fatally. Also, indirectly due to Iago Brabantio dies due to grief of his daughter's wedding which Iago revealed to him. I found Othello's reason for killing Desdemona dumb. He says "She must die, else she'll betray other men." He decides he has to kill Desdemona so she doesn't cheat on other men, even though she still hasn't admitted the affair, which never happened. Also, his wife is faithful to the end. I found it particularly interesting when Desdemona doesn't give up Othello for murdering her. With her last breath she clears Othello from her murder. While this was fairly close to the outcome I was expecting, I was hoping Iago could die in some sort of a particularly painful manner. He remains alive, but hopefully not for long.

Othello Act IV

In Act IV of Shakespeare's Othello, it seems as if Iago's plan is going to come to fruition. Iago is able to concretely convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him. Also, Othello's anger finally boils all the way over and he punches Desdemona. Othello is told that he will be leaving Cyprus for Venice, which makes him even more angry. This leads Othello to his decision to kill Desdemona. He says "Get me some poison, Iago, this night. I’ll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again—This night, Iago!"  Iago then conveniently tells him that he should strangle her instead. This made me kind of angry. Iago isn't happy enough with seeing Othello kill his faithful wife. He must see Othello kill his wife with his own hands. Iago has become worse than a villain now, he has become a devil. In all his actions evil is seen. He has no purpose other than to hurt those around him.

The Role of Race in Othello

In Othello, race seems to be a touchy topic. There are many instances where Othello is treated poorly by many people due to his race. From the beginning, he is referred to as a "Barbary horse" by Roderigo. This implies that Othello is less than human, with Roderigo going as far as to call the children Roderigo will have as horses. Throughout the story, Othello is often referred to as "The Moore" rather than as his name. This shows that they see him as the odd man out simply due to his race. I wonder if Iago's hate towards Othello isn't at least partially due to racism. Even Othello's wife seems to have some odd views, saying "I think the sun where he was born drew all such humors out of him" (III. iii. 21-22). She seems to think because he grew up in Africa he has received his personality. I find it interesting that Othello is the great general in this story while every one else seems to hate him. He is the greatest of them all, yet is treated as the least.

Act III

Shakespeare communicates the meaning of love in Act III of his work Othello. I found this act provides intricate details into love, and the varying emotions love can bring. Othello is stuck between the love and hatred for his wife. Iago's villainy is full blown, planting seeds of doubt in Othello's mind. Iago has given suspicions to Othello. At the end, Iago is planning to murder Casio. This act shows a vast contrast to the love he has for his wife at the beginning of the play. At the beginning, Othello has complete trust in his wife, even going as far as to put his life in her hands. Now, he has put all his trust in Iago's hands. I am amazed at the master manipulator Iago seems to be. Iago seems to make his will action, simply through his persuasive speech. Due to Iago's inflicted doubt, rather than wanting to spend time with his wife, like Othello had earlier in the play he now wants Desdemona "To leave me [Othello] but a little to myself." He wants to be away from the one he used to love so much.

Act II

In Act II of William Shakespeare's Othello, the reader gets to see Iago put his sinister plan into effect. Iago begins to set up his dominoes that he will then knock down. Iago shows that he plans to get Casio drunk so he will make a fool of himself and be quick to anger. This works swimmingly, as Casio falls into Iago's puzzle, stabbing Montano for calling him drunk. In this part of the play, the audience is beginning to see the serpentine qualities of Iago. I can now see why some may consider him the greatest villain of all time. Shakespeare's writing makes Iago seem even worse a villain. The poet's syntax and diction contribute deeply to the meaning. After Iago gets Cassio to drink, and Cassio becomes angry, Cassio says to Montano "A knave teach me my duty? I'll beat the knave into a twiggen bottle." (II.iii.109-110) Shakespeare's wordage makes the play more entertaining due to the phrases used during the period.

Othello Act I Questions 1 and 9

In William Shakespeare's Othello, Act I serves primarily as a primer for the play. It gives background information, and shows the conflicts that will come up. The main conflict is Iago's hatred for Othello. In front of his general he acts as if he is the most loyal soldier, but behind his back he is the most devious person one could imagine. Iago has actual complaints along with unproven suspicions that make him hate Othello. Iago was passed up for the promotion of lieutenant given instead to Casio. Iago hates this, and is enraged by Othello's actions. Also, Iago believes that Othello has been sleeping with his wife. Iago says that it is "Thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets he's [Othello] done my office." Iago uses veiled words in order to reveal to the audience his suspicions. Shakespeare often uses clever phrasing in order to show a serious subject in a less obtuse way.

Getting Out

I preferred Cleopatra Mathis's Getting Out poem to the others, because it was easier to read. While it may seem easy, it actually contains deep messages. What I liked about this poem is the imagery used to explain the relationship. The speaker shows how the relationship worked, and what lead to the downfall. The author is able to speak eloquently in simple language. She doesn't need to use a rhyme scheme or write in iambic pentameter in order to put her message across, she can write like a normal human being. I find this a greater skill than to compress words into a rigid structure, for it allows the true nature of the poem to come across. I found the image of the couple that loves each other, but can't find the love to stay together a very interesting notion. Mathis writes " Yet I think of the lawyer's bewilderment when we cried, the last day. Taking hands we walked apart, until our arms stretched between us. We held on tight, and let go." This shows how even though the couple couldn't stay together, they still had love for each other. I found this poem to be striking for its deep meaning with simple words.