Othello - Part Uno.

At first, the story of Othello started off kind of slow for me. I didn’t really jump right to it. But eventually I got the gist of the story. In class, we discussed that Shakespeare never really had an original story. He borrowed ideas and he put his own twist to it. As Shakespeare wrote for the plays and to “fill up” all the seats, he made his stories have some depth to it. It would have been a change of pace to read a comedy instead. But I guess we need to give Othello a shot.

In the beginning, there seems to be so much footnotes and its irritating having to constantly look down and read what the footnote is and go back up. Maybe at the time, I was just not in the mood to read.

So the story starts off in Venice, Italy. Iago seems to take most of the spotlight, even though the play is titled Othello. During the time, in the Christian society, stories needed to spotlight the heroes or the protagonist. It seems without the main supporting role of Iago, and then there would be no story of Iago. From what I’ve read so far, it seems that Iago is the jealous type. Iago wanted to be granted the privilege of being lieutenant, yet Othello gave the position away to Cassio. The way I look at it, Othello is a good-hearted guy, and he wanted to give the position to someone who seemed was eager enough to do the job. Even though he never been in battle, it was a great advantage to Cassio to have such a position. But why was Iago granted as Othello’s “Bat Man?” Couldn’t that job be granted to someone else? How was class a key role in determining status in the society? As it seems, Iago is the ugly Betty that wants the fame and glory. He wants to be heard and seen for great things, yet this Othello guy ruined it. It was funny to know that Iago’s wife, Emilia is the woman “Bat Man” to Othello’s wife, Desdemona. Why couldn’t they be treated with the same respect and loyalty as Othello and Desdemona? Well I didn’t catch that in the story.

To know that Desdemona married Othello only for his war stories is a weird. I guess I can see it as her loving how manly he is for fighting and having other manly characteristics, but Shakespeare demeans the woman by just having her love him for that. But why should we care, her feelings for Othello may be indescribable, so that’s the best way he could put it for the audience. Why didn’t Desdemona tell her father that she was falling in love with Othello to begin with? What was she trying to hide? Was it looked down upon? Were they doing the nasty beforehand, so she felt obliged to marry him? We may never know.

It was a cheap shot for Iago to go whining to Desdemona’s father, Brabanzio. Iago seems like a total moocher. He takes all the money from Roderigo and lying to everyone. He likes to be the trouble maker. Shakespeare may have created Iago as one of the main characters, because Shakespeare may have believed at the time that the audience knows someone who has similar characteristics to Iago.

Iago’s intentions resemble some characteristics of people I know. He likes to manipulate and twist the stories. He does this out of boredom and jealousy. He’s a racist by calling Othello a Moor. Iago hates that fact that an “outsider” is in charge. Iago uses cognitive schemas that make limits his perspective. He sees things in a two-dimensional manner, because he plans to do the worse and get his revenge.

Okay, I hit past word count.