Iago

Okay so I haven't expressed yet how much I hate Iago, so I'm gonna go for it now. Iago is scum in every way possible. His jokes about women are inappropriate, and the way he treats his wife is awful. And then when he stabs her in Act V...what a coward. One of the things I hate most, though is the way he presents an argument. In Act IV, he talks to Othello about the supposed affair between Desdemona and Cassio, but he can't just come out and say what he wants to say. He hesitates on purpose with "Faith, that he did--I know not what he did" (IV.i.31) and "Lie--" (IV.i.33) just to make Othello lose his mind. Iago is incredibly smart, and I'll give him that, but his entire character is infuriating.

Othello-1119 #1

"Othello" employs realistic conventions throughout the entire play. It seems like a bit of a stretch to me, but I can see this actually happening. Iago is unusually crafty and cunning, but it's not out of the ordinary for someone in trouble to say "I told him what I thought, and told him no more" (V.ii.175). It's believable that Othello would doubt his wife's faithfulness after hearing what Iago has to say, and that would make any man more susceptible to lies. Othello's behavior is totally understandable and realistic. Desdemona and Emilia also have realistic characters. Anyone wrongly accused of something as serious as cheating on a spouse would deny it vehemently and be confused. And any woman oppressed by her husband would eventually snap. Every character reacts as any normal person would.

Othello-1119 #7

The real action occurs in Act V which takes place over the course of one night. It begins with Roderigo's attack on Cassio (V.i.23) and ends with Othello committing suicide (V.ii.355). All of the action is dramatized on stage rather than reported. The audience watches the story unfold before Othello and the other characters through the switches from scene to scene. The audience not only hears Roderigo yell "Villain, thou diest!" They also see the attack occur at the same time. The play feels tight in construction. Everything falls precisely into place for Iago as it only would if it was crafted that way. It brings a feeling of control to the play that is accentuated by Iago's personality.

Desdemona

I can't decide if Desdemona truly loves Othello or not. In Act I, Desdemona testifies to her love for Othello in front of the duke. She says to her father that "so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord" (I.iii.185-188). She seems totally and completely devoted to him. Later in the play, however, she does show interest in Cassio, and she even flirts with Iago. By asking what he thinks of all the different kinds of women in Act II, she's looking for a compliment. She doesn't appear to be nearly as enamored with Othello as he is with her. I don't know if I feel bad that he believes she's unfaithful or not. It seems logical to me that she could be at some point if not with Cassio.

Othello-1119 #2

Othello is a tragedy. That becomes apparent early in the play when Iago reveals his true intentions to ruin Othello's marriage and get rid of Cassio (II.i.265-291). Iago's manipulation of Othello throughout the play creates the proper feeling for a tragedy and provides a means for tragedy to occur. The audience should definitely know what kind of play Othello is before viewing it. Knowing that the play is a tragedy puts Iago's and Othello's actions into a different context. Every move that Othello makes seems like a move from a horror movie--the kind that evokes a "No! Don't look in the closet!" reaction. In Act III when Othello condemns Cassio with the words "Within these three days let me hear thee say That Cassio's not alive" (III.iii.473-474), the audience feels a greater sense of suspense because the truth of Othello's actions is known. If the audience was unaware, confusion would be more likely, and the suspense would be lessened.

Othello--1119 #5

A strong theme in the play is that of hatred beginning with preconceived notions. Act I is filled with racial slurs of sorts against Othello. Iago uses the term "old black ram" (I.i.88), and many of the men in the play refer to Othello as "the Moor" rather than by his name. Brabantio hates Othello just because he married Desdemona. He too includes racial references in his speech when he uses the term "sooty bosom" (I.ii.70) to refer to Othello. Othello's race plays a huge part in people's reactions to him in the first act. The duke respects him, but he also sees Othello's race as a defining characteristic. He even says to Brabantio "If no virtue delighted beauty black, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black" (I.iii.286-287). Race is the root of most of the men's opinions about Othello. The racial tension creates a more dramatic feeling about the play. The audience wants to find out what happens in Othello's relationships, but the effect his race has intensifies the desire for knowledge. The themes make the play more pleasurable for the audience because they provide greater resolve at the end. Emotion is what the audience wants from a play, and the racial theme creates that without seeming inhuman. As demonstrated in the Civil Rights Movement, racial ideas are powerful and human. It is natural to feel threatened by different ideas.