THEMES IN OTHELLO
MUSIC - IAGO "PLAYS" PEOPLE AS INSTRUMENTS, A CONDUCTOR OF A DISCORDANT SYMPHONY.
DISSONANCE -- IAGO CREATES CONFUSION, DISCOMFORT INSTEAD OF RESONANCE OR HARMONY, MAKING ROOM FOR PEOPLE TO DISTRUST ONE ANOTHER
POISON IN THE EAR -- IAGO MANIPULATES NOT ONLY SITUATIONS BUT ALSO THOUGHTS. HE GETS INSIDE OTHELLO'S MIND AND CONTROLS OTHELLO'S THOUGHT-LIFE AND EMOTIONS TOWARD DESDEMONA.
THE MASK: IAGO IS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. HE DIVIDES AND CONQUERS THROUGH APPEARING LOYAL TO EACH CHARACTER BUT SECRETLY BETRAYING EACH. THE WORST PART IS THAT HE TRULY GETS TO KNOW PEOPLE INTIMATELY BUT USES THIS KNOWLEDGE AGAINST EACH PERSON IN HIS LIFE.
ALIENATION OF AFFECTION -- IAGO REPLACES DESDEMONA, DIVIDING OTHELLO'S LOYALTY AND COMING BETWEEN DESDEMONA AND IAGO.
FOOD: IAGO AND OTHER CHARACTERS VIEW RELATIONSHIPS IN TERMS OF FOOD IMAGERY; WORDS SUCH AS CONSUME AND FEED ARE USED TO SUGGEST MARITAL LOVE IS MERELY CASUAL SEX COMPARED TO GLUTTONY.
MAGIC OF STORYTELLING: OTHELLO WEAVES STORIES TO WIN DESDEMONA; IAGO WEAVES STORIES TO CONVINCE OTHELLO THAT DESDEOMONA CHEATS ON HIM.
MUSIC - IAGO "PLAYS" PEOPLE AS INSTRUMENTS, A CONDUCTOR OF A DISCORDANT SYMPHONY.
DISSONANCE -- IAGO CREATES CONFUSION, DISCOMFORT INSTEAD OF RESONANCE OR HARMONY, MAKING ROOM FOR PEOPLE TO DISTRUST ONE ANOTHER
POISON IN THE EAR -- IAGO MANIPULATES NOT ONLY SITUATIONS BUT ALSO THOUGHTS. HE GETS INSIDE OTHELLO'S MIND AND CONTROLS OTHELLO'S THOUGHT-LIFE AND EMOTIONS TOWARD DESDEMONA.
THE MASK: IAGO IS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. HE DIVIDES AND CONQUERS THROUGH APPEARING LOYAL TO EACH CHARACTER BUT SECRETLY BETRAYING EACH. THE WORST PART IS THAT HE TRULY GETS TO KNOW PEOPLE INTIMATELY BUT USES THIS KNOWLEDGE AGAINST EACH PERSON IN HIS LIFE.
ALIENATION OF AFFECTION -- IAGO REPLACES DESDEMONA, DIVIDING OTHELLO'S LOYALTY AND COMING BETWEEN DESDEMONA AND IAGO.
FOOD: IAGO AND OTHER CHARACTERS VIEW RELATIONSHIPS IN TERMS OF FOOD IMAGERY; WORDS SUCH AS CONSUME AND FEED ARE USED TO SUGGEST MARITAL LOVE IS MERELY CASUAL SEX COMPARED TO GLUTTONY.
MAGIC OF STORYTELLING: OTHELLO WEAVES STORIES TO WIN DESDEMONA; IAGO WEAVES STORIES TO CONVINCE OTHELLO THAT DESDEOMONA CHEATS ON HIM.
The Power of Voice
Othello is the story of a lie, a seed planted in a man's mind that grows into an ugly tree. It is the story of how gossip can destroy even those we love most once the lie manifests and becomes the truth. Othello is a story of how racism, bigotry, and prejudice are even older than the manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays or the mythical stories that preceded them. If you have ever been caught up in "he said/she said," Othello is the Shakespeare play for you.
Othello is the story of a lie, a seed planted in a man's mind that grows into an ugly tree. It is the story of how gossip can destroy even those we love most once the lie manifests and becomes the truth. Othello is a story of how racism, bigotry, and prejudice are even older than the manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays or the mythical stories that preceded them. If you have ever been caught up in "he said/she said," Othello is the Shakespeare play for you.
MOORS HAVE LONG HELD MYSTERY FOR THOSE ATTEMPTING TO DEFINE THEIR EXACT ORIGINS. THEY ARE MOST LIKELY AFRICANS FROM DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE CONTINENT CONSCRIPTED BY THE ROMANS TO FIGHT FOR THE EMPIRE. MANY, BUT NOT ALL, PRACTICED ISLAM. SHAKESPEARE'S PLAY, OTHELLO, TRACES THE ROOTS OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK, SERVING OTHELLO UP AS A QUINTESSENTIAL HERO, A CONQUEROR OF KINGDOMS, A MAN OF POWER, WHO FALLS PREY TO THE INFLUENCE OF A JEALOUS WHITE MAN, IAGO, WHO IS ENRAGED AFTER OTHELLO PROMOTES A LESS EXPERIENCED OFFICER OVER HIM. COMPLICATING MATTERS, OTHELLO'S MARRIAGE TO A WHITE WOMAN BRINGS GENDER HATRED AS WELL AS RACISM INTO FOCUS. SOME SCHOLARS WHO ARGUE AGAINST WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AS THE AUTHOR OF THE PLAYS CITE OTHELLO, QUESTIONING HOW SHAKESPEARE COULD WRITE SO EFFORTLESSLY ABOUT ITALY AND THE MOORS OF SPAIN WHEN HE CLEARLY NEVER TRAVELED MUCH BEYOND LONDON.
FOR MORE INFO READ THE ARTICLE AT THE LINK BELOW
HTTP://ATLANTABLACKSTAR.COM/2013/10/07/WHEN-BLACK-MEN-RULED-THE-WORLD-MOORS/
FOR MORE INFO READ THE ARTICLE AT THE LINK BELOW
HTTP://ATLANTABLACKSTAR.COM/2013/10/07/WHEN-BLACK-MEN-RULED-THE-WORLD-MOORS/
Assignment: On a sheet of notebook paper, using approximately 100 words, respond to the following: How does Othello cause us to question whether William Shakespeare authored the 37 plays that bear his name?