On last Saturday, I waited five hours in line to get into a free admissions Museum that is said to be opened only seasonally. Each room was supposedly symbolize a different emotion by its color, lighting, and smell. It was really a rushed tour since there was only like seven rooms and entire tour only lasted about thirty minutes. However, I was glad I did go because I saw one of the most mesmerizing room I’ve ever been to. The room is called exhilarate, the entire room was framed by abstractly shaped mirrors and on the mirrors were the reflections of cherry blossom flowers. In the center of the room, there was a control panel that allows you to control the pattern and size of the flowers by swiping your fingers up and down.

The whole cherry blossom scene and its reflections on the mirrors reminds me one of the scenes in the Pillow Book. When Sei Shonagon states “if you break off a branch of splendidly flowering cherry and arrange it in a large flower vase, the effect is delightful….particularly charming if a gentleman … wearing a cloak in the cherry-blossom combination with under sleeves displayed” (The Pillow Book 1133). I can imagine Sei Shonagon having the same admiration at the perfect match between the cloak and the display vase of cherry blossoms just as I was admiring the projection of cherry blossoms on the mirrors. It was definitely a sight worth seeing and that was one of the most memorable moments of my trip.

I think Othello’s theme concentrates on revenge. The act starts with Iago’s dissent with Othello’s decision to make Cassio his lieutenant. Iago states “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place” (Act 1, Line 12). Iago’s tone suggests his feeling of being undervalued by Othello. Iago believes he is worth the position of lieutenant but when he did not get the position, that’s start of the plot/revenge to create unrest in Othello’s life. Iago shows no loyalty to Othello, Iago states “In following him, I follow but myself”(1, 64). Iago only follows Othello for the job, and as the footnote states, his own self interests. He holds grudge against Othello when he did not get promoted.

Iago wants to cause trouble to Othello’s life starting from Brabantio. His intentions are clear when he states “Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight” (1, 75). Iago wants disruption in Brabantio’s night; he wakes Brabantio up in the middle of the night to tattle on Desdemona’s secret marriage to Othello. Iago’s repetition of “put money in thy purse”  shows his process of persuasion, telling Brabantio to sell his assets in forms of liquidity, then use those money to pursue Desdemona (Folger 29). The purpose of repetition is to show Iago’s urge to make the unrest happen. In other words, saying multiple times will make someone more likely to put his words into action.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, and Barbara A. Mowat. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New York: Washington Square, 1993. 6-55. Print.