This week, we’ll be finishing Othello. You’re to read Act 4 by Sunday night and Act 5 for Tuesday’s class.

For your online assignment, you may either:

1) Act out and film, alone or with one or two of your fellow students, a selection from any scene in Act 4 or 5 of Othello, uploading the video to our blog. If you have a smartphone, you can use it to film the performance; you can also check out equipment from our library. If you have trouble uploading your video, please email me. (I will send detailed instructions along shortly.)

2) Link to and discuss a pair of film clips from two different versions of Othello–the Orson Welles production, which is available in its entirety here, and the Laurence Fishburne / Kenneth Branagh production, which is partially available on youtube. First, choose one of the available scenes from Act 4/5 of the Fishburne / Branagh production (for example: the slap, Desdemona’s murder); then, find the same scene in the Welles production. (This will take some skimming.) Finally: in 250-300 words, compare and contrast the two clips. What choices are being made by the actors and directors? How are the two versions similar or different? In what ways do those choices matter for your thinking about the characters? Do you prefer one version over the other? Why or why not?

The point of this week’s online assignment is to get you thinking about Othello in performance. Too often, we tend to think of plays as things that are read rather than performed. We’ll go over your work in your class on Tuesday.

In act one Othello is called a Moor multiple times by others within act one. A Moor is a person who is Muslim who is from North Africa. However in act two we see that Othello is not Muslim but seems to be actually a Christian who converted a while back. He is married to Desdemona who is also a Christian, nobody has problem with him as a person marring Desdemona other than the father. People don’t seem to see him as a Muslim. Another piece evidence that show that Othello is a Christian is that hes a leader in the war with the Turks. Why would the King put a Muslim in the war when they are fighting Muslims. The Ottoman who are Muslim are fighting Venetian the Christians. Othello is accepted in the Venetian Army as their leader in war and is accepted in society as part of the Venetian people. Othello also make Christian references in parts of act two. One of the most noticeable reference that Othello makes as a Christian is when Cassio and Montano got into a fight. “ For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl” act II scene 3. Othello is clearly not a Muslim if he is making reference of Christianity as well as to be living aside with the Christian people.

In act II Iago makes assumptions about women and moors and also he uses these assumptions in his evil plan to break Othello

During the conversation with Emilia and Desdemona Iago talks about his interpretation of women’s behavior

Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors,

Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens,

Saints in your injuries, devils being offended,

Players in your housewifery, and housewives’ in your beds

In his eyes women are being pretty when outside, being messy and noisy at home and causes nothing but trouble.

You rise to play and go to bed to work.

in his speech Iago thinks that women’s major role are on the bed

When Iago is talking to Othello that his marriage won’t last and he said reason and his assumption about Othello:

Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies:

he thinks Othello wins Desdemona’s love thru fantastical lies and he thinks that Othello the Moor is good at lying

Her eyes must be fed; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil?

loveliness in favor, sympathy in years, manner and beauties; all which the Moor is defective in:

Iago’s speech shows in his mind a Moor is lack of  loveliness, manner and beauties and a woman like Desdemona will going to seek another man.

Iago has made assumptions about moor’s an women in act II in order to trick the people around him so they can turn on each other. Iago says in line 120 “Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk.
You rise to play and go to bed to work.” By this he means that women are evil and have all the fun they can get in the daytime and are lazy to do anything but wait till nighttime and make love to their husbands which is their work according to him. This saying by Iago makes the women go against him and the key man Cassio to go against him too which was his goal. He wanted Cassio to look like the gentleman in the situation so that he can frame him for being close to the moor’s wife in a sexual way. Later on Iago tells Roderigo that Cassio is going to have a sexual relationship with Desdemona and explains that a woman like her wouldn’t stay with a moor because he looks ugly, is old, and un-interesting. Then he gets Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio since he wants to take Cassio out of the picture since he got tricked that Desdemona and Cassio love eachother. This is the way that Iago pulled of his plan and he is a very sneaky man and doesnt care about anyone else but himself and getting that position he thinks he deserves.

Iago clearly thinks little of women, and openly communicates this to both the women and the men of the play. He jokes around with Desdemona and Emilia saying that all women are despicable and only care about sex, that they “rise to play and go to bed to work” (p43). Although it may seem that he is only teasing, Iago actually employs this belief in his plan to frame Desdemona as a cheating wife. When speaking to Roderigo, Iago explains that Desdemona only lusts for Othello because of his wild stories and his body but will soon bore of him and move on to someone else, “her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour, sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all which the Moor is defective in: now, for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will instruct her in it and compel her to some second choice” (p49).

Iago does not care at all about the other characters in this play, especially the women. He does not seem bothered by the idea of Othello sleeping with his wife, but rather uses it as an excuse for revenge, planning to claim a “wife for wife” (p51). Iago’s hatred of Othello completely surpasses any regards for women in this matter and objectifies them as if they are just properties of their husbands. In my opinion, Iago does not only look down upon women, but overall lacks compassion towards all of humankind.

In act two, Iago begins his plan to make Othello believe or at least get jealous of Cassio when Desdemona speaks for Cassio. Iago is using Roderigo to provoke Cassio when they’re on duty to stand guard. He makes Roderigo believe him by making seemingly sincere promise of helping him to get Desdemona’s love. On the other hand, Iago himself is trying to make Montano believe Cassio has alcohol issue. “…I fear the trust Othello puts him in on some odd time of his infirmity will shake this island. (Act 2 Scene 3 110)” When Montano suggests to inform Moor about this information, Iago then says “Not I, for this fair island. I do love Cassio well, and would do much to cure him of this evil – (Act 2 Scene 3 129)” Iago talk Cassio into drinking, and mislead Montano to a wrong impression of Cassio. He then acts nice to defend for Cassio by saying he would like to help his alcohol problem, and he wouldn’t sell him out to Othello even for an island. After Roderigo successfully provoked Cassio and made Cassio attack him and Montano, Cassio lose his position to work for Othello. When Cassio is down, Iago persuade Cassio to approach Desdemona because she is influential to Othello. “Our general’s wife is not the general… Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again. She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested. (Act 2 Scene 3 298)” He tell him, “I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness. (Act 2 Scene 3 319)” Cassio took his advices dearly because he believes Iago is helping him out of love and kindness. Iago not only make every men he manipulate believes him, he also protect his own kind image in front of them. By looking closely in to his words to other men, he is telling each man different things privately to mislead them to benefit his own evil plan.

Iago slanders women throughout Act Two. He thinks women should be housekeepers and prostitutes. He also talks about Desdemona as someone who is not as special as she seems. He became extremely upset towards Casio and Desdemona when they held hands. At that moment he decided to devise a plan. In Act 2 he mentions, “ensnaring a great fly as Cassio.” In this similie he explains how he will plan to trap Cassio. At that moment instead of caring for someone, Iago only saw the handholding as something lustful. “When the blood is made dull with the act of
sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to
give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour,
sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all which
the Moor is defective in: now, for want of these
required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will
find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge,
disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will
instruct her in it and compel her to some second
choice.”

With that happening Iago’s strong feelings about women are shared with Roderigo. He paints the picture of Desdemona being an ordinary woman who lives for lustful situations. This quote shows how Iago truly feels. He feels as if all women get bored with their partners and move on immediately to someone new. Being old and a war veteran, Othello will soon not be an attractive option for Desdeona. Lastly, we truly see how manipulative Iago is when he talks behind Cassio’s back. He talks about the drinking problem Cassio has, despite being the reason he drunk.

Iago is not a very trusting man, nor is he one to be trusted and doesn’t seem to have ever been one.  We learned a while ago already that he is very suspicious, sly, and deceiving.  From the previous act, we also learned that he believes and acts on almost a whim, hardly having any real backup for his reasoning.  He also thinks of himself much higher than others, in a way where he thinks he can outsmart everyone.  Iago uses his personal bias towards all woman and Moors, specifically Othello, to thrust his plan into action.

When Iago speaks or refers to the woman of the story or to Othello, Iago refers to both more as animals or personal items than as human beings.  In the first scene of the second act, Iago explains in his soliloquy that he want to get revenge on the Moor who “probably” did him wrong. He intends to carry out his plan by doing the same wrong thing that he is accusing Othello for; sleeping with his wife.  The Moor, who is Othello, seems to be this savage being that has done an extreme crime against Iago and the women are just property of their husbands and Othello has soiled Iago’s personal property.  In the second act Iago secretly reveals to the audience that he plans to get revenge “wife for wife” against Othello the Moor.

First of all, in regarding to whether Othello is a Muslim, I believe that at least at the time when the play starts, he is not a Muslim. Because when Othello firstly meets Desdemona in Cyprus in Act Two, Othello says: “Amen to that, sweet powers!” The word “Amen” shows us that he is not speaking in the way Muslims do. In fact, Muslims pray with a very similar word “Ameen.”  They have different pronunciations.  For this reason I believe he is not a Muslim. It is likely that he is a Christian, in recording to Act Two, “And then for her/To win the Moor, were’t to renounce his baptism”, this gives us a hint that Othello has been baptized. Moreover, when Othello tells Cassio and Montano to stop fighting, he says “For Christian shame put by this barbarous brawl!” This shows that he is likely a Christian and feels that the fighting is a shame as a Christian.

Moreover, Othello is a Venetian to the extent that he is appointed as a general who has the supreme power in Cyprus. According to common sense, one would not grant someone who has different nationality such great power that “if I [Othello] stir/Or do but lift this arm, the best of you/Shall sink in my rebuke.” In addition, Othello has served in the Venice military for many years; it is very likely that he becomes Venetian even though there seems no convincing evidences in act two to prove his nationality. Based on these two assumption, I believe Othello is a Venetian.

” come on, come on, you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild – cats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, Devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in… Your beds.

From both acts 1 and 2 iago shows us that he has a very negative oppinion on women. Thoughout the text we get a sense of Iagos true oppinion on women. Iago starts off by making general statements about women, then gives specific examples using his wife and Desdemona. Othello uses his assumptions as well as convinces himself that they are true to mentally fuel his plan and motivate himself to execute it. I found this very intresting because I have personally used assumptions to motivate myself and change my behavior to achieve Something or reach a goal.

“Aside he takes her by the palm: ay well said whisper. With as little as web as this will I ensure as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do ; I will gyve thee in thine own courtesies.

“If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your fingers so oft ”

This is one of the first example in the text where we see Iago use his assumptions to motivate revenge. Iago is trying to convince himself that Cassio wants to sleep with his wife to create a morally acceptable reason to get rid of him and take his position. We see many instances where Iago uses his wife to motivate himself to dislike Cassio and Othello, when we know the true reason he doesn’t like them is because he wasn’t promoted up in military rank.

” the wine she drinks is made of grapes”

In this scene we see Iago telling Roderigo that Desdemona has a thing for Cassio because he is young smart and handsome. We also see Iago explain to Roderigo that Desdeomona is over othello and is looking for the next thing, so it is best for him to get Cassio out of the way of he really wants to steal Desdemona’s heart. I am not sure if Iago truely believes this or he is convincing himself that this is true because it would fit perfectly in his new plan to take Cassios position. This scene is the perfect example of Iago using his assumptions that all women are bad or “the same” to help motivate and deploy his plan.