othello

[erin]

it has been many many years since i've read shakespeare. in fact, i can't honestly remember the last time i read a play. for about half of the first act i just couldn't get into the language - i kept looking up words in the notes and referring to the summary at the beginning but after that i got into the rythem of the writing and actually started really enjoying it.

as this play is called "the tragedy of othello, the moor of venice" i just figured i wasn't going to end well. yeah. othello, desdemona, cassio, iago. othello, a general of the venetian army has wed desdemona and they seem to sincerely love each other. othello has also promoted cassio over iago and iago is none to pleased. iago then embarks on a mission to destroy not only cassio but also othello and desdemona. iago convinces othello that desdemona has been unfaithful to him wiht cassio and unfortunately othello believes iago insteadof his wife. more plotting and misunderstanding and in the end just about everyone gets killed or seriously sounded. a tragedy indeed.

as i read i kept thinking, "oh come on othello, don't believe him! desdemona, stop carrying on about cassio already!" it made me sad how quickly othello was willing to believe his wife was unfaithful. iago was just such a frightening villian...what a master manipulator. he played on insecurity and jealousy so perfectly and though other characters could have made choices that could have prevented a lot of the bloodshed, iago was truly an evil person.

i actually enjoyed this more than i thought i would - certainly a change from my ya fantasy but i am thinking about reading another play.