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Monday, December 14, 2009
Shakespeare's Language
Share a line or two of Shakespeare’s that you find particularly interesting, neat, complex, funny, or profound. (Please actually type the line(s) in your post.)
Throughout the play, there are references to race as an issue. One of the lines I found to be essential to this general theme was stated by Iago to awake Brabantio. Iago stated near the beginning of the play, "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" (1.1.88-89). The black and white imagery in this line helps create racial tension. Othello is described as ugly and animal-like because of his race. On the other hand, the image created in the audience's mind after hearing the line about Desdemona is a graceful and beautiful person because of her white skin color.
Another thing portrayed by this line is Shakespeare's culture. This line shows how it was unacceptable during the time period for an African and Caucasian to be together. Their relationship was looked down upon based on the differences in skin color. It can be found that Shakespeare was influenced by the culture of his time period and does show racism within the play, this line being a perfect example.
One line that I thought was interesting is when Desdemona is looking for Cassio. It is a serious situation but Shakespeare still manages to add humor to it. Desdemona comes across a clown and asks him, "Do you know when Lieutenant Cassio lies?" to which the clown responds, "I dare not say he lies anywhere..for my to say a soldier lies,'tis stabbing" (3.4.1-5). The clown twist Desdemona's words so it seems like she asked him where Cassio does not tell the truth, to which he responds with 'if I call a soldier a liar,it is like stabbing him', when really Desdemona meant lie as in where is he lying down, or where is he.
As I was reading the very end of the play I came across a few lines that I found to be important. It comes from the part where Othello finds out what Iago has done to him regarding tricking him into believing Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. He says to Iago, "Perplexed in the extreme; one of whose hand, like the base Judean, threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe"(5.2.342-43). I think this is where Othello has realized that he destroyed all that was important to him and that he let his anger get in the way of trust with Desdemona. Othello knows that he has been tricked but he also realizes that it is his fault that Desdemona is dead. He finds out that by losing Desdemona, he lost the best thing that had ever happened to him.
One line that stuck out to me was Iago's words on page 113 lines 129-130. Iago says, "this is the night that either makes me or fordoes me quite." This line stuck out to me because it was the first time I had seen Iago unsure if his plan would work. He always seems confident in his work and never sees holes in his plans. Maybe he knew something wouldn't work out. These lines were also important because it is extremely true. If everything goes as planned, Othello will be lowered and everyone else dead. but if something unexpected happens, like Emilia telling Lodovico about Iago's wrongdoings, then he will be arrested and he will be miserable. He will either be happy or in an endless torment.
One quote that I am confused about is after Othello killed , he invites Emilia in to his room saying, "O, come in, Emilia" (5.2.102). He might have been angry and unfeeling about what he did, but why tell everyone about it? If he wanted to keep his post as general of the army, why ruin his life by confessing that he killed his wife? Was he so angry with Desdemona that he didn't care about her death or who found out?
Most lines of Shakespeare that I find to be specifically catching or witty in my opinion come from Iago. In part because dramatic irony aids me in finding underlying meanings in his language. Such as on page thirty-three, Act two, Scene one, lines one hundred to one hundred and five. In this, Iago is reacting to light mockery from Cassio. after Cassio explains to Iago that it is in his breeding to give a 'bold show of courtesy' by kissing Iago's wife. Iago reacts in saying 'would she have given you that much of her lips as of her tongue she oft bestows on me, you would have had enough.' This interests me. Earlier, in the Act before, he sets up Cassio to become the break in Othello and Desdemona's relationship. In reading this over, I thought, situations such as these must have happened before between Cassio and Iago. This made me come up with a theory that Iago had grown to hate Cassio, and is one of the reasons why he had set Cassio up in his plot. Why not kill two birds with one stone, Iago must have thought. I find that this line, though being slightly hidden from the rest of the play, as it does seem unrelated, is very intriguing.
6 comments:
Throughout the play, there are references to race as an issue. One of the lines I found to be essential to this general theme was stated by Iago to awake Brabantio. Iago stated near the beginning of the play, "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" (1.1.88-89). The black and white imagery in this line helps create racial tension. Othello is described as ugly and animal-like because of his race. On the other hand, the image created in the audience's mind after hearing the line about Desdemona is a graceful and beautiful person because of her white skin color.
Another thing portrayed by this line is Shakespeare's culture. This line shows how it was unacceptable during the time period for an African and Caucasian to be together. Their relationship was looked down upon based on the differences in skin color. It can be found that Shakespeare was influenced by the culture of his time period and does show racism within the play, this line being a perfect example.
One line that I thought was interesting is when Desdemona is looking for Cassio. It is a serious situation but Shakespeare still manages to add humor to it. Desdemona comes across a clown and asks him, "Do you know when Lieutenant Cassio lies?" to which the clown responds, "I dare not say he lies anywhere..for my to say a soldier lies,'tis stabbing" (3.4.1-5). The clown twist Desdemona's words so it seems like she asked him where Cassio does not tell the truth, to which he responds with 'if I call a soldier a liar,it is like stabbing him', when really Desdemona meant lie as in where is he lying down, or where is he.
As I was reading the very end of the play I came across a few lines that I found to be important. It comes from the part where Othello finds out what Iago has done to him regarding tricking him into believing Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. He says to Iago, "Perplexed in the extreme; one of whose hand, like the base Judean, threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe"(5.2.342-43). I think this is where Othello has realized that he destroyed all that was important to him and that he let his anger get in the way of trust with Desdemona. Othello knows that he has been tricked but he also realizes that it is his fault that Desdemona is dead. He finds out that by losing Desdemona, he lost the best thing that had ever happened to him.
One line that stuck out to me was Iago's words on page 113 lines 129-130. Iago says, "this is the night that either makes me or fordoes me quite." This line stuck out to me because it was the first time I had seen Iago unsure if his plan would work. He always seems confident in his work and never sees holes in his plans. Maybe he knew something wouldn't work out. These lines were also important because it is extremely true. If everything goes as planned, Othello will be lowered and everyone else dead. but if something unexpected happens, like Emilia telling Lodovico about Iago's wrongdoings, then he will be arrested and he will be miserable. He will either be happy or in an endless torment.
One quote that I am confused about is after Othello killed , he invites Emilia in to his room saying, "O, come in, Emilia" (5.2.102). He might have been angry and unfeeling about what he did, but why tell everyone about it? If he wanted to keep his post as general of the army, why ruin his life by confessing that he killed his wife? Was he so angry with Desdemona that he didn't care about her death or who found out?
Most lines of Shakespeare that I find to be specifically catching or witty in my opinion come from Iago. In part because dramatic irony aids me in finding underlying meanings in his language. Such as on page thirty-three, Act two, Scene one, lines one hundred to one hundred and five. In this, Iago is reacting to light mockery from Cassio. after Cassio explains to Iago that it is in his breeding to give a 'bold show of courtesy' by kissing Iago's wife. Iago reacts in saying 'would she have given you that much of her lips as of her tongue she oft bestows on me, you would have had enough.' This interests me. Earlier, in the Act before, he sets up Cassio to become the break in Othello and Desdemona's relationship. In reading this over, I thought, situations such as these must have happened before between Cassio and Iago. This made me come up with a theory that Iago had grown to hate Cassio, and is one of the reasons why he had set Cassio up in his plot. Why not kill two birds with one stone, Iago must have thought. I find that this line, though being slightly hidden from the rest of the play, as it does seem unrelated, is very intriguing.
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