Mr. Mitch Cox

Comments

• Deia Green

  
   2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  In Othello, Othello is so consumed with maintaining his reputation, that he forgets what honor it is to be a husband to Desdemona. The way the play uses this distinction between reputation and honor to explore appearance vs reality, is that since Iago is feeding false information to Othello, Othello is in a pretty vulnerable state. He would believe anything anyone would tell him if it tries to jeopardize his reputation. And the reality that Othello is starting to believe from Iago's illusions, don’t really match with the appearance of how Desdemona is, she seems just as clueless about the accusations, but Othello refuses to see her innocence, he only chooses to see what Iago is telling him. Also, with appearance and reality, when Iago starts planting little things of Desdemona’s near Cassio, and telling Othello what Cassio says about Desdemona, It 'appears' to look like the two really are having an affair, when in reality they aren’t, and Othello refuses to open his eyes to see what was really going on.
  
  For a character like Cassio and Othello, reputation is more important than honor in there cases, But for Iago and Desdemona, they both have to deal with appearance vs. reality. In Act II scene 3, Cassio says, “Reputation, reputation, reputation!, Oh I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!” Which is a clear indication that he would do anything to keep his reputation, but with Othello its not as overt that he cares about his reputation, but through his actions the reader can tell that his reputation is a very serious to him. When he was confronting Desdemona about the alleged affair, he wouldn't let her give her side, he just kept stabbing her with these accusations that might or might not have been true. With Iago, he does want to harm Othello's reputation, but he's more concerned with altering Othello's reality in order to make the accusation towards Desdemona more believable so that they would fall apart. And with Desdemona, she's not as overt with appearance vs reality, but by her actions, and her appearance while Othello was interrogating her, the reader could tell that she knew noting about what was going on, and that her reality was crumbling around these lies she knew nothing about.
  
  This play is saying that trust is very important in a relationship, but with Othello and Desdemona’s the reader can tell that they don’t actually know what a real relationship is about. Othello is accusing his wife of cheating without any clear evidence, and wont hear her side. While Desdemona is just taking these lies and not really trying to explain how innocent she is.
  
  

  9/23/2012 12:13:04 PM
• Katherine Kirkman (Period 1)

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf andGrendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Othello describes the irrationality of evil and how evil only wants to further itself. The nature of evil is sin. Iago represents the sins of envy and greed. Othello represents the sin of pride; Roderigo, the sin of lust, Desdemona, the sin of sloth, Cassio, the sin of gluttony, Emilia, the sin of wrath. All the characters have fatal flaws and sinful vices. The nature of evil is inside every human being and it only takes one to set off a chain reaction. Iago is the spark and, with him, all the lives of the characters are ruined. Iago represents the irrationality of evil because he allows himself to believe that his wife allegedly cheating on him and being passed over for a promotion are good enough reasons to go on a life-destroying rampage. Evil does not need a good reason to prompt its actions; it only needs a reason. One reason can prompt evil and it only took two to convince Iago that a bunch of killing would solve all of his problems.
  The evil in this play differs from the evil in Grendel because this evil birthed itself. Grendel gradually grew evil as the disgust he felt for the wasteful humans morphed into something darker and more uncontrollable. Iago’s evil was always there, hiding behind his mask of honesty. He chooses to do evil but describes his actions as right, like the other characters deserved to be twisted and tortured. The evil in Beowulf is clear cut- a murderous monster that’s inhuman in every way. The evil in Othello is insidious- it slithers into thoughts like a snake, hissing falsehoods and encouraging paranoia. The evil in Othello hides itself and uses others to further its reach. Othello refers to both Desdemona and Iago as devils. He calls Desdemona a devil for her betrayal and later he calls Iago a devil for the same reason. The true devil in the play is Iago because he is the source of all the unrest and the reason behind the deaths. Evil is a trickster, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a snake in the garden, a trusted friend.

  9/23/2012 2:26:43 PM
• Deia green

  *Response*
  I love how Katherine connected the characters in the play to some of the seven deadly sins to kind of give a clear picture of how they act in the play. When she says that,"Iago represents the irrationality of evil because he allows himself to believe that his wife allegedly cheating on him and being passed over for a promotion are good enough reasons to go on a life-destroying rampage" I thought the exact same thing, because his reasoning in the play is to the extreme and it made me think that there has to be some deeper reason as to way he chose to do the things he did, that Shakespeare purposely left out so the reader could try to fill in the blanks on there own. Also the different levels of evil in Othello, Grendel, and Beowulf are separated from a low,kind of pointless reasoning for evil, to a medium inclining of evil from the influence of another character, to a full on, no purpose murdering spree that was described in Beowulf. And i think Katherine did a good job at pointing that out.

  9/23/2012 2:48:04 PM
• Katherine Kirkman (Period 1)

  *Response*
  Deia does a wonderful job describing how the characters in Othello distinguish between reputation and honor and reality and appearance. Her description of the reasoning behind Othello’s inability to see the truth makes a bunch of sense. I never really related it to the difference between reality and appearance but now I see that there is an obvious separation that Othello cannot see. When Deia says that Iago is more occupied with altering Othello’s reality so that it is easier to accuse Desdemona, it puts the play more in perspective for me. I really only saw it as a discussion about a man’s irrational jealousy, but now it seems more like the explication of the intricacies of evil in people.

  9/23/2012 7:35:26 PM
• sydney tennyson period 2

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf andGrendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Iago is a great representation of evil. Iago is considered the villain of the play. Iago represents evil because he makes Othello believe rumors to be true that are false. Iago is the reason why Othello kills his wife and himself. Iago represents envy and jealousy which causes him to do evil things. This play compares to the book Grendel. Grendel relates to both Othello and Iago. Othello and Grendel both grew angry and began to kill people. Grendel began to grow evil and angry because nobody liked him and nobody would except him. Grendel and Iago can relate because they were both envious. Iago was envious of Othello and Grendel was envious of the people because they wouldn't except him. Because of the envy they became angry. In both the play Othello and the novel Grendel Characters grow angry and become evil and began to kill people. The devil in this play is Iago. He is the devil because he is the reason for all of the hate and destruction in the play. He is the reason for all the things that happen in the play. This shows that evil can change a lot and influence peoples actions.

  9/24/2012 1:03:51 PM
• sydney tennyson period 2

  Response
  
  Katherine made a good point talking about Desdemona being a devil. I had not thought about that before but it is true because both her and Iago are considered devils for the same reason in the sense of betrayal. Katherine also makes another good point when she says the nature of evil is sin. That is very true. She does a great job of explaining how sin is the definition of evil. At first i was questioning whether that was a good point or not but after further reading into her blog i began to understand. I like how she also shows the sin each character has portrayed.

  9/24/2012 1:11:52 PM
• Daniel Titch 1

  4.) This analyses of Othello is the best description of how the man acts and thinks. Othello's whole motive in everything he does is his honor. His goal in life is to be a outlier. He was a high ranking military officer, highly respected and black. This combination was incredibly uncommon. He saw Desdemona as a means to an end to add to his renown.
  
  She was rich and white. Marrying her would significantly add to Othello's fame. Not only would he be a respected member of high society, he could tout around his wife for all to see. Obviously Othello didnt love her. She was like a sports car. Once she had to be traded in for a minivan, Othello didnt "love" her because his shallow need were not filled.

  9/27/2012 12:28:29 PM
• Caroline Tennyson (2)

  3)Iago shows evil in the play Othello, he is the villain. Iago manipulates people and events. His manipulation ends up leading to the tragic climax. He leads Othello to believe these lies and causes him to kill Desdemona. He represents the irrationality of evil because he lets himself believe that his wife is cheating on him. The evil in this play differs from that in Grendel because in this play it came upon its self. In Grendel it slowly gained as the novel went on. The evil in Othello keeps to itself and comes out through that of others. In Beowolf the evil is obvious from the start, a monster. Iago is the devil in this play. Iago refers to Othello as the devil because in the sixteenth century a lack man had the figure of being evil and being a devil. Iago is the real devil because he causes many issues and unrest in this play. This says that evil is not always "simple" it is easy to spot but not always easy to find.
  
  
  
  RESPONSE
  I thought Katherine had a really good point when she said The nature of evil is inside every human being and it only takes one to set off a chain reaction. Thinking on that really makes you see that it is true. It is like a fire, It won't start until someone lights the flame.

  9/27/2012 3:12:16 PM
• Tyressa Smith

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  Othello is overly concerned with keeping his reputation and maintain it, that he forgets about anything and the important people in his life. His reputation and appearance portray false information. Othello is sadly sucked into believing Iago’s lies and crazy illusions. He begins to solely see and believe what Iago tells him. Othello quickly reaches a point where he does not even listen to his wife. Othello would rather choose what Iago say over Desdemona, his wife. When Iago starts plotting sneaky things between Desdemona and Cassio, making it seem like the two are having an affair, it shows that he is out to no good and his main goal is to make Othello’s life miserable. When Othello is informed about the made-up affair he is so blinded by Iago’s lies and games that he fails to see that the whole thing is truly non-existing. A key thing that pops out at me is when Cassio yells, “Reputation, reputation, reputation!, Oh I have lost my reputation...” By him making that statement I clearly see that he is also like Othello and highly cares about his reputation more than the important things in life. It is as though both Cassio and Othello have their prioritize all in the wrong order. On the other hand Iago’s ultimate goal was to jeopardize Othello's reputation, and make Othello’s marriage with Desdemona crumble. Unlike Othello and Cassio Desdemona was not the least bit concerned with her reputation. Othello has a moral behind it. The play teaches readers that if there is no trust between any two people then any and everything, minor or major, will soon fade. Trust is the main source in every relationship. In addition, the play illustrates how one person who you think you trust can be your worst enemy in life and is only out to bring you down.

  9/27/2012 8:26:03 PM
• Tyressa Smith

  -Response**
  
  I think that Sydney brings out a great point when she says that Iago is the true villain of the play. Her statement is surly right. Iago is a evil villain and has a good way of covering it up. He covers is evilness up so well that Othello is blind to see it. Sydney does a fabulous job of comparing Othello and Grendel. The way she compared the two by bringing out the fact that both of them became so frustrated and began to kill people is awesome. Both guys let their anger take control of them and it led to preforming drastic actions.

  9/27/2012 8:52:17 PM
• Brooke Copeland (4)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I strongly disagree with this commentary more than i agree with it. Othello loved Desdemona, if he didn't love her then Iago telling him that she was cheating on him wouldn't have torn him up emotionally as much as it did. If he didn't love her and only pretended to love her and be with her simply because Desdemona was his "trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world" then he would have just have let the thought of Desdemona being with another man behind his back just pass right through without a care. He would have let the white men keep thinking he was with a beautiful white women to get what he wanted and not have to worry about expressing love that was not there to her. so he did love her, there is no explanation as to why he wouldn't have love for her.
  Another point as to why these remarks are completely wrong is that Othello killed Desdemona because he didn't want her to be with any other man but him. It was not and "Honor killing" what so ever. I do disagree with him killing her because if someone did that now days people would say he didn't truly love her if he took her life. Though this is a big time range now, things ave changed involving situations like that. Also if her death was just an "honor killing" then why did he kill himself after. He killed her because she was his word, his love, and his best friend and after believing that story he was heartbroken and thought well if i cant have her then no other man can, so he killed her then killed himself so they could be together without Cassio in the picture. He did it out of love.
  
  response: I agree with Caroline that Iago was for sure the evil one in this play an that he is the real one to be referred as a devil not Othello.I also agree with how she compared Grendel and Othello as being two different types of evils which are being used.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  9/27/2012 10:02:39 PM
• Daphne Dorrestein (4th Period)

  3) In Othello, Iago is used to represent most forms of evil, or at least the ultimate source. We can see that it is difficult to discover the true nature of those around us, because there can be underlying reasons for actions that we are not aware of. Iago frequently acts without cause, justifying his irrationality with whatever excuse happens to be appealing to him. Originally, Iago claims to dislike Othello because he promoted Cassio over Iago. Then, he believes Othello has slept with Emilia, and that Othello is basically a horrible person. The only constant with Iago is that he continues to attempt to ruin Othello's life and he never has the same motivation for his goal. In Beowulf, the evil character, Grendel, also acts without reasonable cause. Instead, his actions are attributed to his being a monster, and a being created to be evil. On the other hand, in Grendel we see that Grendel's acts of terror arise from a hatred of the humans and what they believe in.
  In the play, both direct and indirect references to the devil are made throughout the work. Many descriptions are filled with darkness, including the emphasis on Othello as a black man. In the time Othello was written, the devil was depicted as being black, from being covered in coal dust and soot, as opposed to the red coloring of today. This is important because strong comparisons are implied between the devil and Othello because of their color. Although Othello is accused of being evil early on, the real devil in the play is Iago. Iago is the man behind the scenes, playing all the characters off of one another. He uses their basic fears to plant the seeds of doubt in their minds, and while he only once physically harms someone, he frequently destroys others mentally. He is also the person with ulterior motives that are hidden because of their nature-ones that would not be approved of if they were in the open. I think this goes back to how one cannot always determine the true nature of another, even when they are a trusted friend, because we are not omnipotent. Iago displays that power can be gained through evil, because in this scenario, ironically, Iago was the one “playing God” while demolishing everyone around him.
  I believe that Katherine made a good point when she mentioned that Iago also displays the irrationality of evil because he seems to convince himself of his own lies. As his convoluted plots thicken, he begins to believe the stories he weaves, specifically when we see Iago getting emotional because he thinks Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. Evil can be crazy, and it can mess with your head to such an extent that you are even taken over by your flaws. I both disagree and agree with her conclusion that every human being has a fatal flaw. In the story, this is an obvious assumption. Othello is jealous and blind, Desdemona is too loyal and kind, Emilia betrays Desdemona, and Cassio is too easily manipulated. In real life, however, I think that humans all have an assortment of smaller faults that can add up to cause major complications, but cannot be unraveled by one simple villainous act.

  9/27/2012 11:57:56 PM
• Kelli Owens

  Othello shows how manipulative and underhanded evil is, and how it manages to control people in ways that they are not fully aware of until it's too late. Evil has no limits and is never satisfied, which is demonstrated when Iago achieves his initial goal and yet remains unsatisfied. He manages to get the position that Cassio has, and make Othello's life horrible, but continues to attack Othello until he has nothing left. Iago has no reasoning for his actions other than what he makes up in his, like Othello sleeping with his wife, or Iago falling in love with Desdemona. He is constantly present, but never truly seen by others for his true ways.
  Being cunning, spiteful, irrational, and deceptive Shakespeare creates this image of the devil through Iago, and shows how he uses this illusion of innocence to conceal his true intentions. Even after Iago
  This differs from how evil is shown in Grendel and Beowulf because in these novels evil clearly presents itself to everyone and has no forms of deception, or illusions tp conceal itself. Grendel is a raving monster who regularly attacks Hrothgar and his men, this is known by everyone and he is seen as the evil, lurking presence. What makes the books similar is that the characteristics of evil both take on human traits that are considered undesirable.

  9/28/2012 8:21:29 AM
• Kelli Owens

  Response
  
  Deia brought up how Desdemona didn't really stand up for herself once Othello begins to tell her that he believes she is cheating. Desdemona has faith in her husband and it appears that she believes that he will realize the truth of the situation and see that there is no evidence to support these accusations. She loves him and believes he loves her as well, so their love should prevail over this small hiccup in their relationship. If she yelled back at him and lashed out it would only make her appear more guilty because if shes telling the truth she shouldn't be concerned about some lie. Also, this is a time period where women were not suppose to have to much of a voice, or opinion even when it came to their own lives. Which could also mean that even if she wanted to stand up for herself she wouldn't really know how to because there has always been someone to do that for her. Now, she's with Othello who is suppose to be the one sticking up for her, who has bought in to all these lies, already addressing her as if she's guilty of a heinous crime.

  9/28/2012 8:35:51 AM
• Madison Chandler (2)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  While a bit harsh, I feel that this is a very fair assessment of Othello's character. When I read the play, the part that troubled me the most was the fact that Othello killed the woman he supposedly loved so much on the grounds of only rumor and speculation. Had he actually loved Desdemona as much as he claimed, he should have given her an opportunity to explain or defend herself. At the beginning of the play, I would have never even entertained the idea of Othello only marrying Desdemona only as a “status-giving possession” to “prove that he has risen standing in a white man's world”. It seemed as though he genuinely loved her, yet his irrationality at the end led me to question if his feelings were true. It could be that Othello's love was SO true that it led him to act irrationally, although I am skeptical of even this possibility.
  
  The idea of Desdemona's death being an “honor killing” is an interesting one. I never really thought of Othello as someone whose “honor” was so great that he would murder someone else just in order to preserve it. The fact that even a blind accusation of adultery on Othello's wife would cause him to act out in the most extreme way possible shows that he clearly has some deep-seeded issues. While I hate to judge characters based on only one situation, Othello's reaction to the accusations made about his wife and his unreasonable ways of dealing with his anger lead me to believe that the comments made in the above statement are perfectly valid and possibly true.
  
  Brooke Copeland makes some very good points as to why she disagrees with these statements, and I definitely see where she is coming from. One point she brought up that I did not consider in my own opinions of Othello was the fact that he killed himself shortly after killing Desdemona. While this does show that he realized what he did was wrong, I don't think that even the taking of his own life can justify Othello's irrationality. His reasoning behind killing Desdemona (so that she could not be with any other man) was selfish and certainly NOT justified. Had he really and truly loved Desdemona, he would not have acted as he did.

  9/28/2012 12:57:56 PM
• Anderson Pope 2nd

  1) What does the Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero. (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  
  Othello is considered a hero in this play. He is introduced as the great general that is a genius on the battle field. His tactical skills are used to emphasize on how he becomes a tragic hero. Othello is aware of everything that happens in his battles, but he is so blind when it comes to noticing what is going on in his own home. This shows that just because he is a hero, he is not above harm whether that is emotional or physical. Othello becomes an emotional mad man when he hears what Iago sais is going on in his own home. The pain he goes through in this play proves that he is a tragic hero in that his life is not always easy or comforting. Although he has won many wars he can not win the battle going on in his own home. In this tragedy Othello is the main character going through all the suffering, therefore he is a tragic hero.
  
  Desdemona meets the characteristics of a tragic hero. Although she is not the main character of this tragedy, she is right up there with him. Othello is fed lies which ruins his marriage but he is not the only one feeling pain. Desdemona is clearly devastated by her husbands actions and we feel for her because she has done nothing wrong. However, although she knows she has committed no crime, we feel for her even more due to her obedience and commitment to her husband. Desdemona suffers just as much as Othello in this situation therefore making her a tragic hero as well.
  
  I disagree with Madison Chandler about the quote above. I do not think that this is a fair accusation at all. I also do not believe that Othello only looks at his wife as a trophy wife. He is clearly madly in love with her. In fact, he loves her so much that he would kill her over jealousy of the thought of her being with another man. This is where I do agree with Madison.When she said that his love was SO true it led him to irrationality i thought that no words could describe it better. His love is so deep that he would truly do anything to keep her to himself, even if that meant killing her.

  9/28/2012 7:31:32 PM
• Indy Reid-Shaw

  1) What does Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero? (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  Shakespeare's play, Othello, comments on the nature of heroism. It reveals that all heroes come with flaws. The play is realistic in the way that it portrays people as having both good and bad qualities. Shakespeare, however, accentuates the bad side of people in this play to emphasize how seemingly trivial scenarios can lead to terror and tragedy. There are no lily white characters that are without weaknesses. This includes Othello, Desdemona, Bianca, Emilia, and Roderigo. The only person who is left relatively intact by the end of this whirlwind play is Cassio. This honest man takes over Othello’s position as the story comes to a close.
  Othello is most certainly a tragic hero with respect to Aristotle’s list of qualifications for such a character in his book Poetics. Othello has noble stature and is a great military hero. He defies all odds to rise up as an influential figure in a white society and to marry a woman of high birth. He is honest and noble by character. Othello is certainly not perfect, however. He shares flaws of the common man such as jealousy and being overly trusting. Othello’s shortcomings lead to his downfall. Iago initiates the sad turn of events, but it is Othello’s own imperfections that lead him astray. Aristotle calls this error of judgment, hamartia, or tragic flaw. In this case, however, hamartia is not caused by Aristotle’s prescribed hubris, or over-confidence. If anything it is a lack of confidence and paranoia that leads Othello to insanity. Aristotle also says that the tragic heroes’ punishment should not be entirely deserved. I do not believe that Othello deserves to be driven to madness because of his lack of security. I do think, though, that he deserves to die after he foolishly kills his wife. Aristotle says that the fall should not be entirely a loss. In Othello, however, the Moor plummets with no gain. He learns not to be so trusting of Iago and to think for himself, but this new found truth leads him to kill himself.
  Elizabethan and Renaissance tragic heroes were similar, but not straight from Aristotle’s model. They were used more as a way of teaching the audience a lesson. Othello’s bloody end certainly moves the audience and instills the idea that manipulation through jealousy can ruin lives. Revenge was often used in this era as something that brought on tragedy. This is seen in Othello when Othello decides to get back at Desdemona by killing her for cheating on him.
  I consider Desdemona a tragic hero. She comes from an influential family. She is well loved; a care-free, smart, and happy woman who is strong for her time period. Her devotion and trust of the both men, Othello and Iago lead to her tragic downfall. She, along with Othello, is innocent to Iago’s schemes. She is overly naïve when Othello is about to kill her. She has this false sense of hope that he will change his mind.
  I like how Katherine demonstrates the difference between the evil found in Grendel and that in Othello. She uses excellent personification when saying that “the evil in Othello is insidious-it slitters into thoughts like a snake, hissing falsehoods and encouraging paranoia.” The evil in Grendel though, I realize, is more clear cut. The Shaper defines Grendel as the evil to be conquered and the people of the kingdom respond. Grendel eventually envelopes his role in society. In Othello, Iago demonstrates that it is the subtle and less definable evil that is most aggressive and lingering. Evil is most effective and frightening when the source is hard to identify.
  

  9/29/2012 10:31:00 PM
• Brandon Frye

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf andGrendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  
  Othello preaches that the nature of evil is sin. He describes the irrationality of evil and how evil feeds and grows off sin. The nature of evil, the seed to sin, is inside every human being, waiting to sprout and promote evil ways. Iago bring forth the evil in the lives of the characters. Iago represents the irrationality of evil because he allows himself, through doubt and irrational reason, to believe that his wife is allegedly cheating on him is good enough reasons to ruin the lives and relationship of others for his mishaps. Evil does not need a distinct reason to prompt its actions, it only needs a motive. One motive is enough to prompt evil.
  
  The play depicts both direct and indirect references to the devil in the play. There is an emphasis on the description of evil and darkness. Main character Othello, a black man, highlights the indirect comparison of the devil. In the time period of Othello, the image of the devil was depicted as being black, opposed to the traditional red color of today. For this reason Othello is compared to the devil because of their color, he is accused early on of "witch craft" and casting spells, when the accusations were actually false. The devil in the play is the one who toys with the minds of each character; manipulating them to believe in there most precious fears. Iago does this by playing off each characters weak point, planting lies and misconceptions of doubt, destroying them mentally, emotionally. Iago displays that trough evil tactics, power can be gained.
  
  Anderson makes a good point when he talks about Othello and his blindness in his own relationship. He is unaware of the lies and false accusations that are being presented to him and allows it to enrage him beyond belief. Also, Anderson does a great job of describing how Othello is a tragic hero, through his struggles, and built up emotions in the play. The tie between Othello and Desdemona and the misconceptions in their marriages and how they lead to devastating endings is a direct example of a tragic hero.

  9/30/2012 10:47:28 AM
• Sarah Vassello (Period 1)

  In response to prompt 4, I think that the novelist Rushdie was correct in his analysis of Othello and I do think that it is valuable commentary. Rushdie, in summary, says that Othello and Desdemona were never truly in love and that Othello basically was using Desdemona as a trophy wife, a symbol of his reputation, power, and status. Desdemona was only what he saw her as: a beautiful white woman who could change his life and could elevate his status, a woman who he thought he loved because such attributes. However, she obviously didn’t mean that much to him because he smothered her like he smothered his common sense when he chose to believe Iago, a friend who he had known for only a short while, instead of his wife, who broke down boundaries and betrayed her family for him.
  
  Rushdie said, “Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense.” I somewhat disagree with that. For example, in the novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro the two main characters are in love but, due to the societal norms of the time, they are expected to make donations,” meaning that they are demanded by the government to donate their organs to the more economically fortunate until the characters die.The girl in the novel oversees a number of the patients who donate their organs, including the man she’s in love with. When she oversees his heart transplant, which obviously will cause him to die, she is understandably upset but she does not try and stop the procedure. It is arguable that the girl helped murdered the man she loved; however, there is no denying that she loved him. She did what she did because there was no way for him to survive due to societal expectations. Othello did what he did due to personal jealousies and feelings of resentment and entitlement.
  
  Like the quote from Legally Blonde, “Happy people just don’t kill their husbands. They just don’t.” Although Othello killed his wife, the sentiment applies. For a newly wed, Othello was not a happy person. He married Desdemona for her power and her status and the effects that those things would have on him. He was in love not with her but with the idea of being in love with her. Rushdie says, “The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello’s honor. She’s not even a person to him.” I agree strongly with this. By Iago attacking Desdemona’s honor, he ruined the image of Desdemona for Othello, making her useless to him. Of course he felt bad about killing her because that’s not an okay thing for a human to do to another human. While he did feel guilt, it obviously didn't last very long because he justified his actions as an honor killing instead of admitting that killing his wife probably wasn’t the best move that he’s ever made.
  
  In response to Madison’s blog, I think that she made some very valid points. She said, “The fact that even a blind accusation of adultery on Othello's wife would cause him to act out in the most extreme way possible shows that he clearly has some deep-seeded issues.” I agree with her analysis and think that she raised a very interesting point. It makes me interested to know what happened to Othello in the past to where honor became so important to him. It was weird to me how Othello didn't seem too interested in honor until his was called into question.

  9/30/2012 1:38:28 PM
• Nicholas Debo (4th Period)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  I have to disagree with this excerpt. I believe that Othello truly loved Desdemona. The evidence is completely clear. No matter what the situation was, he always did it for their love. In this period of time, there was hardly any interracial marriages. It was highly despised to marry someone of another race. Othello and Desdemona got married because they loved each other. Their love was so strong that they did not care about what society thought. Othello also didn't think that Desdemona was his trophy wife. They loved each other. Othello would never think of her as a trophy wife. Love is never a trophy. To say that Othello thought that Desdemona was a trophy is completely wrong.
  
  The character who made this statement makes a good case but they are wrong. I find the diction and syntax deceptive. Othello and Desdemona were in love. They did not care of each others race. I find it clear that it was not an "honor killing." Othello killed her because he loved her. He did not want to share her with anyone else. He killed out of love. It is true that he was deceived into thinking that Desdemona was cheating on him. When he found out that it wasn't true he killed himself with a dagger. If anything, Othello lost his honor by killing her and himself. Killing her made him give into Iago and those who wanted him to fail. I also feel that he lost all of his honor in killing himself because suicide is never honorable.
  
  I agree with Brooke on her assessment of this excerpt. I do not think that the character who said this was right. Brooke is right when she talked about how tore up Othello was when he was deceived into thinking that she was cheating. Othello would not have cared if he didn't love her. Everything that Othello did was out of love. Even though he was deceived he did it for her.

  9/30/2012 3:47:54 PM
• Michaela Nolte (1)

  In Othello, there are forces of evil that ultimately takes down the innocence of good. Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio can represent the good. Iago and Rodrigo are portrayed as evil figures that try to manipulate the other characters lives. As the story moves forward, evil comes upon Othello from Iago. Iago represents evil because he is cunning, manipulative, untrustworthy, and deceiving. He plots a plan that slowly tears other characters an apart to motivate him to his own success. Iago not only uses his nature of evil but uses other’s weaknesses. For example, Othello and his jealously.
  
  In Othello, evil was not shown through a symbol and Iago is driven by evil through his own conscious. Also, when we were first introduced to Iago, we knew that he already had evil inside of him from his conversation with Rodrigo in the first act. In Grendel, the devil is represented by the dragon that persuades Grendel to change his way of thinking. Another difference is that Grendel is not introduced as evil. He gradually becomes evil after speaking with the Dragon. In Beowulf, Grendel is described differently; he is a destroying flesh eating monster. In Othello, Iago is the devil who is sneaky and easily tricks other characters. The reader knows that Iago is the villain but evil takes over the good and none of the other characters realize this until the damage is done. Othello thought Desdemona and Cassio were the bad characters. This can show how evil is mysterious and can play with people’s mines.
  
  I like how Brandon relates the development of evil to something that grows out of the ground. A person can start out with a little evil inside of them. They can get away with something once and that builds confidence to keep doing evil things. By the plants getting bigger it can show how a person’s evil acts become more heinous. Eventually, every plant does die and evil can be caught or stopped.
  

  9/30/2012 6:41:56 PM
• Olivia Huff period 2

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  I happen to disagree with this passage. Even though he does make some interesting remarks, Othello did truly love Desdemona. Within the work, Othello did not seem to know how to love. Othello feels insecure even though he has an elevated status. Desdemona disrespected her father’s wishes and married Othello. Their interracial marriage did not seem to bother them; they simply loved each other. Though it does seem kind of strange that Othello killed Desdemona, I realized that he was so hurt and jealous of the thought of her with another man that he couldn’t bare to share her with someone else. Since he didn’t want to loose her in that way, he killed her so that she couldn’t run away from him.
  Iago forced lies onto Othello, making him be filled with jealous rage. He was so blinded by these lies that he wasn’t able to listen to the truth that Desdemona was telling him. Desdemona’s death is not an “honor killing”. Othello always seemed to be calm and organized until Iago tells him lies. I disagree with Desdemona not even being a person to Othello, that she was his doll. If this were the case, Othello would have never killed her because she would have meant nothing to him. Othello wouldn’t have cared and gotten so angered by this lie. Even though this doesn’t seem right, he killed Desdemona out of love but he lost his honor when he gave into Iago. After he finds out the truth, he kills himself with a dagger letting Iago win. This accusation of Othello is not true and simply not fair.
  
  Response: I agree with Katherine. Othello says that the nature of evil is sin. I liked how she compared each character to a sin. I also liked how she stated that Iago represents the irrationality of evil because he allows himself to believe that his wife allegedly cheated on him and passed over for a promotion are good enough reasons to go on a life-destroying rampage. I agree with her on this because Iago evil to an extreme extent. I also agree and like how Katherine brought up how the tragedy Othello, is like a snake, “hissing falsehoods” and “encouraging paranoia.”
  

  9/30/2012 7:08:14 PM
• Emma Beneville

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  This passage says that Othello did not truly love Desdemona. If he truly loved her, how could he kill her? That is not love at all. He says that Desdemona was Othello's “doll”. A “trophy wife”. Desdemona was just an object that could raise his social status.
  I disagree. I believe that Othello did love Desdemona. She was the love of his life. He was a very respected black man that married a white woman. Interracial relationships were looked down upon by most members of society in this time period. This did not phase them at all. They still loved each other and stayed together.
  Although it may seem strange that a man would kill someone that he loves, he didn't do it because he hated her. He did it because of jealousy. Iago had spread many rumors about Othello and Desdemona's relationship. He said that Desdemona was having an affair. Othello could not stand to lose Desdemona to another man. Therefore, he killed her. He could not stand the thought of her with another man. He wouldn't let it happen.
  
  Response:
  Anderson points out that Desdemona feels the same hurt that Othello does throughout the play. Although she is not the main character, she is still a tragic hero. Othello is thought of as the main tragic hero in this play. He is fed all of Iago's lies and feels so much anger, jealousy, and hurt. While reading the play many people probably don't consider Desdemona a tragic hero. Although, she fits all of these characteristics.

  9/30/2012 8:16:13 PM
• MJ Bumgarner

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not
  
  I disagree with the remarks about Othello. Othello does love Desdemona. While he did murder his wife, he did it because he could not stand for her to be with any other man. Love can lead people to do crazy things, but Othello truly loves his wife. I agree that Desdemona could be viewed as a trophy wife because she is "his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world". However, Othello does love her for her. Desdemona is Othello's object of affection, "his doll". Love can bring out the best or the worst in people, and in this situation, it was the worst.
  Even though Othello did kill his wife because of accusations made my Iago, he still loved her. While I disagree with his actions, I still whole-hearting believe that he loved Desdemona. After he murdered his wife, he ended up stabbing himself for his action. I find this act rather romantic. Othello was corrupted by a "friend" which caused him to kill his true love and in the end, they were reunited.
  RESPONSE
  In response to Deia's, while Othello accused his wife of cheating with no real evidence, they had a true relationship. Iago's lies lead to Othello's downfall in his relationship. I do agree that reputation did have to deal with the murder of Desdemona though. He did not listen to his wife when he should have. But he let his anger and frustration get the best of him.
  

  9/30/2012 8:28:12 PM
• Emily Burgner

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  This statement is very accurate considering Othello's thoughts about his wife. The motif of the importance of reputation is very prominent throughout Othello. It is claimed that Othello does not truly love Desdemona and I completely agree because if you really love someone you could not kill them or doubt them as much as Othello did to Desdemona. Othello had no trust in Desdemona, and love requires trust. Othello did not love Desdemona, he married her to boost his reputation.
  Desdemona is called Othello's trophy wife, fulfilling her obligation to keep his reputation in tact. When her loyalty is questioned by Iago, Othello does not really care of her guilt or innocence, he cares that his reputation not be ruined. He could not bear to have others think he is married to someone not loyal to him. Othello is more concerned with his name than even if his wife has actually been true to him or not. Othello had to kill his wife to protect his reputation proving that his name was far more important than Desdemona. Obviously he did not truly love her because love is too strong and Othello would not have been able to kill her.
  Olivia Huff disagrees with this passage, yet I do agree. She especially does not believe that Desdemona was his doll because she was a person towards him; however, I believe she does fit the comparison of her to the doll. When Desdemona is accused of not being loyal to Othello, she first argues against it but goes away when he asks her to and does whatever he tells her. She claims to want to make him happy, but she never seems to make decisions for herself. She fits the character of a doll because she doesn't make decisions for herself, she is controlled by Othello because she just wants to please him.

  9/30/2012 8:41:13 PM
• Jamie Lea Period 2

  1) What does the Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero. (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  
  Othello comments on the nature of heroism. It shows that everyone, including heroes comes with flaws and imperfections. In this play, Shakespeare demonstrates the reality of people and how they have good and bad qualities. Cassio is set to be the only god character in the play, while all the other characters are emphasized by the bad side that people have.
  
  Othello is considered to be a hero in this play. When first introduced, he is described as this great war hero that has fought many battles and won them. This is used to stress how transitions to be a tragic hero. Othello is extremely smart when it comes to war battles, but is naïve and blind when it comes to his relationship and the stuff that goes on under his nose. Just because Othello is a hero, it doesn't mean he is dismissed from emotional harm. After Iago tells Othello what is going on with Cassio and Desdemona, he become furious. Othello's life is far from easy and satisfying, which proves that he is a tragic hero. Othello is the main character that had to deal with a lot of pain and suffering, which demonstrates him as a tragic hero.
  
  I would consider Desdemona as a tragic hero as well. She comes from an affluent and potent family. She is widely known and loved. She is a beautiful, and strong willed women considering the time period in which this play is taken from. By her being such a trusting and friendly person, it lead her marriage to a tragic failure. Her and Othello are naive and easy targets for Iago to start his scheme with. Desdemona is destroyed by Othello’s actions and it makes the readers feel sympathy for her, because she has done nothing wrong. She also makes the readers feel pity for her, because she has forever been committed and loyal to her husband. Although she is not the main character, she has greatly suffered just as much as Othello in their tragic situation; which makes her a tragic hero as well.
  
  I agree with Tyressa when she says that Othello and Cassio weigh too heavily on their reputations, rather than the important stuff that is going on in their own house holds. I like how she said that Othello and Cassio “have their prioritize all in the wrong order”. When Iago tell Othello the lie, he gets angry, but if he had paid more attention to household business, he would have saw how much Desdemona loved him.

  9/30/2012 8:50:05 PM
• William Adams

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I believe it is valuable because it shows a great possibility in the true nature of Othello's relationship with Desdemona. It does seem after Desdemona is accused of infidelity that Othello is only concerned about how this makes him look publicly. He hates the way her infidelity makes him look like a fool and a tool that she can use at her pleasure. If the accusation were true his name very well could be smeared but if this were a matter of love he would simply confront her and get to the truth. This is a common motif in the story that goes back to the beginning of the play, reputation.
  
  The reason why Othello kept the whole ordeal quiet was because he didn't want any of this to reflect badly on him. This calls into question whether he really does lover her or not and if its Desdemona's life or his reputation that Othello cares about more. As seen in the end, I see a lot of validity in the comment in question. It does seem like Desdemona was only a pretty trophy that Othello could show off.
  
  I agree with Emily's statement that if this were truly love and not a mad dash by Othello to save his reputation, everything would have turned out differently. An in love Othello would have cared whether Desdemona was guilty or innocent and would have gotten to the talking sooner instead of trying to avoid public ex-poser of the accusation against his fiance. She has done nothing wrong and yet Othello is quick to kill her in order to save his own skin after doing little to find the truth. Had Othello really cared he would have seen the deception in Iago's words after working with Desdemona to get to the bottom of the rumors.

  10/1/2012 4:24:08 AM
• Jordan Sneed

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I have to disagree with these remarks. Othello did love his wife Desdemona very much. He would have done anything to make her happy. People who do not love someone do not try their hardest to make the other person happy. Also, if Desdemona was just his "trophy wife" Othello would have not gotten half as angry and jealous as he did when Iago told him of the false affair. He would have just brushed it off and continued to pretend to love his wife in order to keep "the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world." He killed her because he felt so betrayed because he thought their love was real but he now believed that it was all a lie. he let his jealousy get the best of him.
  I do not believe his killing Desdemona was an "Honor Killing" because Othello loved her so much that he was not willing to let any other man have her. He wanted her all to himself because he loved her that much. Othello lost his honor when he killed her and himself. It was not an "Honor Killing". He let his jealousy get the best of him and fell right into Iago's malicious plan, which is not an honorable thing to do.
  
  RESPONSE**
  In response to Sydney, I strongly agree with her description of Iago. Iago was a very malicious, jealous character that represented evil very clearly. He designed this entire plan to take down a great man who put his full trust in him. He was very sneaky and conniving which are two characteristics of evil. I also agree with Sydney's comparison between Grendel and Othello and Iago. Grendel, Othello, and Iago all let their jealousy get the best of them and their stories ended in tragedy.

  10/1/2012 12:26:40 PM
• Blake Brewer (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Salman Rushdie is correct in her assessment. Who would murder someone they loved? In addition, who would murder someone they loved based on presumptions, without gaining any factual evidence, or hearing the other side of the story? It is obvious, through these actions, that Othello cannot possibly love Desdemonda. Love is supposed to be stronger and stand taller than lies and falsehoods. Simple non truths should not cause a marriage to falter, and end in death.
  
  I see, as does Rushdie, Desdemonda as a trophy wife. Othello is one of a kind. He is a black man in power, commands an army, and has married a whit man, all unheard of for the time. His wife becomes his ultimate possession though, his pride, his trophy. It is a living trophy that revers his accomplishments. Her being married to him speaks volumes as to his power and control, and is an extension of that. In the end though, he kills her because of the belief that she was an adulterer. His own pride caused this murder, if he had not been so concerned about his image, and protecting his reputation, his wife would not be dead.
  
  Tyressa has a valid point when she brings up Othello and his concern for his own reputation. Othello is on top of the world, he is in charge. That being said he is also looking out for people who want to snipe at him. When they do he reacts, and protects himself in anyway. When accusations of cheating came about, he killed Desdemonda, through rage, to protect his reputation and restore his pride. It was a killing for his honor, as Rushdie proclaims.

  10/1/2012 12:48:29 PM
• Hannah Gibbs Period 2

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf andGrendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  In the play, Othello, Iago plays the role of a villain. He introduces the main conflict of using jealously to justify his actions and feelings towards other characters. Everyone gets jealous, but the way a person decides to act is what establishes their moral character. The characters in the play must face the challenge of overcoming their jealously to solve their problems and not cause conflict. Since Iago is the evil/villain in the play, he ultimately allows his jealously to effect his decision to take down Othello. Iago sacrifices Othello’s reputation to gain a name and position for his own personal wealth. He disregards the trust and work Othello has built up in a community that does not initially accepte him to become a leader for his peers. Iago wants Othello’s position and role in the community so he decides to take his reputation.
  
  In act 1 scene 3, Iago reveals his master plan to destroy the reputation of Othello and his followers. He states that Othello does not deserve his position he holds in the community, that he does. Iago is jealous of Othello and believes he should be destroyed for his role in society. “For I my own gained knowledge should profane/ If I would time expand with such a snipe/ But for my sport and profit.” (pg. 1282) Iago reveals his jealously to the audience and suggest that Othello is a man that cannot be trusted and is not capable of accepting this position in society. Iago is faced with jealously and must decide how is going to act towards it. Characters face jealously towards other characters in the play and must decide if they will take the moral path and be ethical in their actions, or if that will act as if Iago does. Iago decides to deceive and undermine all the other character to get what he wants. He is not aware of his surroundings and the implications his actions will imply on the people around him. Iago is a jealous man who has to decide what role he will take in the play; a man of honor or a villain. By revealing his plan, he chooses to take the evil rout of the situation and hide behind his jealously to take down Othello. The evil Iago represents is different from that of Grendel in that Iago’s evil shows through because of his jealously and need for control. Grendel’s evil is out of wanting to be accepted and recognized by the kingdom.
  
  I agree with Madison in that Othello did not truly love his wife, which is why he did not give her a chance to explain herself or her side of the situation. The way the author portrayed Desdemona and Othello’s relationship during the first couple of acts seemed to consists of true love and respect for one another. Othello seemed genuine in his efforts to marry Desdemona and become a part of her unaccepting family. The idea of Othello using her simply as a way to gain status for himself was not apparent until he acted on the rumor of his wife’s affair without any concerns as to her side. She was used as an honor killing for the fact that she destroyed Othello’s reputation and disrupted his honor.
  

  10/1/2012 4:49:38 PM
• Alanna Wineman

  3: In the play Othello, Othello states that sin is the nature of evil. Iago plays the role of the evil person, he is a villain or sinner. Iago manipulates people and events, leading up to the tragic climax. Iago has Othello believe in the lies he tells him which eventually causes him to kill Desdemona. Iago is the representation of insanity, he lets himself go insane, into thinking that his wife is cheating on him.
  The evil exemplified in this play differs from the evil in Grendel, in Othello the evil was self inflicted. However, in Grendel it was slowly exhibited as the novel progressed. The evil shown in Othello is started through self actions and later comes out through other characters. In Beowolf the evil is evident from the start. Iago refers to Othello as the devil because during the 16th century a lack man was viewed as evil and being a devil. Iago was the devil in this play. Iago is the devil because he caused many problems for characters. This goes to show that evil may not always be perceived as simple but it is easy to see who plays the role as the evil person.
  
  Response:
  I agree with Tyressas statement. She talks about how Othello worries way to much about his reputation, and how others view them. When he was accused of sleeping with Desdemona he did not want his reputation to be ruined so he killed her. Othello is so focused on himself and would do anything to protect him.

  10/1/2012 5:30:18 PM
• Kayla Ward 2nd

  Othello shows you that evil is not always directly seen. Iago may be the most evil character out of any of the books that we have read in class yet. He is so evil because he is sneaky about it, he gains Othello’s trust and feds him lies that he believes. That is what makes him so bad; Iago weakened Othello in the one place he knew would hurt him. Othello loves Desdemona deeply. Iago knew that the only way he could hurt Othello is by getting him to think that the one person he truly loved didn’t love him back. Iago also hurt Othello for reasons that didn’t really matter, he was a jealous liar. His initiative to hurt Othello may be the reason he is so atrocious, Iago was a racist. He let someone’s outside appearance decide his feelings for that person, he never even gave Othello a chance.
  Iago is almost crazy because he has no morals or emotions, he could care less about anyone else as long as he is on top. This is how he is different than Grendel, not only was Iago evil, but he turned Othello into a jealous evil person too. In Grendel the main character looked at as evil is Grendel, all the characters know he is evil. In Othello no one realizes that Iago is a bad character until it is too late. In Othello everyone is to wrapped up in the fact that his skin color is different that they don’t realize that the true evil is lurking within in their group of “friends”. This just goes to show that the way a person looks on the outside, doesn’t determine how they are going to act. Shakespeare is trying to show us that evil does not always have to look a certain way, so don’t assume before you make a decision about someone.
  I agree with what Brandon wrote, Othello saw evil as one thin. Sin. Iago toke this weakness and used it against Othello. Iago picked the one person that Othello truly loved and created a reason for why he couldn’t. Being from the military Othello saw everything in black and white that is why when Iago told Othello that Desdemona was cheating he didn’t think twice about whether or not to believe him. That is Othello’s downfall; he saw everything as good or evil with no in-between.
  

  10/1/2012 5:32:23 PM
• Jessica Cook

  Iago is featured as the root of all evil in this play. Othello tells us that the nature of evil is sin. However, there are reasons left unsaid that we can not completely understand. Evil is the start of foreshadowing the rest of the play. Iago opens the play with revealing part of his evil plan to overtake Othello. Iago directly represents evil through his greedy and selfish actions. Iago uses his own power under Othello to take advantage of him and his relationship with others. Once Iago gains this power, he sees himself as capable of anything and refuses to let anything stand in his way. Iago sees what he can do with such power and quickly takes advantage of it. Him taking advantage of this begins all evil found later throughout the play. Iago is the root of all things evil because he uses his power to make himself trustworthy and he uses lying words to destroy anything that is not of any need or help to him.
  
  In Othello, the reader is first introduced to the evil character of Iago. Iago is a direct symbol of the devil but the devil is portrayed through a character and not a symbol, unlike in Grendel and Beowulf. In Grendel, the reader starts out by feeling bad for Grendel because of his not being accepted by the humans. However, Grendel later becomes a source of evil after listening to the advice of the Dragon. The Dragon can be seen as a symbol of evil, much like the character of Iago in Othello. In Beowulf, Grendel is introduced as an evil character because of how the humans view him. In Beowulf and Othello, Grendel and Iago both symbolize characteristics of evil and the devil. Iago, Grendel, and the Dragon all say that evil can come from different places. Iago brings evil from jealously, just like the Dragon in Grendel. However, in Grendel evil is rooted from trickery and lies which is also a root of evil found in Othello.
  
  I agree with Michaela when she says evil is not shown through a symbol but is shown through Iago's own conscious. Iago's evil character is shown immediately with the opening scene of the play. The opening scene reveals the evil plans of Iago that he has thought up on his own. Iago is not told to perform any of these evil actions and does them solely for self-gaining reasons.

  10/1/2012 6:18:42 PM
• Irene Sanchez (1st Period)

  The remarks from the character of the novel The New Yorker, by Salman Rushdie are valuable commentary about the character Othello. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud... It is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,” this quotation from the Bible explains what love is in a Christian's prospective. If Othello really loved Desdemona, he would have trusted her, and believed in her that she would have never been unfaithful to him. Othello was too proud to truly love Desdemona, causing him to protect his name more than protecting and fixing his relationship with his wife.
  The character making the remarks states that Othello sees Desdemona as a trophy wife which is correct because as an African-American he was not likely to get married to a none African-American women. Because he did marry Desdemona, he thought greatly of himself and he gain so much honor; when he heard she was cheating on him, he could not help but want to do something about it to protect his reputation and honor. Her death was an 'honor killing,' Othello wanted to protect his glory. If a person loves an other, they would not kill their lover because they did something wrong, concluding, Othello cannot love Desdemona. After Othello killed Desdemona, he killed himself shortly because his honor and reputation where gone and dead, so taking his life was his way of saving his honor. If he were to not die, he would be known as the African-American that killed his white wife for an unreasonable situation. He would have ended up in jail, having his reputation squished as much as Iago's reputation.
  
  Response: I respectfully disagree with Brooke Copeland when she said Othello does love Desdemona because he became emotionally hurt when he heard she was cheating on him. Othello did not want to his reputation to be broken; the thought of others knowing Desdemona was cheating on him killed him. He did not want to share his prize with anyone else, his prize being Desdemona. When a person has something they are very proud of they will do anything to protect it and make sure no one else shares their glory with them. Othello did not want Cassio to get in his way of his reputation.

  10/1/2012 6:42:55 PM
• Viviane Feldman

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  The character in Rushdie's story was perfectly right when he says that Othello doesn't love Desdemona. He describes Desdemona as Othello's trophy wife, which is an accurate representation of their relationship, in my opinion. From what we know of Shakespeare's other plays, like Romeo and Juliet, love can inspire a woman to go against social norms and marry outside of what is expected. Romeo and Juliet's love also met a tragic end, but it was not because of their faults, it was the faults of others that ended their lives. In Othello, the couple's love could survive if they weren't under the conditions they were in. Their love was not true or natural enough to overcome their enemies or personal issues.
  Othello didn't live for Desdemona, he lived for his war victories. He would never have murdered Desdemona if he really loved her. Like the quote says, because someone really in love would never be able to do that. Othello would not be able to live without his true love, no matter what she did. Desdemona was just the physical and tangible prize that Othello managed to win through his battle experiences. It's said repeatedly that Desdemona falls in love with Othello by hearing his victories at war and he falls in love with her because she accepts him. There is no true love between them, even though they say they love each other.
  
  

  10/1/2012 7:20:22 PM
• Ikaika Helsham-Garner (Period 4)

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf and Grendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Othello has said that evil will do anything to deceit men. Iago is wholly representative of the irrationality of evil, given his knowledge about evil itself and even his acknowledgement about how one would go about committing evil. He portrays evil as something that is aware of its wrongdoings, but does it anyways for it feels that its crimes are justified. In Beowulf, while there was a sharp contrast between that of good and evil, the line is very thin as presented in Othello. Although Othello is considered a good character, he makes an irrational decision to kill Desdemona and later finds out the faults of his plans. In Grendel, there is no definite evil that is labeled in the story, and Grendel himself could be labeled as a 'chaotic good' as compared to Iago's somewhat neutral evil.
  
  Othello is commonly labeled as a devil as one of the traits of being such is connected to the color black. Othello himself even sometimes lashes out against himself because of this, given the times where he doubted whether he could trust Desdemona. In actuality, Iago turns out to be the devil in the play, given his successful attempts at deceiting Othello and his friend Roderigo while himself acknowledging that what he does is evil. This shows that evil can be exhibited from anyone given their likeliness towards it. Overall, this also shows that the biggest and most influential of evils are the ones that conceals itself.
  
  I disagree with Blake Brewer regarding Rushdie's assessment. My opinion of the assessment is that it's false, and there is a lot of evidence to support this. While I can agree that love is supposed to 'stand taller than lies and falsehoods', it can be assured that Othello's love towards Desdemona was genuine so that Othello even disregarded his own reputation. On that note, his pride did not cause the murder at all, as we see numerous times that Othello regards himself as a lesser even in the face of his rankings. His image is not what he is concerned about; in actuality it can be inferred that he cared for Desdemona's image much so that he killed her once he thought her image to be tainted beyond repair. Sure, Othello does have the power, but he was a responsible commander, and he kept his political influence outside of his relationship. The fact that Desdemona even reasons not to argue against Othello's claims about her proves that she isn't just there to be a 'trophy wife' to him -- she loves him as much as he loved her.

  10/1/2012 7:28:58 PM
• Karla Lozano (Pd. 2)

  How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  
  Honor is more connected to reality because it gives true insight on what people are like, while reputation is based on appearance and how others view you. A reputation can be a false description of a person, simply because they made a small mistake at one point. Honor, on the other hand, is based on who the person really is and how they act towards others. It was difficult for Othello to distinguish honor and reputation because he really only cared about the way he was viewed. When Iago makes him think that Desdemona has be unfaithful, Othello only cares about what Iago has just planted into his head. His only thoughts are about how people will view him and how he will seem like a stupid fool who has been cheated on by his wife. Othello never took into account that his wife has been honorable to him and even went against her family’s values when she decided to marry him. The thought that she goes through all the trouble and neglect from her family just to marry him never even crossed his mind, or gave him a sense of security and trust between him and his wife (at this point). He doesn’t realize that after all she went through to be with him the last thing she would do is cheat on him.
  This play says that trust is the foundation of a stable relationship. Without it, there is no solidity. Trust is strong enough to hold people together for long periods of time and through any hardships. No matter what people say about your partner, if there is pure and genuine trust there will be no conflicts arising from rumors. The play is an example of what the lack of trust can do to a relationship and how it can completely ruin matrimony.
  
  I agree with Daphne’s analysis of Iago being the real devil. Although they make Othello seem like he is the devil, the people in the play are not seeing that Iago is the true devil. It’s also ironic because the devil is supposed to be black in those times, like Daphne says, but in this case he’s actually a white male. Therefore, the play also shows that people’s views of evil were way off and they really needed to open their eyes and see the reality of things rather than their made up views.
  

  10/1/2012 7:34:41 PM
• Courtney Badstein Period 1

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  Through the entire play each character showed differences between reputation and honor. Iago for example continuously talked about 'reputation' and how he was trying hard to keep his reputation. When in fact he was all about honor. This is different than Cassio and Othello, because they were worried about how people viewed them, and not what they thought about themselves. Which lead to the the repeated motif of reality vs. appearance.
  
  People always worry about appearance, which goes hand and hand with reputation. However, most of us get to wrapped up on our appearance that we don't notice reality. This happened to Othello, because he was more worried about being judged because his wife was apparently cheating. However while he was worried about his appearance he ignored reality and killed Desdemona. When reality finally kicked in it was to late. He had already let appearance get a hold of him.
  
  

  10/1/2012 7:35:49 PM
• Wendy Martin

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  I completely agree with the character's view of Othello. I agree that there is no way that Othello could have truly loved Desdemona. I also don't believe there is any way that Desdemona could love Othello simply because her only reason was dealing with things in the past. From my experience of being around people who truly love each other, I don't see any way that Othello could have killed Desdemona if he truly loved her. I think the quote is exactly right in saying that Desdemona is Othello's "trophy wife" because that seems to be the only explanation for the situation. Desdemona would, of course, bring him to a higher ranking among the whites, and I think that's what Othello was going for.
  Before seeing this quote, I never considered that Othello's reason for killing Desdemona may have been that the accusation on Desdemona was already too much, and that it would hurt his reputation. After considering this, I also agree with it and think that it provides a good explanation as to why Othello would kill her. Once this accusation was made, there was no need for Othello to keep Desdemona around. She was, after all, only there to help his status. So once she began hurting it, Othello may have decided to kill her because of it. I think that this quote is a very accurate and valuable commentary on Othello, and it describes him just as I would.
  RESPONSE
  I think that Jordan makes a good point in disagreeing with the quote. She believes that Othello did in fact love Desdemona, and killed her not out of pride, but love and the feeling of betrayal. It is hard to tell the true reason behind Othello's actions, but I understand Jordan believing that Othello did love her. I think she made a good point when she said that he acted immediately out of anger because he was so upset that Desdemona would betray him. However, I do still agree with the quote.

  10/1/2012 7:49:15 PM
• Courtney Badstein Period 1

  *CONTINUED*
  This play is a good example of how trust is needed in a relationship. Since Othello didn't trust Desdemona, he ended up murdering her. This could have been prevented on the other hand though, because if he had listened and wasn't worried about his reputation he would have possibly had more trust. With out trust there is no way that a relationship could work. Reputation vs. honor, and Appearance vs. Reality play a major role on the trust in a relationship.
  
  RESPONSE!!!
  I agree with how Michaela says that there are forces of evil that take down the forces of good. This is a simple way of summing up the entire play. With Iago being manipulative,evil over comes Othello, which leads him to kill his wife. With the balance of good and evil being out weighed, Desdemona didn't have any
  chance to live with Iago telling lies.
  Good vs. Evil seemed to be another motif in this play. Iago being the way he is was trying to get revenge on Othello because he was mad he didn't get the promotion. Desdemona was the glimpse of hope and goodness. When Iago started telling the lies, the evil over game Othello which lead him to kill Desdemona. When Desdemona was killed, the hope of goodness was killed. Which is why Othello killed himself in the end.
  
  

  10/1/2012 7:52:17 PM
• Cory Moyer 2

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  Yes, I completely agree with the statement above. although i had not thought about the idea until now having read it, I agree with the statement and it makes the story make more sense. If you truly love someone, you would never be able to hurt them let alone kill them, no matter how mad they made you. In this case, Othello does not even know for sure that Desmonda has actually done anything wrong or committed the crimes she has been accused of. yet he still precedes to kill her without a second thought.
  

  10/1/2012 7:57:58 PM
• Max Burden

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  This is a valuable commentary on Othello and his "love" for Desdemona. It is valuable because it presents the argument that Othello does not truly love Desdemona. The other side to this argument could be that he does love her. He could be said to love her because he cares deeply about Desdemona, which is evident when he goes crazy thinking of her cheating. The love is so powerful that he could not control his emotions. Another piece of evidence that Othello loves Desdemona is that he dared to defy her rich, powerful white father. As a black man in a white society this was very dangerous. However because of his incredibly strong love he was willing to take the chance of punishment and possible death. This is the side of the argument that Othello actually loves Desdemona and is not simply a trophy wife.
  
  I see both sides of the argument, but I believe that Othello did not truly love Desdemona. I agree with Salman Rushdie's assessment of Othello's love. Othello might have been able to risk his life by marrying Desdemona but this was only to show how brave he was and that he deserved her as a wife. He also married her after only a very short amount of time of knowing her. It would have taken Othello more time to know if he really did love Desdemona. Also, if Othello did love Desdemona he would not have been able to kill her. But as a trophy wife who had cheated on him Othello was obligated to kill Desdemona because she had possibly tarnished his reputation. Othello did not love Desdemona because if he had he would not have married her so quickly, he would not have had to worry about his race, and obviously he would not have been able to kill her.
  
  Response:
  
  I agree with Jordan that Othello could be said to love Desdemona. He did do a lot to try to make her happy, for instance when he brought her along to his new post. This shows that he did want her around and could possibly show that he loved her. Also, Othello did get very angry and jealous when he heard that Desdemona might be cheating. If Desdemona was just a trophy wife Othello would not care as much as he did about her cheating, he would be more angry that she had tarnished his reputation. I do see how Jordan could argue that Othello did love Desdemona but I still believe that he did not truly love her.

  10/1/2012 8:02:59 PM
• Cory Moyer 2

  If Othello had really loved Desmonda, he would have atleast tried to find out the real truth. Even if she had cheated on him, I still do not think that he would have been able to kill the woman he loves. I would agree that he would have left her, but not kill her. She is obviously just a social status symbol to him. He is proud to have her because she is white, true love has nothing to do with it.
  
  I like how Anderson compares Othello's heroism in the battle field to his at home social life. He explains how he is such an amazing general and sees everything that goes on on the battle field around him. However, he explains how is is basically blind when it comes to the people around him and even his wife. He shows how this proves that just because you are a hero in one area does not by any means mean you know what you are doing in all others.

  10/1/2012 8:04:08 PM
• Devon Allen, Period 2

  1)What does the Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero. (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  
  
  Othello is a tragic hero because he shows how a hero can be blind within his own home, and clueless in relationships. In contrast to the epic hero, the tragic hero has more vulnerability. Love and compassion are not part of the epic hero's main characteristics, and therefore cannot weaken them emotionally. These warriors are known for near invincibility, and are individuals who do not fear death. The make-up of a tragic hero according to this play is often trusting, kind, loving, and honest. Renaissance understandings of the term are involved with a hero who becomes the target of a plot to demise the character, which fits the description of Othello. Also, in the Aristotelian sense Othello evokes feelings of pity from the audience. We, as the audience, are able to see other characters plotting to exploit his love for Desdemona. In comparison to anti-heroes such as Grendel or the Invisible Man, Othello is different because he is not perceived as a corrupt figure who has bad actions.
  Desdemona can be seen as a tragic hero in the Renaissance understanding because she is suffering as the victim of outside forces who are taking advantage of her for their own means. However, Desdemona is hard to feel sympathetic for because it appears that she is able to go against the expectations of society, but she simply allows Othello to take control over what is going on in their relationship and even accepts her death. Through marrying Othello it is clear that she is not the type of woman to listen to the precedents and ideas that society holds. This kind of helpless attitude towards the problem makes me question why she does not take the different stance on the matter regardless of what the norm is considered of women in relationships. Due to her circumstances in the play this is irrelevant because she is by definition a tragic hero because Iago is using her as a scapegoat for his own selfish gain in his quest to knock Cassio out of Othello's favor. My point is just that I don't think she has to be viewed as a tragic hero if she had handled the situation as she has already proved herself capable of.
  I agree and disagree with Blake's arguments. I think that it is definitely probable that Othello did not love Desdemona because I could not understand murdering someone you love in any circumstance other than one for their own benefit. However, I do not think Desdemona was merely a trophy wife because if she was then Othello would not have reacted the way he did when he believed she had been in an affair. Othello was irrational, hurt, and angry, which are all symptoms that would result from a reaction of heartbreak and shock in receiving news of betrayal in a relationship. If she had simply been something that built up his image further than he would have simply been angry and possibly denying the possibility of an affair because it would cause him an embarrassment. His emotions make him vulnerable and immature because he does not understand how relationships work, but Othello is not heartless. He was infatuated with Desdemona, he just was not in love with her.

  10/1/2012 8:25:37 PM
• Chandler Spires

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I feel like this commentary is mostly accurate except for a few parts. Overall, though, I find it correct. I agree that Othello would not and could not have killed Desdemona if he truly loved her. Real love between two people would not have allowed that. He would have stopped and reconsidered, become rational. This was a crime of passion, yes, but not of love. He didn't love her. He seemed uncomfortable with her, especially romantically, and was dismissive towards her, leaving her to her own devices which led to this situation in the first place; he wasn't attentive to her and her activities and planted a seed of doubt in his relationship with her. This doubt led to murder. This doubt, however, would not have occurred if he truly loved her and trusted her. He was insecure and used her only as a trophy, the the above quote says.
  
  He didn't know how to act with a woman and to some extent how to act in a white-dominated society around other powerful men. This wife, however, this supposed romance, was a falsified farce to seem powerful and in control, less alone and desperate. She was a trophy, a toy, and nothing else. She became useless when the shine on the trophy, per se, became tarnished. She was no longer something of value and was seen as detrimental to his image; he had to be rid of her presence.
  
  I agree completely with Blake's point, that the wife being claimed as an adulterer was a tarnish on the image of Othello. She was a liability, a risk to be disposed of. He goes on to use the term reputation, something that was key in this story and something often irreparable once it was damaged. This quality of permanent damage was what pushed Othello to murder; he had to clean his slate of everything to do with her.

  10/1/2012 9:07:40 PM
• Gailey Blalock (2nd Period)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  Rushdie’s analysis of Othello is dead on. He did not truly love Desdemona or he would not have killed her. Othello could have simply left Desdemona if he really trusted Iago more than his own wife. Othello would not do this, though because he could not have his reputation hurt this way. He could not let people see that his wife “cheated on him”, and he just let her get away with it without any serious consequences. The argument that Othello killed Desdemona because he loved her so much, he could not stand to see her with another man is also flawed. When a person is in love, they cannot stand to see the one they love hurt, even when they are.
  
  Othello and Desdemona’s whole relationship was built on his reputation. He married her because she was a white woman who would put him one step above the rest of his race. He could parade her around the islands he went to and simply send her off to bed when he did not want her around. When his reputation was threatened by Iago saying that Desdemona had cheated on him, Othello could not handle it and had to take a stand. He killed Desdemona on their wedding sheets because he was angry and scared of his reputation being tarnished. He did not care about hurting her or having to be without her.
  
  *Response*
  Sarah made a good point in saying that not only did Iago’s accusations put a damper on Othello’s reputation, they ruined Desdemona for Othello. She was no longer something he could control and use to his advantage. She was becoming too much of a burden and was something that could easily be taken care of. Othello had no problem killing Desdemona without even taking into consideration what she had to say. His actions were fueled by what would be best for his reputation and honor. Him killing himself was more proof that his honor was worth more than a human life to him.
  

  10/1/2012 9:07:57 PM
• Victoria Hoffman (2nd)

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  
  This play uses the distinction between reputation and honor to show how someone will change who they are and hide the reality just so they can get what they want. A person may show on the outside that they are strong or worthy of being a leader just so they can uphold their reputation and continue to do whatever it is they want to such as controlling people. As soon as someones reputation is destroyed, everything that person has will also be destroyed just as Iago was in Othello. Iago has a good reputation of being a good leader and an appearance of being a faithful, honest friend; in reality he was none of these things, he was really a controlling, manipulative, liar who stabbed a lot of people in the back. In the end though when the truth came out his reputation was shattered and he was destroyed as a person. An honorable person will always keep true to themselves no matter how people look at them, because to that person honor is the most valuable thing and most of the time they will have a good reputation and have no chance of losing it because they didn’t build it out of lies.
  
  It can be very difficult for characters to distinguish between the two, because one may become so engrossed into building a good reputation they will do whatever it takes and lose sight of honor. Iago was an extreme case and even without trying to uphold his good reputation, he still would have had trouble doing the honorable thing. Trust is one of the most important things in a relationship, and it is even said that without trust there is no relationship. This play shows the significance of trust in a relationship when it shows how Othello trusted Iago more then he did his own wife. Othello knows his wife better then anyone and how much of an honest woman she is, but as soon as he lost all trust in her, because of Iago, their relationship fell apart and Othello ends up killing Desdemona.
  
  I find Deia's answer to be interesting and agree completely with her. Reading how she wrote about how Iago didn’t want to change Othello's reputation just his reality helps me to understand why Iago did what he did. Iago turned things around and created a false reality for Othello to believe and once he did, in return it would help to strengthen Iago's reputation. How Deia describes each characters view on reputation and honor helped me to really understand the deeper side to each of there stories. Just as she said, Desdemona knew nothing about what was going on, but because of Iago's great need for a reputation her reality fell apart all around her leading to her tragic death.

  10/1/2012 9:15:59 PM
• Hannah Greene

  Prompt #4
  I agree completely with this commentary on Othello; the speaker makes a valid point. If Othello truly loved Desdemona, he would have trusted her. His love would have prevented him from falling into the web of lies that Iago spins. Othello was too quick to believe Iago's tales of Desdemona's adulterous behavior. Love makes one believe the best of their beloved, not expect the worst from them. Othello did not marry Desdemona out of love; he married her because he fancies her.
  For Othello to claim that he loves Desdemona, and that that is why he killed her 'kindly', is a pile of nonsense. People don't go around killing their beloved spouses because meddling fools started a rumor. If one believes someone else's words over the words of their beloved, the relationship has failed. A relationship needs to have a base of trust, and Othello clearly did not trust Desdemona. If Othello loved Desdemona, he would have talked to her about what he was feeling, rather than leap to ridiculous conclusions and kill her. Just the thought of her cheating on him was enough to wound his honor. Othello didn't care that if she was cheating, she marked herself as a whore. Her virtue didn't matter- Othello only cared for his reputation.
  I agree with Emily Burgner- Othello married Desdemona to boost his reputation. His main concern when confronted with the idea of Desdemona cheating on him was that people would see him as weak for not keeping his wife under control. He didn't want others to judge him for having a disloyal wife. He didn't care if she actually was disloyal- just the thought of it occurring was enough to hurt Othello's ego.

  10/1/2012 9:19:39 PM
• Nathan Tilley (2nd Period)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  
  Salman Rushdie's novel character brings up an interesting perspective that I had not thought of before. Reflecting on the story, I think this view is perfectly valid. In the beginning of the play, it seems that Othello's love for Desdemona is very true, and it can not be disputed. However, anyone who truly loves someone does not jump to a conclusion that they are unfaithful simply because someone tells them. The first response to such an accusation is generally denial, followed by doubt, which is either proven or disproven. Othello, however, skips the denial and a significant portion of the doubt, and almost immediately believes Iago's story of his wife's affair.
  
  Calling Desdemona's murder an “honor killing” is also a different way of thinking about the play, one which I did not think of while reading it. Othello doesn't seem to me to be so high in power and honor that he would do such an extreme thing as killing his wife simply to preserve his honor. However, he did not even consider his actions much, leading me to believe he reacted to protect something, in this case possibly his honor. I personally do not see this story as an example of “honor killing,” but it is certainly not to be dismissed.
  
  Sarah Vassello brought up some interesting points in response to the same prompt. I liked her connection to the quote from Legally Blonde, I think it is very appropriate to this story. She came to a different conclusion to the second part of the prompt, due in part to this quote. Seeing how she describes how Desdemona was useless to Othello once her reputation had been broken down, her response forces me to reconsider my own opinion on the honor killing situation.

  10/1/2012 9:26:00 PM
• Thomas Doyle (Period 1)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I agree with the fact that she is Othello's trophy wife. She was rich but most importantly she was rich and white. It's because of her that he, a black man, was able to have such a high status. It is appertain that Othello did not love her. He used her as a means to gain more fame.
  
  It is apparent that Othello did not love Desdemona in his strong accusations of her. When two people are in love argue, they hear both sides of the story. Othello did just the opposite, he was quick to blame and never once listened to what she had to say. Also it seemed that Othello was very quick to kill her for dishonoring him. This was an easy decision for Othello because he only valued the fame and honker that he revived from her.
  
  I liked what Daphne said about Iago,“Iago frequently acts without cause, justifying his irrationality with whatever excuse happens to be appealing to him.” I do not agree Iago uses whatever excuse happens to be appealing to him. The whole reason for his actions were there from the beginning, revenge against Othello. I do agree that his actions were irrational; he was the reason for the deaths. He did not find an excuses to do this he did it for revenge.

  10/1/2012 9:50:09 PM
• Chenoa Daye

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I agree to disagree with this statement. I do believe that Othello loved his wife, in fact I believe he would do anything for Desdemona. But, I don't think jealousy should take toll over a person the way it did Othello if they truly love a person. I don't think I could kill a person that I loved, even if I feared losing them, it just proves that if you truly, 100% love a person then you would give anything to see that person happy.I think that Othello did genuinely love Desdemona, but the fact that he allowed an outsider to corrupt his feelings towards her and that he didn't even try and get to the actual truth, proves that he was definitely afraid of losing her. I believe that Othello also held Desdemona on a pedestal because of what he wanted others to perceive his and her relationship as. I feel like he was afraid of others hearing of the accusation of her cheating, and that threatened his reputation, which you could tell Othello was obsessed with. I also feel that he felt like Desdemona being accused of cheating took away his pride, and made him feel as though he wasn't good enough. Which is why I think he wasn't in love with Desdemona but merely just infatuated with the thought of them being together. If Othello truly loved Desdemona, that jealousy and rage would have never came up when he was told a blatant lie.

  10/1/2012 10:00:33 PM
• Chenoa Daye

  Response: I agree with Tyressa and Blake on their thoughts of Othello. I do beleive that he was a man who cherished his reputation, more than he cherished his own wife. He killed Desdemona because he needed to gain his pride back, as Blake previously said. He is a man who feels as though everyone is out to destroy him, and his reputation.As Rushdie states, Othello killed Desdemona for nothing, but honor.

  10/1/2012 10:05:10 PM
• Juan Salcedo (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  I think that the remarks about Othello made by novelist Salman Rushdie could be correct. I had never thought of it that way and throughout the entire play, I truly believed that Othello was in love with Desdemona. She does seem to be a trophy wife in a way, and with the discrimination back then, he might have just been using her as someone to impress others. I do not agree with the murder not making any sense though. He could have been really in love with her, that his jealousy got the better of him and if he couldn't have her, no one could. I do think it is a valuable commentary on the character because it does makes sense to an extent but, overall I disagree.
  
  *RESPONSE*
  
  I agree with Emily Burgner. She states a lot of the same points I pointed out, as well as her bringing up other things I did not think about. I like when she said that with her being his trophy wife, he is doing it to keep his "reputation in tact". I disagree about her saying that his love is too big for him not to kill her, which is the reason I believe he did. He loved her too much and did not want to see her with anyone else.

  10/1/2012 10:20:26 PM
• Kaitlyn Micol (Period 2)

  
  1) What does Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero? (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  
  In the beginning of Shakespeare's play, Othello, Othello is introduced as a hero. He is the commanding general to his army and he is skillful when it comes to the battlefield. Othello can see the land and know what to do to win against the enemy. This type of insight he has is completely lost when it comes to looking after his own family. Othello is blind to his own life and sees things naively. Even though Othello is a hero on the battlefield he can not be considered anything close to that when it comes to his family. His heroic actions fall short when he is trying to deal with Desdemona and the lies he is fed by Iago.
  The play also shows Desdemona as a tragic hero because of the fate she suffered because of her circumstances. Although Othello loved Desdemona deeply his pride got the best of him and forced him to put his reputation above her life. Desdemona was the perfect wife to Othello and all she got in return was her own death. Even though she hears and sees what her husband is doing she still stands by his side until the very end. Her heroism in staying faithful to a greedy man is what makes her a tragic hero.
  
  I agree with Anderson's opinion that Othello killed Desdemona out of love and not of pure rage. Othello knew that if someone else could possibly obtain Desdemona that he would have to keep her the best way he knew possibly which was creating her own death. His love was so strong for her that he would keep her all to himself even if that meant killing her. Desdemona died a tragic hero and Othello died a lonely man full of regrets and with no pride.

  10/1/2012 10:20:37 PM
• Abigail Peel (2nd Period)

    3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf and Grendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Othello that evil is irrational. Iago has no reason to be manipulative or evil after Cassio has been demoted but he still pushes forward. He still sabotages Othello's life and love through manipulation. There is no obvious reason for this. This is what makes pure evil so frightening to many people. It cannot be explained or rationalized. If evil was a logical force, then it could be convinced that it's existence actually causes more chaos than truly necessary, and it would cease to exist. Iago, on the other hand is not this way. He hurts for the sake of hurting. He plots for the sake of plotting. It brings him joy to see others in pain. This is what make him evil.
  
  This is very different from Grendel's view of evil. Grendel is evil because he is the product of his environment. Also, Grendel can be evil because there is no point or divine consequence of his actions. Iago is pure evil for the sake of being evil. Also, it can be inferred from his references to divine judgment that Iago does believe that there are eternal consequences to his actions. Despite this, he acts evilly for the shear joy of it. Grendel's evil was a morphed, resulting evil whereas Iago's evil was purposeful and ingrained.
  
  Katherine Kirkman has an interesting view on each character's fatal flaw. I had never thought before that each character aligned with one of the seven deadly sins. I had never considered Desdemona slothful, only content in her position of obedience to her husband, which shows the views of the times. Emilia, who aligns with wrath, though, is not content with her station with her husband. If a woman does nothing, then she is slothful. If she speaks out against the evils of her husband, she is wrathful. In era controlled by men, what is a woman to do? Is she trapped in her laziness or is she to angrily speak out? Can a woman ever really win in this society? Ironically, both of these characters die at the end of the play. Both were doomed from the beginning to bend to the will of their husbands.

  10/1/2012 10:24:15 PM
• Abigail Peel (4th Period)

  Re-post. Other name was under 2nd period. Sorry.
  
    3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf and Grendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Othello that evil is irrational. Iago has no reason to be manipulative or evil after Cassio has been demoted but he still pushes forward. He still sabotages Othello's life and love through manipulation. There is no obvious reason for this. This is what makes pure evil so frightening to many people. It cannot be explained or rationalized. If evil was a logical force, then it could be convinced that it's existence actually causes more chaos than truly necessary, and it would cease to exist. Iago, on the other hand is not this way. He hurts for the sake of hurting. He plots for the sake of plotting. It brings him joy to see others in pain. This is what make him evil.
  
  This is very different from Grendel's view of evil. Grendel is evil because he is the product of his environment. Also, Grendel can be evil because there is no point or divine consequence of his actions. Iago is pure evil for the sake of being evil. Also, it can be inferred from his references to divine judgment that Iago does believe that there are eternal consequences to his actions. Despite this, he acts evilly for the shear joy of it. Grendel's evil was a morphed, resulting evil whereas Iago's evil was purposeful and ingrained.
  
  Katherine Kirkman has an interesting view on each character's fatal flaw. I had never thought before that each character aligned with one of the seven deadly sins. I had never considered Desdemona slothful, only content in her position of obedience to her husband, which shows the views of the times. Emilia, who aligns with wrath, though, is not content with her station with her husband. If a woman does nothing, then she is slothful. If she speaks out against the evils of her husband, she is wrathful. In era controlled by men, what is a woman to do? Is she trapped in her laziness or is she to angrily speak out? Can a woman ever really win in this society? Ironically, both of these characters die at the end of the play. Both were doomed from the beginning to bend to the will of their husbands.

  10/1/2012 10:25:21 PM
• SaiQuan Clark (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll." Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  Rushdie's character presents a fairly accurate commentary on Othello. I think Othello loves the idea of what Desdemona represents for him. She is simply the prize of a successful black man in a predominantly white society. Throughout the play, Othello is shown to lack the insight that he displays on the battlefield when it comes to relationships. When Iago accuses Desdemona of infidelity, Othello believes him, without giving his supposedly beloved spouse the benefit of the doubt.
  
  As Rushdie's character stated, Othello's murder of Desdemona didn't seem like the actions of someone that was in love. Othello wasn't upset because he felt betrayed. He was upset because the possibility that Desdemona had been unfaithful hurt his reputation. Othello wasn't acting through a broken heart, he was trying to tend to his damaged pride. He couldn't stand the fact that his trophy wife had acted out of line. He knew that such an act would dampen the respect he garnered from the community and he just couldn't have that.
  
  -Response-
  I disagree with Jordan's statement that Othello wouldn't have gotten as angry at Desdemona if he didn't love her. I think he got as angry as he did because of the threat to his reputation. If word got out that a man as highly respected as Othello couldn't keep his wife in line, he would surely lose the respect of those around him. That is why he was so angry. Such a rumor could jeopardize his high social standing. That fact scared him so much that he killed his trophy wife just in case.

  10/1/2012 10:26:43 PM
• madi gawerecki

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  i truly believe Othello loved Desdemona. Some cultures have rules that must be obided by. For instance, the people in the catholic church way back when did not know how to read. they only believed what the priest said. he knew he had control over these people some way or another so he lied to the members of their church out of greed. he would tell them absurd things and feed the people lies for their own benefit. This related to othello because it was a "law" that he had to kill his wife after these assumptions.
  just because othello killed his wife does not mean that he didnt love her. she was not his trophy wife. if he though of her in such a sense then he wouldn't of been able to kill his wife like he did. Othello thought he would be honored if he did the right thing which was kill his wife and wound up killing himself too. he let Iago get the best of him and gave right into what he wanted in the end. For othello and desdemona to be broken up.
  
  Response:
  I really like how Madison thought of the fact that Othello loving Desdemona so much could of led to him being irrational in the end. I like how she talks about how he was just using Desdemona as a trophy to make him look good. She continues to state that his love for her may of been unreal and he was only using her for his benefits. I feel that Madison proves a very well point in the blog.

  10/1/2012 10:31:54 PM
• Will Richards 1st period

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf and Grendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  True evil can not be defined in anyway, but it can be shown through ones actions. It can be portrayed through ones self image, ones life, how one acts,and reacts. Iago is a person of true evil. He does every bit of evil to have revenge, and to destroy some one elses life. To take every thing from him. That is what Iago does to OThello, and its different from any other story we have read in class. one can compare Iago to the devil from Othello, and can say he is true evil. The devil is the evil of everything, and Iago can also be compared to being the evil of all things, just from what he has done to the lives of others.
  
  In Grendel the monster isnt true evil. He is evil, but its to get back at what the humans did to him. to kill them. Iago doesnt do that. He completely destroys their life, tortures them into a horrible state, makes them turn on one another. that is true evil in my mind.
  
  response
  i agree with the other will about why he killed his wife, and how he put it. he made that it seem like a honor because he still wanted to look good in a sense, but still in the end it wouldnt look good. that it is also true that this a common story in history, that people kill in honor, but really in vain. overall i agree with the other will.

  10/1/2012 10:35:57 PM
• johnathon Currin

  1) What does the Othello have to say about the nature of the hero in general and the tragic hero in particular? How is Othello a hero, a tragic hero. (Consider both Aristotle's definition and the Elizabethan/Renaissance understandings of the tragic hero.) Can we consider Desdemona a tragic hero? Why or why not?
  
  
  Othello is a hero, he is a respected man of power and he is well beloved, he earned his right to have that power. But because of this power he was manipulated and turned into a pawn in a game of chess where the 'king' is destined to fall. Othello ends up killing his wife and ruining his life, because he let his reputation get in his way.
  Desdemona is a tragic hero because she was a martyr for both othello's sanity and the trust in relationships between a disconnected husband and an obeying wife. she is definitely a victim, but since she stood for her beliefs to her deathbed, she is also a hero. Desdemona is definitely a tragic hero as well.
  i like how sarah vassello was able to relate her standpoint to both Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, and legally blonde. by doing this it helps to explain her opinion and it also gives a little bit of insight as to why she thinks that way, which is very helpful for swaying someone that disagrees with you.

  10/1/2012 10:51:22 PM
• Nicolas Peckman (2nd)

  4)
  Othello's actions are very out of character for someone who is supposedly in love. In class discussions, we amounted it to lack of confidence and perception. Based on the context of the play, I don't think Othello viewed Desdemona as a doll. There was no direct evidence of him viewing her as a prize. However, all interpretations with a logical base are valid.
  
  Even if that interpretation doesn't seem as likely, the readers cannot know for sure which was intended. The interpretation is logically based; all the reasoning is sound. It makes sense that Othello would view his wife like that, and it makes sense he would then kill her for destroying reputation. Not only are all logical interpretations valid, but they all give the readers more possible insight into the story. Every idea is worth noting and weighing against each other.
  
  I think Brandon Fry has a good point when he says that "Othello" talks about the irrationality of evil. In addition to his points, Iago's entire "revenge" is irrational. Othello bore him no ill will to start, and actually respected him. Iago's revenge went much further than needed, killing or wounding almost every character. It didn't need to go that far, but evil is irrational.

  10/1/2012 11:32:21 PM
• Meredith Gilmore (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  I happen to agree with this statement because Salman Rushdie digs deeper into an analysis of Othello's “love” to investigate its true meaning. At first glance of this story I would believe with many others that Othello and Desdemona were madly in love and were meant to be. But after studying Othello's actions, it is evident their love isn’t as everlasting as everyone, including myself first thought. True love has the ability to overcome even the most painful obstacles. The love two people share should be more important than inaccurate accusations someone brings up. If Othello was truly in love with Desdemona, he wouldn't have jumped to conclusions and believed Iago. The thought of their love should have reassured any of Othello's doubts of Desdemona's faithfulness the moment the lies came out of Iago. However, the lies of Iago was enough to turn Othello against his “true love”. This insecurity Othello feels in their relationship shows their love isn’t everlasting.
  
  I also agree with that fact that Othello likes the idea of loving Desdemona, but doesn't love who she is on the inside. Although he doesn't know it, he looks at her outer beauty and the idea of having a beautiful wife is what satisfies his pride. Once his pride is taken away from him, his “love” of Desdemona quickly turns to hatred and disgust. I agree with the statement made that Desdemona was nothing more than someone who would improve his social status. Once Othello's social status and pride of being a man was in jeopardy, he turned his back on Desdemona. I also agree with the thought of Othello's murder of Desdemona as being an “honor killing”. Othello didn't care about the real story because his pride and embarrassment meant more to him than the life of his wife. His ability to easily murder his “true love” shows the shallowness in Othello's heart and the betrayal in his marriage.
  
  I disagree with Jordan's analysis because although Othello did let his jealousy get the best of him, his self pride was the main cause of the problem. His jealously was not that someone might get to love his wife instead of him, but jealousy that they might gain the social power by her overwhelming presence. I disagree with Jordan when she explains that the main reason Othello killed Desdemona was because he didn't want another man to love his wife. Well if Othello was so concerned about her love, why wouldn't he just work harder in being the man she deserves, instead of killing her. I also believe that if Othello truly loved Desdemona, he would have given her the chance to be with whoever in order for her to be happy. But instead, Othello killed her out of selfish thought. His pride was the main reason he killed his wife, not the fact that he was jealous of her possible future with other men.

  10/1/2012 11:38:05 PM
• Kristen Nida (1)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  For the most part, I agree with this passage; that Othello never really loved Desdemona. While I read, I got the feeling that he was infatuated with her, not in love. He was overly concerned with her actions worried about if she was really committed to him because he did not have trust in her. When people fall in love, they do not loose their good and bad senses, like Othello did. While some may think so, they are not thinking about real love; they are thinking about infatuation. This causes them to, every second of every day, worry about what their partner is doing and if they are being true to them. This leads to people making wrong, bad assumptions of others because they are being blindsided by their infatuation. While people who are truly in love do not have to worry about small things like that because they have trust in each others' feelings and know that they have nothing to worry about. Because Othello and Desdemona did not share this love, they had trust issues that lead to their downfall.
  I do not agree with the end of this passage, “Desdemona’s death is an ‘honor killing.’” Although Othello may have not been truly in love with Desdemona, he still had feelings for her and cared about her. He did not take pride in killing her or anything of that nature. He killed her because they didn’t have a balanced, healthy relationship; therefore fell when faced with a problem. Because of this, he became overwhelmed with jealousy and because he felt he did not have her heart, no one could, and killed her.
  
  Response:
  I like how Anderson recognizes that Desdemona is a tragic hero as well as the obvious one, the main character, Othello. Desdemona may not be as bold of a tragic hero, but she definitely fits all of the qualifications. She is innocent and is being blamed for the wrong doings that Othello is accusing her of. No one will believe her even though she speaks the truth, making the reader have sympathy for her. I like how Anderson compared Othello’s awareness on the battlefield to the blindness in his own home. It is very surprising that Othello could be so unaware of the truth all around him and fall for Iago’s tricks.

  10/1/2012 11:42:31 PM
• Andrew Toney (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  After reading the article on what the person said about Othello, I can conclude that what the person is saying is correct and I completely agree with them. As Othello was a black man in a predominately white society, he had to find some way for him to fit in so that his life wouldn't be as bad. While making Desdemona fall for him by using his stories of his battles as a soldier, he soon began to feel loved and meaningful to the world as people started to recognize who he was. As the writer states, Desdemona, in a some sort of way, was Othello's trophy prize. She was the award he won for telling all of his battle stories, while luring her into his heart. BY having Desdemona, Othello knew that he wouldn't have to be alone anymore and that he would have this amazing white woman to love him and take care of him. The statement is valuable because in fact, if Othello truly loved Desdemona, then he wouldn't have killed her. Instead, a man who truly loved his other half, would try and support his spouse no matter what happened, even if she did cheat on him.
  
  Othello had lost all sight of who he truly was. This in fact was a result of the fact that he had been trying so hard to impress Desdemona, that he lost who he truly was inside. Iago had tortured Othello's mind so much that he became more worried about what he was doing, and how he appeared, rather than loving and caring for Desdemona, so that she would not run off and get with another man. Othello's inability to work through things and make things better really hurt him due to the fact that he was so caught up with himself and his reputation, that he couldn't focus any details on Desdemona, letting her have the leeway to anything and anybody she felt wanted by. If Othello would have spent more time on finding out what was the truth behind the matter, then his rage wouldn't have got the best of him, resulting is Desdemona's death. Othello allowed Iago to brainwash his mind so much that he began to only see what Iago saw, and as his anger and frustration built up, Othello's actions soon jumped to another level as he killed the one thing that had made him who he was, Desdemona.
  
  Response:
  I disagree and agree with Jordan in her comments about #4. I disagree with the fact that Othello truly loved Desdemona. In fact, I believe that Othello had more of an infatuation with Desdemona because it seemed to be that it was not true love, but merely an instance of lust. I do agree with the fact that Othello wanted Desdemona all to himself. This was a key factor as it lead up to her death because in all retrospect, if Othello couldn't have her, then no one could. This in fact is where Othello allowed his jealousy to get the best of him, resulting in Desdemona's death.

  10/1/2012 11:45:26 PM
• Matthew Stafford

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  Iago is the biggest manipulator of reality and reputation. He takes Desdemona, defiles her reputation, and convinces Othello to believe it. Othello's reputation is also a big part of the play. Since he is a famous general, Othello has more freedom. Shakespeare is showing how much reputation affects us. Cassio's reputation as a drunk causes him to be fired when he becomes drunk, and Iago's reputation from Othello is why Othello trusts Iago so much. Not all that appears to be true is reality, like Cassio having Desdemona's handkerchief or him secretly talking to Desdemona. Because of misconception of reputation and appearance, Othello kills his wife.
  Othello has a great deal of struggle believing and trusting certain characters. Iago he trusts immediately, but with wife, not so much. He also has trouble separating appearance from reality, and this is used by Iago to corrupt him. Iago uses the fact that Othello is having trouble with his trust of his wife, and that Othello believes him over his wife. Othello's flaw of not being able to tell fiction from reality is greatly used throughout the play.
  Shakespeare is showing how not all friendships are the best choice, and how gullibility and innocence can be used to bring the strongest man down. Othello was a great general, but was blindsided by trust to Iago. But then the moment with the confrontation of Othello and Desdemona show show some trusts should be kept, like the trust made from his wife to him. These are example how different trust can be used against you, even if you are not trusted. This exaggerates on how trust is used as a weapon.
  I do not agree with Madison Chandler. I believe Othello did love Desdemona, but Iago twisted him up inside so much that he was driven to murder. Othello's world had been flipped upside down, and his true and betrothed love had “cheated on him” making hi angry at her “deception”. His love was gone forever, and he could never truly get her back, so an antisocial war general turned to anger, unlike in stressful times of war. This shows how much Iago changed Othello into someone else.

  10/2/2012 12:29:21 AM
• Blake Hall

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  This is a fairly valuable point on Othello's supposed "love." I don't believe that Othello truly loved Desdemonda, however he just saw her as an addition to his uncommon black fame. He pretended to care for her to boost his ego and to use as a trophy wife. The fact that he jumped to conclusions so quickly when rumors were spread about his wife rather than simply approaching her about it shows that he didn't care. To be able to straggle one's true love to death does not seem very likely to me.
  
  The only thing that would cause me to believe that Othello actually did love his wife would be the fact that he completely snaps and goes crazy once the rumors come out. At first I felt like this showed that he truly cared about her and was scared to lose her. However, after further thought I came to the conclusion that his breakdown was due to his ego. Othello had built up such a big ego and had become such a respected man that he feared this incident would damage his ego. For one's wife that he controversially married to begin with to be cheating on him would be very big news in the eyes of the public. Also, he would look like a fool for promoting a cheating scoundrel as well. Othello didn't love Desdemona, he loved his ego.
  
  I completely agree with Dan on his response to this question. Desdemona was definitely just an addition to his fame and an ego-booster. For a black man to win the love of a white woman was unheard of and would automatically portray him as a legendary person. Also, her wealth would surely gain him respect as well as he would be an in-law to such a rich and powerful family. Othello took all of this to boost him fame and honor. Ultimately, when her apparent actions threatened to ruin this Othello had to get rid of her and no longer needed or could risk her presence.

  10/2/2012 2:20:29 AM
• Omar Rezk (2nd Period)

  Although I do not believe it to be entirely true, this is still a valuable opinion Othello and what his actions meant. Othello, throughout the play, seemed to love his wife as his soul mate and lover rather than a trophy. Instead, the reader was given the idea that Desdemona only loved Othello for her own physical pleasure rather than for who he was as a person. But the fact that Othello would kill his wife and claim that he loves her is a ridiculous assertion. This act showed that he did not trust his wife at all and chose to believe all of the rumors and false accusations instead of her plea for mercy and innocence. The idea that Desdemona's death was an honor killing makes sense in this situation because Othello was a man of high statute and if his wife was tainted with these accusations of adultery then it would seep into his good name and rid him of his honor. The only to save his pride was to kill her.
  
  The innocence of Desdemona at the end of the play brings doubt in the mind of the reader that she was actually a loyal woman who was in love with her husband, not only for her pleasure, and that Othello was the one who was using her. Being a black man in a predominately white society, he was limited by his racial stereotypes. Having Desdemona, a white woman, as a wife would give him a higher status in the society. Therefore, Desdemona was Othello's trophy wife. He was only using her to acquire a higher form of respect from the community he lived in. And when his honor and respect was endangered and his reputation was at stake he had no problem killing his wife, who was now only a tainted trophy that held no value.
  
  Nick Debo's thoughts are completely conflicting with what I believe. After reading this commentary about Othello I find it hard to believe that he loved his wife Desdemona at all. He married her not out of love, but to raise his status by holding the trophy of a white woman. There is no way that anyone would be able to kill the person they love in that manner, he did it to save his own honor. Debo claims that Othello felt guilty for killing his wife and to prove that he killed himself. But, after this commentary I believe that Othello only realized that he was not saving his name by killing his wife and that he was only making it worse by killing an innocent white woman. He saw that there was no way to regain his honor so instead he destroyed himself.
  

  10/2/2012 2:23:36 AM
• Kevin Sips (2nd)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
   
              Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  Well, I certainly think that whether I agree with this or not, it is still valuable, as it encourages an expansion of the mind from the usual view. However, it is more valuable to me, as I happen to agree. I think Desdemona is most certainly not really a human to Othello. He claims that the reason he loves her is because she loves him, and that is no reason to love. Mutual emotions cannot exist solely off of the feelings of one person. Othello always seemed to be the one in control in their marriage; he was always acting as if he was cool with whatever she wanted to do when he thought she was obsessed with him. Once he lost her in his mind, however, she ceased to be of use to him, she no longer equated to status, and he destroyed her.
  As for whether or not this is an honor killing, I don't think it could be much else in the event that he doesn't love her. He could have felt that it was the right thing to do because she was “cheating” on him, but this cannot be the only reason, because even executioners have qualms about their jobs. Another cause is that the killing of the reason for his doubt confirms it in Othello's mind. The jealousy and suspicion mentioned by Iago back in Act 3 affects Othello so astutely that he simply has to be right or wrong; doubt is no longer an option. Killing Desdemona confirms that she was cheating on him for him, ending the pain of suspicion. Finally, his honor is also at stake. Had he gone on being the husband of what he conceived to be a faithless wife, he felt he would have been a sort of laughing stock, or that he would not have had the same respect from his men. In committing suicide, he also forces others to give him respect for the dead, but that's a bit of a stretch. So anyways, I think that is a valuable commentary.

  10/2/2012 2:49:27 AM
• Harry Wasnak (4)

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two? What does this play say about the significance of trust in relationships?
  
  Throughout the play, there is this overhanging notion that the health of person's reputation is equivalent to the soul of their character, and that no further investigation is required. This is mostly propagated by Iago, who tells Othello that even the wealth of his purse is worthless compared to the sanctity of his name. This assumption is central to the plot, as the slightest bit of skepticism would have undone even the dirtiest of Iago's machinations. Fortunately for Iago though, trust is given as blindly as communion, and every other character, Othello, whom he betrays, Cassio, whom she stabs, and Desdemona, whom he indirectly murders, all proudly tout their faith in "honest" Iago. By showing all the characters to be blindly trusting, the dramatic irony given to the audience allows them to see the errors in reputed worth and baseless faith.
  
  The characters in the play not only trust absolutely in reputation, but they never even attempt to seek a personal opinion on otherwise obviously shady characters like Iago. Reputation is the positive or negative referral from the accounts of other people. Never once do the characters attempt to look deeper into Iago, to see why or why not he has his reputation. This communal failure to verify Iago's honor ultimately gets several people killed. This proves that every single character in the play not only an awful judge of character, but was utterly unable to discern Iago's lies from reality. The trust in Iago was the single factor that obscured the encroaching doom upon all the characters, showing that powerful trust in a relationship can create an equally powerful illusion that outshines even the frankest of realities.
  
  I agree with Stafford in his conclusion that not all friendships are positive choices. Iago was a treacherous monster who should have been cast out, yet Othello chose to keep him in close company even over his wife. Othello's mistake eventually cost him all he had, and he had no one else to blame but himself.

  10/2/2012 4:48:58 AM
• Joe Vance (P1)

  4) In a story by novelist Salman Rushdie (The New Yorker, July 2001), a character makes the following remarks about Othello: "Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession, the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an 'honor killing.' She didn't have to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his Oscar-Barbie statuette. His doll."
  Is this a valuable commentary on the character? Why or why not?
  
  This is a logical connection because a person that loves someone else could not bring themselves to kill their loved one. I had this same problem when reading this play, that Othello really can't seriously love Desdemona because he doesn't trust her. Without trust in a relationship love can't exist and will not be fruitful. There is no logical reason for Othello, who loves Desdemona so much, to even consider murdering her. The only reason I can think of for him to murder Desdemona is because of his pride. By striking his name by “cheating” on him she has taken away the only thing that she ever gave to him. It seems as though he is using her just to fuel his pride. By marrying a white women he has become a figure of respect in the community, but without her he becomes a simple black man living in a white community.
  I completely agree with the statement that she can be seen as his trophy wife because her only apparent purpose is to sit on his mantle and make him stand out in the community. There is no way that any logical lover could kill their partner. Othello is made out of his pride and it is what fuels his desire to control Desdemona.
  
  I really liked Kat's comparison of the seven sins to each of the characters. I had not really thought about this at all until I read her blog. This comparison makes perfect sense because Iago is the epitome of greed along with Othello being the figure of pride. Without Othello's Pride his character would have no substance because it is what fuels his desires. His need to be recognized in the community is the main reason that he wanted to control and even go to kill Desdemona. Her comparison of Desdemona to Sloth is also good because she never goes out of her way to try to talk to Othello and just lets it pass her by.

  10/2/2012 9:09:21 AM
• Dylan Perry

  2) How does this play use the distinction between reputation and honor
  to explore the distinction between appearance and reality? How easy or
  difficult is it for various characters to distinguish between the two?
  What does this play say about the significance of trust in
  relationships?
  
  2. People do not always appear to be the person they actually are.
  Reputation is very important to characters like Cassio and Iago.
  Cassio is an honorable man who made a simple mistake that tarnished
  his reputation. He has lost his reputation but still retains his
  honor. On the other hand, Iago is a villain with no sense of honor;
  however, his reputation is in great standings. Iago appears to be a
  great and loyal follower of Othello, but he’s not. He hides under his
  reputation so he can destroy Othello. This play shows mainly through
  these two characters that reputation, how other see you, does not
  always have to represent what one truly is.
  Othello has a very difficult time with distinguishing the truth from
  disguise. He trusts Iago; automatically, this is a bad sign. Othello
  puts his full trust and respect in the villain of the play. The
  readers cannot believe that he can’t see through all the layers of
  disguise. Othello is also the man who demoted Cassio, meaning he
  could not see the truth about this honorable man. Because Othello
  cannot see past the appearance of the people, his life is destroyed
  along with many others. Emily, Iago’s wife, on the otherhand can see
  right through her husband’s masks. In the final act, Emily is the one
  who discovers the truth and announces it to everyone. It cost her her
  life.
  This play shows that trust is imperative in relationships. Without
  trust there is nothing. However, this trust needs to be deserving
  rather than freely given. One needs to be careful of who he fully
  trusts.
  
  Abby Peel is right on target when she says evil is irrational, especially in context with this play, where evil is spawned by jealousy, which was irrational as well. Iago flipped when he didn't get his promotion, and on a whim decided to take it out on Othello, it wasn't very logical.

  10/3/2012 7:45:40 AM
• Jack Twomey-Kozak

  In Shakespeare's Othello, it is clear that Othello holds an extremely honorable reputation with his wife and his military rank. However, in the play, he is so consumed with upholding his glorious reputation, that he loses full trust in his wife and has no honor for his wife, Desdemona when she is accused of cheating. Othello is more concerned with his reputation and honor than hearing his wife's testimony and seems as if he doesn't even care whether she cheated, but only cares how it appears to the public that he is with a cheating woman, which would tarnish his reputation. This ties in directly with the distinction between appearance and reality as well because his idea of Desdemona's infidelity was artificially implanted in his mind by Iago. Since Othello is quite vulnerable, Iago is able to manipulate him into believing that his wife cheated on him with Cassio. To Othello, it appears as if Iago is a trusting and loyal friend who truly cares for him (based on his appearance and reputation Iago falsely upholds). However, in reality, Iago's jealous, insecure, and evil nature is manipulating Othello and aiming to destroy him and his reputation. The reality becomes that Othello does start to believe Iago's illusions, and does not understand Desdemona's true appearance and refuses to open his eyes to reality.
  
  For characters like Othello, it is difficult for him to distinguish between the two. Primarily because his reputation is at risk and because he is unable to see the true reality of things due to Iago's false thoughts. Othello is unable to make proper distinctions because he has cloudy judgement. Similarly, Iago is unable to distinguish between reputation and honor because his only goal is to destroy Othello and his reputation. He doesn't understand what honor is but wants to maintain his false reputation. He cannot distinguish between appearance and reality because his illusions have grown into his reality.
  
  This play tells that trust must be essential in relationships for them to function, but it is clear that Othello's inability to trust, as well as Desdemona's displays that neither character trusted each other truly and did not understand what a healthy and true love relationship was. Othello refuses to hear his wife's side of things and automatically does not trust her, but Desdemona refuses to properly defend herself or her innocence and just accepts the lies he dishes to her.
  
  In response to Daniel Titch's Othello blog, I think that he is absolutely correct in assuming that Othello did not truly love Desdemona and that she was only a prize to him in a sense. His reputation was all he cared about and concerned with. Desdemona was definitely a mean to end to add to his renown. I think Othello was not truly what his reputation made him out to be. Othello did not truly love or trust anyone, and this was ultimately his downfall.

  10/8/2012 11:39:43 AM
• Chris Lewis (4rth Period)

  3) What does Othello have to say about the nature of evil? Iago is one Shakespeare's most fascinating characters. How does he represent the irrationality of evil? How does the portrayal of evil in this play differ from that in Beowulf and Grendel? Note the references to the devil in this play. Who is the devil in this play? What does that say about evil?
  
  Othello speaks in great detail about the nature of evil. It can be vindictive and manipulative. It spawns from jealousy and anger. Evil is uncontrollable, but calculated. It will steam roll anyone who tries to get in it's way. It can make you believe the untrue, even when you have no proof of its existence.
  
  The nature of evil in this play differs greatly from the nature portrayed in Grendel and Beowulf. In these too stories evil is completely uncontrollable. Grendel cannot help what he does. It is simply his nature to be heartless and mean. Iago causes evil through seeds of doubt he plants in everyone's mind. He does this for his gain and his gain only.
  
  I also like the way MJ says that heroes are full of unnecessary hope. They are supposed to be brave and strong, they are supposed to be able to take care of themselves in situations of extreme chaos. They are not afraid of death,yet they hope they do not have to deal with it. They would like to see society do away with the chaos and mindless killing. This would make being a hero completely obsolete, but they wish for it anyway.

  10/8/2012 12:03:06 PM