...HOW TO TEACH “OTHELLO” (The play by William Shakespear’s) I. INTRODUCTION Othello, like all of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly the tragedies, is complex and subtly nuanced. Through its complexitiesand subtleties, Shakespeare makes us care about the characters who people this story. We understand their weaknesses and their strengths, their passions and their nobility. In our engagement in their lives and our pondering over what has gone wrong and why, we are given the opportunity to analyze human life both in the abstract and in the particular of our own lives. Shakespeare’s ability to involve us in the lives and fortunes of his characters is one of the best reasons for reading and teaching Othello. Othello has particular gifts to offer to teenagers. It is a play about passion and reason. Intense feelings are exhibited here:love, hate, jealousy, envy, even lust. Teenagers struggling with their own passions can empathize with both Roderigo’s and Othello’s plight. It is also a play that examines, as do Shakespeare’s other works, human relationships and interactions. For teenagers in the first rush of attempting to understand how romantic relationships work and when and why they might fail, this text provides much to ponder. In addition, studying the play gives young people a rich literary vehicle for developing their critical thinking and analytical reading skills. The closer they examine this work, the richer they find it. II. SUMMARY OF THE PLAY The play is set...
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...The No Fear Shakespeare line by line translation offers a plaintive point of view of Shakespeare’s Othello. It has improved my understanding of the play as a whole and provided me with a new perspective. The most outstanding difference between the original play and the No Fear Shakespeare (NFS) text is the removal and simplification of the dialogue. Shakespeare uses a syntax that is sometimes difficult to understand, often putting the subject of a sentence after the verb. He also employs various types of figurative language such as metaphors, puns, and allusions. One benefit of reading the NFS is that it rearranges the original sentence structure to be more coherent. However, some of Shakespeare’s best work is lost in translation. While the...
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...Hello and welcome to another episode of Othello Exposed, where we delve beneath the words and into the mind of Shakespeare to see the meaning behind his plays. As discussed in our recent episode The making of show, back in 1604 when Othello was first performed there were many racial ideologies towards black Africans–although they were not yet regarded as slaves, ‘the black race was considered inferior’ (shakespearetheater.org). Shakespeare was inspired and constantly looked to challenge his audience to reconsider cultural norms. Therefore, he wrote Othello, a play about a usurper whose hunger and craving for power eventually caused the downfall of the kingdom. This usurper, possibly the most fascinating character in the play, is known as Iago:...
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...practical, so logical and so convincing. Language manipulation can have two different purposes. It can be used against an individual in which it does not favour the victims best interest, but allows the manipulator to get a personal gain at the expense of another. Words used in this way are seen as a weapon in which it can inflict suffering and hurt to the victim. On the other hand it can have the opposite intention. It can be used in a positive way and to the benefits of both individuals. It can be uplifting, motivating, and inspirational and will often persuade individual’s interests in a helpful direction. This is how language can be used to manipulate meaning and intent and is shown clearly through William Shakespeare’s characters in the play, ‘Othello’. Language can be used against an individual to cause suffering and pain. This is through the manipulation of meaning and intent. In Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’, Iago who is the main villain in the film uses his manipulative language to deceive other characters in such a way that it makes him both a powerful and persuasive figure. His understanding of the individuals around him and their desires lets him engage in this deceitfulness even more and persuade individuals with his lies and scheming stories. In Act 1 scene 1, the audience is straight away immersed into the action of the play. In this scene Iago already starts to manipulate Roderigo through his naivety to Iago’s doublecrossing and overall manipulation. Roderigo’s...
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...Frank Kelly Ms. Corley ENG3U - 1 9 March 2016 End Goal of Writing Othello When studying Othello, no analyst or reader can deny that the masterpiece written by Shakespeare is truly remarkable. However, there is debate as to whether the play was written to tell a story about a war hero who ascends to the peak of Italian military ranks and fell off due to his insecurities, or for Shakespeare to present an allegory narrating the chaos in seventeenth century England. The assertion made declaring Othello to be an allegory is very compelling. Just like an artist chooses every stroke of their painting, in Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism...
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...Sax’s modern adaptations of Ben Jago (Christopher Eccleston; left) and John Othello (Eamonn Walker; right). Sax’s decision to have the film occur in modern day London had a negative impact on the film. ------------------------------------------------- This photo depicts Sax’s modern adaptations of Ben Jago (Christopher Eccleston; left) and John Othello (Eamonn Walker; right). Sax’s decision to have the film occur in modern day London had a negative impact on the film. Othello: de-canonised by Sax’s mutilation Jaqueline Bhagwan investigates the devastating effect of Geoffrey Sax’s interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s canons. Ironically, Sax’s modern-day interpretation of Othello could be classed as a tragic movie. Othello is written by, arguably, the greatest playwright in history, Shakespeare. Sax’s modern outtake of Othello uses a contemporary backdrop, yet it fails on many occasions to capture the true essence of Shakespeare. ------------------------------------------------- In his attempt to make the play his own, it seems as though Sax fails to impart the best of himself. ------------------------------------------------- In his attempt to make the play his own, it seems as though Sax fails to impart the best of himself. Though Sax utilised a great cast, he was unable to effect the epitome of each character: his lacklustre version doesn’t fully translate the forth-righteousness of Othello (played by Eamonn Walker), the depth of Iago’s (Jago, played by Christopher...
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...and the world's pre-eminent dramatist whose work is liked by all film-maker to bring down on screen. According to Robert Hamilton Ball, Shakespeare’s dramas were considered ideal material for cinema in the early 20th century because the presence of Shakespeare on film raised the contemporary estimation of film. Almost all of his works have been adapted on screen in Hollywood and all other film industries. Hollywood has produced around 300 movies based on Shakespeare’s plays and characters. Films based on tragedies like Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet etc., have got very good response by the audience on the silver screen. In Bollywood also many directors adopted the work of Shakespeare. But Vishal Bhardwaj through his films showed that he is the true fan of Shakespeare and knows well how to do justice with the work of such a big writer on silver screen. His film Maqbool (2003) based on Macbeth, and Omkara (2006) based on Othello left very remarkable impression on audience’s hearts. Maqbool had its North American premiere at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. Though the film failed to entice much of an audience during its theatrical run in India, critics were appreciative and Pankaj Kapoor went on to win a Film fare Award for Best Actor (Critics) and a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. While Othello showcased at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival along with a book on the making of Omkara. It was also selected to be screened at the Cairo International...
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...“Othello is the most domestic of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Its focus is not on the fall of a king, or the collapse of a nation… Rather it is about the end of a marriage and a husband’s murder of his wife. It is intimately concerned with the details of sexual jealousy.” (McLeish and Unwin) A production of Shakespeare’s “Othello”, was presented as “The Twisted Othello” at Bishop Anstey High School East auditorium on November 15th, Saturday. It was directed by Janieka Tudor and captured a new take on the Shakespearean classic. The play is centered on the eminent jealousy of Iago (Renaldo Briggs) directed to Micahel Cassio who had been promoted by Othello (Daniel Waldron). Iago, who coveted the position as Othello’s lieutenant; weaves an intricate web of lies around the ubiquitous and notorious ‘handkerchief’ and ensnares Desdemona (Mishael Martineaux), Othello (Waldron) , Rodriego( Tevin Butler) and other actors. Ultimately Iago (Briggs) plays on the green-eyed monster within Othello (Waldron) and causes his cataclysmic demise. In a review of ‘The Apologetics of Evil: The Case of Iago’ by Richard Raatzsch it is mentioned that, “Iago is memorable and exciting, and universally hated by audiences of ‘Othello’ …. Being cold, manipulative, and impervious to anything but his own perverse will.” (McGinn) In conjunction, at ‘The Twisted Othello’ Renaldo Briggs gave a resounding performance and a new finesse to the character of Iago. Briggs a student of Bishop Anstey Trinity College East...
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...date, but many scholars believe it was April 23, 1564. His father was John Shakespeare (who was a glover and leather merchant) and his mother Mary Arden (who was a landed local heiress). John had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s. William lived for most of his early life in Stratford-upon-Avon. We do not know exactly when he went to London but he is said to have arrived in 1592. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. While there are no records extant to prove this claim, Shakespeare's knowledge of Latin and Classical Greek would tend to support this theory. In addition, Shakespeare's first biographer, Nicholas Rowe, wrote that John Shakespeare had placed William "for some time in a free school." John Shakespeare, as a Stratford official, would have been granted a waiver of tuition for his son. As the records do not exist, we do not know how long William attended the school, but certainly the literary quality of his works suggest a solid education. What is certain is...
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...2015 Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero “William Shakespeare’s “Othello” the Moore of Venice Tragedies frequently focus on a tragic hero that has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. According to Aristotle, the tragic flaw is the most important part of the hero and the events that occur in the work is a reflection of that flaw. A tragic flaw is essential in a true tragedy. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is a prime example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. His gullibility and jealousy are the main reason of his downfall. Othello deals with love lost because of gullibility and jealousy. According to Aristotle, the life and soul of tragedy is the plot; Incidents in the plot have the best effect if they occur unexpectedly, and in consequence of one another. A great tragedy grips the audience with the plot; Aristotle also states that the sense of the inevitable must be present in tragedy. The central character must be noble and have a higher stature than most men. The tragic hero must also have better qualities than secondary characters but must also exhibit flaws. Another part of the central character is that he is destroyed by himself, not by others, bad luck, or depravity. These are the criteria necessary to be classified as an ideal tragedy. The main character of Othello is an example of a tragic hero, his basic elements matches him up to a true hero as defined by Aristotle. Othello was a soldier all his life, due to his Moorish descent;...
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...and Juliet and Hamlet. Shakespeare’s plays have managed to gain and maintain cult followings for hundreds of years. Shakespeare is arguably one of the biggest and most notable names in literary history thanks to his extensive contribution to the English theatre. With such great influence and cultural reach comes...
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...Schultz Communications 1102 Four Centuries of Jealousy Jealousy is an emotion that triggers many other emotions in the human psyche. From fear, grief and depression, jealousy can lead to anger and violence. Humans are not privileged to this emotion alone but all mammals are susceptible to such feelings. It has been suggested through research “jealousy first evolved in the context of sibling-parent relationships where dependent offspring compete for parental resources” (Harris and Prouvost). In both the movie O. and the play Othello jealousy is the driving emotion that causes the major conflicts. Despite their 400-year time difference, O. exhibits a near exact representation of Shakespeare’s Othello. In Othello, the character Iago is jealous that he was passed over for a promotion. Because of this, he attempts to get revenge by lying and deceiving others to discredit their character. An instance of this is when Iago deceived his friend Cassio by getting him drunk and causing him to fight Roderigo. This fight caused Cassio to lose his lieutenant position, which was the promotion Iago was jealous about. Iago also lied to Othello to convince him that his wife was being unfaithful with Cassio. These lies caused Othello’s jealousy and rage that lead him to murder his wife. In the movie O., the character Hugo is jealous that his father, the head basketball coach, has chosen two other basketball players as the MVP’s of the team. These two players, Oden and Michael, seem destine to...
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...we are physically, emotionally and mentally complex. While others might take a more philosophical position on the matter, like René Descartes who originally spoke the famous phrase: “I think, therefore I am”. A philosopher would value the fact that humans can intelligently communicate their thoughts, and these thoughts can change the very existence of man as a whole through invention and innovation. Religious groups would base their opinion of humans on their faith; we are human simply because we are not God. At times science, philosophy and religion can confuse a person opinion on what it actually means to be human. Maybe the concept of being human is much simpler then some may think. Being human could simply mean that we as a collective race are imperfect. The idea of human imperfection is not easily explained by science, philosophy or religion. They can all sometimes be too complex to understand. Science exemplifies the human race as a species, philosophy praises human race as thinkers and religion looks at the human race as sinners and how we all must be perfect to please God. Even society tells us we must be perfect in the eyes of the world. We as a human race all possess the trait of imperfection thus making us all the common men among one another in society. The concept of the imperfection of the common man is addressed in many different pieces of literature. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, Shakespeare created his characters to depict the...
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...It’s impossible to imagine a world without Shakespeare, none of Shakespeare's plays intersects with the hot issues of our time more accurate than Othello. Militarism, racism, gender, spousal abuse, colonialism, the occult, the pathology of the inexplicably evil person, these are all woven into the web of the play, .and they are among the issues that haunt the world at the end of the twentieth century. Even our most sensational crime, the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, and the trial of o. J. Simpson, with significant differences, replays the Othello story to a remarkable degree, down, to an almost identical cast of characters. Othello is almost perfect for a case history of how one might usefully connect today's headlines...
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...Question: The formation of Identity is shaped by many circumstances. How is this explored in your prescribed text and one other related text of your own choosing? One’s initial identity is significantly nurtured by family ideals and beliefs in conjunction with the sheltered environment in which they are raised. However, we are all apt to be considerably shaped by society’s social and cultural influences. Consequently, our identities are a comprehensive construct of society’s values and one’s ethnic background in addition to our occupational duties and interactions with others. In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ and the film, “To Sir with Love,” the identities of the key characters are shown to be a constitute of such circumstances with a particular focus on the influence of relationships. In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ the discriminative attitude of Venetian society towards people of black ethnicity is presented as a significant influential factor in the shaping of Othello’s identity. This is explored through the use language in which Othello is repeatedly referred to as the “Moor” and by the derogatory terms “thick-lips” and a “Barbary horse.” Othello’s black exterior denotes to his position as a ‘outsider’ and therefore his marriage to Desdemona, a white woman is considered unfathomable, “If she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender, fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunn’d,” Contrastingly, Othello’s elevated status in Venetian society, reflected...
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