As I am studying Othello for My HXE 300, I believe that I can boast an adequate understanding of the play. Written by Shakespeare which is teeming with the most exciting and suspense filled. The Play “Othello” is the most remarkable tragedy written by Shakespeare. In Othello we find the combination of most vital human emotions and feelings – hate and love. The story is serious and ironical. We can not judge about any point of view because there is no narrator in a play, the play tells the audience about an honest and noble man who can be influenced so that he is ready to kill the woman he loves. This tragedy is well known all over the world and there are even set phrases about the main hero and his jealousy.

Othello's Summary #Act 1

Shakespeare's famous play of love turned bad by unfounded jealousy, begins in Venice with Iago, a soldier under Othello's command arguing with Roderigo, a wealthy Venetian. Roderigo has paid Iago a considerable sum of money to spy on Othello for him, since he wishes to take Othello's girlfriend, Desdemona as his own.

Roderigo fears that Iago has not been telling him enough about Desdemona and that this proves Iago's real loyalty is to Othello not him. Iago explains his hatred of Othello for choosing Cassio as his officer or lieutenant and not him as he expected.

To regain Roderigo's trust, Iago and Roderigo inform Brabantio, Desdemona's father of her relationship with Othello, the "Moor" which enrages Brabantio into sending parties out at night to apprehend Othello for what must obviously be in Brabantio's eyes, an abuse of his daughter by Othello...

Iago lies that Roderigo and not himself, was responsible for angering Brabantio against Othello, Iago telling Othello that he should watch out for Brabantio's men who are looking for him.Othello decides not to hide, since he believes his good name will stand him in good stead.We learn that Othello has married Desdemona. Brabantio and Roderigo arrive, Brabantio accusing Othello of using magic on his daughter.

Othello stops a fight before it can happen but Othello is called away to discuss a crisis in Cypress, much to the anger of Brabantio who wants justice for what he believes Othello has done to his fair Desdemona. The Duke is in council with several senators discussing their enemy, the Turks (Turkish people). Brabantio complains to the Duke that Othello bewitched his daughter and had intimate relations with her.

Desdemona is brought in to settle the matter, Othello meanwhile explains how he and Desdemona fell in love. Desdemona confirms this and the Duke advises Brabantio that he would be better off accepting the marriage than complaining and changing nothing. The Duke orders Othello to Cypress to fight the Turks, with Desdemona to follow, accompanied by the trusted Iago.

Roderigo despairs that his quest for Desdemona is over now that she is married, but Iago tells him not to give up and earn money instead; soon Desdemona will bore of Othello. Alone, Iago reveals his intention to continue using Roderigo for money and his hatred of Othello (Othello picked Cassio and not Iago for his lieutenant). Iago explains that his plan is avenge Othello is to suggest to Othello that Cassio is sleeping with Desdemona (Othello's wife).

Retrieved from absoluteshakespeare

HXE 300 :References !!!

the animated Othello

Shakespeare used the Old English in Othello that might give everyone headache just to understand it. the old english makes me still wondering what is really happen in that play? Who is exactly Othello? Why does he kill himself? What leads him to kill Desdemona? Who is the real culprit in Othello? What are Iago's plans?

So, when I was trying to find the answer in the internet, I found an interesting video that summarizes the scene and it makes me understood the play better. The creator has explained the situations very briefly by using nice projection of characters in Othello.

you can also watch it here

Watch and enjoy it!;)

Othello

Othello, a Moor, is a general and commander of the Venetian armed forces, and later governor of Cyprus. He secretly weds Desdemona and provokes Iago's enmity by promoting Cassio. He later relieves Cassio of his rank when he believes that the lieutenant started a drunken brawl. Othello gradually succumbs to Iago's plot, and, believing that Desdemona is unfaithful, smothers her. When he realizes she was innocent of Iago's accusations, he commits suicide.



Desdemona

Desdemona is the daughter of Brabantio, a man of some reputation in Venice. As such, she is part of the upper class of Venetian society. Desdemona elopes with Othello and accompanies him to Cyprus. After Cassio is discredited, she pleads for his reinstatement, an act which her husband interprets as proof of Iago's insinuations that she is unfaithful. She is ultimately murdered by Othello.



Iago

Iago is one of the most notorious and mysterious villains of all time. He spends all of his time plotting against Othello and Desdemona, eventually convincing Othello that his wife has been cheating, despite the fact that Desdemona has been completely faithful. Iago's capacity for cruelty seems limitless, and no motivation he gives for his actions seems enough to explain the incredible destruction he wreaks on the lives of the people he knows best.


Michael Cassio

Cassio is chosen over Iago to be Othello's lieutenant. He is discredited when he participates in a drunken brawl during Othello's wedding celebration. Cassio survives a murder attempt by Roderigo, wounding his attacker, and is appointed deputy governor of Cyprus after Othello is recalled to Venice.

Emilia

Emilia is Iago's wife. She travels to Cyprus with her husband and acts as a waiting woman to Desdemona. She gives Iago Desdemona's handkerchief, which he had asked her to steal. After Othello murders his wife, Emilia reveals Desdemona's fidelity and is mortally wounded by Iago for exposing the truth.

Roderigo

Roderigo is a Venetian desperately desiring, but a rejected suitor of Desdemona. He becomes Iago's pawn, wounds and is wounded by Cassio in an unsuccessful attempt to murder the lieutenant, and is killed by Iago.

Brabantio

Brabantio is Desdemona's father. A Venetian senator, he is a magnifico, a prominent citizen and landowner in Venice. He charges Othello with bewitching his daughter and dies after Desdemona leaves for Cyprus with Othello and the Venetian forces.


http://www.enotes.com/othello/character-analysis

Characteristic of the Elizabethan Age

~ It was the age of comparative religious tolerance,which was due largely to the queen's influence.

~ It was an age of comparative social contentment, is strong contrast with the days of Langland

~ It was an age of dreams, of adventure, of unbounded enthusiasm springing from the new lands of fabuluos riches revealed by English explorers.

~ To sum up, the age of Elizabethan was a time of intelectual liberty, of growing intelligence and comfort among all classes of unbounded patriotism, and of peace at home and abroad.

The age of Elizabethan

Elizabethan literature, body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (1558–1603), probably the most splendid age in the history of English literature, during which such writers as Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Roger Ascham, Richard Hooker, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare flourished. The epithet Elizabethan is merely a chronological reference and does not describe any special characteristic of the writing.

The Elizabethan age saw the flowering of poetry (the sonnet, the Spenserian stanza, dramatic blank verse), was a golden age of drama (especially for the plays of Shakespeare), and inspired a wide variety of splendid prose (from historical chronicles, versions of the Holy Scriptures, pamphlets, and literary criticism to the first English novels). From about the beginning of the 17th century a sudden darkening of tone became noticeable in most forms of literary expression, especially in drama, and the change more or less coincided with the death of Elizabeth. English literature from 1603 to 1625 is properly called Jacobean, after the new monarch, James I. But, insofar as 16th-century themes and patterns were carried over into the 17th century, the writing from the earlier part of his reign, at least, is sometimes referred to by the amalgam “Jacobethan.”

source from : http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/184911/Elizabethan-literature

(i've found this when i am looking for the era of Elizabeth)

ahoy Shakespeare!

for those who do not know Shakespeare, please knock your head off. from now on, you have to live with the facts that you might be living in a different world or probably you are the unknown species waiting to be explored in Mars. i am sure that most of us have heard of this great name, Shakespeare, which is known to the entire world in every nation as the most influential writer. this great man is famous for his great piece of love story like Romeo and Juliet, and also tragedies plays like Othello or Macbeth and many of his work are still being studied widely.

when i was first informed that we will be analysing Shakespeare's works i was very excited that finally we are able to study the great piece of Master Shakespeare. however the excitement of knowing Shakespeare digreessed as it changed slowly into angst and fear of his mighty ancient language. once i open the book and read the prose, i went ' oh my goodness!' 'what does he said?' 'what does he meant by this?' 'what does this word mean?' it took several minutes for me to clear the panic attack of the imcapabality to understand this ageless man.

it is not easy to interpret the work of Shakespeare, considering the time and cultural factors that are totally foreign to us in Malaysia, it is such a labour. however, it doesnt mean that one should give up the book and off to the Slumberland where you might be meeting Shakespeare who can describe what he wrote 300 years ago. if only there is a time machine :)

to read Shakespeare, one has to be mentally equipped with determination and guts to go line by line and most importantly to have dictionary by your side. if you have huge vocabularies in English, of course you don't need it but to me dictionary is ESSENTIAL. i am sure throughout the process, one may interfere some serious delusional, confusion moments but eventually with serious determination me and you would be able to grasp the magic of Shakespeare.

there is nothing more joyous than the joy of mastering the art of Shakespeare.

happy learning :)