Here are you discussion questions for Act I and Act II. Please complete by Sunday evening at midnight. You will need to not only respond to the question, but respond to at least two of your peers in discussion.
Act I
Act I Scene 3 lines 248-259
1. Analyze the passage below. How do these lines give the first glimpse of tension between Othello's responsibility as a general, and as a husband? How is Desdamona conflicted? Do you anticipate any further conflict?
"That I did love the Moor to live with him,
My downright violence and storm of fortunes
May trumpet to the world. My heart's subdued
Even to the very quality of my lord.
I saw Othello's visage in his mind,
And to his honors and his valiant parts
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.
So that, dear lords, if I be left behind
A moth of peace and he go to the war,
The rites for which I love him are bereft me,
And I a heavy interim shall support
By his dear absence. Let me go with him."
2. Act I Scene 3 lines 293-198
Discuss how these lines may exhibit foreshadowing within the play.
3. Act I Scene 3 lines 319-331
Analyze Iago's metaphor. What does he mean? What message is he trying to convey to Roderigo? Give examples and support
ACT II
4. Discuss how Iago "grows into" being the villian in this play. Do you think he is the ultimate villian? Why/why not?
1. The conflit starts to within these lines by showing that Othello has some difficult decisions to make. One he wants to be happy and live and relax with his new wife, but this is difficult because he stills has the duty of being a general and although he loves his new wife we knows that he must serve his country becuase he is a valuable asset in the war. If he does not fight he abandons his duties and probably will end up hurting much of the country by refusing to fight. Desdamona is conflicted on the duty vs. lover situtation because she can not make up her mind whether it would be better to go with Othello on the war and by his side, or if that would be to distracting and she should just stay home and play it safe and not bother him. Yes i do anticipate further conflict because with Iago plotting and Othello trying to do the right thing while Desdamona is around undoubtedly some sort of a problem will arise for sure.
ReplyDelete2&3. The act 1 packet was taken back in class so I'm not sure how to answer these so if anyone figures out how to let me know.
ReplyDelete4 Iago does numerous things to become the villian of this story. He constantly is scheming and sabotaging the lives of the other characters so that he himself might make some gain and others might fall to nothingness. He tries to frame many of the chracters in acts that they did not do on purpose or acts that the are not doing. When it is only he himself that is really having bad intentions for everyone within the story. Iago grows into the role of villian in this tale by action after action trying to do harmful things to the other characters of the story. He is a villian but not an ultimate villian. He does bad things like frame people and get people to do things that look bad but this is not on the resume of the ultimate villian. The ultimate villian would be involved in more acts such as killing,stealing, and similar sins. But Iago does none of these thus this is why i think iago lacks in the application of the ultimate villian.
Hey to find Act 1 go to Spark notes and look up Othello. All the acts are right there.
ReplyDeleteThese first lines provide the tension of Othello’s responsibility as a soldier and husband. As a solider he has to be committed to lay his life on the line and brave the most awful dangers, loving and respecting his country over himself. As a husband it is his duty to love, respect, protect, and provide for his wife. He can’t be focused on both things, since they are two completely opposite realms in life. He married Desdemona who claims that she is “the very quality of her Lord”, meaning she is part of him, she is who he is. She says that she left her old life to be with him. As we are learning in marriage class it is unwise to change who you are for a person whom you seem to love and marry. I think that she is going to realize that this life was not what she wanted. That she will not enjoy the life that Othello lives. She will want to end up being who she really is. Throughout the play she will struggle with her feelings.
ReplyDeleteThese lines provide a motive for something that could happen in the play. Othello claims that he can trust Desdemona to never lie to him. The older Othello is allowing his attractive, young wife in the hands of the younger attractive Cassio. The reader gets an idea of an affair, or rumor of affair between Desdemona and Cassio. This hints at some conflict that can be foretold of to come later in the play.
The metaphor that Iago is trying to convey to Roderigo, is that he can get rid of everything that he owns, but nothing will be enough to make Desdemona love him. He can beat a dead horse to death but if she doesn’t like him, there is nothing that he can do to change that. He is a fool to give all of his money and things away just so that he can buy her love. Iago is evil and is using Roderigo to get revenge. He is a pro at manipulating people to shape his way through things.
I think that Iago does indeed grow into a villain. As more information is reviled to him and opportunities come up, he realizes that he has a chance to seek revenge on Othello. He takes the instances and people who encounter him and her forms plots and schemes in his head. He then uses the people to do his work for him. He masterminds his way into the minds of the people and use their actions as his power over Othello. He is the ultimate villain because he is capable of hurting Othello without even initiating the action himself. He is smart, intelligent, and sneaky. He knows the game that he is playing and he has a strong motive to play it against Othello. Iago is the puppeteer of all the enemies of Othello and he can manipulate them to move any way he wants. He has an eye for weak spots and he is going to penetrate them in order to get what he wants from Othello.
In response to bballgame41.....
ReplyDeleteOn the 4th question, your argument that Iago is framing other people in acts that they are not doing is strong. Though I have to disagree with the fact that you do not believe that he is the ultimate villain. I believe any one creative enough to get away with sabotaging and manipulating others to inflict harm on a person is a great example of villainous actions. I don't believe that actual harm and damage done on a person is the indication of the villain title, whether the true intention and creativity and passion that the villain has towards the victim is the true indication
1. This passage introduces the struggle between Othello being a soldier and being a husband because it is difficult for him to do both at the same time. Both of these things are very demanding and take time to maintain, so Othello must have a difficult time finding a balance. He may have to choose one or the other as both demand his complete attention. Desdamona is conflicted because she cannot bear to be away from him, but his job as a soldier often times requires her to be in a situation away from him. I think that the more Desdamona is separated from Othello, the more easily she will be influenced by Iago and his minions.
ReplyDelete2. These lines show how much trust Othello has in Desdamona. He is essentially blinded by his love. This may foreshadow to how people may use Othello's weakness in order to get what they want. Desdamona seems to be easily influenced, so if someone were to influence her in some way, she would just as easily influence Othello.
3. Iago uses the metaphor of the body being a garden and a person's willpower being the gardener. What he is saying is that the choices that they make now will determine their destiny. It is not left up to chance. They are in complete control of what will happen depending on their course of action. He says this because he can tell that Roderigo is having second thoughts about his plan. He is feeling hopeless about winning over Desdamona and has even contemplated killing himself as a result. So in a sense, the purpose of Iago's metaphor was to reassure Roderigo that everything would work out in the end so long as they stick to their plan.
4. Iago's villain-like characteristics flourish in the second act of the play. From the time he arrives on Cyprus, he is already starting to act on his plan. He imagines to himself how he can use Cassio to work for him without even knowing he is. He becomes a villain by making everyone go against each other. When he sees Roderigo in Cyprus, he brings to his attention Cassio and how he is interacting with Desdamona which he later uses to get Cassio fired from his position. I think he is the ultimate villain because he can go through with his plans without ever showing any signs that he is actually the one doing it. He uses other people to bring about what he wants and is always planning his next move.
Act I scene 3
ReplyDelete1. these lines are spoken by desdemona and they show how difficult it is for Othello to be both an general and a husband. we can see that he is good a doing both but we can also see the beginning of how he must deal with being both and being good at both.
2. i think that coming up soon in the play there will be a time where he must choose between the two and he cannot have both. and i also think that this will be the major conflict within the play and it will either be the down fall of Othello or Iago. and that there will be tension between alot of the characters.
3. the metaphor iago uses is that our bodies are like a garden and our will power is like the gadener. what he is saying by this is that every man decides his own fate, the actions we take will change what happens in the future. what he is telling roderigo is that he needs to make it happen with desdemona and that just sitting around hoping it will happen wont do him any good.
4. we can start to see iago's character start to develop more and more as the play goees on and we see his plan start to take form. i do think that he is the true villian in the play because his reasin behind his plan is only for his succes and his good and he will use everyone to get what he wants.
1. Othello's first responsibility is as a general and he is comfortable in that. He knows the risk involved and it's all he's knows. But yet he is now a married man and he has husbandly duties towards Desdamona. He's torn between two things he loves- which one does he spend more time with? Desdamona wants to be with Othello at all times and yet she can't because of his job. The more time she stays away from him I think the more opportunity she has to get in trouble. I feel like their whole entire marriage is a conflict. It started off rocky and I don't see it getting better.
ReplyDelete2.This section shows Othello's trust in Desdamona, despite others cautioning him to watch out for her lying. He seems to not even care that she has the potential to take him down. Later on in the play we may see Desdamona use this to her advantage.
3. Iago's metaphor is between a garden and a gardener. The garden being us and the gardener our willpower. He goes on to say that what the gardener puts into the garden will determine how it ends up. He's basically telling Roderigo that if he really wants Desdamona then he will have to put all he has into getting her.
4.Iago is an evil person, as the readers see more clearly in the second act. He puts together plots very quickly and doesn't care who gets hurt by them. He claims to be motivated by different things and so that gives him the most motive for doing what he's doing. He's a suspicious person who so far hates women and loves other people's sex lives. I think that he is the ultimate villian. He is so shady and evil that he fits the villian profile very well.
In Response to Malinda:
ReplyDeleteI like what you said in the 1st question. I agree with you in the fact that Desdamona will realize that she doesn't like her life with Othello and its not what she wanted. I feel like the plot of the play will play off of Desdamonas feelings a little bit.
@ Ryan:
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about eh foreshadowing. I like the idea the Othello is blinded by his love adn both othello and Desdamona will not like what their life is when they step off of cloud nine. what you said about Desdamona being esily influenced makes sense and i can defineetly see that happening later on.
1) The passage below gives the first glimpse of Othello's conflict in trying to be both a husband and fulfill his general duties. Being a general requires a lot of focus and time which takes away from time with his wife. Desdamona is then conflicted because she truly loves her husband and wants to spend her time with him, while at the same time knowing the responsibility and time consumption of his job, she doesn't want to take away from the honor it job brings. I think the hardship of being both a husband and a general will eventually cause Desdamona to do something with another man as a result of Othello's absence. I also think Desdamona will in some ways have an effect on Othello's performance as general and cause big conflict both marital and job related.
ReplyDelete2) These lines show how in love Othello is with Desdamona and as a result of that love how trusting he is of her. I think that these lines foreshadow Iago taking advantage of Othello's trust and using it against him. I think Iago will manipulate someone into betraying Desdamona's trust so that it affects Othello and his relationship with Desdamona.
3) Iago uses the metaphor of a person's willpower being a gardener while the body is the garden to convey the idea that a person is in control of their own life and how they live it out. He is saying that when things happen to you, only you control the outcome. He uses this metaphor to convey to Roderigo that if he wants Desdamona he has to make it happen. He has to control the outcome but taking action. Instead of giving up and killing himself, he needs to keep trying and do everything he can to make her his own.
4) From the beginning of the story we are easily introduced into Iago's evil backstabbing character. As the play continues we see how he takes advantage of each person he comes into contact with and plays each person against each other. We can see he is evil to the core and uses everyone so that it works for his own advantage. He burns each person behind their back so that he in the end will get what he wants. I do believe he is the ultimate villain because he is playing everyone against each other and he is trying to ruin lives as revenge for something he doesn’t even know is true.
1. These lines give a first glimpse of tension between Othello’s duties because Desdemona is saying that he puts being a general before her. She is conflicted because she wants only to be with him, not left behind somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI don’t expect much conflict if she is allowed to go to the camp where Othello is staying because then she will get to be with him.
2. These lines exhibit a foreshadowing in the play because in them Iago may be kind of stating his plans to disgrace the moor.
3. He means that we are what we want to be, we love and do what we want to. He is trying to tell Roderigo this and that love is a part of something bigger. Iago tells Roderigo that bodies are like gardens and wills are like the gardeners, the gardener plants whatever they want in their garden, does whatever they want with their garden.
He also says to Roderigo, “I take this that you call love to be a sect or scion.” Both sects and scions are part of something bigger.
Scion in terms of botany actually means: A part of a plant for grafting: a living shoot or twig of a plant used for grafting to a stock
4. I think he is the ultimate villain of this play because he is plotting the downfall of his boss among others like its an ok thing to do and the only effect that it will have on him is positive. Iago is certain that no one will catch him.
@ Kayla's 2nd answer:
ReplyDeleteDo you think that
a.) Desdemona will fall for Iago's treachery?
b.) Othello will think that its either all his fault for being away so much or that he will think less of Desdemona if she does fall for Iago's treachery?
1. In this passage, we are able to see Othelo's conflict between his new marriage and his position as a general starting to unfold. Now that he has married, he has responsibilities as a husband that he needs to uphold. These responsibilities are very different and have already began to conflict with his responsibilities as a general. Desdemona also knows that her needs conflict with what he will be able to give her, so she is torn between having a normal marriage or being a military wife where she knows that he will often be taken from her. There is no doubt that this is only the beginning of the struggles concerning this subject and there will be many more later in the play.
ReplyDelete2. Othello says that he believes Desdemona is loyal and would never lie to him, but this may be a foreshadowing of her unfaithfulness to him because of the conflicts discussed in the first question. There is also a possibility that Desdemona and Iago's wife will become trustworthy friends and will plot against their husbands.
3. Iago uses the metaphor of a gardener and a garden to tell Roderigo what he needs to do if he wants Desdemona. He is trying to tell him that if he honestly wants her than he has to do something about it. He has the power to do what he wants but he just has to stop crying about Othello and do something about it.
4.Iago's character is a disloyal man who is only concerned with himself and he will do whatever he can to get what he wants. To Othello, Iago is an honest man who he can trust, but really Iago is becoming the villain of the story. He uses Othello's trust to his advantage in setting every character against each other in order to take Cassio's position for himself. He knows that no matter what he says, Othello will believe him.
@ Alicia's 4th answer:
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Iago suspects that his motives might prove to be his downfall?
1. Othello must now divide his duties/ responsibilities and time as a general with those that come with being a husband and can therefore give 100% of himself to neither. Desdamona does not want to distract or take him away from being a soldier and serving the country. Obviously there will be more conflict because this is a Shakespeare play and conflict comes from everywhere.
ReplyDelete2. these lines show how Desdamona can be used against Othello, which she later will be.
3. Iago uses metaphore to compare the body and willpower with a garden and gardener. he says that the gardenerr will do what he wants to the garden and willpower will control what the body does. Iago tells Rodrigo that he can control what his future is in the same way a gardener controls the garden.
4. Iago is the villian because, while he does not set the conflict in motion, he ultimately controls it and uses it for his own advantage. by gauging the recations of the other characters to each other and events, he can assertain the outcome will be beneficial for him. Iago seemingly has most if not all of his plan in place from the start and simply adds elements to it as they come up. It seems he was in the spot of villian from the start.
To answer Bethie's first question to Kayla, I definitely think that Desdemona will fall for Iago's schemes. Desdemona does not truly love Othello. In Act 2 Scene 1 approximately line 220, Iago says that the only reason Desdemona married Othello is because she fell in love with the stories he made up to brag to her. They got married so quickly that this infatuation for each other will die very quickly, and Iago will eventually be able to persuade Desdemona to go against her husband.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan Weems #2: I agree that Othello's complete trust in a dependency on Desdamona is his greatest weakness or folly and i think this will be what ultimately leads to his downfall
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alicia's #4: I like what you said about Iago fitting the villian profil very well. he does seem to be the perfect meladrama evil guy, especially if he wore a cape and had a black twirly moustache, which i picture him as having
In response to Ryan's #2 answer, I definetely agree with you that Desdemona seems to be easily influenced. That is evident in that she married Othello so quickly. Do you think that Desdemona will also use his trust to her advantage eventually or do you think he will just be taken advantage of by his other officers?
ReplyDeleteWell in response to Bethie. I do think that Desdamona will fall for Iago's trick. I have to disagree with Kierstyn saying that it is because she truly doesn't love Othello. I think she really does love him, but I think Iago is very good at manipulating people to believe whatever he wants them to. I think he’ll find ways to interfere with Othello's and Desdamona's marriage by manipulating Desdamona to betray Othello.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kierstyn...Do you honestly believe that Desdamona doesn't love Othello? According to Iago every reason he named is perfect reason to not marry someone, so then why would she marry Othello in the first place? Secondly, do you think Iago is just saying that to make Roderigo feel better, like he has a better chance? Lastly, don't you think he desire to be and see Othello proves her love for him?
In response to Kierstyn: I think Iago will gain a lot of influence over Desdamona, and as an effect, Desdamona will have influence over Othello. To me, Iago is like a puppeteer and all of the other characters belong in his collection of puppets.
ReplyDeleteI response to Erin: I agree with your #4. I think the thing that ultimately makes Iago the villain that he is is the way he can plan so far in advance to get what he wants, but still have through enough of a plan that allows him to effectively adapt to whatever is thrown his way. I think if he did not have this skill of adaptation, he would not be able to follow through with his plan.
1) The previous lines are the first glimpse of tension because they show how tough it will be for Othello to commit to his two duties. On one hand he is a new husband and should be with Desdamona a lot, but on the other hand he has a serious responsibility to his army and to his country. Both of these so called duties are extremely important so he will most likely have very hard decisions to make in the future. Also, I believe Desdamona will have a hard time and be torn because she wants to be with Othello all the time, but she simply can't. There will be conflict in the future.
ReplyDelete2) I believe these lines are foreshadowing future problems between Desdamona and Othello. These lines are proof of how strongly Othello trusts Desdamona, and I believe Shakespeare is going to use this trust to exploit Othello in some way. Iago is going to manipulate Othello through Desdamona.
3) Iago is simply using the metaphor to tell Roderigo that he controls his future and that he can get Desdamona if he pleases. He compares this situation to a garden being taken care of by a gardener.
4) I believe the reader now thinks of Iago as a true villain is the fact that his plan is now being set into motion and we see what his mind is truly thinking. In the first act of the play he is merely planning his evil scheme, but he is now acting upon those thoughts. I do believe he is the ultimate villain because he is controlling everybody around him.
In response to Kay's #4, I didn't really think of Iago as a backstabber, but he really is. The way he manipulates people is crazy. He acts like a pal in front of their faces but when they turn, he uses them all for his own selfish desires.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Bethie's #1, I believe there is no way Shakespeare wouldn't end up using this conflict to create other problems later in the play. I understand you said there won't be problems IF she is allowed to go with Othello, but there's no way she'll be allowed to. I mean if she was there would be no story.
Upon my internet crashing unexpectedly, I have the pleasure of answering all these again. v_v
ReplyDelete1. Othello has a dilemma as he has his expectations as a warrior pitted against his expectations as a husband. To further complicate matters for him, he is surrounded by people that relate to his “warrior” side and expect him to go with them. This leads to his rather impulsive decision to go to war. This passes the conflict to Desdemona who must now decide if she is going to stay or go along with him. She realizes that it would be safe to stay at home, but as a passionate newlywed she cannot suppress the desires to be with her husband. I think this conflict will continue since Iago is encouraging the conflict between them. Also the play is a tragedy, which tends to not end well for the main characters.
2. This passage gives a glimpse into how much Othello actually trusts Desdemona. This may be foreshadowing as his “tragic flaw” that will lead to his downfall. With Iago’s plans to make it appear that Desdemona has lied to and betrayed Othello, it is going to rock his world. He is not going to know how to handle himself if he thinks that all his love and trust was a lie.
3. Iago is extremely effective at smooth talking to get what he wants, and in this case he uses a metaphor to help Roderigo get a hold of himself, ultimately to carry out Iago’s plan. He describes the body as a garden while the will of the person is the gardener. Just as a gardener has complete control over the status and health of his garden, a person’s will has complete control over the body. Iago wants to make sure Roderigo will carry out the plans by reassuring him that he is still in control and can work everything out for good.
4. At the beginning of the play, Iago comes across as a rude individual, but as the play progresses, he really develops into more of a villain. For one, the reader begins to see the motives and goals of Iago, both of which have evil roots. In addition, he makes little evil monologues to the audience the reveal more of his intentions. While I think he is the central “villain” in the play, I don’t think he is the ultimate evil. In a tragedy, the tragic hero tends to defeat himself. This leads me to believe that in the end, it will be a part of Othello’s personality that brings him to his demise.
In response to Kierstyn's response to Bethie...
ReplyDeleteI think that Desdemona actually does love Othello. you have to remember that those words are coming from Iago who not only twists practically everything he says, but is also kind of out to get them as a couple.
In response to Cole's #2...
I agree, Iago definitely knows how to get at a man: Through his woman!
2. The foreshadowing in this section is that the lines suggest that Othello's wide Desdamona would betray Othello and fall in love with someone who is much more younger and more good looking. This could be a foreshawdowing of something that might happen in story as an actual event or on the other hand it could be something that Iago could use as part of his evil plot.
ReplyDelete3. The metaphor is basically saying to the reader that even though Rodergiago could sell everything to all of his possessions it would not help him win th4e love. No matter how long he tries and how hard there is no way that he can gain it by trying to buy it so it is utterly useless.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeleteIn response to Melinda's
ReplyDeleteI believe that all of her views were accurrate and thank her for helping me with my delima with the questions on all four of them I identified clearly with her.
In response to Cole's
I agree seemingly with all of Cole's responses however when we come to question 3 I differ my opinion as I was under the impression that Iago said it wasd hopeless however he presents an interesting point saying that it is not hopeless and that he controls his destiny.
After I logged in, everything i typed disappeared! :'(
ReplyDelete1. These lines demonstrate the balancing act that Othello needs to do. He wants to do his war stuff, buuuuut, he's now in love! Or infatuated, but either way, he has passion coming out his.. whole body. He wants to be with Desdamona, but it will be hard for him to be both a general and a husband at the same time. He can't commit entirely to either, but from how its going so far, I think he will end up making a stupid decision out of "love" for her. Desdamona is in a similar boat. She is madly in love! but she wants her man to be happy. But war makes him happy. She wants to go with him, but that might not be the best idea.
2. I think that because Othello and Desdamona are so infatuated, they think that each other are the only thing that will make them happy, so they will give up parts of their lives that are significant and mean something to them. Then they will probs all die.
3. Iago is manipulative, and very good at doing it under the radar. He convinces Roderigo that he is like a Gardener, with the freedom to do with his garden as he pleases. He does so in order to convince Roderigo that if he wants something with Desdamona, the power is his, he just has to sow the right seeds.
4. Iago is a very bad man - a villain in fact. I'm not sure if he is the "ultimate villain" of the story, but it is very clear that he has bad plans, and is very smart and manipulative. It is shown when he speaks to himself (or the audience), sharing his inner thoughts and evil motives
Dear Cole,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to Colorado. Also, I never thought that Iago would be capable of manipulating Othello.. he just seemed too strong or something. But now that you say that, all the pieces fit in and i think you are right! I feel like Shakespear's purpose for his works is to show you what infatuation will get you into.
Not to make this exclusive to redheads, but now i will address Erin.
You have a way with words. Your explanation of Iago's schemes was perfect. I would compare your writing skills to that of a machine that works exactly as designed. That might be unclear, so i will explain. Your words come out as if that is the way they are supposed to, in order to fulfill the meaning of what should be said. That was probably more unclear. Basically, I agree with you.
(1) Othello's inner conflict is thrown into the mix of the plot now that he has to juggle both the duties of a soldier and a husband. Desdemona doesn't want to be away from him because she loves him. After all, if Othello goes to war and is killed, her time with her husband will be especially short lived. This conlict forshadows further conflict for Othello, definitely. He will have to go through the struggle of balancing his duties, or choose one or the other to devote to whole-heartedly.
ReplyDelete(2)This foreshadows conflict for the marital relationship between Othello and Desdemona. Desdemona, we can infer, is easily wooed, (especially considering she fell in love with Othello, an older gentleman, just because of listening to his stories about war). If she is easily wooed, then it is possible Iago will be able to carry out his plan. Also, Othello trusts Desdemona- so he doesn't notice this characteristic of her being easily swayed because he is so in love with her.
(3)The metaphor Iago uses is that of a garden and it's gardener. They stand for self and willpower. So- what he is trying to say to Roderigo is: you control your own fate, or the way things go. This is to reassure Roderigo that he will get what he wants. The alterior motive of using this metaphor is so that Iago can get what he wants- Othello's demise.
(4)Iago develops as a villain upon entering Cyprus when he starts to carry out his plans for Othello's demise. This shows that he is bad enough to not only plan, but carry out something evil. I don't think he is the ultimate villain, he is a sidekick antagonist to Othello's struggles. I think the inner struggle of dividing duties to wife and war would still exist regardless of Iago's plans.
In response to Bethie/ Kierstyn: I don't know if Desdemona will go as far to fall for the scheming, but I definitley think Othello will fall for the schemes if Iago can make it look like Desdemona is falling for another man. Then Othello will question his love for her, if he sees fault in her, and this will lead to more conflict, etc.
In response to Noah- I don't think Desdemona is madly in love. I think she has been wooed quite simply. It's hard to tell because she's not a very dynamic character, but I deduce that she is, at least to some degree, easy to influence. If you consider she is young, young women are often fickle. They also find intrugue in older men being attracted to them- it gives them a sense of maturity and security. Once they get bored, or realize their true feelings however, disaster stikes.
1.Othello has to choose between his duty as a general and his love for Desdemona. Desdemona does not want her husband to leave her behind and go off to war. He and she had just married and she is worried that to part so soon after would damage their relationship and she simply does not want to leave him. I expect there to be much conflict. It is a tragedy after all. Desdemona following Othello with only give Iago more opportunities to stir up trouble.
ReplyDelete2.Desdemona’s father is the first to stir up doubt in Othello’s heart of whether Desdemona will stay faithful to him. No doubt, these words will haunt Othello in the future when Desdemona is portrayed as unfaithful.
3.Roderigo says that he cannot help his love (lust) for Desdemona, but Iago is trying to convince him otherwise. He compares human bodies to gardens to show Roderigo that people have a will, not just feelings. So whether one decides to “plant nettles or sow lettuce” it is up to his own will what he plants in his head and in his heart (1:3:326).
4.Iago “grows into” a villain in that he seems to become more and more villainous as the plot thickens. He seems determined to ruin everyone’s lives ten times over. He is the ultimate villain. He has a well-developed disguise in place, because no one can stop describing him as an honorable and honest man. This façade also gives him even more influence over everyone than he already had because, ironically, he is the one everyone seems to confide in completely.
In response to Ryan: I liked how you mentioned the expectations part of Othello and Desdemona's plight. I think that a lot of conflict in this play boils down to expectations. Othello seemed to have chosen Cassio as his lieutenant simply to spite others' expectations, and that is what has Iago plotting in the first place. Othello and Desdemona's expectations of each other will most likely cause further conflict down the road as well.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Erin: Way to say what you mean. I agree with you that Iago will only pull the strings that will create an outcome fully beneficial for himself. He is smart to stay out of the action as no one would connect the conflicts to him.
In the first set of lines, we see how Desdemona is torn between what she knows her husband needs to do and her selfish desires that she wants him to be with her. She understands that he has a job and he needs to perform at that job for his country, but she worries for him and wants him to learn that she needs to be a priority in his life as well. Suddenly, Othello has to worry not only about himself but for his wife as well and what would happen to her if he was to not make it through war.
ReplyDeleteIn the second set of lines, we see how the foreshadowing is prevalent throughout the first act. Othello is torn between war and a life at home, a loyalty towards his second in command and other friends. Othello is torn, and Iago is going to learn to take advantage of that. Iago wants Othello to be out of his position as commander and husband, and will do whatever he needs to do to get that accomplished.
Iago wants Rodriergo to understand that no matter what he does, Desdemona will never be in love with him. She is in love with the moor and is under no plans to change that status anytime soon, so he should quit while he’s ahead.
So Iago is very selfish and wants Othello out of the picture, already painting him as the villain because the whole play is about Othello. However, I don’t think that he is really villainous by nature. He wants what he wants and so he will do whatever he needs to to get that. And really, is being selfish being villainous? Not particularly, it’s just being selfish.
In response to Erin's #4, i strongly agree with you. He may not be the instigator, but is just as much involved in the action.
ReplyDeleteIn response to ryan, i also agree with the expectations part. maybe everyone here needs to lower their expectations, and then most of the drama would be over.
1.In the passage it shows that Othello is having trouble playing both roles of husband and general. This is also shown in Desdamona because she wants to be closer to Othello, but because of his military duties, she cannot see the husband side of him that she wants to see. The way that Desdamona revealed her feelings about Othello shows that they are having some troubles in their marriage that will lead to more arguments.
ReplyDelete2.By Othello leaving Desdamona with Iago, it makes him more vulnerable. Also the trust that Othello put in Iago could have some negative effects.
3.Iago is trying to explain that whatever happens in life is based on your own choices. All the blame of a bad decision rests on you alone. “...either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry...” This shows that your life can either be good or bad depending on how you live your life.
4.Iago reveals his true intents in act II. He does this by getting Cassio drunk and having him fight with Roderigo to disgrace him. His plan works and Cassio gets demoted from being Othello's lieutenant.
In response to Malinda #3: I like the way that you said that Roderigo could waste all that he had and it would be useless in winning the love of Desdamona. Iago outwitted Roderigo and used him for his own personal revenge, like you said. This just shows in a greater way how evil Iago is.
In response to Bethie #1: You said that Othello is putting his military duties before being a husband to Desdamona. Although she wants to be by Othello's side she can't because it is not safe and she would just get in the way. It is true that conflict would be lessened if Desdamona was able to stay with Othello, but she can't so the conflict will still be around.
1. Othello has two duties which, I think, will ultimately make or break him. One is being a true husband, and two is to go off and fight into war. Since he is a general, he has a lot of duties to handle, but then again, marriage isn't easy. Desdemona doesn't want him to leave, but he obviously has to serve this duty. By Othello leaving, Iago has quite a bit of chance to flirt with Othello's wife, which will lead to drama later on.
ReplyDelete2. I'm getting the idea that this set of lines is telling Roderigo that if he truly wants Desdemona, then he is going to have to work at it, giving 110% all the way. Roderigo will have to work hard, though, since Desdemona is portrayed as one that is wanting to make her current marriage work.
3. Iago's metaphor, as previously mentioned in the discussion, is that our body is a garden and our willpower is the gardener. This is given to Roderigo who is stating that he can't really help the fact that he 'loves' Desdemona, but Iago is telling him that people have a will. No matter what one tries to get others to do, the one being tempted has a choice, in his heart, of what he/she will do.
4. Iago becomes a villain the more the story goes on. Even though everyone describes him as a trustworthy man, that is not the way it really is. He honestly seems determined to mess the lives up of those he knows, and even more-so the ones he wants. It's kind of ironic because everyone trusts him, but he really has bad intentions that aren't visible to anybody, making him the perfect 'villain' in the story.
RESPONSES:
Response to Grace: I like how you state, in your response to queston #1, that this story is a tragedy therefore it is bound to end up the way the question is stating if that makes sense. I also agree that Desdemona following Othello will give Iago more opportunities to get at her. This is the way that life works, and many are tempted, especially if they like a certain individual, to jump at the chance to get at that person.
Response to Ryan: In question #3, you said that Iago is a good smooth talker to obtain what he wants. I didn't think about this until now, and I suppose that that is the way he gains his 'respect' from those who know him. I know, I should have thought about this earlier, but I just thought this was interesting to point out.