Ha! Ha, I say! HA!

[wordinista]

Re my earlier post on my Othello geekdom and apparent arrogance in the classroom...



OTHELLO:

That's a fault. That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give,
She was a charmer and could almost read
The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept
it
'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father
Entirely to her love; but if she lost it
Or made a gift of it, my father's eye
Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me
And bid me, when my fate would have me wive,
To give it her. I did so, and -- take heed on't!
Make it a darling, like your precious eye! --
To lose't or give't away were such perdition
As nothing else could match.

Act III, scene iv, lines 56-69



OTHELLO:

'Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame
A thousand times committed. Cassio confessed it,
And she did gratify his amorous works
WIth that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her: I saw it in his hand,
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.

Act V, scene ii, lines 208-215

Emphasis in the text is mine. :)

Personally, I don't see how difficult it would be to imagine that Othello would try and scare Desdemona into telling him the truth. If he believes her to be dishonest, and believes Iago to be honest...

Ah well.

I wonder if it would be overkill to email the selection to my Ren prof. ;)

*goes back to working on paper*

Comments

[senay-chan.livejournal.com]

Ah. You've got to love Iago as a villian. I love the fact that he swears by Janus, the two faced God. Of course when you start giggling and try to explain it to the guy you're sitting next to, it loses some of its humor...

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh, Iago is the BEST Shakespearean villain EVAR. I've heard him compared to Edmund in King Lear, but it's been too long since I've read Lear, so I don't know about that. However, I think Edmund, at the end of Lear, admits that he was wrong (?), and Iago makes no such admission.

...Iago swears to Janus? HOW DID I MISS THAT? What act?

*loves this play to itty bitty pieces; can you tell?*

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Is that Kisa?!

[white-death.livejournal.com]

Iago is the BEST Shakespearean villain EVAR.

Or the worst, depending on how you put it. ;)

I've heard him compared to Edmund in King Lear, but it's been too long since I've read Lear, so I don't know about that.

No way. Edmund is ruthless, but he just kind of sucks. And he has total reasons for what he does, which are made very clear. Iago's reasons are more mysterious/debateable. Edmund's just an angst-suck. "Boo-hoo! My father doesn't love me better, just because I'm the bastard! I have a complex! Now I'm going to take over the world!" Shut up, yo.

However, I think Edmund, at the end of Lear, admits that he was wrong

Yeah, he begs forgiveness before he dies and so on. Then blames the women. *snork* Wuss.

and Iago makes no such admission.

Nope. ;)

...Iago swears to Janus? HOW DID I MISS THAT? What act?

Oh yeah. I vaguely remember that...
*looks it up* Act I, Scene 2. I thought I remembered it toward the beginning. It's:

IAGO
By Janus, I think no.

He's totally fucking with Othello about who it is coming toward them in the night.

*loves this play to itty bitty pieces; can you tell?*

^^ *squishes teh bunneh*

Re: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Is that Kisa?!

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

ROFL -- no, that's not Kisa. That's a randomly ADORABLE kittypic that... someone forwarded to me, which I made into an icon.

Kisa is here: http://www.everniamh.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_Picture005.jpg

How do they not get this?

[white-death.livejournal.com]

I don't see how difficult it would be to imagine that Othello would try and scare Desdemona into telling him the truth. If he believes her to be dishonest, and believes Iago to be honest...

I thought that was obvious in that scene.
Have any of these kids ever seen the play performed? Of course Shakespeare makes less sense when you don't SEE/HEAR it.

...
*pokes you and runs*

Re: How do they not get this?

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Of course Shakespeare makes less sense when you don't SEE/HEAR it.

Well, it's a play -- of course it's got to be seen/heard to appreciate it. That's why I make my class read the play, and then we watch the Fishburne/Brannagh adaptation. I don't know if any of the kids in my Ren class have seen it performed (or seen the film version), but honestly, that scene depends on how the actor playing Othello chooses to PLAY it. There're no stage directions in Shakespeare (or very little), so oftentimes it's up to the actors/director.

But I think it's helpful to read the play FIRST, so you have a basic idea of what's going on. Also, since many plays/films cut out certain parts of the text, reading the play gives you a full idea of what the play SHOULD include. I also find that it helps to read the play first so that students less experienced with Elizabethan English can get a feel for it, otherwise the language in the movie goes clear over their heads. (Remember, this is a lower-level class I'm teaching.)

As far as I see it, there are three possibilities:

1. Shakespeare made a mistake that his betas didn't catch ;)
2. Othello is trying to scare Des into submission (this is the theory I buy)
3. Later on, Othello is downplaying any association he may have with the dark arts (since, in Act I, he tells Des's dad that he won Des without any charms or conjurations).

Emailed my prof about this, and he was absolutely thrilled that I'd sent him the passages. He brought up the possibility of the two bits of dialogue being an accidental inconsistency, but he prefers not to buy into that theory, since it's not as much fun as the other two. Hee!

You big lit-geek. <3 ^^

[white-death.livejournal.com]

but honestly, that scene depends on how the actor playing Othello chooses to PLAY it

That's true, too. I was going to say that, but that went into a whole DIFFERENT topic, so. ^^ Still, it seems really clear to me there that he's trying to scare the bujeezus out of her (and succeeding).

But I think it's helpful to read the play FIRST, so you have a basic idea of what's going on.

If you can make it through. A lot of kids these days can't deal with Elizabethan English. And I really abhor those modern English/Shakespearean English editions. But. For "simpler" stories like Much Ado About Nothing, I think they're just as well off watching the movie as trying to read it on their own, where they'll get bored of all the language and not care what's going on.

Also, since many plays/films cut out certain parts of the text, reading the play gives you a full idea of what the play SHOULD include.

You have more faith in these students to actually do their reading and pay attention than I do. XD

1. Shakespeare made a mistake that his betas didn't catch ;)

I've seen accidental inconsistencies in Shakespeare before, but I totally don't think this is one of them.

3. Later on, Othello is downplaying any association he may have with the dark arts

I really think that's silly, but goodness knows, people throw around all sorts of theories with stuff like this.

Emailed my prof about this, and he was absolutely thrilled that I'd sent him the passages.

*makes kissing noises* XD

How's your paper going? I still haven't started mine. =D

Re: You big lit-geek. <3 ^^

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

You have more faith in these students to actually do their reading and pay attention than I do.

Maybe I left out the part where I assigned roles to students and made them read it out loud in class. Or the part where I paused throughout class to translate from "Elizabethan" to "Student." Having a basic grasp of the language makes it WAY more enjoyable, I've found.

In fact, at the end of the school year, one of my final exam essay questions asks students which of the texts covered in class was one they didn't THINK they'd like, but wound up enjoying. The two most common answers: Othello and The Importance of Being Earnest. (Because Bill and Oscar RAWK.)

As for my paper: the notes are 90% transcribed, and I have ... probably just under two pages written. I wrote until I realized I hadn't transcribed yet, and stopped to do that.

*makes kissing noises* XD

LOL -- I probably wouldn't have bothered if I didn't like the prof. He's awesome. I'm thinking about auditing one of his classes in the fall. Heck, he does a Shakespeare Studies course I'd like to audit too -- especially since I've already TAKEN Shakespeare Studies (and therefore couldn't take it again for a grade).

Eeeeeeee! Randomly ADORABLE kitty! XD

[white-death.livejournal.com]

I remembered that Kisa was a silver tabby, so. Wasn't sure if it might be a baby pic. ^^

Maybe I left out the part where I assigned roles to students and made them read it out loud in class. Or the part where I paused throughout class to translate from "Elizabethan" to "Student."

XD I'm not saying you aren't an awesome teacher who does a great job. I've just found that all nearly all all first-time college students are morons about Shakespeare. Even English majors.

Having a basic grasp of the language makes it WAY more enjoyable, I've found.

I mean, /I/ love it. But I end up thinking in Elizabethan English after I read it and love that, too, so. XD

The two most common answers: Othello and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Awww. <3
Who CAN'T love Earnest?

(Because Bill and Oscar RAWK.)

XD Bill.

As for my paper: the notes are 90% transcribed, and I have ... probably just under two pages written. I wrote until I realized I hadn't transcribed yet, and stopped to do that.

^^ Anality pays off, I'm sure.
I have notes, um. Kind of. Get to research bible passages over lunch today. YEE-HAW!

LOL -- I probably wouldn't have bothered if I didn't like the prof.

Except that you just love to share, anyway. XD I know you weren't brown-nosing.

He's awesome. I'm thinking about auditing one of his classes in the fall.

Good Shakespeare teachers are hard to find. Sadly.

Heck, he does a Shakespeare Studies course I'd like to audit too -- especially since I've already TAKEN Shakespeare Studies (and therefore couldn't take it again for a grade).

XD Don't forget to make money in between taking classes and running your teashop, Niamh.