EMILIA

Emilia is my new hero. In the first few acts, I didn't really like her because I thought she was just obedient and did whatever Iago told her to, because she's his wife. However, in the final act, she sticks it to the man. First, she screams that Othello has killed Desdemona, even though there is a great possibility that she could be injured or killed in doing so. Then she figures out Iago's evil plan to trick Othello into believing that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, and she confronts him about it in front of everyone else. She tells everyone how she found Desdemona's handkerchief that Othello had given to her, and Emilia gave it to Iago, because he had been asking her for it. She puts all the pieces of the puzzle together. If it weren't for Emilia, nobody would understand the true evil that Iago had planned. She is a dynamic character, because she goes from playing an insignificant role to being a key component of the resolution of the play.

STAGE DIRECTIONS

I believe that stage direction plays a key role in this play. If you're not paying close attention, it is easy to get confused. For example, when Iago is tricking Othello that he is talking to Cassio about Desdemona, but they are really talking about Bianca. Othello speaks during this scene, so it can be really confusing for someone to understand why Cassio isn't responding to him if you don't catch the line that says (OTHELLO retires). Although it is something quite small, it makes a world of a difference in the understanding. It was also essential to pay attention to stage direction in the final act when everyone was dying. It was important to know who was killing who. When we are expecting Roderigo to kill Cassio, it turns out to be the opposite. When Cassio "(stabs RODERIGO)", we see the play take a turn. All in all, if you don't pay attention to the stage directions in this play, you will most likely get completely lost and not have the correct understanding of what happened.

TRAGEDY

"Othello" is a tragedy, but, unlike many of Shakespeare's plays, nobody dies until the last act. That fact makes it difficult to know the classification of the play until it's over. There are, however, scenes in the play that allow us to foreshadow that death was in the near future. Iago's character, in general, has evil thoughts and makes people do and believe things that they would never ordinarily do/believe otherwise. He plants the seed in Othello's mind that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, which leads people to believe that Othello might kill one of them or both. He also leads Roderigo to believe that Cassio is really the only thing standing in the way of his relationship with Desdemona, which may make some think that he will kill Cassio. In both cases, Cassio is dead, but, in the end, Cassio is really the only one who prevails. I'm glad that Cassio didn't die, because he didn't do anything wrong. I think that Iago needs to be tortured until no end.

Desdemona

This girl has got some guts!!! She goes against her own father to be with the man she loves. However, I wonder if she really does love him or is just infatuated by him. I have many theories on why she might have chosen to be with him. He's a war hero; it's kind of like how every girl wants to date the star running back of the football team. She might think that he is wise, because he is older than she is and has been to so many places. I think that it is also sort of the bad boy syndrome. She wants him, because she knows that her father wouldn't approve. Whatever it is, it takes a lot for a girl to choose a man over her father. I don't think I could ever marry a guy that my dad did not approve of.

REALISTIC

I believe that while this play is outdated, it is somewhat realistic. There are many people in the world today that manipulate others, just like Iago does. I feel like in every group of friends there is a person that puts a spell on everyone else in a way. The others just seem to follow that one person, thinking that they do no wrong. While, I believe this to be true, I believe that eventually the others may realize that this person isn't always right. I also think that while racism has died down in most of the world, it is still there, especially in older people that are stuck in their ways. Racism is a big part of the play, and while Othello is well respected by many, he is still looked down upon by many others because he is black. I think that many of Shakespeare's plays are universal, because he incorporates themes that are still felt today.

PROTAGONIST VS ANTAGONIST

Othello is the protagonist of the story. He is a highly respected general in the Venetian army. He seems to have a good heart and wants to believe the best in everybody. Iago is the antagonist of the story. He is mad that Othello does not make him his lieutenant, and this is the root of all of his evil plans. I would say that, while they both present themselves as wise, honest men, they are foil characters. Iago's appearance is nothing but an act. He tells people what they want to hear in order to get what he wants, and he is not afraid of hurting others in the process. He is a selfish character that brainwashes the other characters into thinking what he wants them to think, such as when he tells Roderigo he will help him win Desdemona, or when he plants the seed that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio in Othello's mind. He always makes them think that he is helping them, while it's the exact opposite in all reality.