Reaction to the reading of Shakespeare and his play-Othello

    Shakespeare is a well-known playwright. He made his plays vivid to his audience through the use of language. He is successful at writing plays not only because of his talent at the control of language but also because he is also an actor, too. He knows how to write a play to let actors take on it well, which is one of the keys to his success.

     Shakespeare is a great playwright leaving us lots classics such as Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and so on. Most of his plays are composed of the style of Middle-age in London. Knight, war, competence of position, and tragic love story are often seen in his plays.

     Othello is one of his well-known plays talking about a spoiled heart of a man and how the fate destroys a deep love. What makes audience most impressive may be the use of Desdemona’s handkerchief, which stands for the tragedy. The handkerchief is a symbolic of Othello’s love, but it is also a symbolic of Iago’s conspiracy. The use of Desdemona’s handkerchief is critical and successful because it leads to the mournful tragedy.

     The scene starts in Venice when Roderigo paid Iago to help him pursuit Desdemona. Roderigo is a rich gentleman who has crush on Desdemona. However, he found that Desdemona married Othello not too long ago. As Disappointed as he was, he still wants her. In Act I, Iago confesses to Roderigo that he doesn’t like Othello because Othello had the lieutenant place which he desires of occupied by a young soilder- Cassio. To get the position he wants, Iago told Roderigo that he will help him to get Desdemona.

Iago is a guy who takes advantage of everyone in the play for his own benefit. He pretended to be an honest man, but is in effect unscrupulous to get status and ruling power.

     To separate Desdemona and Othello, Iago takes Roderigo to Desdemona’s father. They told Brabanzio that his daughter was stolen by black Othello. As Desdemona’s father Brabanzio becomes so mad and swears to find his daughter and Othello. He found them when Othello has a meeting with Duke and senates. Brabanzio blamed on Othello for deceiving and abusing his daughter in front of everyone. Othello keeps calm in the present of all the negative words. He claims that he won Desdemona’s heart because of his valiant adventures in wars and travels. Desdemona then appeared and proclaimed for her husband that she went away with him with her true heart. She said that she was not compelled by witchcraft. The duke and senates are sympathetic to Othello and tried to lessen the anxious atmosphere. Brabanzio in the end accepts the truth that his daughter has married and left him. Desdemona then asks if she could go to Cyprus with her husband.

     In Cyprus, Roderigo tells Iago that he is able to tell the true love between Desdemona and the Moor from her eyes. However, Iago tells him not to give up. He says that Desdemona will seek other sexual satisfaction when she’s tired of Othello, but he also warned Roderigo that Cassio may be the one. Iado’s words trigger Roderigo’s hath toward Cassio. Roderigo’s hath has been increased at the first sight when he sees Desdemona and Cassio stand together.      

To get rid of Cassio, Iago plants doubts about Desdemona in Othello’s mind. Othello at first trust his wife, but the more indications Iado made to him, the more angers gained in his mind. Out of jealousy, Othello removed Cassio’s place. Poor Cassio doesn’t know the real reason why was he fired, and listens to the suggestion of Iago. Iago tells him that Desdemona is the one who has the capacity to get his position back in his present. Wanting his position back, Cassio asks for discourse with Desdemona alone. Desdemona is a kind and beautiful perfection whose mind is filled with sympathy. She promised Cassio that she will try her best to let Othello forgive him. However, it is her suit on behalf of Cassio which leads Othello to a greater rage. Hypocrite Iago then persuades Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are involved in an affair. Othello was mad, but he still trusts his wife. Nonetheless, Iago implicates how Cassio assumes him Desdemona and then kissed him hard, laying his legs over his thigh. The description does arouse Othello’s great anger. At that moment, Desdemona comes to invite her husband eat dinner together, but finds that he is not well. She wipes his sweat by the handkerchief which the he have to her as the first gift, but angry Othello pushed her hands away. They leave for dinner together without the dropped handkerchief. Emilia picks up the handkerchief for her lover’s fantasy. She doesn’t know how Iago will deal with it; she just wants to please him. Iago is elastic when he gets the thing. He puts it in Cassio’s chamber and then tells Othello that he once seen Cassio use the handkerchief to wipe his beard, which is the evidence the Moor asks for. Othello goes to see his wife and asks her about the handkerchief. Desdemona replies to him that it is not with her. Feared of Othello’s anger, Desdemona tries to shift their topic. She pledges Othello to return Cassio’s place, which drives Othello to a worse mood.

Meanwhile, Cassio finds the handkerchief in his chamber and gives it to Bianca because he doesn’t know why the thing appears in his place. Bianca is a prostitute who loves Cassio. She makes a copy of that handkerchief for him. At that time, Othello is consumed by jealousy and rage. What’s worse, Desdemona comes up to him with Lodovica and he gives Othello a letter from Venice calling him back. In addition, Lodovica states Cassio as Othellos’s replacement. The Moor is so mad at what happened in the recent. That night, he accuses Desdemona of being a whore.

Iago persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio so that Othello and Desdemona can stay. He tells Roderigo that everything is in their plan as long as he kills Cassio. Cassio is thus wound by Roderigo, but Roderigo is died of his attack. The cry from hurt Cassio makes Othello think he’s died. He goes to he and his wife’s chamber, smothering her no matter how she asserts her loyalty and innocence. Emilia finds her mistress died and asks the Moor for reason. Painful Othello tells her the entire how and why. Suddenly, Emilia realizes Iago’s ambition and conspiracy. She confesses to Othello that it was her who stole the handkerchief and gave it to Iago, claiming Desdemona’s innocence. Othello can’t stop weeping. He attempts to kill Iago but is disarmed because of him. Iago kills his own wife-Emilia and flees, but is caught by Lodovico and Montano. Othello makes a speech about all his feats and then commits suicide using his sword. The play ends with Lodovico’s speech. He gives Othello’s property to Graziano and let Iago go.

      I couldn’t stop feeling the disgust of Iogo when I read this play, especially when most of tales are died except for him. What a tragedy! True love turns out to be destroyed, and innocent tales are dies. Othello successfully arouse pity and fear in its viewers just like another play which I watched before. The tragic play which I have watched is called “Death of a Salesman” by an American playwright- Arthur Miller. The difference is that it is talking about the relationship between the salesman and his child. I saw how the salesman regrets for his affair and feels guilt until he died. It is a great tragedy which I have watched. From plays, I learned about life.