interpretive and social impacts of Shakespeare

I just watched the youtube clip that was posted on Professor's blog...I HATED IT!!!! the emotion was not there like it was in the clip we saw in class today...Othello's acting seemed fake, forced and practiced...it didn't depict what I had imagined at all! The metaphor with the candle was taken out, he kissed his wife AFTER he killed Desdemona...why?! who DOES that? Othello seemed very, CRAZY! maybe, in my opinion, it was just bad acting, but I was taken aback by the work...and was not drawn in whatsoever...

BUT, there were things that I disliked about the new version we saw in class...I'm torn between whether Desdemona's last words should or should not have been removed...I'm not a huge fan of dying, coming to life and then dying again...too fake...but her words in the play give way to the emotion and guilt Desdemona took on because of her seemingly "undying" love for Othello...

the technical characteristics we pointed out in class were better demonstrated in the movie viewing in class...it was interesting that Othello was wearing white adorned with gold before killing Desdemona and then was the only one wearing black after murdering her...I would have thought that Iago would have some sort of "devilish" appearance to him...

maybe the "encounters" that were due today had some relevance...future interpretations of the play have "set the stage" in a sense for future representations of racism and the obstacles it in tales...

what do you guys think? do you think that different interpretations of Shakespeare's work have helped to establish tension and problems for different races? be they marriage, trust, violence or superiority?

oh, Othello. . .

okay, so much happened in the last two acts!!! some of it was very predictable, you can't tell me you didn't see where the ending was going?!

first, I want to touch on the reputation concept we discussed in class on Tuesday. I thought it was ironic how Iago's theory on reputation was completely turned when he was talking to Othello...he placed emphasis on the fact that he "knew" his wife was cheating...and what man, in his right mind and good reputation, would allow for such a mockery, especially when he knew of the actions...then later begs and pleads him to stay "calm" in the situation.

As Othello thinks of Desdemona's innocent personality and character, Iago offends him and his reputation by saying, "If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend, for if it touch not you it comes near nobody" (129). I feel that this is what really pushes Othello over the edge and concretes his need for revenge...

from there, every action and word seemed to be perfectly put into place in order to make the situation look exactly how Iago wanted it to...Desdemona continued to argue in side of Cassio and her words made it appear as though more could be happening...the "wretched women" seemed to be standing up for each other and the "proof" needed to condemn Cassio was conveniently found by Emilia...[HOW REALISTIC. . .]

Iago's confidence starts to diminish during Act 4 when Roderigo shows up and threatens to reveal his deal with him...in Act 5 he starts to consider the possible outcomes for himself, "May unfold me to him;there stand I in much peril".

Although this drama has a cliche ending...Iago is needed to make the story a good one...

I'm excited to hear our discussion tomorrow...and I still have a lot to say about Desdemona and Othello's relationship.... :)

j

I loved our discussion yesterday!!!!!! everyone saw the same movie but interpreted it in different ways...what each of us noticed helped us to understand the overall message and meaning of the movie...

overall, I like the movie, because I think it can hit really close to home...the experiences don't have to match my life at all, but the emotions with it can...each of us, I'm sure, have felt exploited and deserted by friends, family or even society as a whole...and I think this movie was a good representation about what women really feel under such circumstances...the pressure to constantly be held at a standard is not only exhausting but unlivable, and eventually we succumb to what we really aren't in order to be accepted...even if only on the outside....

I thought the movie did exactly that...Daisy was a good example...on the inside, she was still hurting, for whatever reason...but because she appeared fine on the outside she was released...

Suzanna's story, on the other hand, is a little different...she found ones to deal with stress and her problems...the other girls just tried to appear as though they had...

some, like Lisa, really have problems and need help, but are unwilling to use the resources...her interpretation of the "diagnonsense" conflicts with her problem...

Releasing Judith?. . .

The first time I read "The Yellow Wallpaper", I was convinced this woman was completely crazy and it had nothing to do with any of her surrounds. I took literal meaning from the text. I was unaware of the circumstances and perceptions about women at the time. The previous readings and discussions in class have helped me to read more into the context and meaning behind the writing, and not just the words itself.

This go around, however, I took heed to the characters and words Gilman used. To me, John's character resembled that of society. He seems to truly be worried and care about the narrator, but still commands a form of control over her, even if only for her medical needs. There is a sense of a double paradox for the narrator when she explains, "[John] says no one but myself can help me out of it, that I must use my will and self-control and not let any silly fancies run away with me" (374). I related this to society of its time and modern time. Society says that if women have these characteristics then we could overcome anything. Yet they have no problem drawing boundary lines for how far our "anything" goes. They seem to care, but do they really?

Another interesting thing I noticed when I was reading was that the story never says the narrators name. Why would Gilman not give the woman in the story a name? John only refers to her as "my darling", "blessed little goose", and "little one". I think this was intended by the author to put the reader in the shoes of the woman; just like Woolf did.

The woman she ultimately sees in the paper is like Shakespeare's sister; every woman who never had the chance to show her intellect to the world. The yellow wallpaper is also a representative of society. Yellow is normally associated with something bright, light and beautiful. For the narrator, however, the paper reminds her of the "bad yellow things" that are hard to describe. The intentions may have at one time been "bright", but are now wearing to a dull and stark cover.

For me, the writting reminded me of Woolf. It only takes one determined but scared/nervous woman to release the voices of those before her who were hidden by that dull cover. The only thing we must do now is creep over the ones who never thought it could be done.



j