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A Brief Look at Act 4, Scene 3 of "Othello" While reading Shakespeare’s “Othello” for my AP Literature class, I became quite fixated upon a conversation between two female characters in Act 4, Scene 3. These two characters, ladies Desdemona and Emilia, were having quite the unusual conversation.
As I first read through this scene, I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading. Was Shakespeare, a sixteenth century white male, actually exploring the topic of infidelity and human sexuality without an ignorant double-standard? Needless to say, my inner feminist got pretty excited. In many stories throughout time and culture women are depicted as non-lustful beings who are to obey and bend to the desires of men. However, women are presented as quite the opposite in the intriguing scene. “And have we not affections, desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?” (Othello, IV.iii.112-113) With this (as well as a long monologue with many examples basically all stating the same idea), Emilia is comparing the typical excuses for why a man might cheat to why a woman might cheat; they are the same. Lust, sport, and moral weakness affect us all at times, so why is it so acceptable for a man to be unfaithful, but not a woman? The fact that Shakespeare simply acknowledges this double-standard is marvelous. While I personally do not support cheating from any party in a marriage, it is nice to hear women being referred to like actual people with lusts, desires, and wills outside of a man’s control. This is what got me thinking, “Could Shakespeare have supported feminism?” While it is fun to speculate, no one will ever know for sure Shakespeare’s exact viewpoints. For some, passages similar to the aforementioned throughout his books lend evidence and support to this idea. For other’s, these passages are used to show how cunning and manipulative women can be, and his numerous examples of female injustices running throughout his works are too much to discredit. What do you think about Othello’s Act 4, Scene 3? Is Emilia a device for a male author to discreetly show feminist viewpoints in a patriarchal society? Or is there more evidence contradicting this theory throughout the work “Othello” and other Shakespearean plays? Are questions like these even worth asking; how well should an audience know the author? If you had to choose a position on this topic, what passage would be your biggest piece of evidence to defend your viewpoint?
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So you wanna read Shakespeare, eh? Get ready for some serious Deja Vu. Step 1) Read.
Yes, it really is that simple. In order to understand Shakespeare’s works, you must actually read them first. I know that the whole “reading an entire book” thing is a crazy notion for some of today’s teens, but unfortunately Shakespeare wasn’t succinct enough to fit his stories into a 140 character post on twitter. This step will require some of your time. If you have to read Shakespeare for a class, read a little bit each night before you go to bed, that way when your assigned reading is due, it won’t be so overwhelming. This is also a good strategy for you awesome kiddos who want to read 16th century plays for fun, you are my kind of people. Step 2) Read. I know what you’re probably thinking, “I already did that.” “Why are you saying the same step twice?” “Who will get voted off next on "The Bachelor?” But do not fear, for the Shakespeare Guide is still here, and, I promise, everything is under control. The first time you read Shakespeare, you probably were quite confused, figured out some key plot points, and Googled the act or scene summary on your laptop. However, this is the guide for understanding Shakespeare, not just regurgitating a Shakespearean plot summary to your teacher. By reading the act or scene again, you can focus less on trying to figure out what the heck is going on, and focus more on literary devices and characterization. This is the time where you are required to think about what you are reading, instead of mindlessly trudging through the text. What kind of imagery does the scene employ? What does Shakespeare’s choice of diction say about the character? How are women represented in this scene? Keep questions like these in the back of your mind during this second step, and do your best to try and answer all of them. Analyzing is the key to understanding. Step 3) Re-read. BEFORE YOU EXIT OUT OF THIS BROWSER, HEAR ME OUT. Don’t worry, you DO NOT have to read the entire scene again! Instead, this is encouraging you to go back and re-read small selections you may not completely grasp as soon as you come to them. This mostly includes important monologues and soliloquies; these Shakespearean staples can be long and tedious. It is easy to skim over and ignore them, however, this is a “tragic” mistake if you seek to fully understand Shakespeare. The best way to approach them is to read and understand them line by line. This requires a few more minutes of extra time, but it will be well worth it when you see the “A+” on that Shakespeare assignment in the grade book. Congratulations! You now have the necessary tools for understanding Shakespeare, and you don’t even need an app for it! It may seem simplistic, but re-reading is truly the best way to grasp Shakespeare. Extra Credit Bonus Tip: For even more insights into Shakespeare’s works, experience them through a different medium. Listen to a sound recording, attend a play performance, or act out a scene with friends! But, above all, READ! Shakespeare’s “Othello” spends time in “literary court.” As with any good Shakespearean tragedy, “Othello” is chalked full of deceit, destruction, murder, and plain bad decision making. It’s easy to pin the tragedy on the main antagonist, Iago, who, with a bit of luck, systematically carries out a needlessly elaborate plan to bring down an Moorish general for unclear reasons, but, is that really where all the blame deserves to be placed? Shouldn’t individuals be held accountable for their actions, even under circumstances “false as hell” (IV.ii.48)? Our modern judicial system says yes. Though many deaths occur in Shakespeare’s “Othello,” the true tragedy of the play is the senseless murder of Desdemona. The martyr of the play, she is killed due to her husband’s rigid commitment to the principle of monogamy within the marital arrangement. The kicker? She has never been unfaithful. Regardless of this accused infidelity, most people today would agree that murdering your wife is wrong, and more importantly, our courts would agree. According to common law standards across the United States, Othello holds the blame and should be charged with the first-degree murder of his young wife Desdemona. The Elements of First-Degree Murder Intent: Using his own words as evidence, we can see that Othello had clear intent to end Desdemona’s life. The first statement of this takes place in the barn with Iago, where Iago goes into graphic detail about Desdemona’s alleged affair. He first makes the vague remark that she is to “be damned tonight, for she shall not live” (IV.i.209). But couldn’t Othello plead insanity? If this were the only intent Othello displayed, it could be possible, since he just seen in a convulsive trance moments prior to this statement. However, this is not the only display of intent. Once again he speaks of intent within the final scene of he and Desdemona. He asks if she has said her prayers because he “will not kill thy unprepared spirit” (V.ii.36). He then goes to extreme lengths to ensure she is dead in the murder scene by smothering her multiple times as to “not have thee linger in thy pain” (V.ii.109). Shakespeare makes clear Othello’s intent to end Desdemona’s life. Deliberation and Premeditation: Othello starts to plan Desdemona’s murder in the same scene as he first declares his intent. He asks Iago to “get me some poison” (IV.i.223), and then agrees with Iago that strangulation is a better way to carry out the crime, this takes place a full 24 hours before he kills her. Othello did not act rashly in the heat of the moment. He also second guesses himself before he kills her, and then chooses to kill her anyway, another sign of deliberation. “Malice Aforethought”: This element typically goes hand-in-hand with the previously mentioned element, deliberation and premeditation. To qualify for “malice afterthought,” one must show indifference to human life, as Othello does on multiple occasions throughout the play. First, he casually mentions murdering Cassio after his supposed “confession” in Act 4, and then speaks of his plan to murder Desdemona directly after. He plots to kill them with Iago, then, in Act 5, he is “satisfied” after he oversees what he thinks to be Cassio’s murder, proceeding to carry out Desdemona’s. After he finds out he was used as a pawn in Iago’s elaborate scheme, he does not hesitate to attempt to kill him. Shakespeare makes it clear through Act 4 and 5 that Othello acted with malice and put petty principles above human lives. *** Through evidence provided in dialogue and stage directions, Shakespeare makes it clear that the primary tragedy of Desdemona’s death in his play “Othello,” should be ruled a first-degree homicide in literary court. Even though Othello operated under deceit from Iago, Othello still consciously carried out the brutal murder, and he shall be held responsible for his actions. Ultimately Othello: The Moor of Venice, is to blame for his wife’s untimely tragedy of a death.
Case closed. |
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