Not Your Fault

 AWOLNATION's "Not Your Fault" identifies very closely with some conflicts in Othello.To start off with, the song is centered around a beautiful girl, as the play is. The singer of the song is amazed that such a woman would be interested in him, since he is a "joke in his own mind". Othello himself is amazed at the beauty of Desdemona, and cannot get enough of her. The chorus of the song goes on to explain the various reasons in which it's not the girl's fault that bad things happen. Because he is crazy for her, because he is confused, nothing is her fault. This was Othello's initial perception of Desdemona. He was madly in love with her and did anything she asked of him. However, once his jealous tendencies kicked in, Othello ended up being driven insane by the story Iago told him. After killing her and realizing the truth, Othello once again realized that it was not her fault. In fact, in the last scene of the play, Othello and all others realize that it is no one's fault but Iago. The blame game had gone on far too long, and everyone discovered that it was, in fact, all Iago's fault. Othello did more than "fight with himself till he's bleeding", he took his own life upon his discovery that it was not Desdemona's fault. AWOLNATION was obviously inspired by this play when they wrote this song.

Othello: Roderigo

"I know his gait, 'tis he. Villain, thou diest!" V.i.22

       Roderigo. Oh, naive Roderigo. He is the only character throughout the play who repeatedly gets the short end of the stick. In fact, he is the only one who is so weak willed, that Iago changes his perspective completely every time that Roderigo becomes angry at him, even to the point of murdering another man. He is basically the pocket behind Iago's evil plans. And so comes the brilliant irony that I pointed out today in class. By the end of the play, Roderigo's pockets turn out to be Iago's demise. They find the notes between the two, revealing all. And this is the ultimate irony of all. Roderigo, the stupid, love struck, falsely bearded man, takes down the all mighty Iago.

Othello: Soliloquy

"The Moor already changes with my poison. Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons, Which at first are scarce found to distaste, But with a little, act upon the blood," III.iii.326-329

       In Othello, soliloquies chiefly serve to inform the audience as to a character's thoughts. In the case of Iago, we mainly discover his intentions and plans. In fact, the maliciousness in his thoughts contrast sharply to the character he most often acts like on stage. Without this soliloquy, he would not appear as cunning in his actions or words. In Othello, we see his internal conflict. Without his soliloquies, he would seem like an ignorant obeying servant, blindly doing anything suggested to him. In either case, they are clever ways in which Shakespeare lets the audience know something that the other characters in the play do not. It is like telling the story in the first person and lets us follow the thought processes of characters.

Othello: Theme of Jealousy

"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on." III.iii.167-168

       Though the theme of jealousy does not appear until the third act, it is perhaps the most relevant theme throughout the entire play. Here, with Iago's villainous words, the seed is planted in Othello's mind. This seed grows and grows to the point that it consumes Othello and eventually leads to his strangling of Desdemona, and his ultimate suicide. As this theme of jealousy grows more and more, it creates suspense and tension that keeps the audience entertained and paying attention. In the case of Shakespeare, this jealousy may be a bit over exaggerated. An experienced military leader such as Othello would most likely not be so obsessed with the idea a lower ranking officer put into his mind. However the realism of his jealousy is one that everybody can relate to in some way or another.

Othello: Iago the Villain

"God buy you, take mine office. O wretched fool That lov’st to make thine honesty a vice! O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world, To be direct and honest is not safe."


       Iago is possibly the greatest villain of all time. Not only is he a manipulative liar, but I find myself rooting for him in his plan! In some grotesquely skewed way, I view Iago as the protagonist. He is a passionate soldier, angered at being passed over for a promotion he deserved. Othello was correct in Act III when he said that Iago understands human behavior. He reads motives and emotions so well that he can accomplish anything he wants to, outsmarting even his General. This made me think: is Iago perhaps a better leader than Othello? He is certainly smarter and more driven. He has military experience, and is cunning and sly. It is my opinion that if he ends up taking over the army, he will be extremely successful. But before that can happen, he must kill off his opponents....
       

Othello: Suspense

"Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light." I.iii.83-84

       Shakespeare's plays were anything but complex. As we have discussed in class, they are simple in stage action and props. No backdrops are used. Therefore, one might think that creating suspense would be difficult to do, right? Not entirely. Nowadays, when we go out to movies, the suspense is so obvious that we can see a climatic moment coming from miles away. In this play, it is a slower pace that builds up over time. This is mostly created through Iago's soliloquies at the end of scenes and acts. The audience discovers his plan bit by bit, always before he plays it out. That way the audience always knows something that the characters of the play do not, creating some suspense. This play sure is a nail-biter!

Othello: Protagonist and Antagonist

"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse" I.iii.362

       In the first act, it is quite obvious that the protagonist is Othello himself. He is a general, at odds with the Turkish army, while the whole world is against him. Not only is there mutiny in his army (though he is unaware), but his wife, and particularly those around him, are rooting for their marriage to fail. He seems to be fighting every aspect of his life, though he is doing so with incredible success. The antagonist is Iago. He is doing everything he can to achieve his own selfish gains. He is a manipulator and user, and destroys the lives of those around him simply to get to where he wants to be. He particularly takes advantage of Roderigo, preying on his love for Desdemona. Roderigo is a foil character in that his innocence and manipulable personality contrast with Iago's evil soul.