Othello: Act I and II

This week we began to discuss the Shakespearean play, Othello. The plot centers around the deceit and trickery of Iago. As the story unfolds we learn that he suspects that Othello and Cassio each slept with Emelia and is jealous that Cassio was promoted in his ranks by Othello. Consequentially, he seeks revenge and wants to pit Othello against Cassio by convincing Othello that Desdemona has become unfaithful with Cassio. His motives are also spurred by his lust for Desdemona and his failure to woo her.

Iago is definitely an evil character, which is why we can empathize with Othello who is ignorant of Iago's intentions. His first attempt to hurt Othello's reputation failed when he tried to convince Brabantio that Othello put some sort of magic spell on his daughter that led them to marry. His next attempt occurred when he planned for Cassio to be drunk and make a scene. Othello then removes Cassio from his ranks and Iago's plan is set in motion. I remember reading this play in high school and I did not enjoy it. The plot was interesting but I can't get passed the way it was written. Some of the dialogue is confusing to read and I don't like having to reread it over and over to understand it.