The Great Gatsby - 10

"He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city,where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." pg. 181

I think that Gatsby not realizing what his dream was  is reflective upon the American dream being lost. The American dream was what everyone wanted but once people had it, they sought for more and more. People were no longer satisfied with simply America. They desired more wealth and materials. The American dream turned into a shallow monetary competition. People were missing the beauty of American freedom and liberty and were solely driven by success and wealth. People were failing to realize that they had indeed already achieved the American dream. They blew past what they had gained and failed to recognize their progress. Gatsby's death shows that we need to appreciate our successes and not to set them aside, or it will be all for nothing.

The Great Gatsby - 9

"The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing like a leg of transit, a thin red circle in water." pg. 162

I think that Gatsby's death portrays another aspect of the characterization of the upper class. The wealthy use their money as a shield. They never take responsibility for their actions. They use their money to hide from their consequences. Daisy was the one who ran over Myrtle, but Gatsby paid the consequences. It was as if Gatsby cleaned up Daisy's mess. This is also shown for the upper class as a whole. After Gatsby's lavish parties, full of shallow wealthy socialites, Nick and Gatsby clean up the mess made by the party. These people use their money to keep them out of trouble.

The Great Gatsby - 8

"Lots of people come who haven't been invited." pg. 109

Gatsby has elaborate parties and people just show up uninvited. This further exemplifies the characteristics of the rich. This is a common theme throughout the novel. People think that just  because they have money, they can do whatever they want. I think that through the annoyed tone of this comment, it becomes evident that the author does not approve of the mindset of the upper class and wishes to restore what it used to be. Money should not be a source of power, and it should not influence social standing. People are using their money to create an image for themselves, but each of these images are superficial. They do not reflect quality individuals or sincere people. I think that this is a warning to the upper class, that if things are not altered, dignity and standards will quickly diminish.

The Great Gatsby - 7

"West Egg, especially, still figures in my more fantastic dreams." pg 178

A common motif of this novel is the role geography plays in society. East Egg represents "old money" or the aristocracy. West Egg represents those who are new to wealth and fortune. Those from East Egg feel that  they are superior to the newly rich because their wealth is more established. I think that the valley of ashes represents the moral decline of America. During the 1920's morality and class seemed to lack importance. The society became more provocative and wild. That was also represented by all of the lavish parties that were thrown.These geographical representations helped to express the enormous change happening to American society.

The Great Gatsby - 6

"We were close friends." pg. 169

Nick is not characterized as being judgemental. He knows that he comes from a good background and had many opportunities others were not as lucky to receive.  However, he seems to be ambiguous in how he feels about people. He considers Gatsby to be one of his close friends. He admires his personality and behavior. But, when he discovers how Gatsby accumulated his wealth, he has a new outlook on him. He actually judges Gatsby for what he did to become wealthy. This same thing happens between Nick and Tom. Nick initially is friends with Tom, but when he discovers he accused Gatsby for running over Myrtle, he refuses to forgive him. He once again judges someones actions. I know that being judgemental is human nature, but it just seems hypocritical.

The Great Gatsby - 5

"Were getting off," he insisted. "I want you to meet my girl." pg. 24

Nick's actions in this chapter make me angry. I don't understand why he doesn't discouraging Tom's infidelity. Daisy is Nick's cousin. He should be threatening to tell her or making Tom feel bad about what he is doing. But no, he simply goes along and meets Tom's mistress without and comment. I think that its safe to say that family loyalty may not be the most prominent theme of this novel. Nick's actions characterizes him as being passive in nature. He seems to avoid conflict and does what people tell him to do. He pursues a relationship with Jordan after Daisy and Tom suggest it, he invites Daisy over for tea upon Gatsby's request, and he meets Tom's mistress without any argument.

The Great Gatsby - 4

Gatsby bought that house so that  Daisy would be just across the bay." pg. 79

When I first started reading this novel, I felt bad for Daisy. She was disrespected and cheated on by her husband. But, after hearing how she promised to marry Gatsby then bailed, makes me think that she had it coming. She definitely doesn't deserve to be treated that way by Tom, but it seems to be unfortunate karma. Instead of waiting for Gatsby, whom she loved, she married Tom for his money. She is just as superficial as the rest of the first class society. She settled for Tom who was available and had money, just so she could feel comfortable. In doing that, she now lives a miserable life with an arrogant, cheating jerk.

The Great Gatsby - 3

"Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes." pg. 86

Up to this point, Gatsby has been described as a well put together, confident man. But, now that he is about to see Daisy, the love of his life, for the first time in years, he becomes nervous and clumsy.The simile, "pale as death," emphasizes how significant his nerves are. I don't understand why he is so nervous though. He is a well educated, sophisticated man with many spectacular accomplishments.The fact that he is so nervous though makes me respect him even more. I think that this shows that his feelings for Daisy are sincere. He has proper intentions and desires to be with her. However this is not just a physical, male satisfying desire. He seems to have real feelings for her and really respects her. I don't foresee Gatsby mistreating her like Tom does.

 

The Great Gatsby - 2

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all." pg 41

 I think that the quote above portrays the first class in a very superficial manner. People came to a party without even knowing who was hosting it. I think that this whole party scene is meant to satirize the upper class. It is implied that the people are very shallow.  It seems as if these people have nothing better to do than to party and gossip. Its like they have so much money that they don't know what to do with it. As I mentioned in my previous blog, many men allow their surplus of money to be a source of arrogance. All of these people use their money as a mask and refuse to be  sincere because everything is made into a competition.

The Great Gatsby - 1

"Well, you ought to see her. She's--" pg. 10

Throughout the first paragraph, I noticed the recurrence of this type of sentence structure. Whenever Daisy would try to speak, Tom would cut her off. I think that this syntax characterizes Tom a being a jerk. He has no respect for Daisy at all. He cheats on her and belittles her in front of people. This type of cut off sentence also appeared once as Mrs. McKee was talking. She was cut off by her husband as well. I think that this in general represents the lack of respect women received at that time. They were not treated as equals. Men felt that they could simply use women and talk down to them. I think that this was especially prevalent with the first class society. Men that had money felt that they could do whatever they wanted. I think that this portrayal of the upper class is demonstrated throughout the novel.

Frankenstein- 10

"I had formed in my own heart a resolution to pursue my destroyer to death..." pg. 147

I am glad to see that Victor is finally going to stand up to the creature. He has been running away from him helplessly since the day of his creation. I think it's ironic how everything could have been different. If Victor would have just embraced his creation as opposed to fearing it, he would still have all of his family. I think that this novel puts a strong emphasis on the upbringing of children. All children are born innocent, and the events in their life, and people they encounter significantly shape the persona of a person, (or monster in this case). Had Victor taken the time to teach the monster and show companionship, the creature would had remained gentle in nature. But, after learning the emotions of depression and anger, the creature began to envy human relationships. I think that people can learn a great deal from this novel, in the importance of love and relationships, and the ultimately negative effect solitude will inevitably produce.

Frakenstein- 9

"...but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding night." pg. 123

I am beginning to think that the creature is smarter than Victor. I don't understand how Victor still believes the creature is trying to kill him. The quote above implies a sense of dramatic irony, because Victor believes the creature intends on killing him, when all the readers are intelligent enough to know that the creature has no desire to murder Victor. The creatures goal is to make Victor suffer the same despair and solitude that he was forced to endure. Therefore, the creature is going to kill everyone Victor is close to, leaving him helplessly alone. By threatening to see Victor on his wedding night, the creature is alluding to killing Elizabeth. The creature knows how much Victor loves her, so he is going to kill her on the day of their wedding. The creature is smart enough to construe a devious plan in which he seeks poetic justice, but Victor still believes the creature is after him. I think that if the creature really wanted to kill Victor, he would have done it already. He has had multiple opportunities, and I don't understand how Victor has failed to see that.

Frankenstein- 8

"Pardon this gush of sorrow; these ineffectual words are but a slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry, but they soothe my heart, overflowing with the anguish which his remembrance creates." pg. 114

The quote above serves multiple purposes. First, it foreshadows the death of Henry. Secondly, it reinforces the personality of Henry through indirect characterization. We are reminded of Henry's good nature, and what his friendship meant to Victor. Victor doesn't bond with many people, so to see him remorse the death of Henry implies how deeply he cared for him. It also serves to remind the reader that Victor is portraying this story to Robert Walton. To me, it seems that each death has a greater effect on Henry. It's as if his guilt is just piling up and he's continually filled with anguish. I could not imagine living with the guilt and remorse Victor must cope with on a daily basis.

Frankestein- 7

"I was wretched, helpless, and alone." pg. 92

A significant theme throughout the novel is solitude. We see through the recent chapters what kind of a negative toll loneliness can have on someone. Because the creature was so lonely, he became depressed. He began to envy the lives of people, because he so desperately sought companionship. The envy inside the creature built up into vengeance. After his final attempt at human contact failed, he sought justice. He killed William thinking he was the son of Victor. He felt satisfied by his actions. I think that this foreshadows many deaths to come. If he felt no remorse over his actions, he won't hesitate to do it again in seeking what he wants. I am surprised at how big of an impact solitude can have, to the extent that it leads to murder.

Frankenstein- 6

"...but when i heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing." pg. 84

I find this quote to be very ironic and hypocritical. The creature learns of the cruelty of man and murder from the book, Ruins of Empires. He finds bloodshed and murder to be so grotesque and despicable. I don't understand how he can transform from that line of thinking to the rational of being satisfied with murder. I know that the creature has endured a large amount of hardships, but I don't think one's mind can change that dramatically. I think this is and issue of nature vs nurture. The creature was naturally born innocent, but the circumstances he encountered through life altered his thinking. He claims that the human race made him this way, therefore, his nurturing and upbringing changed his life immensely. I am so surprised by the effect nurturing has on the outcome and personality of the creature.

Frankenstein 5

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam." pg. 69

I think that for this blog I am going to rant about how completely absurd the creatures intelligence is. How on earth can the creature make an allusion to the bible if two years ago he was unable to speak? This just makes no sense to me. I don't understand how the creature was able to learn and adapt that quickly. Also, how does he have the ability to reason and use logic like he does? How does he learn the concept of revenge? I don't think he's going to learn that by watching a family through a crack.  I am just really bothered by the intellect the creature so quickly attained. I want further explanation as to how he became so intelligent so quickly.

Frankenstein 4

"I am miserable..." pg. 69

I think that one of the major themes of this book is loneliness. It is shown early on when Robert Walton expresses he has no friends. This is later demonstrated through Victor when he is in the process of creating the creature. Each of them choose to isolate themselves from others. In the process they convey a dark, anguished demeanor. However when it comes to the loneliness of the creature, it is not a choice. Upon it's first days of life, it seeks companionship with it's creator. When it is not returned, the creature flees and adapts to life on its own. Once he discovers what true companionship is, he becomes depressed and angry. I think it was the creature severe loneliness that motivated him to do whatever his dark deed was.

Frankenstein 3

"If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of you remaining friends." pg. 68

Throughout this story, the narrator and point of view change several times. The quote above represents the newest point of view; the creature's. I think that by having the story told from multiple points of view, the readers can more easily sympathize with the characters of Victor and the creature. Hearing a first hand account of personal emotions helps evoke more sympathy. When I first heard the thoughts of the creature, I immediately felt his pain. I find it ironic that when the creature as well as Victor describes his life journey, the mood of each character paralleled the setting and environment. It seems that when it is beautiful and sunny, Victor and the creature are joyful and happy. Then, when it is rainy and gloomy, Victor and the creature are depressed and anguished.

 

Frankenstein 2

"I am only left to conjecture concerning the probabilities by which it might have been placed in my pocket." pg. 56

As far as I have read, there are two suspects for the murder of William. They are the creature and Justine. Justine in the quote above claims that the only explanation to her being in possession of the locket is that someone framed her. If this is true, the creature being the only other suspect, must have framed her. If it is not true, Justine is a very gifted liar and Victor's family is a poor judge of character. If the creature did frame Justine, what was his motive for doing so? Was it to prevent himself from getting caught? But I don't see how this applies because Victor is the only one that knows of the creatures existence, so why would he feel the need to frame Justine? And why Justine? Did they possibly have some sort of encounter?

Frankenstein 1

"...a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs." pg. 8

My initial thoughts of the creature were that it was huge, scary, and inarticulate. However, the quote above displays foreshadowing of the creatures true nature. The phrase "guided the dogs" implies that the creature has some sense of direction. In order to have a sense of direction, the creature must have some intelligence. I was not expecting this at all. I thought the creature would have no real purpose and went around killing people. Knowing that the creature knows how to think almost makes it more frightening because it could have the powers of manipulation and frame working as well as being huge in stature. Based on the fact that the creature has intelligence, I think that it could possibly have had the ability to frame Justine for the murder of William.

A Raisin in the Sun - 3

"Once upon a time freedom used to be life--now it's money." pg. 74

One of the motifs of this play seems to be differences in generations. In Mama's generation, black people's main priority was freedom. That was what life was about. To them, nothing else mattered. With Walter's generation, they never had to deal with the issue of freedom. They just had it, and took it for granted. Now people wanted money; it was the main priority. Those from Mama's generation cannot see and understand how the people from Walter's generation don't appreciate their freedom. They don't realize that a life of freedom is all they know. This generation misunderstanding still applies today when it comes to technology. People today take their efficient lifestyles for granted because they have never had to experience what it would be like to not use technology. Then those who are from pre-technology generations often refuse to accept the change because they are misunderstanding the purpose of the new technology.

A Raisin in the Sun - 2

"Listen, I'm going to be a doctor." pg. 50

For this blog, I am going to be answering the first study question. Two characters that search for a better way of life are Beneatha and Walter. They both go about attaining this dream in different ways. Walter dreams of making money. He wants to own his own business. He uses Mama's money for a down payment for the liquor store. Walter ends up getting scammed by the man he plans on going into business with. Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor. To make this happen, she goes to college and doesn't let anyone stand in her way. Both Walter and Beneatha want a better life.

A Raisin in the Sun - 1

"I don't 'low no yellin' in this house, Walter Lee and you know it--And there ain't going to be no investing in no liquor stores." pg. 70

The vernacular of the Younger family displays their education levels. Mama, who is the oldest in the family, has the worst grammar when speaking. She grew up when blacks were in the midst of gaining freedom. It was very rare for women at that period of time to receive proper education. Walter and Ruth, who are younger than Mama, have slightly better grammar. Travis, Walter and Ruth's son, has much better grammar than anyone, other than Beneatha. Travis is 11 and is in school. As time progresses, the blacks get better and better education because they are more excepted into society. Beneatha is very well spoken because she is in college.

The Glass Menagerie- 3

"The play is a memory." 1236

Compared to the Shakespeare plays we have read recently, this play was enjoyable to read. I am a very realistic person, so the fact that everything was explicitly stated made this much easier to understand. The realism was very apperent through the dialouge. It wasn't written in proper sentences, let alone iamic pentameter, like Othello and As You Like It. Throughout this play, I noticed each family member had a complex relationship with eachother. Tom and Amanda often didn't see eye to eye. They refused to see eachothers point of view on many things. Amanda worried that Tom was going to turn out like his father, and he did. The ironic thing about that is, Amanda tried to prevent this from happening, but that is what caused him to leave. By pushing and criticizing Tom, Amanda drove him away just as she drove away her ex-husband.

The Glass Menagerie- 2

Amanda. "Overcome selfishness! Self, self, self is all that you think of!"

Tom struggles with an internal conflict when we here the story in retrospect. Tom tells us of his memory of his life with his mother and sister. Tom had to decide if he wanted to leave like his father, hurting his family, or sacrifice his freedom to support his ungrateful family. If Tom leaves, he will suffer from the guilt of leaving his helpless family. He will realize that he did exactly what his father did to him. However, Tom had to worry about his own sanity. If he stayed with his family, he would be doing the honorable thing. But, staying would mean Tom would be sacrificing his life to take care of his selfish mother. Either decision Tom made would be hard. He is facing a life of misery or a life of guilt.

The Glass Menagerie- 1

Amanda. "You can't put in a day's work on an empty stomach." pg. 1251

In my opinion, Amanda is a terrible mother. In one sense she is completely dependent on her son for financial support. But, she still thinks she has room to criticize him. I find this to be very ironic. I don't see how Amanda can yell at and lecture Tom when he basically gives up his hopes and ambitions to support her and Laura. She complains that he is selfish and doesn't work hard enough. I can't even fathom how she has the nerve to do that. If she feels like calling someone selfish she should look in the mirror. She does nothing to support her children. She is so superficial and fake that she thinks finding a husband for her daughter is more important than supporting her family. She is so lazy and selfish that she is unaware of how much tom sacrifices for her.

As You Like It- 3

"Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd's life, it is naught." pg 35

Throughout Shakespeare's As You Like It, there is constant comparison between country and city life. This motif is ironic in the way that each one lends itself to the characteristics of the other. In a normal realm of thinking, the city would be thought of as hardworking and peaceful and the country as lazy and savage. However, in this play, the city is portrayed as a combative and lazy place. There are brawls in the streets, and there is entitlement in positions. In the country, people are hardworking and respectful if each other. For people that live in the city, city life is ideal, and for those that live in the country, country life is ideal. Those that prefer the city feel that country life is dirty, lonely, and improper. But, what these city people fail to realize is that the customs of the city do not fit in with the country lifestyle, and vice verse.

As You Like It-2

"Duke Frederick...Where meeting with an old religious man, After some question with him, was converted." pg. 77

This Shakespearean play is very different than Othello. I know that Othello was a tragedy and this was supposed to be a comedy, but they are still very different. Othello wasn't that horribly boring to read. I just got annoyed with how stupid Othello was. Other than that, I didn't really mind it. But this play, on the other hand, was awful. I didn't see the point to the entire play. There seemed to be so many meaningless characters like Touchstone, Audrey, and Jaques de Boys. I felt like everyone in this play was so nieve. People can not just look at someone and decide they are in love. There were four weddings in one day and each couple hardly knew each other. It was ridiculous and made me mad. There was also no meaningful explanations to significant conversions like Oliver and Duke Frederick. People can't change their entire personalities that quickly. This play just really annoyed me. I did not like it.

As You Like It - 1

"And therefore look you call me Ganymede." pg. 15

The quote above is an example of dramatic irony. The audience knows that Ganymede is really Rosalind, but the characters in the play do not. Rosalind uses her disguise to manipulate Orlando. She loves Orlando but wants his to be a certain way. This is costume is advantageous when Rosalind is trying to teach Orlando the proper way to act. This is a way for her to discover if Orlando does indeed love her. By hear Orlando's love for her professed to a third party serves as assurance of his feelings. This disguise turns into a problem when Phebe falls in love with Ganymede.

Reflective Essay

In life, everyone experiences jealousy at some point. It eats away at a person leaving him or her feeling enraged and betrayed. But, after the jealousy subsides, what is left? Deep within a person, behind the superficial mask of jealousy, there is desperation. Desperation is a feeling that no one likes to admit to, however, it is timeless. It is felt by people from all time periods and in all scenarios. The mixture of these emotions leads people to perform desperate acts, often because these feelings are most prominent when dealing with relationships. In William Shakespeare’s, Othello, Roderigo is desperately in love with the betrothed Desdemona. Because he doesn’t know how to handle his helpless desire to Desdemona, he says, “I will incontinently drown myself.” (I.iii.302) Roderigo feels his life is futile because Desdemona doesn’t return his love for her. Feelings of rage and despair overwhelm his thoughts and prompt Roderigo to kill himself. That is one of the main themes in Othello. Jealousy leads to desperation and reckless acts. This theme is universal and can be found in a plethora of literary works and modern media.

            The theme of jealousy and desperation is evident through contemporary music. In Taylor Swift’s hit, You Belong with Me, she helplessly sings about a boy she wants to be with. The song title itself reflects a desperate plead for love. Even though Taylor doesn’t contemplate suicide as does Roderigo, it is evident she is anguished by her loneliness. This song embodies the idea of desperation and jealousy. In this song, Taylor Swift sings to the boy she loves, professing her love to him while also exhibiting her jealousy of the girl he is currently with. When she sings, “Standing by and waiting at your back door, All this time, how could you not know? Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me,” (Swift) she is pleading and begging him to notice her. This is her desperate attempt to gain this boy’s attention. Jealousy is conveyed through the lines, “I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like, and she'll never know your story like I do. But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts, She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers, dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time.” (Swift) She is releasing her anger about this boy being with another girl. She wishes that she could be that girl because she is with the boy she loves. Like Roderigo, Taylor is in despair because of someone she can not have.

            Jealousy and despair is also common in literary novels. It is very evident in Nicholas Sparks’ novel, The Notebook. Noah and Allie fell in love at a young age. After a long year together, Allie’s family moved away. Noah and Allie were both distraught, so in effort to save their relationship, Noah desperately wrote Allie a letter every day for a year. (Allie never got the letters.) Years later, Allie is engaged, but has a lingering desire to visit Noah. Once Noah discovers she is engaged, he becomes jealous and wants her more desperately than he did before. After spending a few days together, they were once again madly in love. Allie realized she had to make a choice between the love of her life, Noah and her fiancé Lon. Noah pleaded to Allie, “I don’t want to live the rest of my life thinking about you and dreaming of what might have been. Stay with me Allie.” (Sparks 139) Because Noah was so jealous and helplessly in love, he attempted to evoke pity, to convince Allie to stay with him. This further proves the timelessness of jealousy and desperation in relationships. The time period, gender, and circumstance have no effect on the outcome of jealousy. These emotions encourage thoughtless acts of desperation that are life threatening, harmless, courageous, or pitiful. Whether it be a Shakespearean play, a 1930’s novel, or a modern music hit, jealousy and desperation mesh together and prompt irrational thoughts and actions.

Works Cited

Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sence. Fort           Worth. Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-1462. Print.

Sparks, Nicholas. The Notebook. New York: Warner, 1996. Print.

Swift, Taylor. "You Belong with Me." Fearless. Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records,     LLC, 2008. CD.

Othello 6

"Villainy, villainy, villainy!"

During this play, I couldn't help but notice the differences within the time the play was set and now.I thought it was strange that Iago's lie seemed to be a much worse crime than Othello's murder. In today's world, I feel like lying is second nature for many people. Today, if Othello would have been manipulated by Iago like he was, and Iago physically did nothing and Othello killed someone, Othello would be punished. I don't think Iago would have any punishment at all. But, Othello would be imprisoned for life no matter if he was manipulated or not. Today, we would think Othello was just an idiot for letting himself get used like that. But, back in Shakespeare time, lying was huge. Honor, nobility, and honesty were the best qualities a man could posses. Now things have changed. Honesty and truth seem to have been replaced with money and power.

Othello 5

"If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me in one of those same sheets."

Othello is full of dramatic irony. It is typically expressed through Iago's  asides. I ago conveys his secret plans to the audience, and the characters don't know whats going to happen. I find it really ironic that Desdemona references death right before Othello kills her. She didn't know that she was about to be killed, but the audience did. They knew what Othello was planning to do to her. It seems like this irony was supposed to be humerus in some sick and twisted way, but I don't know. I wasn't very shocked by all of the deaths at the end. Shakespeare likes to kill off his main characters. I thinks that's kind of creepy. But times are different now, so maybe it has some sort of significance.

Othello 4

Emilia: "She give it Cassio! No, alas, I found it, and I did give 't my husband."

Emilia is probably my favorite character. She really proved to be a dynamic and very crucial character. At the beginning of the story, she let Iago walk all over her. He constantly disrespected her, and she just took it. But, as the story progressed, she underwent a significant change. She developed the courage to stand up to Iago. If it wasn't for her, the resolution of the story may have been different. Emilia prevented Iago from getting away with his heinous lies.  This was a big deal because in that time period, women didn't have that much respect. They weren't really listened too, but the officials let her speak. By allowing Emilia to talk, the truth came out.

Othello 3

"I will incontinently drown myself." pg. 1380

Throughout the first few acts of Othello, four major themes have surfaced. The first is jealousy is a powerful, often destructive force. Roderigo is insanely jealous of Othello and Desdemona's relationship with one another. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and considers suicide because he cannot handle his jealous feelings. The next theme is hatred is often based on preconceived notions. This was exhibited when Brabantio expressed his hate for Othello. The only reason Brabantio claimed hatred was because Othello married his only daughter. Brabantio based his hatred on a preconceived notion rather than considering who Othello was as a person. The third theme of this play is appearance and reality are not always the same. This is displayed through Iago's character. Most people consider Iago to be a very noble and honest man; however, the readers know that he is a very manipulative man with an agenda. The last theme is showing love can often require courage. This is expressed through Othello. When professing his love for Desdemona, he had to be very courageous. He was standing before her father and discussing how he loved her. This takes a plethora of valor to do, but his love for Desdemona is worth it.

Othello 2

"I hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets he's done my office." pg .1382

Iago deeply hates the Moor, Othello. His hatred is motivated by his job. Iago is upset because Othello appointed Cassio to lieutenant instead of him. Iago felt he had been cheated because he held seniority where as Cassio was simply the favorite. He also hates Othello because there is a scandalous rumor going around that Othello slept with Emilia, Iago's wife. Iago has planned to channel his anger and despise for Othello with revenge. Iago is very manipulative. He is determined to ultimately manipulate Othello into believing that he is the better man for the lieutenant position. In most stories, the antagonist fails to prevail over the good. But, I think Iago may end with triumph. I think this because we are hearing the story through his point of view, which is not typical of Shakespearean work.

Othello 1

"I have told thee often, and I retell thee again and again, I hate the Moor." pg. 1381

In most Shakespearean plays, the story is told from the protagonist point of view. However, the point of view in Othello is unique. It is told from the antagonist point of view. Iago, the antagonist, is a very manipulative man. He has plotted a scheme that will get him revenge. Because the story is told from Iago's point of view, the reader knows and understands why Iago is seeking revenge. Through asides and soliloquies, the readers learn Iago's deep personal thoughts. These are thoughts that are only known by Iago and the audience. This generates suspense because it is as if the audience is taking part in the manipulation. The rest of the characters are unaware of the events to come, and the audience is unaware of when Iago's plan will be executed fully.