Abby Willemsen

I like how you discussed Iago's disrespect for women-I noticed the same. I think he is extremely insecure himself and does not want any woman making that any worse for him. I think he uses his wife to boost his ego since she allows him to pretty much say anything to her and will do anything for him. I thought it was really interesting also at the end when she is the one who rats on him. This totally throws off Iago's character and shows how he is not as invincible as he makes himself appear to be.

I thought of a soap opera too while I was reading this play! It annoyed me that everyone had their insecurities and there was little trust among the characters. I thought it was really interesting that Shakespeare chose to write a play like this actually. It seemed to be really caught up in rumors, drama, etc. and usually Shakespeare seems to focus more on revenge, evil, death, etc. in his other stories. Maybe he was going for a different route with this one?

I really like how you compared the character of Richard to Walter White! I definitely see the connection between the way the characters put themselves in horrible situations due to their own choices (that they end up pretty much regretting). We also see this a lot in the celebrity aspect. Many aspiring actors will go to great lengths to become famous, even if it means going behind friends' backs, cheating, or going against their moral values. A lot of times once they become famous they realize that they do not have the same support group as before or that it is really not as glamorous as it seems. 

I think that Richard III, despite his speech, is very unhappy with himself. I think the entire reason on why he is an evil person is due to his insecurities and feelings of being unloved. I think the ghosts at the end resemble the guilt he feels and how all his wrong deeds build up over time. He is unable to escape the remorse of everything he has done throughout the story.  

I really like how you brought up the different concepts of what love is. Everyone in this play seemed to want something different, whether it be wealth, friendship, marriage, etc. I think this holds true whichever time era it may be (Shakespeare's time and current day). Because people have different values and wants, love is a subjective word that can lead to conflict, confusion, betrayal, agreement, commitment, etc. I think this is what led some of the characters to an unhappy ending in this story.

I also found the characters, and the storyline, to be a bit flat. I wouldn't say it was the worst play that we've read, but it definitely wasn't at the top for me either! I found the "penny-pinching" argument to be sooo stereotypical too. I couldn't believe how offensive this must have been to Jewish people. I think this really reflects the time in which Shakespeare wrote the play. It is interesting how you are able to ready stories, books, etc. and see the political views, cultural values, etc really embedded in it.  

I do think that this play was a lot shorter and told at a faster pace, but I think that is how Shakespeare got the audience to easily fall in and out of the different realities (fairytale, real life and royal) without realizing; therefore, making it more of an experience.