KCLAWS

I have not seen anything for Capstone or group readings so I just went ahead to work on the final project instead. I am so confused...

Clearly Shakespeare loved the theme of revenge...I'd be curious to learn about his life and upbringing into it.

Othello had one of the simpler plots we have read so far in my opinion, but some of the killing became confusing due to Iago’s strange plotting! I did not like his character one bit. So, just because you get overlooked for a promotion to lieutenant you make this big huge plan to take over and destroy the lives of people, including the innocent Desdemona who he spreads is a cheater? Get over yourself! You are not that important, and I am glad you are sentenced to execution. I felt pity on Roderigo, who showed endless love for Desdemona, but gets tangled into the lies of Iago and ends up being killed, such as do the other characters who Iago involves. Poor Othello, being driven so crazy with manipulation that he kills his beautiful wife who has truly done nothing wrong, and proves her innocent soul when she even tries to help Othello by saying she committed suicide to Emilia. Desdemona truly loved Othello, and he her, but anger and revenge are poison. Iago is the root of all evil in this play, and evil after evil does he commit. I am glad that Emilia tells Othello the truth about Iago once she realizes what she has been drug into. How can she love a husband full of such lies and cruelty anymore? I think she loses her love for him once she realizes the gravity of the situation, hence her throwing Iago under the bus as soon as it hits her. She does not want to be a part of his lies or be seen as having been in any way involved, minus her stealing the handkerchief and giving it to Iago, yet she did not know at the time that this was for evil plotting. What are your feelings on the characters? Do you have pity on any of them? If so, who and why? In opposition, are there any which you particularly disliked? The character relations in this play are intriguing for sure.

                           -BRABANZIO

                               -KING RICHARD

Richard III is full of anger, murder, jealousy, and power hungry men, one of whom shows clearly that he will do anything and everything to take place as King in the throne. While a war is taking place amongst two royal families, it seems all Richard can focus on is how to become King. He proves he will wipe out anyone, including wives, children and other family members to seize this position. My main question here is, did he have the order of killing plotted out ahead of time, or did he just wing it as he went along? I may have missed this detail and it is truly bothering me. If he didn’t plan the order of killing, it worked out for a while in a smart, convenient manner, the way he manipulates Lady Anne into marrying him, having her executed and then marrying his younger niece Elizabeth in order to seize the throne. This is disgusting, but you have to hand it to him that it worked. He isolated so many nobleman, including his only friend Buckingham who seems similar in controlling personality to himself, and has them killed to stay out of his way. I feel the root of his anger and maliciousness draws deep from his deformities and the fact that he is hideous on the outside, sinking deeper into his soul and infecting his entire being. He cannot remain happy while others and he view him as “ugly,” and he hates himself for being so. Self-loathing is a disease which Richard holds, and uses in the most evil of manners. Murder after murder and manipulation after manipulation, Richard tries so hard to hold down his guilt that nearing the end of the play, the ghosts of all whom he has murdered appear to him and warn him that his life will be ending the day after, which it does at war. What do these ghosts represent to others reading this post? I view them as his unresolved guilt and anger, his conscience literally ends up appearing before him. Maybe the ghosts are seeking their revenge by telling him of his death and leading to fear…Does anyone else see a resemblance to Richard III and Macbeth? Overall, this play although sick in nature, allows us to wonder about many questions and held my interest as the reader. I have noticed Shakespeare’s more gory plays tend to get a better response from me.