Othello - William Shakespeare - So You Haven't Read

Summary

The video explores Shakespeare's 'Othello,' focusing on the character Iago's villainy and manipulation of Othello, a Black general. It dives into the historical context of racism and misogyny in Elizabethan England, the use of blackface in performances, and the devastating consequences of Iago's actions. The narrative emphasizes how prejudice and manipulation lead to tragedy, drawing parallels to modern-day issues. The video also highlights World Anvil, a tool for world-building in storytelling and role-playing games, showcasing its utility in organizing complex narratives.

Takeaways

• 📕 The script is a discussion about the play 'Othello' by William Shakespeare, highlighting its themes of tragedy, racism, and misogyny.
• 📕 Iago, a character in 'Othello', is portrayed as a master manipulator who uses people's prejudices to his advantage, leading to disastrous consequences.
• 📕 The play was initially performed with white actors in the role of Othello, a black character, using blackface until the first black actor, Ira Aldridge, played the role in 1825.
• 📕 Othello's character is depicted as a sympathetic figure who rises from being an enslaved child to a respected general through hard work and intelligence.
• 📕 Desdemona, Othello's wife, is shown to be empathetic and appreciative of Othello's character, which is why she falls in love with him.
• 📕 Iago's scheme involves manipulating Othello into believing that his wife is unfaithful, leading Othello to murder her in a fit of jealousy.
• 📕 The script points out that Iago is honest with the audience about his evil intentions, making him a complex and intriguing villain.
• 📕 The play's themes are still relevant today, as it explores how easily people can be manipulated by their prejudices and fears.
• 📕 The script also discusses the importance of understanding the psychology of evil and the destructive power of hate, as portrayed in 'Othello'.
• 📕 The speaker promotes World Anvil, a tool for world-building used by writers and gamers, emphasizing its utility in organizing and creating detailed narratives.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the play Othello?

The main theme of Othello is the destructive power of jealousy and manipulation, as well as the examination of racism and misogyny in the Elizabethan era.

Who is Iago in the play Othello?

Iago is the villain in Othello, a character who manipulates others with his cunning and deceit, ultimately leading to the tragic downfall of the protagonist, Othello.

Why does Iago harbor such resentment towards Othello?

Iago's resentment towards Othello stems from a combination of personal grievances, including being passed over for a promotion and rumors about Othello's affair with Iago's wife, as well as racial prejudice against Othello being a black man in a position of power.

How does Iago plan to ruin Othello's life?

Iago plans to ruin Othello's life by sowing seeds of doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind about his wife Desdemona's fidelity, using a lost handkerchief as a key piece of evidence in his scheme.

What is the significance of the handkerchief in the play?

The handkerchief is a token of love given by Othello to Desdemona, and its appearance in the possession of another character, Cassio, is used by Iago to create the illusion of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio, leading Othello to jealousy and murder.

How does Iago manipulate Cassio?

Iago manipulates Cassio by planting the handkerchief on him and causing him to get drunk and start a riot, which damages Cassio's reputation and relationship with Othello.

What is the role of Desdemona in the play Othello?

Desdemona is Othello's wife and a character who is portrayed as empathetic and loving. Her tragic death is a result of Iago's manipulations and Othello's jealousy.

How does the play Othello reflect the societal issues of the Elizabethan era?

Othello reflects the societal issues of the Elizabethan era by addressing racism and misogyny, as seen in the treatment of Othello as a black man and Desdemona's lack of agency in a patriarchal society.

What is the significance of the character Emilia in the play?

Emilia, Iago's wife, plays a crucial role in the play as she unknowingly aids Iago's schemes but ultimately exposes his villainy when she reveals the truth about the handkerchief to Othello.

How does Othello's reaction to Desdemona's supposed infidelity highlight his character flaws?

Othello's reaction to Desdemona's supposed infidelity highlights his character flaws by showing his extreme jealousy and impulsiveness, leading him to murder his wife without any substantial proof of her unfaithfulness.

What is the role of World Anvil in the context of the script?

World Anvil is mentioned in the script as a tool for world-building, used by writers and gamers to create, store, and organize their fictional worlds, timelines, and narratives.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Villainous Schemes in Literature

The paragraph explores the concept of literature as a medium to experience different perspectives and worlds, using the character Iago from Shakespeare's 'Othello' as an example. It delves into the motivations of a character who harbors deep resentment towards his boss and plans to undermine him subtly. The narrative focuses on Iago's cunning and manipulative nature, as he seeks to exploit Othello's vulnerabilities to exact his revenge. The paragraph also touches on the historical context of the play, including the racial dynamics and the fact that Othello was initially performed by white actors in blackface. It discusses the tragic consequences of Iago's actions, which not only affect Othello but also lead to the downfall of several characters, including Iago himself.

05:02

🗡️ Tragic Manipulation and its Aftermath

This paragraph continues the analysis of 'Othello' by detailing Iago's villainous plot to destroy Othello's marriage and reputation. It describes how Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful by using a misplaced handkerchief as evidence. The paragraph outlines Iago's strategy, which includes creating a scene of drunkenness, manipulating Cassio, and sowing seeds of doubt in Othello's mind. It culminates in the tragic murder of Desdemona and the eventual unmasking of Iago's scheme by his wife Emilia. The tragic ending sees the deaths of key characters, including Desdemona and Emilia, and the promotion of Cassio, while Iago's actions lead to his own downfall. The paragraph reflects on the play's enduring relevance and its portrayal of manipulation and prejudice.

10:03

🌐 World Building Tools for Creatives

The final paragraph shifts focus from the analysis of 'Othello' to a discussion about the tools available for world-building in creative projects. It introduces World Anvil, a platform designed to help writers and game designers organize and develop their fictional worlds. The speaker shares personal experience with the tool, emphasizing its utility in managing complex narratives and timelines. The paragraph highlights the benefits of World Anvil, such as its interactive map features, organizational capabilities, and the ability to share creations with an audience. A promotional offer for Extra Credits viewers is mentioned, encouraging the use of the platform to enhance world-building endeavors.

Keywords

💡Literature

Literature refers to the body of written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit. In the video, literature is discussed as a medium that allows individuals to experience different lives, perspectives, and worlds. It is used to illustrate the complexity of human emotions and actions, as seen in Shakespeare's 'Othello'.

💡Iago

Iago is a character from Shakespeare's play 'Othello'. He is portrayed as the villain and master manipulator. In the script, Iago's role is highlighted as he plots to ruin Othello's life, showcasing the theme of villainy and the consequences of manipulation.

💡Othello

Othello is both the title of Shakespeare's play and the name of its protagonist, a Moorish general in the Venetian army. The play explores themes of jealousy, betrayal, and racism. In the script, Othello's character is used to discuss the tragic consequences of Iago's manipulations.

💡Villainy

Villainy refers to the quality of being villainous or evil. The script uses the concept of villainy to explore Iago's motivations and actions, emphasizing the destructive nature of his schemes and the tragic outcomes for the characters involved.

💡Manipulation

Manipulation is the act of influencing someone or something in a clever or unscrupulous way. In the context of the video, manipulation is central to Iago's character, as he uses it to sow discord and jealousy, leading to tragic outcomes.

💡Tragedy

Tragedy, in literature, refers to a serious drama that typically describes a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force, such as fate or society, and has a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion. The video discusses 'Othello' as a tightly plotted tragedy with devastating consequences.

💡Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan Era refers to the period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England. The script mentions this era to provide historical context for 'Othello', discussing how societal attitudes towards race and gender influenced the play's creation and performance.

💡Racism

Racism is the belief that one race is superior to others, often resulting in discrimination and prejudice. The video discusses how racism, particularly against Othello's character as a black man, plays a significant role in the play's plot and societal reception.

💡Misogyny

Misogyny is the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women. The script touches on misogyny in the Elizabethan Era, noting that women were not allowed on stage, which affected the casting and portrayal of characters in 'Othello'.

💡World Anvil

World Anvil is a tool mentioned in the script for world-building and storytelling. It is described as a resource for writers and gamers to organize and create detailed worlds for their narratives, which aligns with the video's theme of exploring complex narratives and characters.

💡Jealousy

Jealousy is the feeling of envy and resentment towards someone else's advantages, success, or possessions. In the script, Iago's manipulation of Othello's jealousy is key to the play's tragic plot, demonstrating how destructive emotions can be when exploited.

Highlights

Literature allows us to experience different lives, perspectives, and worlds.

Iago from Shakespeare's Othello is a prime example of a villain who manipulates others' lives.

Othello is a tragic play that explores themes of racism and misogyny in the Elizabethan era.

The first known black actor to play Othello was Ira Aldridge in 1825.

Othello is portrayed as a well-rounded, sympathetic character who rises from enslavement to become a respected general.

Desdemona, Othello's wife, is a character who empathizes with Othello's life experiences.

Iago manipulates the Venetian government into believing Othello has kidnapped Desdemona.

Iago's villainy is driven by jealousy and racial prejudice.

The handkerchief becomes a key element in Iago's plot to make Othello jealous.

Iago's manipulation leads to the tragic downfall of Othello and Desdemona.

Iago is honest with the audience about his evil intentions, making him a complex and intriguing character.

Othello's murder of Desdemona is justified by his love, showing his own flaws as a character.

The play serves as a commentary on how easily people can be manipulated by their prejudices.

World Anvil is a tool for world builders, writers, and gamers to create, store, and organize their world settings.

World Anvil allows creators to track timelines, family trees, and diplomatic relationships within their fictional worlds.

The tool offers interactive elements to enhance storytelling and world building.

World Anvil is suitable for various genres, from sci-fi to historical fiction.

A special discount code 'extra credits' is offered for World Anvil annual memberships.

Transcripts

literature gives us the opportunity to

experience lives perspectives and worlds

different from our own though remember

friend a good story has many readings

and this is but one

oh man you hate your boss so much he

promoted some other dude and there's

rumors about him and your wife but

mainly of course for other reasons so

you've decided to mess with him but

since you don't want everyone thinking

you're some kind of um uh jerk that's it

you're going to have to be pretty sneaky

about it so you buyed your time nursing

your hatred just waiting for fate to

drop an opportunity on your lap and when

Iago the villain in the situation we

just described from William

Shakespeare's Othello finally has an

opportunity to ruin his boss's life he

rains down destruction on pretty much

everyone around him including himself

seriously it's one of the greatest

villain roles of all time so what do you

think will you take the part

there we go villain mode activate

[Laughter]

[Applause]

[Music]

thanks so much to worldanfill for

helping us discuss important worlds in

literature

so you haven't read a fellow by William

Shakespeare oh my friend I am so excited

to share this play with you because it's

truly one of Shakespeare's finest a

tightly plotted machine of tragedy that

churns out one of the most devastating

conclusions of all drama and a look at

how Elizabethan era racism and misogyny

mixed to destroy a whole Community when

Shakespeare wrote Othello around 1604 to

the best of our knowledge there were no

black actors on the main theater circuit

in Elizabeth and England so the first

performer to play the character of

Othello a black man was white and the

second person to play him and the third

and a hundred more and so on in fact the

first black actor to play Othello that

we know of was idra Aldridge in 1825 but

white actors like Lawrence Olivier Orson

Welles and Anthony Hopkins continued to

play Othello almost always in blackface

straight up through the 1980s and of

course as we described in our episode on

Taming of the Shrew women also weren't

allowed on stage in Elizabeth in England

so just for context when the play was

first performed it featured a white

adult man as a fellow and a white

teenaged boy as Desdemona AKA from a

contemporary standpoint not the best

look despite this Shakespeare took pains

to make Othello a well-rounded

sympathetic character who Rose from an

enslaved child to a courageous

tactically brilliant General through

working harder and being smarter than

everyone around him actually his

ill-fated bride Desdemona falls in love

with him because unlike her

contemporaries she empathizes with some

of his life experience and recognizes

his true character which of course makes

the inevitable tragedy all the more

painful and you my villainous friend are

going to be the one that brings that

pain you ariago ends into Othello a

general in the Venetian Army though not

just any general mind you he is a more

and wow you detest him maybe it's

because he recently promoted another

Soldier Cassio instead of you or maybe

it's because he was falsely rumored to

have had an affair with your wife or

really let's just be honest about it you

don't like him because he's black also

Othello has recently secretly married

desdem Mona daughter of a Venetian

Senator oh you know what you could

probably use that against him you

sneakily get the Venetian government all

up in arms because a black man has

kidnapped hard air quotes there

Desdemona so Othello is dragged before

the Senate where he very reasonably

tells the story of how he and Desdemona

genuinely fell in love which she

confirms and the Senate uneasily agrees

that this marriage was by Mutual Choice

besides you know they really need

Othello to lead Venice against the war

with the Turks because he's like the

only one that can win this war so now

Othello's crew including you and your

wife are headed to Cyprus to go to

battle well looks like your scheme's

been foiled huh but then you have a

stroke of good luck see Desdemona

accidentally drops a special

handkerchief that Othello had given her

as a token of his love your wife Amelia

innocently brings it to you but oh she

doesn't know that you formulated a

wicked handkerchief themed scheme using

your Miss begotten spoils you launch

into a plot aimed at making a Othello

murderously jealous you start by

planting the handkerchief on your rival

Casio and then tricking Cassio into

getting so drunk that he starts a riot

ruining his relationship with Othello

next you give Cassio advice that he

should get Desdemona on his side so that

she'll help him get back in her

husband's good graces yeah I think I can

see where this is going and lastly you

start pouring poisonous words into a

fellow's ear a hint about Cassio and

Desdemona here and accusation there oh

and would you look at that Cassio seems

to have that special handkerchief I mean

Desdemona must have given it to him

right Othello soon the general is

absolutely convinced that his faithful

wife is having an affair with his good

friend he then vows to murder them both

and you full of fake empathy reluctantly

in quotes offer to help him now you and

your henchmen fail in your attempt to

murder Cassio though Cassio does manage

to mortally wound your minion so at

least that guy won't snitch huh

meanwhile a fellow goes to desdemon his

room turns out the light and tells her

he's going to kill her for being

unfaithful she's stunned that he would

think that about her but because of your

poisonous words he no longer believes

anything she says and he smothers her to

death with a pillow in her bed and then

the Venetian authorities arrive to

discover you Amelia and Othello all by

desdemona's corpse Othello starts to

recount his justification for murdering

Desdemona and as you get to the detail

of the handkerchief Amelia suddenly

realizes that you're behind all of this

she accuses you and relates all of the

facts she knows which paints you as The

Mastermind of this plot so you in turn

murder her in front of everyone

realizing now that he's been tricked

Othello wounds you in an attempt to take

your life and as authorities prepare to

take you and Othello away he manages to

produce another knife and kills himself

so just taking a moment to look at the

scoreboard here Desdemona and your own

wife Amelia are now dead Cassio is now

going to be promoted to General and of

course the war or is still going on but

you got your revenge on a fellow you

know revenge for him being a black man

in a position of power over you cool

cuckoo cuckoo cool part of the horror of

this play is that Shakespeare has

written Iago to be the audience's

surrogate in the story he charms us like

he charms the people that he manipulates

in this world and what's worse he's

completely honest with us about his evil

intent he acknowledges that the people

he's hurting are pretty blameless when

kind of Revels in their misery and while

he's the instigator of all of this

sorrow he's able to make it all happen

because he has a keen understanding of

people he knows how to play on

Misfortune prejudices and insecurities

in ways that make others believe in

absurdities and commit atrocities indeed

Iago plays on Othello's jealousy so

completely that the general doesn't even

take a moment to reflect that there

would have been no time for Desdemona

and Cassio to even have an affair it's

also worth pointing out that Othello is

no hero himself in all of this he

straight up murder his wife for her

fictional infidelity and even when he

realizes the truth he justifies it by

saying he did it because he loved too

well in quotes now the authorities don't

approve of him killing his wife of

course but all Shucks you know they

totally understand why a noble Soul like

Othello would have to do something like

that if she cheated you know not to

judge elizabethan's by contemporary

standards of course but you know cool

again cool cool Google

Othello remains one of the most powerful

painful examples of Shakespearean

tragedy even 400 years later and sadly

the story of a con manipulating people's

prejudices in order to achieve his own

selfish ends is still all too relevant

today but when we explore this by

catching a performance or reading a copy

of the script we can witness for

ourselves how Shakespeare captures the

psychology of evil and the destructive

power of hate so precisely and heck

maybe if more of us climbed aboard the

Othello Express to tragedyville we all

might be a little less quick to jump on

various hate bandwagons when they roll

into a propaganda station I know that

analogy wasn't the best but look we

can't all be Shakespeare right go read

the play it's really good and look I

know that analogy wasn't the best but we

can't all be Shakespeare right though

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