Thursday, September 6, 2012
I really found our discussion today in class to be very interesting. The thing that absolutely amazed me was the comparison between Iago saying, " I am not what I am" in Othello, and God saying "I am what I am" in the Bible. I think the contrast between the two is really interesting because Iago is the opposite of God because he is so evil, and this quotation confirms that he truly is similar to Satan. The thing I wonder about though is if Shakespeare meant for Iago to say those lines to contrast God saying "I am what I am" or if it has just been interpreted to be that way.
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I agree, I think a lot of things have multiple meanings in all of Shakespeare's work, and I honestly think some things could have no meaning at all except for whats written on the page, but a lot of people in Modern times feel the need to have some sort of interpretation and they try their hardest to find one.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely may go too far in interpretations, but I also believe that there are very few accidents in Shakespeare or in any good writer. That could be what makes them so good!
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed this play so far. Although I see how destructive Iago can be, I find his character very interesting. It's very sly of him to be lying to both Othello and Roderigo: this way he is able to find out more information and in the end gain what he wants. I agree with Caroline about the "I am not what I am" quote. I also loved the contradiction that that statement had with God's words. Right away Shakespeare is giving the reader a glimpse of Iago's sinful and deceitful nature. I am excited to continue to read this play and see how the plot progresses!
ReplyDeleteThe thing for me is this: we don't really know if Iago is truly evil yet. For the most part all we can tell from it all is his words. He's said he's a liar, and he's said how much he hates Othello, but the most he has done was be a tattle tale. For that matter, the one thing he did do he knew that nothing all that terrible would come from it in regards to Othello. I just think it's fun because it leaves a little suspense, because we know Iago's evil because of what Coach Crook has said and the over all reputation of the play. So as of right now we're just waiting for him to do something scandalous.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I would quit talking so much and move along in the play, we could hear and see more of Iago in action!
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