If Othello were White.....

            If Othello were white instead of black, I believe that the play would be different. First, Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, would not disapprove of Othello being with his daughter. Othello and Desdemona would have been able to go to her father and receive permission to be married instead of eloping. I believe this to be true because Othello would be the same color as her and he is of royal descent. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage would be approved by society. In addition to Othello’s relationship with Desdemona being different if he had been white, how Iago treats Othello would vary too.

            Iago would still question Othello, but I think that he would have less hatred toward Othello. He would be more able to accept Othello’s position and his authority. For example, he would see Othello’s experience in war as being beneficial. I still think that Iago would be making up schemes to benefit himself. Iago and Othello would have less tension, and Iago would not loathe Othello. Just as Iago’s personality would change some, Othello’s would too.

            Othello would have more confidence if he were white. He would not be different from everybody else on the outside. For example, people would not be able to make racist comments toward him. Othello would be of royal descent, high rank in the military, and have the beautiful daughter of the senator. If Othello were white instead of black he would still be a man of very high rank and prestige, but he would not have to face the negative and racist remarks.

Iago's Psychologist

            After careful observation of my patient, Iago, I have come to believe that he has many issues going on in his life. Iago uses Roderigo to try to get what he wants. He has told his “friend”, Roderigo, that if he does what he tells him that he will be able to get Desdemona. When in reality, Iago could care less if Roderigo actually gets Desdemona. Iago thinks only of himself and how to get what he wants. I believe that Iago is very determined.  In addition to using Roderigo, Iago also has a very passionate hate for Othello.

            Iago does not understand why Othello would promote Michael Cassio instead of him. Iago has more years of experience than Cassio, and he has been fighting in battles for a longer period of time. He thinks that he should be the lieutenant instead of Michael Cassio who is a nerd and has little battle experience.  It is his goal to see Cassio fall from his lieutenant position.  I believe that he wants the lieutenant position so badly because he has a desire to be superior to everyone else. He has much self confidence. There is reason to believe this because of his childhood. I think that he had a great deal of pressure put on him to achieve more than his own parents achieved. He sees rank as a status symbol and a way to try and please his parents. I believe that Iago’s parents, specifically his mother, is to blame for much of his behavior.

            Iago treats women very poorly, especially his wife, Emilia. For example, he is always talking poorly of his wife and is critical of her actions. In addition, he believes the only things women are good for are having sex and raising children. It is evident that he is a misogynist. I believe that a reason for this could be that he had mother problems growing up. He was probably not very fond of his mother and she set a poor example of ladylike behavior. It is very possible that she slept with many men other than Iago’s father.

            After my evaluation of Iago, I believe that he would benefit from much more therapy. It is important for him to start to realize the way that he treats people and why he does what he does. He needs to start finding things that make him happy in life, so that he has pleasure. Also, I think that he needs to work on his behavior and relationships with his family, friends, and collages. In conclusion, Iago is a patient with extensive relationship problems. In my professional opinion Iago requires ongoing therapy in order to address the issues that he has in his life.

Entry from Desdemona's Diary

Dear Diary,

            The feeling of being in love is one that is indescribable. I have a very deep love for Othello, so much that I eloped with him without the consent of my father. I promise that I will be obedient to him as my mother is to my father. Some people suspect that Othello used magic to put a spell on me that would make me fall in love him. However, I know that this is completely false. He won me over with his sad stories that he shared with me. Othello has gone through so much. He has been fighting in battles since he was a young boy. I have a lot of sympathy for him. Othello has completely won my heart over. I feel great affection toward him. 

            Despite my allegiance and love to Othello, Roderigo continues to yearn for me. Roderigo asked my father if he could have my hand in marriage. Thankfully, my father does not see Roderigo as being fit for me. This does not matter anymore since I am now married to Othello and want to be with him forever. I can see Othello and me starting a family and growing old together. Othello has become my life.   

            He seems to always be on my mind. He is a very strong, brave, and humble man. He makes me happy, despite what others may think of our love for each other. I know that our love is forever and do not regret eloping with him. I love him a lot and will be loyal and listen to his commands as my mother does to my father. I am looking forward to be able to keep my husband, Othello, company in Cyprus. 

            ~Desdemona

Journal #1

When I hear the word Shakespeare, I think of poetry, sonnets, plays, and acting. The first thing that comes to mind is a British Literature class that I took last year. In it we touched briefly on Shakespeare’s works. We looked at some of his sonnets and spent time discussing common themes that Shakespeare used. Also, we talked about his motivation for what he wrote. I specifically think of acting because of Shakespeare in the Schools, an acting group, who come and perform here each year. I remember watching them put on Twelfth Night last year.

Watching people perform Shakespeare‘s plays have made me realize how much an influence Shakespeare has on people. All of the actors and actresses seem very passionate about the roles that they are playing. I think that Shakespeare has made me realize how deep people are and how much we can open up about our thoughts and feelings. A lot of times, we only know people on the outside and do not truly know who they are as a person completely.