Become any character in one of these three ways (300+ words & 30 points):
- Write your thoughts as you are off the screen/stage. What is bothering you? What do you know? What do you not know? What are you pleased about?
- Write an autobiography of your past, prior to the action where Othello starts. Where are you from? What has your life been like? Who has been good/bad to you? What has happened to you to shape your current behavior and thinking?
- Write what a bystander (really minor character not even mentioned in play) would be thinking, observing, but not saying. Why are you not intervening? What should you do, but cannot because you are not important enough? (I had a student be a spider in a corner once; you could be a guard, friend, maid--let's see who is creative.)
Characters to choose from:
Othello
Iago
Desdemona
Roderigo
Cassio
Emilia
Montano
Brabantio
Bianca
Lodovico
Duke of Venice
82 comments:
P. 3
Hello my name is Roderigo. I came from a small town hidden in the high altitude of the Apennine Mountains. When I was a very small boy my mother sent me to Venice with a group of travelers to try and get me a better life. She thought that they would take care of me and be able to feed me since we were so poor, but in reality what I got was a much worse life then I could have ever imagined. The men she sent me with abandoned me when they left town to search for more treasures and wealth but they had no need for a five year old boy. So I ended up living on the streets eating scrapes of food that people had thrown out . No one would help me until when I was about six years old a little, old women brought me into her house and watched after me. She made sure that I had a good education and knew how to be polite and proper to my fellow gentlemen. She watched after me till I was only seventeen when she finally died and I missed her very much. She had enough money when she died to make sure I wouldn’t go hungry. I eventually sought a job so one day I could support my own family. One day when I was out looking for a job I ran into this beautiful woman named Desdemona who was perfect in every way. She was polite and had the softest features. I fell in love with her the second I had laid eyes on her. But unfortunately she was the daughter of a powerful senator who thought I wasn’t good enough for her daughter. I was so furious with him I just couldn’t give up. I would never give up. I knew one day I would have her in my arms if it was the last thing I knew. So when I finally did find a job I met a man named Iago. I had told him of my problems and he said he knew a way he could help. And that is where my story really begins…..
Period 3
If I were in the play Othello as a minor character I would be a wannabe royal. I know it all I know everything about anything that is going on, a gossip queen.
Scene: In the begging of the play when Rodrigo and Iago are outside Barbantio’s home trying to wake him to tell him about the wedding of Desdemona and Othello.
Why is Iago making a fool of Rodrigo? He knows that Desdemona is in love with Othello obviously, she married him. (As Rodrigo and Iago are yelling) What on earth are they doing wakeing Barbantio and telling of what Desdemona has done will cause mayhem. Those pigs they should just mind their own business and let Desdemona and Othello tell Barbantio when they are good and ready. What a couple of fools only care about themselves and nobody ells, now all hell is going to break loose.
Scene: Othello has just returned to Cyprus after winning the war.
O come on do we really need to watch this make out session? It may have been a while since Othello has seen his new wife Desdemona but go somewhere private instead of rubbing your happy rich life in our faces. Look at Iago standing back towards the corner what is he thinking? I just know that he is plotting a way to break Desdemona and Othello up giving Rodrigo the thought that he will have a chance with Desdemona even though he never will. I need to find out what Iago’s wife thinks about his behavior and what she thinks about him never being home and being out at all hours of the night. But, if I give away what I know then I could be in some trouble and forced to tell everyone. But, what if Desdemona and Othello are harmed by whatever Iago has planned then I won’t be able to live with myself. Great… what do I do?
Arielle--Love the research (Apennine Mountains) and the "accurate," meaning plausible, background of Roderigo. The woman who adopted him must have owned land, right? He is going to sell all his land to pay Iago and to fund his trip to Cyprus, all in hopes of getting Desdemona to love him. Sad story. Shakespeare borrowed this story, actually, but then he made it truly great with his language.
Nicole--You show true knowledge of the play thus far. Also, there is no doubting the depth to which you understand how rumors and deceit operate. People can be awful to each other, can't they? (I detest the way I've acted at times, even.)
prd.5
The character I am is Roderigo when I am offscreen.
I am currently paying Iago to help me win the woman of my dreams. That of course is Desdemona. I have essentially sold everything I own and dedicated my whole life to Iago's plan for getting Desdemona. At the moment she is married to Othello but Iago has convinced me that I am not wasting my money and that she and I will be together. Whenever I have doubts of the success of Iago's tactics he convinces me that I should remain patient and trust him. I am annoyed right now because I am running out of money and patience. Iago found out that Desdemona has recently grew attracted to Cassio and was getting sick of Othello. This is both good and bad. It shows that she can fall in love with other man and hopefully that can be me. It also shows me that I have Cassio to deal with now. Cassio has since been disgraced and taken care of by me and Iago. I want to fully believe everything Iago tells me but there is something about him that makes me worried. He seems very honest and interested in my cause but I dont know if he has hidden motives and if those motives are what really drives him. All I know is that I love Desdemona and Iago is happy to help. I love so much that I will continue to pursue her as long as Iago says I can still with her. I pleased to know that Iago thinks that we will be together. Also I am happy to see that Cassio has been taken out of the picture. I pray that me and Desdemona will ultimitaly be together and I will not stop trying to get her until I know for certain that my efforts would be futile.
Hello, my name is Desdemona. I live a life everyone dreams of living. I am the rich girl. The girl everyone thinks has it perfect. Money never has a factor in anything I do in my life. My dad can get me whatever I need whenever I want it. To my dad I am his little angel, the perfect child every parent dreams of having. It is to perfect for me. My mom died when I was young, so I never have had that 'motherly' firgure in my life. The only women in my life are my friends, who help me out alot. I have alot of friends, I do well in school, and I have a huge house. Im the girl everyone always wants to hang out with and be around, but they actually do not understand the life I have to live. My father thinks I have it all perfect, but it is all to perfect to me. Really I hate my life, I hate how everything has to be given to me. There is something I just really want to do, just to make my father upset with me for once in my life. Right now my life seems to be going no where. My father chooses everything I get to do and knows about every little thing I do. If I try to sneak something, he will catch me. I cannot get away with anything. Every night before bed, he comes and tucks me in and kisses my forehead. For all I know, he has my whole life planned. Including what I will look like, who I will marry, and how many kids I will have. I want to make all these choices on my own. I want to do something that will shock him. My plan is to run off and marry a man that he does not know. One night after he tucks me in, im going to sneak out of my window and travel on a small canoe. Im going to run off and get married. The man of my dreams is black in skin color and will be waiting for me acrossed the river. My father is going to be so shocked and I do not know what he will do. I will be happily married to Othello and will be able to start living my own life, the life I have always dreamed about living.
Hello, my name is Michael Cassio. I'm sexy, young, and very good friends with Desdemona. I don't hold my liquor very well and tend to do stupid things when under the influence. I lost my place as lieutenant for Othello after a drunken fight that damaged my reputation. To restore my reputation, my honest friend Iago helped me by using his comforting words and advice. His advice was to be better friends with Desdemona because she obviously wears the pants her relationship with Othello. I found this to be a good way of getting my place as lieutenant back. I would never flirt with Desdemona, she is like a sister to me, but I do need to suck up to her in order to restore my reputation. I know Iago is the best of friends I could ever have, he is always honest, and always has the best advice for the worst situations. He seems to be there for everyone.
I think that so far this play has been really interesting. Shakespeare’s style in his plays is to start the action right away. I don’t really like that he starts right into the action with Othello already marring Desdemona. I wish we were given more exposition on these characters. During the movie I am confused on which character is which and cant keep straight who is telling who to do what. And what significance each character plays. I don’t understand Montano’s role in the fight scene with Casio very much right now. But I hope that it ties in later. I don’t understand also how Iago and Othello become good friends so quickly. Is he hanging around Othello because he wants attention? Or were they good friends before that. It really bothers me about how two faced Iago is. Othello thinks he is nice and favors Casio but in reality he hates him. I also don’t really understand why Iago is “unscrewing” everyone’s business. Is it just because he wants Casio’s job as a Captain? Why is he helping Rodrigo? Why is Rodrigo in disguise during the fight against the Turks. I am pleased to see the movie follow the text closely and the movie using most of the old English language. The movie does simplify the language a bit for the movie-goer to understand. I think the plot is very intricate. There are a lot of things that Iago does to mix everything up. He has to lie to a lot of people and he is doing a good job of telling which people what. I really like how he talks to the audience. It’s very unusual to be connected with the villain in the show. The first glance that we get from Iago is very unexpected and sets the entire stage for him to talk to us. It’s a interesting break from the action in the movie. But it helps the watcher get into his mind and helps figure out his whole plot.
I have been independent since a very young age, of course I had to be. My father left my family of six children and my mother, for another young mudrat he found in the gutters of our run-down neighborhood, immediately following my birth. I was the youngest of the six children. My mother would work everyday from dusk til dawn selling flowers to passerbys on the busy streets of Venice, where she would receive very little pay but much disrespect and disapproval from the men and the wealthy crowd of the city. My older brothers would also work all day, and spend their nights in the local bars scrounging for spilt alcohol and left-over food, ever since they were nearly eleven. My sisters were just as disgusting as my brothers. They would play in the muddy gutters on the sides of our alley, and spend the rest of the day looking for young boys to latch onto. As for me, I would walk down to the marketplace and find a place to sit. I would then watch. I would watch the way the people acted, the way they treated others, and they way they interacted with the other people in society. I learned a lot from my days watching the Vennetian people roam the streets. I discovered who was treated respectibly and who was not, and tried to figure out why. I studied the way the respectable people acted, and how they gained this respect. Of course, when I was a young lad, I did not realize I was really doing all this studying, but later realized I knew a lot about people they did not realize I knew. As I grew older I began staying out later, and finding myself in the corners of bars and entrances to brothels. There again, I found myself learning a lot about people, but also about alcohol, and how vulnerable it made a man. Believe me, I had watches, jackets, and money, that these men never knew they were missing usually until morning. I learned drunk men to be stupid, vulnerable to anything, rather giving, but also extremely aggressive. One night I decided to watch the wealthy crowd as they dispersed from an evening show at the opera. I was leaning against a pillar, when a wealthy young woman approached me and sparked a conversation. Her name was Emilia. I had just stolen an expensive leather jacket from a man at the bar the night before, and therefore she believed I was of decent economical status. That night Emilia fell in love with me, and eventually I asked for her hand in marriage. After all, I was growing older and had needs that I wanted met. I was not entirely fond of Emilia, she rather bored me actually, but her father was fond of me and drowned me in riches. Through these riches is how I found myself in the government position I held until the start of Othello. Who am I? Well, Iago of course.
pd.5
I am Iago off-screen. I am the master manipulator that has everyone eating out of the palm of my hand. I am however still hurt by Othello’s choice to promote Cassio instead of me. This is why I will use my wit to destroy Cassio, Othello, and anyone else in the way. I know many things that will help me with my plot. First of all Rodrigo will do what ever I say and his love for Desdemona is useful for now. I know that Brabantio does not approve of Othello’s marriage to his daughter Desdemona and believes that she will cheat on him. I also see that Desdemona and Cassio have become good friends in Othello’s absence. These are all things I can use to my advantage to take down Othello. I am not sure how my plot will play out, but it is worth a shot…Now that Othello is back I am ready to put my plan into action. Tonight at the party I will get Cassio drunk and fetch Rodrigo after him in hopes that he will fight and make a fool of himself…My plan could not be going any better now. After I got Cassio drunk Rodrigo tried to pick a fight with him only to ultimately fight Montano. This could not have turned out better. When I finally break them up, after trying so hard, Othello comes down and asks what is going on. Cassio can’t talk because he is so ashamed and Montano injured. So that leaves me to tell the story. I don’t want to have to tell the story because Cassio is my good friend, but I tell Othello exactly what happened. When Othello hears the whole story he slaps Cassio and demotes him. After this Cassio comes to me of all people for advice of what he must do to earn Othello’s trust once again. After I convince him that he must get on Desdemona’s good side, he tells me how good and trustworthy I am. Then I must convince Rodrigo to stay in Cyprus and not return to Venice. This isn’t very hard considering how dumb and gullible he is. And finally I am able to sleep on my success and think about what an honorable man I am, just like everyone says.
Right--Iago says that it would hurt his tongue to speak ill of Cassio! A real friend, true and honest. But Othello forces Iago to tell the story as it happened. Iago simply leaves out that he hazed Cassio, persuaded Roderigo to start the fight, then did not break it up when Montano defended himself (plus, Iago convinced Roderigo to go around bellowing "Mutiny!" to wake and draw Othello to the scene). Iago is so dang good at being bad.
Roderigo speaking to himself:
Being in love with Desdemona is a hard thing for me. I love her so much but her father, Brabantio, will not grant me permission to see her, and now she has gone and gotten married to that black man, Othello. I have to try to come up with a plan to win her over. I have multiple things that are bothering me, but the one that stands out the most is Othello. He is a great warrior, and has the woman of my dreams. I know that Brabantio does not want me to be with his daughter and that I will need the help of my friends to help me get Desdemona to be my woman. I have no idea what Iago's plan is to make that happen, but I do have faith in him that he will help me out as much as he can. I am definitely pleased that he is making an effort to help me. I like how he always has another idea of what to do after his previous one had failed. He is being a great guy and I am desperate to get Desdemona. I am pleased that Iago is always willing to come up with another plan for the sake of me and Desdemona. I am kind of thinking that I will never get Desdemona and that I should lose all hope. But since Iago is so willing to help, I will keep on going and trying to get Desdemona to be mine. My life right now, in my opinion, is not as good as I would like it to be. I would like to have Desdemona to be mine, but I am having doubts about Iago’s plan. I guess I will soon find out what may come of all this.
The other day I was walking through the street when I saw a bunch of men drinking and having a grand time. All of the sudden Cassio decided he had had enough to drink and decided to go and keep watch. He said he wasn't drunk, but I could tell he was. He was walking away from the group, when all of the sudden some other drunk went and started fighting Cassio. Cassio, being prideful and drunk, fought back. He stumbled as he tried to fight the lowly soldier. I don't remember much, it was very sudden, but I remember Montano trying to settle Cassio down. Montano did not do the best to settle him down though, because Cassio became even more upset, and started fighting Montano too. I heard someone screaming "Mutiny, mutiny!" Cassio had stabbed Montano. Othello came down and asked what was happening, but Cassio and Montano didn't want to talk. Iago told Othello what had happened. After Othello was told what had happened, he fired Cassio. While he was firing Cassio, his new wife, Desdemona came down. They were both dressed as if they had just come from bed. Desdemona looked very confused. There was blood everywhere from Montano's wound. Poor Cassio looked so sad. It's so sad that he doesn't hold alcohol very well. I felt as if I should have intervened so that Cassio did not get into any trouble, but I knew he would just get madder, and eventually I would be hurt. I should have pulled Montano back, but it was his fight, not mine. I wonder why honest Iago didn’t do anything. He seems to be such a good friend; he helps everybody with all of their problems. I wish I could have a friend like him. This was a very startling experience.
The other day I was walking through the street when I saw a bunch of men drinking and having a grand time. All of the sudden Cassio decided he had had enough to drink and decided to go and keep watch. He said he wasn't drunk, but I could tell he was. He was walking away from the group, when all of the sudden some other drunk went and started fighting Cassio. Cassio, being prideful and drunk, fought back. He stumbled as he tried to fight the lowly soldier. I don't remember much, it was very sudden, but I remember Montano trying to settle Cassio down. Montano did not do the best to settle him down though, because Cassio became even more upset, and started fighting Montano too. I heard someone screaming "Mutiny, mutiny!" Cassio had stabbed Montano. Othello came down and asked what was happening, but Cassio and Montano didn't want to talk. Iago told Othello what had happened. After Othello was told what had happened, he fired Cassio. While he was firing Cassio, his new wife, Desdemona came down. They were both dressed as if they had just come from bed. Desdemona looked very confused. There was blood everywhere from Montano's wound. Poor Cassio looked so sad. It's so sad that he doesn't hold alcohol very well. I felt as if I should have intervened so that Cassio did not get into any trouble, but I knew he would just get madder, and eventually I would be hurt. I should have pulled Montano back, but it was his fight, not mine. I wonder why honest Iago didn’t do anything. He seems to be such a good friend; he helps everybody with all of their problems. I wish I could have a friend like him. This was a very startling experience.
I am Iago, the evil mastermind behind all of the problems going on. I try to act oblivious to most things but nothing slips past me. I see everything. I also know how to get what I want when I want it. I understand that Brabantio doesn't approve of his daughters marriage so I will use this for my gain, although at this point I do not know how this will be. I also know that Roderigo will do anything to get Desdemona, even listen to my advice. I can get what I wan't out of Roderigo because he is using his heart and not his brain. Who in their right mind would sell everything to pursue a married woman anyway? Everything seems to be going according to plan as far as the Cassio situation is concerned. He has fallen for my scheme and helping me immensely. All I had to do to get Cassio to do something stupid was start him drinking. Now I will play Othello just like I play everybody else. My reverse pyschology is working perfectly. After I have gotten Roderigo to pick a fight with Cassio, Othello comes down. This is when I treat Othello like a total buffoon. Now that I have damaged Cassio so badly, he will come to me for advice. This is my chance to screw him over to where nothing can be done to heal him, possibly because he is dead. I will tell Cassio that to get back on Othellos good side he must warm up to Desdemona. Cassio, not using his brain, will then get Othello very protective and jealous. Othello will release the full force of his wrath to punish little sexy Cassio who is hitting on his wife. What really gives me satisfaction though is knowing that everyone thinks I am an honoragble person.
Hi my name is Iago. I am from Venice, Italy and I know this beautiful city forwards and backwards. It's where I've lived my whole life. I know the all about the famous buildings, the food, the culture and most importantly- the people. I also know they are jealous of me. I am handsome and noble. When I was 8 months old my father left my family and my mother was forced to raise me on her own. I was a problem child for her always causing mischief anyway I could. My motive was to cause chaos because it was amusing to me. I was poor throughout my life because my mother had a hard time caring for me juggling two low paying jobs. I enjoyed the thrill of sneaking out at nights and disobeying my mother's rules. My mother was good to me but she wasn't home much so she never saw what I did. I didn't have a father figure to whip me into shape and be tough on me growing up, so whatever conflict I started; I would get away with. My mother just couldn't handle me. I cared about my mother but she was the only one. Now, I'm 35 years old and secretly causing conflicts only I know about. I am ordered everyday by the duke and others to do things for them. I don't get any credit either. Rodreigo wants Desdemona but doesn't think he has a chance. I'm the one who boosted his confidence and told him to go to war and chase after her. I'm the one who tells Cassio to be nice to Desdemona to win back his blue sash and earn his reputation as Othello's lietenant again. I'm the one who reminds Othello that Cassio may be going after his wife and that Desdemona may love him after all. I told him their marriage may be out of lust rather than love. I proceed speaking of Othello's possible jealousy. I love conflict! I will continue telling lies until someday I can reign and be something of myself. Everyone believes me. I want power of my own and the way I intend on conquering that is to cause so much conflict that tensions will rise to the point of no return. I am a jealous person my self and I want upmost power of this kingdom.
period 5
My name is Iago, and I have had a very troubled life years ago to where the present is corrupted by jealousy. I was born in very small town, I did not know whom gave birth to me since my mother had died during child birth. My father I did know, and I wish I had never met him. He from what I had been told had changed once my mother had perished, he became a different man and started grieve and he slowly started to have entirely new persona. My childhood was quite different I would read many books until my father had came home drunk and decided to beat me, he would tell me that life is filled corruption and jealously is the only way to live. The only way live in this world is by ruining people’s lives before they ruin yours; do not let yourself get caught up with the traditional values with friends or your loved ones, focus on your life. He had died years later after drowning in the ocean when he fell overboard and was too drunk to save himself. Although my father was indeed a fool; he did have point, almost everyone that I could think of may have a good life in the beginning but ultimately had ended when there was some conflict. So from there on I had began to manipulate the people I brought close to me thinking that I am their friend. In reality I’m just starting to unveil my web in trying to benefit from all of the conflict revolving around them. One little comment can change the entire person whether it would be telling them having one more drink or telling them to be patient. Money is not a severe concern in my part but if I don’t mind earning some profit from all of this, I befriended a man named Rodrigo is deeply in love with Desdomona. She will never be interested with a man like Rodrigo but this would be a good way to earn a living by simply manipulating him, giving the wrong advice on purpose, and take all of his money. The money I earn will not go to my wife whom I barely speak to anymore; she is of no value to me, she is simply refuse. Maybe what I am doing is wrong but the people must know that not everyone is lucky to have a great life and we all should see through the barrier of what is right and wrong. I am Iago.
pd. 5
Hi. I am Desdemonas servent. I take notice to everything that is going on even though they have no idea. I have noticed that Iago seems a little fishy. Maybe a little too nice. I dont know I feel that hes up to something. Does he have a plan? Or is he just weird. I want so badly to tell Desdemona to tell Othello that something seems up with Iago. I just feel like she will not believe me since i am but a servant and Iago is so much higher up in rank than me. Maybe if we become closer I can bring it up to her. Or maybe even talk to Othello. I dont want either of them to get hurt. Ive also noticed that Cassio takes a great liking to Desdemona, but I dont think she would ever be unfaithful to Othello who she is deeply in love with. Every man want to be with her and Othello just has to relize it and notice how lucky he is. Its obvious that Desdemona is not wanting to be with anyone else. They are so happy when they are together. I always see Iago and Roderigo talking and such... I dont know.... doesnt seem right. Iago seems like he wants to be close to everybody.. why?? I also noticed how Bianca takes a great liking towards Cassio. I wander if there is something there that others dont know. Me and her are somewhat friends since were both kind of servants and all.. but she just seems like she is more important. I wonder if her and Cassio will be together. Or maybe hes afraid since she is not as high in rank as him and it will make him look bad. Ive known Desdemona for a while and I know Brabantio was not a huge fan of her being with Othello. But over the years I have noticed how strongly he loves her and how much he just wants her to be happy. I guess I will just need to keep an eye on everything and if something starts to seem really long maybe i will just have to tell someone. People dont even notice I am here so hopefully they dont notice that I am keeping a look out for Desdemona.
7
My name is Othello and i have been to hell and back. The day I was born my father was killed for no reason and so they left us just me and my mom. Once at the age of 3 my mom left me alone all day and night to work the streets as a prostitute. She made money to buy bread and milk for us to live off. At the age of 9 I left home to train with the best and go to war. I knew it was my destiny to be a war hero but i didn't know when. Once I ran into trouble in the streets where there was 25 men against me. I slayed them all right there where the duke of Venice was walking. He walked up to me and asked me my name. I said Othello. He said i was to become a genreal in his army and fight for Venice. At last my dream was coming true. We went to war with everybody and i was captured to become a slave. I was stuck to the fields for 7 years until one day i killed the master and took everybody with me back to Venice to work in my army. Once i returned the Duke was supprised to know i was even alive. Brabantio walked around with me asking me about my story and I told him. Once we approched my house i saw a goddess named Desdemona and I was deterimend to marry her with or with out her fathers permission. We talked and she fell in love with me. The rest is in the book all about me. My name is Othello
My character would be Desdemona. My father Brabantio has cared for me in my home town of Venice. When I was growing up I was treated as a goddess because of my family’s wealth. I have been brought up proper with manners drilled into my head so that I would never be embarrassing to my family. My family has kept me sheltered through out my childhood, making sure that I do not stray away from my class and wealth. My father and mother pushed me into meeting suitors in hopes to find my future husband that could support me and raise my status. They pushed these suitors on me as soon as I was “of age.” I always sought rebellion. I would sneak out at night and made friends that were lower in class than I am. I hated being surrounded by people who were fake and pretended to be largely interested in the weather. I wanted adventure.
Off screen:
When I am not acting fake around my father’s friends, I like to talk to the locals. See what the newest rumors that are about wealthy and have a good time. I also love to talk to Othello, my husband. He entertains me with exciting stories and makes me laugh with his charm. I find his friends and workers friendly and helpful. They help me stay sane and make me laugh while Othello is off working. I some times feel ignorant to what is going around me. It makes me a little suspicious of people who work closely with Othello. Iago has a mind of his own and sometime I have a feeling he’s playing us.
Bystander: ( Iago’s horse)
Man oh man, this guy Iago is insane. He never sleeps! He has me running around to place to place all night and day. I’m exhausted. He obviously doesn’t have a social life. Yes, he likes to talk to people but he never really says anything for himself. He also hangs out with this guy with a fake beard that just looks horrible! Beardo over here is weirdo. He runs around watching people and talking to Iago. He randomly gets all depressed until he meets with Iago and then he runs off again acting overly happy about another random idea. Iago also loves to talk to this guy named Cassio. Cassio is another odd ball. He is some big military guy that hangs out with Othello. I see him drinking at night while Iago is pushing more and more drinks at him. He also has an eye for the pretty lady name Desdemona. I can tell something is up with this Iago fellow. He loves to talk to himself about crazy ideas and about spiders… and webs? I obviously can’t say anything, otherwise, I would.
I was born in Venice, Italy. My family called me Iago. I loved to go to school, to learn and read. In Venice, there had such beautiful waters. The waves crashed. It sounded like music to me. When I was 7 years old. My father tried to teach me how to be fight. He yelled and beat me. The bruises were everywhere on my body. I wanted to be alone and quiet. My mother wouldn't defend me because if she did, my father would beat her too. I was so afraid, and I hid in a cove by the ocean so I can hear it's music. One day, my father was so angry because I was gone for two days. He beat me until I was near death. I started to feel angry. I wanted revenge! So I planned for a long time. When there was the perfect time to make my revenge, I acted. I tried to convince my father to go to someplace so there would be no suspicion on me. Then my father went there and no one else was around. I killed him. The people thought the Turks killed him. My plan worked! I can do it again against Othello because I am the flag bearer but, I should be general! Othello stole that position from me. I deserved to be general, not him! I know how to plan and fight! I felt so angry, the sane anger as when I was child. When Othello married Desdemona, the planning started....
Pd. 5
My name is Iago. I am supposedly on everybodys side, but in all actuallity i am on my side and my side only. I am trying to help my "best" friend Roderigo get Desdemona, but only because i want his money not because i want to help out a friend. I am also upset about the fact that Othello promoted Cassio over me, so I am planning to stab Cassio in the back to get him demoted. Also while screwing up Cassio's life I am making Othello upset and really stressed out and he thinks Cassio is having an affair with his wife. So basically my purpose is to raise hell throughout the town. I am sick of being in 2nd place and now it is my time to shine. I know that i will be able to pull this off because everyone loves and respects me so it will be easy. Especially because i already have everyone eating out of the palm of my hand. I am from Venice. I have had a life full of many oportunities, but havent executed them to my fullest capabilities. I have just kind of coasted my way through life using people to help me along. No one has been bad to me, but no one has been good either. They are nice to me but dont give me the credit i deserve. So finally i get pushed over the top by people not listening to me and respecting me. Now it is my turn to play the cards! If i was a bystander watching this all go down I would probably be upset to see how easy it is to manipulate people. I would also probably be afraid to get on Iagos bad especially after seeing what he does to those he dislikes. I should probably tell the truth to Othello or Brabantio but i am not daring enough to, because i am a Kansas song (Dust In the Wind), and I blow all over the place and see everything. But at the same time i cant tell anything that i have seen to anyone, so all of the knowledge i have about everyone is a waste because nobody will ever know what i know.
Nick P. Per.5
The youngest of three boys, i've never been able to live up to my parents expectations. My two older brothers were alike in that they were the epitome of masculinity, both joined the army where they succeeded in quickly escalating into the most respected positions. Constantly bearing the burden of trying to be as successful as my brothers has taken it's toll. I too joined the army, hoping to gain the affection of my parents, but failed. I'm an unknown soldier of the lowest ranking. Right when I was beginning to think that all hope was lost, I laid eyes upon her. Desdemona. My sweet Desdemona. Now i've lost all interest in pleasing others, my one and only concern is to have Desdemona. All that prevents this from happening is The Moor, Othello. To overcome this obstacle I have requested help from my good friend Iago, he is an honest man with an unlimited amount of advice. I don't even mind that his services are costing me most of my income. With his help Desdemona will be mine. I Rodrigo will prove all those who ever doubted me wrong.
Pd.1
I am Othello.
As I think upon this I am thus troubled. Does she truly love me? I want to believe tis true but I can not be sure. I should be confident in my thoughts, for why should she have eyes for anyone but me? I know she has picked me to be her husband, so she must have reasons. Iago is a good man; he would not lead me astray. He is well known throughout the city as having an impeccable reputation. Cassio was once a great friend of mine, but now I doubt him, would he truly have eyes for my Desdemona? I can not let this be set aside in my mind, I must find out if tis true that there is something between them. I love Venice and I love my life, but I am not sure what is to come. Will there be another war? I do not know if I can trust Desdemona enough to leave her behind again. Is Brabantio telling the truth? Is Desdemona truly unfaithful? I am not certain what to believe anymore. I have no reason not to believe Iago, although I truly do not want to. Should I say anything to her? What shall I do? I am so lost in thought. I should not doubt her love; it only weakens my trust for her. I should not be jealous it will tear me apart. It is so hard to not think upon these matters. I shall leave matters to themselves and trust my wife for she does not deserve to be questioned. Before Iago mentioned it, things were fine; I should not worry over someone else’s words. I can find out for myself what tis true and what is false. I shall not think upon this anymore, I need to think about more important matters that are at hand.
PD 7
I'm Brabantio sitting here waiting for my daughters return to Venice. She has been away with her new "love". I know she isn't really in love with this Moore named Othello and I am convinced he used his black magic to sway my dear Desdemona into loving him. I just can not accept the love between the two and the fact that they snuck away in the middle of the night and she thought she would need no approval from me what so ever, her own father. This love will not last I'm sure of it and I will not for one moment think it’s the real thing and accept Othello into my family. Father's are told to want what is best for children and let them do what makes them happy, but I can not do this for Desdemona and her choices she has made here. I know deep down that this is only temporary happiness and will not be what is best for her in the long run. I also feel that she knows this too and will soon find that she can love a white man even better. Othello will be deceived just as I was by her and that is just the facts of life, she is a woman and can never make up her mind. It will all come out in time. So as I sit back here in Venice waiting for their return I must think of something to get rid of this animal in her life and break his spell over her he has put. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sweet little girl very much and would never want to bring pain into her life but she needs to realize that she is not thinking her choices through and could really use some guidance, if only her mother were here.
I am a servant standing by, watching every move of Iago. I have caught on very quickly to his evil plan. I stay behind and hide myself because I want to witness all that goes on and it would be terrible to get caught. I would not want to get into the middle of anything because who knows what back-stabbing Iago could do to me. If I had the authority, as Othello does, I would have taken Iago out by now. Just the sight of him makes me sick now, how can anyone be so wicked? It just seems like everyone is so blind to what is actually going on. I have observed that Iago cannot be trusted. He is great at lying and making up his stories. He is also great at saying the nicest things about people to make them believe he is so innocent and sweet in a sense. I plan to continue to watch his every move and listen to his plans and to somehow find a way to have him caught. I believe in the saying "What goes around comes around" so therefore I think he's got it coming. Othello and Desdimona have never done anything to him so I don't know why he just won't leave them alone. I know Iago is jealous but he has no right to be doing what he is doing. I also noticed that Cassio has a liking for Desdimona so Iago takes advantage of that. He stirs things up and causes tention between the men. I can't believe Othello cannot see through Iago but it will be the day when he finally does. Another thing I noticed is Roderigo is just plain dumb. He needs to snap out of it and realize what Iago is doing to him. Iago is just messing with him along with all the other men. Hopefully things start to simmer down around here but I don't think that will happen with Iago around.
3rd period
My name is Iago. On stage I am honest, kind, and loving to all of my friends; when all I am really doing is looking out for the most important person in my life…myself. I do love Othello when I am in his presence but I only do so for my own good. Cassio may be my dearest friend but only when he is apart of my selfish plot and in between me and my reward. Poor Rodrigo is the easiest to deceive. I am wasting his time and taking his money and he is getting nothing in return, yet he is too ignorant to see this. If I can get Othello and Cassio to hate each other and event in each others death, then I can get the beautiful Desdemona as my reward. Rodrigo will be in my way but after I take all of his money, Desdemona will continue to see him as a nothing and I shall kill him to put away any further obstacles.
My plan is fool proof. Othello trusts me as his right hand man and server. Therefore he will trust my opinion in everything he asks of me. Cassio loves me as I do “love” him as a best friend. Poor Rodrigo is too stupid and focused on Desdemona to see that I don’t care about him or his love fore her, so he will trust me with this plot until the end where I will part ties with him. I will lie, cheat, and deceive all to gain what is mine.
I know that everyone sees me as an honest and kind man, but they do not respect me as they do Othello or Cassio. I will show them. I will destroy their lives and take their places as number one. 2nd place is no longer an option.
I am Honest Iago and I have stood by the Moor for far to long for him not to promote me. I have loved him but yet he promotes Cassio. The Moor will regret this night, he doesn’t tell me one of his closest friends and most trusted companion that he is marring. This sign of his greater love of Cassio and not I has hurt me. But how do I hurt him as he has hurt me? I can't physically hurt him for he is stronger and to do so I would harm my reputation, but if I wait and set my trap I can have my revenge. This will work because everyone trusts me and would never think that I could go behind the backs of my friends for my own personal gains. Roderigo is a tool; his love for Desdemona weakens him and makes him vulnerable. I will use his weakness for Desdemona to my own personal advantage in this game between me and the Moor. I feel almost sorry that he has no idea who his opponent is. The Moor will listen to my every word; all the while I am truly manipulating him and his closest and most trusted friends. I am pleased that Cassio loves the Moor and will do anything to gain his favor and win him back after he was stripped from his rank. This is Cassio’s weakness; his love for the Moor knows no boundary and would make him do anything to gain it back. The Moor has a weakness as well, his sweet Desdemona. Her father had warned him about the chance of her being unfaithful to him but he still remained confident that their love was solid and she had no reason to seek the company of another man, but the Moor loves her and would be hurt if he ever found his wife with another man. This is my key to hurting Othello and he has hurt me.
Pd.1
Hi I am Othello. I have been through many endourous fights. When I joined to fight in the war, I soon realized I was a great fighter and had much potential for our army to grow and become powerful enough to not worry about our kingdom being invaded. But I have been bothered lately by my general in my squad because he won't promote me to a higher level in the war that I have put alot of achieving metals into. I do know that we have been dominating in the war lately and our squad is one of the best. But what I do not know is if I can find a girlfriend that won't care if I am in the war and off land and on seas during our relationship. Hopefully soon, I will find a beautiful, smart, independent, young girl that will treat me with respect and love me till I die! I have noticed a few of the dukes servants have been watching me close because Brabantio has told the duke that I have been seeking his daughter. Her name is Desdemona. She is perfect in all ways of beautiful women. She is everything to me. I live in Venice, Italy and love it here. Maybe the duke would like me better if I approached him and told him we are seeing each other but have no plans to get married yet. According to other friends of mine the duke has told them that the dukes servants have been watching me and have been making lies that I have plans to marry Desdemona behind Desdemonas dad's back. So, I think maybe if I told Brabantio that the dukes servants are lying I won't have any more problems in the village. This is my life in Venice, Italy.
P.3
Hello, my name is Emilia. I have lived in Venice all my life and would not imagine living anywhere else. I love it here! I am in my thirties, but do not want to say my exact age. I am a very quiet lady and always have been since I was a little girl. Compared to all the outgoing and loud girls that I grew up with and hung out with, I never imagined that a guy would ever notice me because I was always so quiet and shy. Until one day I met my husband Iago. I guess he just loved my quiet personality and my suttle looks. We have been together now for quite a while, but to be honest with you, it has not been the best. I rarely see him and whenever we do see each other, he always just goes to bed without saying anything to me. The only time that he will show affection to me is when I provide food to him or attention in the bed. It really has frustrated me, and because of this, I am not quiet and shy anymore. Desdamona is my best friend and we talk to each other all the time. I am not suppose to tell anybody this, but she happens to like Othello, and her father would not be a huge fan of them being together. I look at her and Othell's realtionship and I wish mine and Iago's could be like that. They are so in love with each other and talk for hours on end. I will be lucky if I can talk to Iago for three minutes straight without him falling alseep. I just feel like I am an object to him, and that I do not have any meaning in his life. I am starting to stick up for myself by telling him how I feel, but I do not think it is working. I am starting to flirt with other men to try and make Iago jealous, but it is kind of hard to do when Iago is never around. I keep asking Roderigo and Cassio where he is, but they never have any clue. I feel like somehting is up and I am not liking it at all. I need to start being more vocal and assertive or else Iago will just keep walking over me. I am a beautiful lady who deserves the best, and if Iago does not start giving it to me, then I will just have to do something about it, and maybe look else where.
pd. 1st
I am a personal servant and guard to Othello. I do his daily chores and do whatever he asks of me. When he asks me to go and fetch him something I do. When I'm working around the castle I often see Roderigo and Iago talking in the streets. I do not hear what they are saying but they always appear upset. They seem angry and are always very emotional. I wonder what the problem is with them, but it is not my business to ask or I'll be in trouble. I often see Desdemona and Cassio being very friendly and talking within the castle as I work. I do not know if my master Othello would like this much but I dare not say anything. I also find it to be very strange that whenever Othello has a problem that Iago is there to help him always. Some how Iago always knows how to fix it and what is wrong which makes me wonder about him sometimes. Cassio and Desdemona have become more friendly with each other and I find it very hard not to tell Othello because I know he would be very upset by this. I feel I can't tell or intervene because I am just a servant and nothing more. Nothing of high rank like general or lieutenant, so why would Othello believe me. Maybe he would believe me because I have been his personal servant since he became the general of Venice but I am still unsure. For now I will wait and observe more and if the situation worsens I will let Othello know. But for now I will hold my tongue and not say a word. Othello could get very upset with me if I was proven wrong so I mustn't say a word to anyone.
pd. 3
Hello my name is Miss Desdemona. I live the fairytale life that everyone wishes they had. I come from a very wealthy family being my father is a senator. You could probably say that I am very spoiled and get whatever I want when I want. I even have my very own servant! However, my life is not all that great. I do get a lot of things that most people don’t but, my life is chaotic and stressful. I have lived with just my father for most of my life. My father expects a lot from me and it is hard sometimes. I don’t have a mother or sister that I can talk to about my problems and I can’t talk to my dad about everything. My whole life I have been dreaming of the day I will get married off to a young handsome man. I am in love now but I never imagined it would be with this man. This man has been a family friend for a long time, although my father likes him I do not think he would approve if I married him. I am a woman now and I will marry who I want and my father should respect that if I love a man he should also love him. This man I speak of is Othello, a well known black man. I am a white girl and plan on marry this man; this is why my father will most likely not approve of it. Therefore, someday I will run off and marry him without my father being there. I know my father will find out, but hopefully I’m already married when he does. I see a different man in Othello than most people do. I see his gentle caring side. Although Othello is not ranked as highly as I am, I still want to marry him because I love him. I cannot wait to marry him and be happy with him for the rest of my life.
hi i am iago. you may wonder why i act the way i do. and the answer is simple.. it is because of my upbringing. As a young child i never had any to look up to. my mother was never around because she left my father when i was just 2. my father was of course stubborn ever since she did. he never really was the "male" figure in my life. he would always just get drunk and pass out. i could never go to him for anything like advice or something that i needed. he of course brain washed me into believing that it is all my mothers fault that he is the way he is. so consequently i too hated my mother. even tho she never did anything wrong to me besides abandon me. my dad was very good at getting what he wanted. he was sneaky and knew how to manipulate people. since he was the only one in my life i looked up to him and watched his every move. i observed and took note at his tactics of getting what he wanted. even if he has to lie or hurt someone else to get what he wanted, he would always do it. so as i became older i did the same thing as he did. and when it worked out the first couple times i realized i was pretty good at it. because of my childhood i had to sympathy towards others. it didnt bother me that because of my lies and actions others were being hurt. as long as i got what i wanted everything was good. people are so stupid.. they cant see through me and my sneaky ways. when i decided to become part of this malitia and didnt get the highest ranked spot i knew i had to work my ways to get there. i manipulated rodregio, i manipulated cassio, i even manipulated my wife emilia whom i have no interest in except for getting what i want when i want it.. i will never change. no one is able to change my ways. and one day i will be in othello's position. you just wait
Pd. 3
I am a soldier in the Italian army led by Othello. I have a duty to my war general and my country to fight the Persians at Cyprus. Although we have conquered our battle and pushed the Persians back to their lands, we can not celebrate because of the 'mutiny' that Roderigo speaks of. I am truly pleased of our victory, but our happiness is cut short as a result of the second in command, Cassio, and his drunkenness. Cassio can not hold his liqueur well and drew his sword on Montano. It appeared that Montano was only trying to help Cassio and alert him of his blatantly drunken state. I saw enough bloodshed at Cyprus and there was no need for its continuance. Cassio should be fully punished by the events that I saw take place, but there seems to be more to the story. Cassio's reaction had to be the result of some stimulus. Cassio is not the only one that should be held at a wrong. Someone provided a catalyst that escalated the situation and from this point forward, I will be more wary about my action and those of others. I think everyone on Cyprus is paranoid that they will be found at fault and be held in the wrath of Othello since the fall of Cassio's prowess. He was an excellent Lieutenant and a worthy leader in the Italian front. He brought his brilliance onto the field, but his Achilles' heel seems to be his inability to handle alcohol. I see this one fault as reason enough for his demotion. Othello was very displeased with Cassio's actions and will be more wary of the future decisions Cassio makes. This small mistake resulted in a slap on the wrist, but another offense could cost Cassio his life. I can only hope Cassio doesn't slip up.....
Hi My name is Desdemona. Most people would say I live the fairy tale life but most don't see what goes on behind the scenes as you could say. Growing up as a child I had whatever I wanted and go to do whatever I wanted. Servants would cook me any food you could possibly think of and clean up all my messes. Which would be any child’s dream right?? Most would be surprised to know that I was very unhappy as a child. My mother left me at the age of four due to my father cheating on her and I never saw her after that so since then my father became very protective of me and gave me no space for breathing practically. I never got to leave the house and could only play with the servants I had no friends and wasn’t even allowed to go to school. I was basically living in a jail house. Although me and my father got along very well sometimes I just needed to get away and hang out with people of my own age. Playing with dolls become old when I reached the age of 13 and I simply wanted to experiment with things every typical teenage girl would do. I didn’t want to listen to anything my father had to say and I just wanted to have fun with people my own age. I would sneak out and visit this very high ranked boy named Othello as I got older and we grew a strong relationship. I knew this was the man of my dreams so one night we decided to sneak out and get married no big deal right? Of course it was my father did not approve and still doesn’t but he has not control over me now I am a beautiful young woman.
pd.5
I am a guard for everyone in town and I have noticed many different things going on. One of the first thing that I noticed is all the conflicts between the men, I have noticed alot of conflict with Iago and almost everyone. I notice that Iago will be on their side when they are with them, but turn around and go against them the minute they are talking to anyone else, basically as long as it makes him seem like the better person and he will gets what he wants. I also notice that Desdemona and Othello are getting along very well, but Cassio appears to be trying to step into the picture too. Either to take Desdemona from Othello or maybe to get on Othello's good side after being demoted for fighting. Another thing I have noticed lately is all the men seem to be fighting with each other, when they just got done with a war so they should not be fighting each other but celebrating. These are just a few things I have noticed going on lately.
Hello my name is Iago, I have been through many near death experiences in my lifetime. These experiences have shaped who I am and how I act. In my early years I stole and lied to get by and worked my way up the social classes. I was caught stealing before and they left my in the middle of the desert for punishment. This is where I fought a pack of wolves and came out with less then a scratch. I would lift boulders and make houses to gain my strength. I would swim across the seas for a workout on the weekends. To gain respect I would fight to show how I am superior to them. I had a job by making weapons and clothing and conning them off as merchandise from famous men. When this became too easy I moved on. I could build warships in less then a day and become very wealthy quickly. I also took secret lessons of how to talk and act like a noble upper classman. Once I was stabbed with a spear in the heat of battle and was hospitalized for months. The sword I use, was stolen from the Persian general, in which I showed no sympathy for him. I am a better commander and fighter than Othello but do not dare to challenge his talent because he is so well liked. I am most likely the best warrior in the world but do not enjoy giving bloodshed. I don’t lie or steal anymore because I need the money or objects but I steal because it is in my nature and how I act. Some things are programmed differently in our heads than others. I was born with the gift of doing these horrid things and cannot help myself. I enjoy causing drama and hatred to have others turn on themselves. Multiple times i have been compared to Moses.
5
I am Iago and there are many reasons for why I act the way I do. One reasons that I am acting against Othello is that I have stood by him for awhile now and yet he still promoted Cassio over me. This is why I first got Cassio drunk, because I know he cannot handle his liquor, and would end up getting in a fight, that I set up, and that Othello would not approve of that and would demote Cassio on the spot. After this I act as if I am Cassio's side and Othello's side at the same time so they go against each other and I will get the promotion before anyone else does. The reason I turned against my friend Roderigo is to get his money, and to make him think that I love him and will always give him advice but in reality I just want his money and to make myself seem better than him too and gain more respect for myself. These are a few reasons that I do the things that I do.
Period 1
Hello my name is Montano. People have often called me the modern Jesus, except I am not perfect. At a very young age I was almost drowned, but thankfully a pack of vicious COD wolves saved me from sure death at the hands of a man named Xerxes, who actually happened to be Turkish and was going to kill me in second chance. From that moment on, I have hated the Turks and this is why I have my allegiance to Venice. As a young boy I oft dreamt of sunsets at the end of a battle with 300 soldiers, all of which had huge abs and were considered “cheeky fellows”. I enjoyed the excitement of battle all my life because I won my first fight at age 8 against a man called the “heath joker”. This joker man wore tons of wigs, because he was ashamed of his baldness that came after he was scalped by a barbarian group. As a result of my victory, I was taken in by the head general, General Saving Private Ryan. Ryan not only removed the Black Plague from my skin, but he also taught me to be extremely grateful for everything, including having multiple Mormish wives. In my dreams, I, with the help of 300 soldiers, went into a narrow valley and defeated 500,000 Greek warriors. Another thing I accomplished as a young lad was when I rowed around the world in 80 days. Along with that, I like to invent things. I invented the wheel and gun powder, which of course the Chinese promptly stole from me. As a result of all of this, I made everyone love me. I invented Calculus and sold the Myaen calendar to the Aztecs for a hefty price. Finally, I single-handedly climbed to the top of a mountain, where Noah’s ark was, with a piece of bread and a shot of tequila. To train for this trip, I would dive to the bottom of the ocean and swim with the whales. Not only have I danced with wolves, I have also raced and beaten a cheetah on land. Overall, I am the greatest of all time.
Pd 1
I am Othello off-screen, my native lands are somewhere in Africa. I am an extremely intelligent war genera and win many wars for people who would call me a beast or a monster. I have had to overcome a lot to gain this title. Many love my tales of war and riches. I am very exotic and different, not only is my complexion the thing that draws stares but many people wonder how a "beast" can be so intelligent. Iago and Rodrigo despise me with everything they have because I have not promoted Iago and stolen Rodrigo's love. They conspire against me every time they meet. Brabantio also hates me for eloping with his daughter and marrying her. He thinks that she will cheat on me because she lied to him. Cassio is a good friend of mine until him and Montano get into a fight when He is drunk. I then stripped him of his rank. With Rod and Iago conspiring against me without me knowing the future seems dim....
Emilia speaking to self:
Knowing what my husband is capable of, and knowing that it will unravel I still don't understand what jealousy provokes him to do what he does. Why couldn't he be satisfied with the life he could've made of honesty.
And when his plan of deceit goes down what will become of my life. He will end up in prison or dead and that leaves me alone monetarily disabled. What if someone suspects me in whatever plot he had conjured. I didn't think the handkerchief had any real significance. Will they understand that all I wanted was attention from a husband who would have potential if he put half as much energy into our relationship as he puts into exploiting other people's shortcomings. How will this affect me?
7
Option 3
I am a guard. While on patrol, I have observed many things. It appears as if mood in this place is becomeing darker...more suspicious. When I started here, this was a great place! With the moor running things everybody was on task. Recently he brought his wife from Italy here. She is gorgeous! And with guys like Cassio and Iago around things couldn't get much better. Sure, every once in a while some guy with a weird looking beard would get mad and start causing trouble, but hey what are guards for? Then recently Iago started running around late at night. He's my superior so I can't really interfer with anything he's doing, but it seems odd. O well. Then there was Cassio's demotion. Never would have saw that coming. And shortly after that, Othello started getting this look in his eye. Almost as if something was really bugging him. This place isn't what it once was. Something is up and I need to get outta here before it hits the fan. Problem is there isn't any where to go. This is the best there is, what with them just beating the Turks and all. So for now ill just sit tight and keep quiet. And hope for the best.
Period 1
Hello my name is Rodrigo. I grew up in Rome, Italy. I was the youngest of six brothers and I was always was picked on. I wasn't like the normal last child in the family, where your brothers treat you like a baby and instead i was picked on, constantly. I didn't really do anything productive before i moved to Venice. I stayed back in Rome and helped my parents, until i met my honest and respectful friend Iago. Iago has been a big brother to me. He helps me with everything that is on my mind. I tell him whats on my mind and he tells me what to do. He does a good job on taking action and trying to fix my problem. Obviously my brothers were not nice to me. I don't keep in touch with them anymore. They have never said anything good to me. Hell, I don't care if i ever talk to them again. Since i have never really had anyone to look up to or talk to, I'm kind of stuck with Iago. He tries to help me through my emotional feelings towards Dezdemona. I used to have a crush on a girl back in Rome, but i never had the courage to talk to her. I admit i do not have much confidence in myself and know im not good looking. But, now here in Venice I have a mad crush on Dezdemona. I want her to be the love of my life. But, there is a problem she went off and married the beastly moor. At that moment I wanted to drown myself in my tub. I'll never find another woman who is as incredibly perfect as her, Dezdemona. Iago is on my team to fight against Othello and get to Dezdemona once and for all. I will never stop loving her until she is dead or in my arms.
P.3
I am a little mouse that has been following Iago around and I have been noticing that he is quite the puppet master. He has made it so everything is falling in order as he had planned. He is having an easy time getting things to fall into places that he wants. Iago is virtually in control of everything, though no one knows it yet. If only I could find a way to do something about it. Iago pretends to care about others like Othello and Roderigo when he is around them, but he truly does not care about them one bit. All Iago cares about is himself. Iago does not like Othello so he is trying to make it look like Desdemona is cheating on Othello and Iago also wants to give Roderigo a feeling that he is at least trying to give him a chance at Desdemona, but all Iago really wants is Roderigo’s money. Iago is a horrible and selfish person. If I was not so small, if I could talk, and if people were not so afraid of my soft and fuzzy body I could tell them what a nasty person Iago truly is. I would love to tell Othello what Iago has been doing but I just do not have the physical capabilities. I know Othello would do something about Iago only if he knew the whole truth and I would love to see what he would do to that dirty bag they call Iago. If I had more power I would turn the mess that Iago has created up side down, on his head. He would no longer be the puppet master; instead he would be the puppet being mastered by myself. Unfortunately I can not do anything to stop Iago so his manipulating will continue to go on and affect others lives.
pd 7
i Am Othello
Growing up as a the eldest of 4 boys, i was forced to have to take care of them and be the "man" in the family because of my fathers untimely death. I never did understand why my father was taken away from me, but i do know that it was from the persecution of others because of our skin color. At a young age i worked odd jobs getting half the pay than a young white boy would have gotten for the same job, but we managed. My mother was forced to sell herself for money. We needed food and my odd jobs alone could not support the family. At the age of nine i was taken from my family and forced to be a slave. I worked for no pay now and was beaten if i did not do the job correctly. Day after day went by, we were fed little and wore coerced to do work. Soon we could no longer take the treatment and we fled from our oppressor. We were then recaptured and sold to another. Where there we stood up and rebelled. I had so much hate running through me that i found myself doing things i thought i could never do. I was a great warrior and fought for more than just freedom but as payback. After gaining my own freedom I lived out my life in a small town in italy where i wasn't oppressed completely because of my skin. I had no money nothing at all so like many i enlisted in the army in hopes of any kind of pay. In battle i was fierce, i fought with hate running through my blood. I fought for my family, for my people. As i worked my way through the ranks after continually showing my skill people doubted me, only fueling my fire to prove them wrong and unleashing more hate during battle. I climbed higher and higher until i became one of the best. Good enough to lead an army, but yet i still am there slave. I am black, i am good at what i do, but i am still black and therefore they only use me for my skill in battle. I'll show them, mark my words
Pd 1
Hello I am Desdemona. I am madly in love with Othello, who is an African American. My father is not pleased with my descision. He seems to beleive I will eventually loose interest. My good and close friend Cassio cares so much for my feelings. I have known him for many years now and we are very tight. I share everything with him. Recently he has been unusally close with me but that is only because he wants my husband, othello, to trust him once again. Othello has also been acting unusually lately. I do not know what is the matter with him. Sometimes I will find him in a room and he looks very pale and sick. I think he is sick with the flu or something. I am very pleased to have found him. He loves me and even though he is of different skin color and race, I do not care one bit. I cannot wait to fully start our lives together but I do feel like he is hiding something from me. I am sure he will tell me what is wrong eventually but until then I am pretty happy with where we are at. I just wish my father would except the fact that I am in love with Othello. We did rush our marrage but I know I am in love with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I even went along with him when he went to war. I am completely devoted to him as he is to me. So far things are going great for us but I do sense that something is bothering him. It seems that whenever I bring up Cassio to Othello he gets upset. I am not sure why but I think eventually I will find out.
P 3
I am the Moor, Othello, general of the Italian forces. I have not always held a place of power. As commoner in Africa, I was happy, but I was captured and forced into slavery. As a slave in captivity I traveled around the known world. Harsh treatment worsened my epilepsy. During my bondage I learned not trust anyone even those closest to me because I learned the hard way that every one eventually betrays you. Because I was a slave I was not able to have any kind of relationship with a woman, although I have had many relations. I learned many battle skills and became talented with various weapons. These skills kept me alive in my travels and eventually aided in my escape from slavery. These skills also helped me climb ranks in the Italian forces. Even with my superior skills and rank, I have been an outcast due to my skin being called nigger by fellow citizens. I have won many battles and seen horrible things. I am a closed book, unwilling to share how I truly feel. While I tell tales of heroism they are manipulated to seem better and hide weakness. My rank hides my physical and mental weakness. My mental weakness of epilepsy is unknown to many. I am dependant on those around me to support me and cover my epilepsy. I have no formal education. I trust them to inform me on proper proceedings of the unfamiliar people around me. Having no previous relationships I fall for any attractive woman quickly with little thought of the future.
Hello, my name is Othello. My thoughts are everywhere right now. Iago is telling me that my sweetheart is a whore, her father also told me that. I am starting to think that they might be right. Iago tells me that she is having an affair with Cassio. I never noticed the signs that are right in front of my face. They were getting dangerously close on the dance floor. Cassio made a fool of himself and of me the other night when he got drunk and stabbed Montano, my trusted friend and war partner. He has betrayed me so I had to take his position of lieutenant away from him. My sweet Desdemona is trying to help him get his position back for some reason. This also hints more towards her having an affair with him. It really is starting to bother me. I know she might possibly be with him, but I trust her so much. I do not know if these accusations against her are true. I don’t know what to believe or who to believe. I trust my sweet wife Desdemona but Iago has been a trusted friend to me and would never lie about this. I am pleased with my wife and my choice to marry her. She brings me great happiness but now that I hear of this and I am starting to see the signs that point towards the truth, she is bringing me great frustration and sadness. I am also pleased that I have such a trusted friend as Iago. It bothers me that I don’t know who to trust, and that I have to choose between my friend and my wife on who to trust. I would really like to know the truth. I am starting to believe Iago, I feel that she has betrayed me and I must get rid of her.
Period 1
My name is Iago, or Honest Iago according to everyone else. I consider myself the puppet master. I am convincing Roderigo to pay me so he can attempt to win over his “love” Desdemona. He actually thinks I am trying to help him, when really all I am doing it for is money and sport. He thinks that Desdemona will give up Othello for him. If I had a heart I might feel bad for him. Speaking of Othello, I am still trying to get revenge on him for sleeping with my wife. I’m going to make him think his general Cassio is trying to win her over and then maybe I will get his position. That will serve Cassio right for taking my rank. After Othello and Desdemona got married I tried to convince Brabantio that Othello was trying to steal his daughter away from him. He responded by telling Othello that she would leave him just as she left her father. I tried to convince Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio to make him less appealing in Othello’s eyes. I also told Montano that Cassio was a drunk that couldn’t hold his liquor. Othello finally took Cassio’s rank away. Maybe now I will have more power. After the fight I told Cassio to look appealing to Desdemona because maybe then Othello will see the good in him. While I told him that, I told Othello that Cassio was trying to make a move on his wife. Now everyone is mad at everyone except me. I find it funny how nobody realizes what I am doing. I can manipulate anyone and everyone to do what I want and they will end up blaming each other. Soon I will have all the power I desire and no one will suspect that me, Honest Iago, was the one who caused them all to fall.
I am Iago. My birth place is of Venice. I am born into the home of a senator. From that day forward ever day has been a nightmare come to life. I got my first beating at the age of 2 and watched as my mother got the same treatment from my father. He was constantly drunk. My mother was just as bad. She would beat me if i didn't do one of her chores right or if i didn't address her in the right tone of voice. My schooling wasn't much better. The other children picked on me for my small size and constant bruises and scars. One day i couldn't take it anymore and i almost killed one of my fellow students. When my father heard of it, i almost died myself. After my father retired for the night, i thought about how he could do this to us and still get away with it. It then dawned on me that everyone else knew a different side of my father and mother. Everyone loved them, always taked fair and had powerful friends. I was tired of and wanted revenge on everyone. I no longer cared for anyone or anything cause they didn't care for me. I learned how he manipulated people and what made them tick and used it against them. I became good at it and even my father became impressed and beat me less often. the years went by and i joined the military. I wanted to make some "friends" there and hopefully use them. This is where i met othello. At first glance he looked just like a big brute. No intelligence whats so ever. But then i saw how he worked the battlefield and saw that he was destined for so much more. I befriended him. He eventually became one of the most brilliant generals this world has ever seen. I helped him get to that status. But then Cassio and Desdemona came. Othello fell in love with Desdemona and Cassio being her friend quickly came into othellos favor. Thats when Roderigo came in. I saw him and knew he could be of use. Me and him plotted time after time again to get desdemona away from othello but of course they failed. I wanted them too. I then heard of his promoting cassio to be his luetinant. This is my past up to now.
Period 7
(In the training courtyard, at night)
How could the dumb brute not see it? The man is playing him like a fiddle yet the Moor seems blind to the situation. Antonio had only been eavesdropping for a couple of minutes but could already see the snare laid out in from of the black man. "This is outrageous" whispered Antonio. "Does the Moor truly have eyes only for what the this 'lago' lays in front of him like a summer feast." As their conversation came to a close, and the men departed each others company; the Moor was looking depressed, while the other man was trying to conceal a sickening grin. "That ignorant oaf has no idea what foul creature hath been spawned into his head by that 'lago'." Sweating slightly from the heat of the night combined with the thrill of hunt, Antonio quickly wiped his forehead with his white handkerchief before continuing his adventure. Being careful not to make too much noise, Antonio crept from his shadowed corner behind the straw bales, to the front door of the barracks. He continued to skulk after lago until the man entered a house that Antonio guessed was his home. Antonio sneaked his way up to the window, making sure that the candlelight streaming out didn't give away his position. "Luckily for me the night doth be unusually quiet and there shouldn't be anyone who is going to expose me." After a considerable amount of strange shuffling and grunting sounds (Antonio dare not look inside for fear of being seen) the man began to speak, laying out his plans for the Moor. What Antonio heard was even more vile and perverted than he could have imagined. "What a filthy mind this lago has." Although originally he had no intentions of telling the Moor, about how we was being corrupted, Antonio had since made up his mind that this rising monster had to be slain, before its venom kills someone. Unfortunately the alarm would have to wait till morning to be raised; as it was much to late at night. Antonio returned to the street to begin his long walk home. As he was so focused on the events that had just taken place, he never heard the clatter of hooves on cobblestone behind him. The story goes that the man riding the horse had just been caught sleeping with a soldier's wife. In his hasty anger the soldier had attempted to be attack the man with his sword. When the man bolted through door and took off on the soldier's horse the soldier, still wanted revenge, grabbed his bow and quiver and shot a single arrow at the man. The tragedy of the whole event is that the arrow missed its target and instead pierced Antonio through the heart, killing him almost instantly. The next morning the only evidence that any violence had occurred the previous night, was a bloodstained handkerchief that was found stuck to some bushes, by lago.
pd. 5
I am Iago.
Nothing is bothering me right now. I have everyone right where i want them, in the palm of my hands believe every word i utter. Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo trust me more than anyone else. Anything i tell them they will believe. I have no conscience so the things i do to other do not bother me what so ever. The only way that i can be happy is when others aren't, that is when i feel most sastified. Cassio has now been demoted due to my lastest scheme and if my plan goes accordingly, he will soon be distrusted by everyone. Now that he has been demoted, I can hopefully rise above in rank taking his place. I worked my charm on people so much that they have no choice but to trust every word that leaves my lips. If anyone were to doubt me there would be at least ten people to back me up because I am so "honest". No man will dare to ever question me, because Othello and his men will always back me up. I have spent my whole life scheming, acting honest and trustworthy until i could use my power selfeshly. Why would i want all this power without using it? Getting what i want is the only thing that is important to me and I would do anything to get what i want. If anyone gets between me and my goal, they won't survive to tell the tale. Roderigo is already catering to my every wish. I have Othello wrapped around my finger. I make Othello believe me by acting nice and sincere when telling information. I am called "honest" Iago for a reason.
pd. 1
I am angry at Othello. I have been passed up for the postion of lieutenant and jealous of Cassio, who was given this position but soon will loose this postiion and respect from othello. have been scheming this plot though long before this absurd decison by otherllo. I have been betrayed and now getting what i want is the only thing that matters. I have reason to beleive Othello may have slept with my Emilia. I want to get even. Othello is strong and looked up to by most. he is a hero and has the girl and the status.I love Othello but I will take revenge on anyone and will enjoy the pain that i cause. I have Rodrigo in the palm of my hands, i am plotting his every move and have full control as if he were a puppet!Roderigo will fulfill my every wish and othello is wrapped around my finger This is all too easy, manipulating, soon othello, cassio, roderigo, desdemona and my wife will be apart of this manifest that i have created, they all beleive every word that comes out of my mouth, i am truly trusted by all of these people. i am full of skill and full of power. i love othello but truly take pleasure in ruining othello's marital bliss.
Per 3
The spring some 27 years ago in the hills of Italy. A small cry is heard and a child is born, this child's name is Iago. I was born into a working family. We lived off the sweat of our brows and backs. My family was not wealthy nor were we poor. My sister and I helped my father tend to the rye we had. My father had manage to trade a local trader for a slave; we called him Vince. Vince was a hard working fellow. He tended the fields and mended the tools and never did he complain. I became good friends with our slave, but in the end it would betray me. It was during the harvest, and I was but a boy of 14 and my sister 15. Now, Vince had been in our services for about two years now and I treated him like a dear friend, a brother almost. My father told me to go to the fields to see how far Vince was with the harvest. I was more than eagar to help Vince harvest, but as I walk to the fields, an eerie sensation struck me. The familiar spliting of stocks and slicing of air was not to be heard. The wind blew across the amber rye and I could not see Vince amugst it. I walked through the rye, which was now shoulder high. I remembered the hard work that was put into each stock, each grain. Lost in thought, I caught movement to my left. I adjusted my focus only to be horrified out of my own wit. His bear black back glistened with sweat; his back rose with every breath. My sister, fist full of dirt, was under him. Their sounds haunt me. Even though I bear witness for only a grain of sand, that was enough for me to feel the hate. The hate that hath sunk ships, and burned cities. I ran, I ran and never looked back. I wanted so much to kill him then and there, but my love for him prevented me. Thus, I could not stand to see my sister after what he hath done to her, so I left home without a word. I joined the military and by God's will be assigned to another beast from the land of savages. But I will not fail myself once more. Not this time; I will not allow this one to break my soul. This one will have no mercy from me. For I, Iago, do hate the Moore, Othello.
pd. 3
I am Iago. I want to make everybody's life as hard and as frustrating as possible. I want to play with everyone's life as if they were my puppet. As a young boy i lived with my very loving parents. I was a well behaved young boy and respected everything my parents did and obeyed everything they told me to do. When I played with other kids I always had a lot of fun with them. As i grew up my dad started to treat my mom poorly beating her and treating her like garbage. I was closer to my mother than my father and this started to really bother me. This sparked a relationship with my father that would be classified as less than good. We hardly ever spoke and when we did it was often an argument. As the years passed this never stopped and then one day my mother never woke up and it changed my life forever. I never talked to my father again and stopped finding joy in the good things in life. I was always angry inside and didn't find joy in anything anymore. I began finding pleasure when I messed with other people's lives. I would play with them just because I found it funny. It helped me deal with the pain I had inside when I saw other people struggling with problems I had provoked. My entire scheme works out so well because I am everyone's friend, or so they think. I am kind to everyone and act as if I love them so much that I could never let anything bad happen to them. I tell them lies about certain things that could harm them making them think i was looking out for their well-being. I have mastered the art of deception and you it for my own personal pleasure.
pd. 3
i am Iago. you may be wondering why i am the way i am. well it all started back when i was young. I lived an average life. I had friends and a loving family. it all started when we got a new family living by us. to start i tried to by nice to him so he would have friends. and to start he seemed like a very nice boy. but as time went on and he got more and more friends, he started to change, we saw his real colors. he would start being mean to people and bully the younger ones. and being fairly young ourselves we looked up to him as being cool. so i started to follow him and act like him. treating kids the same way. but then my family moved. and beeings i didnt want to change who i had become i figured out i could use my ways to my advantage. so i started out being nice and trying to hang out with different crowds. soon i earned everyones trust and people would start coming to me with their problems, to see if i could help. then i found out that i could twist many people in to one plan and work it out just how i wanted! it started out with small things that people wouldnt really notice, but then it started to grow, and i was dealing with peoples lives!...and i guess the rest is history. now your see me for what i am. and i dont plan on changing.
period 5
I am Othello. I have lived an amazing life. when I was a child, i had many more reasponsiblities then most children. My father was a war lord and my mother never really loved my father. We lived the small country of Italy. There were children around me while i was growing up. One of my best friends was a boy who didnt really care that I was of different color. While i was young we moved around alot, so I didnt really get to keep many good friends. some children were very cruel to me because of my skin. But I tried to brush them off and not hear what they said. My father was always hard on me. He would say, you can do better Othello, we taught you better. But at times i didnt think I could do it. when my mother and father died, I left one of the many countries my father brought us to and moved to Cyprus. I met a very nice man named Brabantio. He was a senetor. He always asked me about my background and where i have been. He had a very beautiful daughter named Desdemona, who I fell in love with and later married. Her father did not like that at all. I am a very kind man and most people like me. Iago seemes to like me and stand by me. But sometimes i wonder about him.
Period 5
Hi, my name is Othello. I am a black man that is only accepted because I am strong and a respected warrior. I feel that people don't see me as a real person with real thoughts and feelings. The only person that does understand me is my beautiful wife, Desdrmona. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice in marrying her. Don't get me wrong, she is beautiful and well liked by everybody, but her father came out and told me that she was a whore. Iago tole me, the other day, that Cassio was trying to get after my wife. In my opinion, Iago is a very trustworthy man and well respected by everybody. He is honest and loyal, so I think that I need to take into consideration what he tells me. But on the other hand, I don't believe that Desdemona would ever do that to me. So maybe it is all Cassio. Maybe he is the one trying to get into my head, maybe he is trying to get back at me because I had to demote him. I am going crazy thinking that Cassio is trying to get my wife. The other night I gave her my handkerchief as a token of my love. But then again, Brabantion, Desdemona's father, told me that she would cheat on me. Maybe he was telling the truth. The other night I was watching Desdemona and Cassio dance, if people didn't know that she was my wife, you would have thought that they were married. I just have so many thoughts going through my mind all at one time. Maybe I will go and talk to Iago about this, he always seems to have advice for me. yes, that is what I will do, I will talk to Iago.
P.3
Hi, my name is Emilia. I am a servant to the beautiful Desdemona and married to Brabantio. I respect the relationship that Othello and Desdemona have and I am secretly jealous. I wish my husband could show me the love Othello shows Desdemona. Maybe the only reason I serve Desdemona, is to watch the beauty of their relationship and dream of what it would feel like. My relationship with my husband is strained because he is never home and doesn’t notice me when he is. I am nothing but another servant to my husband and have no respect from him. I feel that I can never achieve anything when all I do is serve and I am never the one who is being served by someone else. I believe my husband is up to something dealing with Othello and Desdemona’s relationship, he always seems to want to take advantage of those around him. I hope he is not trying to sabotage the only true love I have ever seen, because then he hurts my hope for our relationship. I don't have the strength or will to stand up to him and ask him why he doesn't see me as Othello sees Desdemona, and why he needs to hurt others. Instead I follow his lead and give him what he wants, Desdemona’s handkerchief, so that he will acknowledge me for a moment in time. Maybe if I keep being a follower, I will receive his respect, or maybe I will once again be alone. I hope some day I will be able to stand up to my husband and show him I need respect. While I wait for courage to come to me, I will continue to serve Desdemona and dream of being her. I hope my courage comes before it is too late. I hope it comes before my husband hurts the love and faith in Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. I guess I will have to wait and let time tell.
Hello I am Emilia. I am married to Iago and I am servent to Desdemona. I long for the connection and love between Othello and Desdemona in my relationship. Iago treats me as a servent of his own, not his loving wife. I know Iago is up to something against Othello. He is always so machieveious and withdrawn. I never know what he is thinking and what he really wants. He is very confusing and I don't really know what is going on. I really do wish he would show me love. i don't know why he married me. It makes me wonder if he really does love me when he married me. I sometimes believe that he just married me for the sex and to be a servent to him. I might be to critical. I really admire Desdemona's and Othello's relationship, maybe even jealous, because I wish i could experience it between my husband and I. I guess i will have to wait and see if Iago turns to my favor.
Hello I am Emilia. I am married to Iago and I am servent to Desdemona. I long for the connection and love between Othello and Desdemona in my relationship. Iago treats me as a servent of his own, not his loving wife. I know Iago is up to something against Othello. He is always so machieveious and withdrawn. I never know what he is thinking and what he really wants. He is very confusing and I don't really know what is going on. I really do wish he would show me love. i don't know why he married me. It makes me wonder if he really does love me when he married me. I sometimes believe that he just married me for the sex and to be a servent to him. I might be to critical. I really admire Desdemona's and Othello's relationship, maybe even jealous, because I wish i could experience it between my husband and I. I guess i will have to wait and see if Iago turns to my favor.
pd.1
Hi i am Othello. The day i was born i was bred to be a warrior. My dad was the leader of the colony back in Africa. He faught against slavery and won many battles. He may have won many battles, but the one he did not win cost him his life. I watched him die when I was hiding in the fox hole five feet away from him. That will forever haunt me. I have learned many tactics from him and use them against my enemy. When I was 18 years old I was fighting in a great battle against the Europeans and I was hit in the head by a twenty pound rock, and since that terrible event I get seizures everytime I am stressed out. I moved to Cyprus searching for a new life. I have studied this land of Cyprus for almost all of my life, and won a lot of wars because of it. Over the years I have moved up in ranks and have made myself very respected. I have also made many friends here in Cyprus,I even had the honor of meeting the leader, Mantano, and since then we have been great friends. I am starting to notice that people are jealous of my great skill and power. Even though they do not show that they are, I can still see the hate in them.
pd.7
I am a jealous girl who knows of Othello and Desdemona. I'm not attractive or anything so I am scared to approach Othello. I hate Desdemona but admire her at the same time because I want to be her. I know of Iago's sly ways of corrupting the whole cast to get his way. I want to tell Roderigo to not listen to Iago he only brings bad. I think Roderigo is just to stupid to know what to do with his life so he needs Iago to tell him what to do. Othello and Desdemona don't look right together she looks like she needs to be with Cassio. When that day come when Othello and Desdemona part I will be there waiting for him to take him in. Cassio is good to Othello and I don't ever see how Othello could befriend him and I want to go and tell him that Othello is a true friend and loyal friend but I wont because Othello will be mine if this keeps on going. I sit back and watch those two all the time kissing and caressing each other but it's not true love it's fake she is a whore and everyone knows it. So next time I talk to you I will be with Othello and Desdemona will be history.
p.5
I am Iago. I was born in Italy into a very poor family. My mother was a very kind loving woman, but my father was a very mean man full of hatred. At a very young age i learned quickly from watching my father that the best way to move up in life is to lie and cheat, and not feel one bit of remorse for it. I went to school, cheated my way through school, I look smart but in actuality am not the brightest crayon in the box. After high school, I changed very drastically, I started hating people and not caring about anyone besides myself. This is when i joined Othello's army. Othello and I were very close, we won and lost very many battles side by side, some say we were the best warriors. I thought I was Othello's best man until the day he promoted Cassio instead of me. I was very upset and very jealous, I didn't understand how this could happen after all that Othello and I have been through together. This was the time of my life where I became very evil. I made plans to take Cassio out of the picture. Since he took my ranking I got Cassio hammered because I know he cannot hold his liquor. He made a fool of himself and everyone is now disgusted in him. He deserved every bit of it. I don't feel sorry for him one bit.
Matt K
period 1
Roderigo
I was born to a wealthy family in beautiful city of Venice. I am the youngest sibling to both brothers, Armido and Adolfo. My oldest brother Adolfo died fighting the "Turks", and my other older brother is suffering from a sickening illness. My father is a military counsel to the Duke. My mother, being a house dweller, took care of me with the utmost delicacy. I am the next one to move on and marry. At a very young age I learned the feeling of pity and frailness. Though I am the next to inherit the noble name of my father, I was not the first chosen heir of the family. I am in my families shadow and is not able to crawl away from this destiny. My intellect is average, my appearance is below average, my fighting ability is even to my appearance. As I grew up in this environment, I have always wondered why I do not receive the rewards I seek. I struggle to persevere at what I do but is always let down by the brutal reality. My friend, "Honest Iago", is there for me when needed. He is the supporter, the believer, and the intelligent foe working for and against the "Moor". The "Moor", Othello, has taken my first love and has done away with my dreams. I do not know what to do and where to start but I look to Honest Iago for guidance, for he is the only friend I believe in.
pd. 1
I am a bystander rat. I have seen werid things before in my life in Venice but, this takes the cake. I was eating my midnight snack in a chamber and then I saw that guy Othello come in and start a wedding with that Desdemona chick. Can't a rat eat in peace and not have a make-out theater scene! While that was going on, I peeked my head up and saw the mentally challagened Rodrigo and the insane Iago in the window. I always see those two together. I wonder if they are gay. Anyway, I scurried up a chair near the window to listen. Iago started talking about not getting a promotion from the Moor, Othello, and Rodrigo getting pissed because he wanted sex with Desdemona or at least marry her instead of Othello. What a hillarious scene! However, Iago suggested that they wake Desdemona's father, Brabantio, and have Othello get into deep trouble! I thought, wow, they are jerks! I wish I could warn Othello but, I can't talk. Before I could squeak I saw that Iago and Rodrigo were gone. So, I jumped out the window and darted across the cobble stone streets to find them.
A while later, I found them yelling theives, theives, theives! I looking around and I didn't see anyone. Maybe Iago has schizophrenia and is seeing theives! I knew he was insane! ^^ Brabantio came out in a hurry looking like he was in the sun too long. He was fat too! I need to know where he gets his food from. Getting back to my story, Iago hid behind a pole while Roderigo played the puppet asking things like, are your doors locked, and do you know if your daughter is within? Then, Iago said in the meanest snarl, ". . . a black ram is tupping your white eww!" I nearly fainted hearing such disgusting words of garbage! Some other words were said and Brabantio wanted lights.
Iago then left one way and Roderigo went the other way. I was alone, again.
Hello, my name is Desdemona. A few years back, my father invited Othello to our home and I heard of the adventurous and daring treks he experienced. It was these stories that made me fall in love with him. He spoke of his pain and hardships and I took pity on him. Unlike Othello, I have been fortunate with my heart, I have never known true devastation or hardship. My father has taken care of me, and although my father loved Othello as a warrior, I knew in my heart that he would never accept Othello's plea for marriage. It was then that I decided to sneak out and marry Othello in secret. After our consecration, Othello disappeared and I was summoned here to this meeting of the court. A moment ago, the court asked me who I owe the most obedience to, and like my mother, I chose my husband...Othello. As he takes my hand and Othello's, I'm afraid of what he will do. He can't possibly do anything in front of the court and Duke. But as I look into his face, I see first see hurt and it turns to acceptance as he puts our hands together.
I was the right hand man of Othello tell I was unknowingly betrayed by my counterpart Iago. I had the outmost respect for my Othello and my Iago even though I had no idea I was being played by Iago for loving Othello's wife. Knowing that my weakness was drinking I told my self that I would not drink after the victory against the Turks even thought I let my "good friend" Iago talk me into drinking witht he men and a substantal amount at that. Thus causing me to drink my way into deep trouble which leads to my dropping of rank and friendship. Not knowing any of this I listen to the man who betrayed me by trying to get back in with the big guy by getting closer to his wife which causes even more problems and put many innocent people in dangers way. Now that I have lost everying that mattered to me (my reputation) I feel that there is no other reason to live except in trying to gain my reputation back by treating desdamono right. Now that I am doing all that I can I feel that danger will be in my path in the future because everyone looks away except desdamono, without me knowing this that my lead to my demise knowing that all men react in hanice ways through jealousy. Which i will put Othello through by just treating his wife the way any women should even though she may talk about me in a way that othello will take it the wrong way. Now the jealousy will go beyound high school crush and go to a fight for the my life. Which i feel that i could not bare but may do right because I would not mind having the power over one of the strongest armies in the world. I feel that i will not make it to the end of the play but i went down by doing the only thing that got me where i am now.
I am Desdemona. I am the daughter of a senator. I grew up with everything I could ever want and would never take it for granted. I am beautiful and am deeply in love with Othello. I married him without my father's permission one night, as did my mother for my father. We snuck out in the middly of the night so we would not get caught. I know my mother would understand, but my father is so protecting, as is all fathers with daughters they love and care for. But he will eventually have to accept it. I have no interest that Othello and I are of different race, age, and experiences. People may judge us for those factors but nothing can come in the way of our love for each other. I'm so glad we got married. I love him for how he treats me. He treats me as if I were his goddess, with everything I could ever desire. But lately, Othello acts strange around me. I have no knowledge of why he's been acting this way. Everything was perfect like always. He slapped me one day, it really upsets me. I wish I only knew why so I could fix it. I don't think it could be the handkerchief, I think I misplaced it by accident but I don't want him to know that I carelessly did that. Even though it was his first gift to that meant so much, it shouldn't make him this upset with me. I plan on finding out why he was been so angry lately.
Period 7
I am mute. Constantly shunned from my community because I serve no real purpose. My parents made me leave the house as soon as they realized I couldn't talk and wasn't just being stubborn. I don’t really have a place to go to sleep, eat or clean myself up. I walk around the streets trying to find money I can borrow just to get by on a partial satisfied stomach, being I have been on the streets for almost three years now, I have learned to cope with it. I have seen many strange and odd and even disgusting acts, but on this night, I see two men running up the street. Like usual, I dive out of the way, so as no one sees me and tries to question me. They mumble amongst themselves, something I can’t clearly understand, and something about a moor? What is a moor? Is it like a mule? Oh, no he just answered, it is a ram. Why have they awakened that man? Why does he demand light? I am so confused, what am I to do. They sound like they want to cause harm to someone. Oh dear me, if only I could talk I could warn the ram that they are going to hurt. Desdemona? Why that’s Brabantio’s daughter, what would she be doing with a ram at this time of night? Apparently they have wed? Desdemona, a senator’s daughter, married to a wild animal? Oh, so it is Othello they are talking about when they mention a moor/ram thing. Oh my that is news indeed! If only I could tell someone, who could tell someone else and it could be spread across the country! The senator would be ruined! Alas, I cannot speak. My plan is foiled before it even begins. They have left, to go seek out Desdemona and Othello. I must rest my head. Ah, this lovely patch of moss will do.
sorry it was late Mr. C.
Period 3
The play/movie of Othello equally bothers me as it draws me in even more. Shakespeare gets right down to the point, and doesn’t waste anytime getting right into the action. This is good because it automatically fish hooks you in the jaw, then you’re in, but it is also bad because when reading the book you don’t have the background on the characters that you would get from reading any other book, which is part of what bothers me. Although it gets difficult at times, Shakespeare still has pulled you into his book some way, somehow. And as hard as it is to understand the language most of the time, you can’t help to do anything but read on. As I have found, once I got to where we were supposed to read for the dead line all I wanted to do was watch the movie up to that point. It really helps to read the book, get decently confused, and then watch the movie to understand the things you couldn’t. And everything else you learn after is from analyzing in class and Sparknotes. I’ve also noticed that as hard as it gets to understand something in the movie/book, Shakespeare still has his own way of throwing in little things that you’ll need to know the deeper you get into the book. He has his own way of building the characters. Each event in the movie or scene of the play does this. Like Othello for instance. I didn’t understand how one person can be so honored and looked up to when he is just a body (physicality). He has a brain, and a heart, but doesn’t know how to use it, nothing more, nothing less. He doesn’t know how to show his true emotions and love Desdemona the way he should be. But Shakespeare tells on his story and we eventually learn that the more Othello is bothered by the “affair” the more he feels saddened. But at the same time he is still his angry strong-bodied person he always is. In the movie we see his epilepsy, and deeper into the movie, we find out it’s stressed induced and all the fuss over the “affair” really sets it off and gets to him.
My name is Desdemona, I am the daughter of Barbanchio, the senetor. I got married to an African American, Othello, without my father's knowing. I am in love with him dearly. My father does not agree with this happening but my mother is very understanding. I do not care about the diffence in the color of our skin and the ages we are at. I love the way Othello treats me, like a pricess or a goddess. Lately, he has been very upset with me. I don't understand why it was just a handkerchief.
Pd 5
I am a bystander, one of Othello's cousins, watching but not acting.
As I watch, I generally think of what Iago is trying to accomplish by telling lies to Othello. Furthermore why does what he tell Othello contradict Rodrigo, Cassio, and Desdemona. Everyday Iago tells some lie to Othello about Desdemona or to Rodrigo about her. I am begining to think that they both like her, but what is Iago saying to Rodrigo. Othello never asks me for help on the situation, even though I do watch Iago quite closely. I do know that Rodrigo is running out of money because he is paying Iago, but what is he trying to buy/get. Desdemona is being affected by all this as well. I did see Amelia telling Othello the truth the other night. What she said did not match what Iago told him. Why is this? Does she not know what he is up to? I know something is up for sure, I can see it in Othello's eyes. He is quite disturbed by something, he is different then usuall. What is going to happen?
i am karn, an innocent bystander who is sitting and watching this whole shakespeare thing explode, with emotion and lust. I think Othello being mad at Des is an ignorant thing on his part, he has not seen her do anything or anyone. Let alone Iago is just a player, hustlin all pawns in this game of chess.
I was the right hand man of Othello tell I was unknowingly betrayed by my counterpart Iago. I had the outmost respect for my Othello and my Iago even though I had no idea I was being played by Iago for loving Othello's wife. Knowing that my weakness was drinking I told my self that I would not drink after the victory against the Turks even thought I let my "good friend" Iago talk me into drinking witht he men and a substantal amount at that. Thus causing me to drink my way into deep trouble which leads to my dropping of rank and friendship. Not knowing any of this I listen to the man who betrayed me by trying to get back in with the big guy by getting closer to his wife which causes even more problems and put many innocent people in dangers way. Now that I have lost everying that mattered to me (my reputation) I feel that there is no other reason to live except in trying to gain my reputation back by treating desdamono right. Now that I am doing all that I can I feel that danger will be in my path in the future because everyone looks away except desdamono, without me knowing this that my lead to my demise knowing that all men react in hanice ways through jealousy. Which i will put Othello through by just treating his wife the way any women should even though she may talk about me in a way that othello will take it the wrong way. I think Othello being mad at Des is an ignorant thing on his part, he has not seen her do anything or anyone. Let alone Iago is just a player, hustlin all pawns in this game of chess.
period 1
My sister and I were walking in the streets of Venice one night after dark. I saw two men scurrying quickly up to the church looking into the window with shocked faces. My sister and I made our way closer to get a better look at what was going on. We were surprised at what we were seeing through the same window: a moor and a lovely fair lady getting married. We saw the two men conversing and looking angry and upset. Being the curious girls we are we just had to get more details so we made our way secretly to the corner of the building at which they were talking. One man sounded upset as though the woman in the church had just cheated him and married another. The other man sounded as though he despised the moor because he had stolen an important position of lieutenant. All of a sudden the men run to the senator’s residence screaming “thieves!!” and asking if his daughter was home.
Well everything progressed from there and we learned that the couple in the church had been the senator’s daughter, Desdemona, and Othello, a hero in our town.
A few days later we heard news of Cyprus being safe from the Turks and everyone was excited, but all of a sudden my sister grabbed my arm and told me to listen closely. It was one of the men from the other night saying to someone we could not see that he will get Othello to think that Desdemona was cheating! We could not believe what we were hearing and felt the need to say something. But we couldn’t! If we did someone would know that we were spying and that we were in places that we weren’t supposed to be.
Othello has been very upset lately. We heard that Desdemona had lost her handkerchief that he had given her and he thinks that Cassio has it. Could it be true? Did Desdemona really cheat on him? How did Iago get the handkerchief? He is a very deceitful man. We KNOW he took it.
If only we could do something to stop all the madness and lies. Othello wouldn’t be so angry and Desdemona wouldn’t be so confused. We heard Othello say something about killing her… I really hope he doesn’t. It would be a great mistake. But there is nothing we can do. We’re just a couple of bystanders….
sorry this is so late. i totally forgot about it!!! =/
P.7
Greetings my name is Iago. I have the most quick-witted tongue in all Europe. When Othello promoted Cassio over me, I became very angry. I vowed to myself that I would seek revenge on him. My friend Rodrigo, who really isn't my friend at all, is in love with Desdemona. Desdemona has fallen in love with Othello who happens to be a black man. I tell Rodrigo that I can help him win her if he just pays the small price. The poor bloke thinks he can actually get her. Oh well; I will keep milking him for all he's worth. My life has been a decent one. At least until I met my putrid wife, Emelia. I only use her like I use everyone else. Like pawns in the chest game of life. No one has really been bad to me as of yet, I just hope my evil ways won't catch up with me in the end.
period 1
-I thought i did this already but i guess not.
My name is Othello. I hail from deep with-in the jungles of africa, a land filled with giant beasts and scarcities. Early in my childhood my tribe was killed by explorers, i was taken as an animal for entertainment. Tormented and mistreated made my black power grow. My anger was all that i knew and through years of being caged, my moment came... they had left my cage open. i waited until night and killed every last one of them, but it did not satisfy my rage, it only grew. After wondering alone for sometime i was recrueted by a band of thieves that taught me the ways of battle and speech; we traveled all over the world. this band soon turned into an army and we were undergoing battles with the turkish, we were more skilled but out numbered, so we joined forces with the venicians and were split up amongst the territory to lead battles. it was through this i met the love of my life Desdemona. but my life soon took a jerastic turn for the worst when i was decieved into the thought that she was unfaithful by the devil-dog iago which is where i took her life and ended my own.
Hello my name is iago. I grew up as a boy with a father who was a drunk. Him and my mother never really acknowledged that I was ever here. When I was a young boy I didn’t have many friends. I was one of those boys who sat in the corner and pretended not to be there. Ads I grew up more and more kids would make fun of me. When one day I couldn’t take it any lounger and I killed one of these boys in the back alleyway. To this day no one except me knows this killing was mine. As I grew up my I split away from my family and the duke of Venice seemed to be fairly nice to me. He allowed me to come to him for things. A few years down the line I meet this man named roderigo and we became friends. Or at least that’s what he thought. Roderigo to me was just another person I got to tell what to do and make him be my figurative slave. He would get what I wanted when I wanted it.. he would tell people things I asked him to under no circumstances. As I grew older this became more and more fun and I started to continue my actions towards other people not caring what the outcome really would be. I did not have to many friends except roderigo well other trusted me but I had no true trust in them. I grew up you may not trust anyone because someone will stab you in the back literally or figuratively. There was nothing better than starting this whole roderigo desdamona situation though I love every second of it I am high in the chief’s eyes and I can just keep screwing with roderigo while he continues to be my little slave.
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