Troilus and Cressida Act 4

This act had a lot going on in it so I think for this blog I'm just going to go through the scenes and make comments on things throughout. This first thing that I found surprising was Diomedes equating Helen to a common tart and that she isn't worth all that much. This depiction of Helen is quite different from the stories that have been passed on about her from other places. I find it interesting Shakespeare is choosing to not fall into the main stream by saying Helen is the woman who launched a thousand ships. I also found the fact that they are trading Cressida without having to ask her or even mention it to her before the agreement is made. I found that part a little unnerving but it makes sense that women didn't have much say back then.

I found it very scandalous that Troilus and Cressida slept together before marriage. And of course her creepy uncle had to give her a hard time even though he is the one who set the whole thing up in the first place. Pandarus is kind of annoying and flip floppy. I'm also not sure what to make of Troilus and Cressida's relationship. It seems as if he's truly in love with her but several times scene five Troilus tells Cressida to be true and it almost seems as if he doesn't trust her with all those Grecian men. Although he does get extremely jealous when Diomedes is flirting with her so that throws a loop into their relationship dynamics. So I'm just not sure what I think about those two.

I found scene 7 to be hilarious with the encounter between Achilles and Hector. The two of them throwing insults at each other made me LOL. Like Achilles thinking he can point out exactly where he'll kill Hector is just so funny. I love it when men go chest to chest with each other because it seems so childish but it's still funny.

Question: In the 6th scene where Cressida enters into the Greek camp she is kissed by many people. When they say they kissed her is it on the lips or on the hand? I mean the hand would seem more resonable because it's not as intimate but Achilles says, "I'll take that winter from your LIPS, fair lady". So I'm just wondering was kissing on the lips not as intimate as it is today? Or are they actually kissing her hand.

Troilus and Cressida Act 2 and 3

Act 2.1 - Ajax and Thersites bicker back and forth. Ajax is constantly hitting Thersites. Ajax wants to know about the proclamation concerning Hector. Achilles and Patroclus enter and try to stop the bickering and Achilles is trying to prevent Ajax from hitting Thersites and Thersites from saying mean things to Ajax. Thersites finally leaves and Achilles tells Ajax about the proclamation and how it's a lottery to see who will fight Hector but if it wasn't Achilles is sure he would be the man to fight Hector.

2.2 - The Trojan council meets to consider the situation. Priam informs them that the Greeks have repeated their offer to call off the war if Helen is returned to them. Hector and Helenus want to return her, but Troilus protests that they will lose their honor if, having approved of her abduction in the first place, they suddenly change their minds. Hector argues that the costs of war are much more than Helen's worth. Cassandra bursts into the room to threaten the destruction of Troy unless Helen is returned, but no one listens which I wonder if that is because she is a woman. After Cassandra leaves the room Hector asks Troilus if they should really ignore their sister and Troilus comes back with not judging the "justness" of a cause by the end result. Honor is more important and I liked that part.  Hector argues that if Helen should be sent back to her husband Menelaus as a matter of morality, but admits that as a matter of pride she has to stay in Troy.

2.3 Thersites is again hating everyone around him. He wishes the whole Greek camp would come down with venereal disease, which I found rather humorous. Even though Thersites hates everyone he definitely adds humor to the play. Achilles sulks in his tent like a five year old but he insists that he's ill and refuses to see anyone. While that's going on everyone is buttering Ajax up which I don't think he needs anymore buttering up. It's interesting to see the Trojan camp be more civil and use logic to settle arguments whereas the Greek camp has everyone insulting one another constantly. It's almost as if the Greek camp is full of a bunch of five year olds and the Trojan camp has all the adults in it. Funny how the war turns out.

Act 3.2 - It is interesting that Cressida is acting shy when Troilus comes into her house when we first encountered her she was witty and out-spoken and teasing her Uncle endlessly. She acted like Beatrice in 1.2 but when Troilus enters she started acting a little like Hero and needing her Uncle to speak for her and doesn't say much. Which is very weird. I wonder why the sudden extreme mood swings. And I was a little confused by the end of the scene. Did the two of them go off to bed together or separate?

Othello Act 5

Act 5 scene 1 was a little weird. I mean it made since that Rodrigo was sent to kill Cassio and I found it humorous that Cassio had armor on under his cloak which makes sense seeing as he is a solider. I also give props to Iago for setting this up beautifully. It makes me think that he had this all planned out in advance and wasn't doing it on the fly because it seems like way too complicated a plan to be put together on the fly. I definitely didn't expect Iago to kill his wife especially after she already confessed everything and he was ruined. I found it weird that he was able to keep his sword and draw it without anyone raising their swords to him. I love the part when Othello says that he didn't commit any of these murders out of hate but out of honor. It seems like honor is a very big theme in all of Shakespeare's plays and a character will go to any length in order to make sure their honor stays intact. I love Othello's final speech about how the story should be told. He doesn't want it toned down or embellished. He wants everyone to know exactly what happen there that night and how exactly he acted leading up to it which I thought was very noble of him. I also like that his reason for all of this was because he loved too much and wasn't wise about it. So I guess if you're blindly in love with someone it is easy to manipulate you and convince you of bad things that don't actually exist. Moral of the story don't love too much and be unwise about it!  

Act 4

In act 4 scene 1 Iago has Othello hide and listen to him speak with Cassio. However, I don't understand how Othello doesn't know that it's Bianca that is talking with Cassio because Iago says her name before Cassio starts laughing and talking about her. I guess the handkerchief thing can look a little fishy in the situation once Iago makes the claim that Cassio got it from Desdemona and gave it to his whore Bianca. I can believe that Othello hits Desdemona. Although when reading through the things she's saying to Lodovico in the context that Othello is hearing them then I can understand why he might be getting frustrated at her. I don't agree with him hitting her but I can see why he is getting beyond upset especially since he thinks she's slept with Cassio and has the nerve to bring him up in front of him. I just wish that Othello would accuse her of sleeping with him so that they can fight about it. His emotional reactions are not only endangering his marriage but his job as well because Lodovico is there and question Othello's state of mind and of course Iago is there to keep that doubt alive. I could definitely see Othello standing all by himself and Desdemona and Lodovico standing beside her with Iago grouped with him. So that it looks like Othello is all alone and going insane. Although Iago might be standing with him because he seems to be alienating everyone besides Iago but I still think Iago would be with the other group because Iago is loyal to no one but himself.

In scene 2 it is a little frustrating how repetitive Desdemona is when she's speaking with Othello. She keeps asking him what's she done and hopes he finds her faithful and he keeps telling her he doesn't but yet she keeps asking. And I was so happy to see Emilia come to Desdemona's defense although it seems like it's a little too late and Othello has already made up his mind to believe Iago. Emilia seems to not be as naive as I had originally thought because she knows that someone has made up this lie in order to get a position.
I will be hanged, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devised this slander. I will be hanged else!

Oh I hope Roderigo is Iago's downfall! It seems Desdemona has a feeling that the night will bring either death or tears or maybe both. She's singing that willow song and that's the song that her mother's maid sang before she died so this might be some foreshadowing going on. Also it seems Emilia might have actually cheated on Iago but I don't think it was with Othello. It's good that Desdemona doesn't believe in unfaithfulness and wishes to learn from women who have been unfaithful and not to follow this bad examples. Act five is going to have a lot going on in it.

Othello Act 3

Iago is a tricky character. He definitely knows how to get Othello to worry when there is no need to worry. However before I discuss that part of Iago I wanted to point out something that happens in act 3 scene 3. Desdemona and Emilia have just left Othello and Iago and Iago is being coy with Othello about his uneasely feelings towards Cassio and Iago says something I found to be very interesting. Iago says, "Men should be what they seem, Or those that be not, would they might seem none! (3.3.131-132). I find it interesting that this is coming from Iago when he is not acting as he truly is because if he were then he would be acting like a dishonest person which he does not.

It is almost annoying how nice and thoughtful he's trying to be like when he's telling Othello that he's probably wrong about the suspicions he has about Cassio and don't make him say anything bad about Cassio. I just think that Othello should be able to see through this character. I don't understand how the nice guy is easy to pin all the negative stuff on and the bad guy is the one getting away with everything. It's frustrating!

Iago's plan seems to be working. First he infects Othello's mind with terrible thoughts. Then he gets the handkerchief from his wife, who has no idea she is a pawn in his plan and now he has proof for Othello. I just wish Othello would go and speak with his wife. That is the trouble with all of these plays is that there is no communication. Ever.    

Othello Acts 1-2 (Act 1 Scene 3)

Question 1: In "The English and Otherness" the statement is said that "Perhaps most nations learn to define what they are by defining what they are not" (NS 25). Have the English used other nations to learn their own identity?  How does identity play in concerns to Othello? Is identity even an important topic to examine? Do some characters see Othello's skin color as part of his identity and if so why might they? How do they treat him differently?

Question 2: I have two questions to ask about act 1 scene 3. The first question deals with the fact that Desdemona is allowed to go to war with her new husband, Othello. Is this something that is believable in this time period? What is the point of having her go to war with him? I feel like it will only cause problems and distract him even though he says it's not for sex and he won't get distracted. I would just like to examine some reasons for allowing a woman to go to war so easily.

The second question has to do with Iago. Is he loyal to anyone but himself? It seems as if he isn't even loyal to Roderigo, whom he claims to be good friends with. At first I thought that Iago was playing a double agent for Othello, but it seems that his hatred for Othello is real and I wonder if Othello will be able to see through his lies and deceits in the end?