The Purpose of this Blog

Your task on this blog is to write a brief summary of what we learned in class today. Include enough detail so that someone who was ill or missed the lesson can catch up with what they missed. Over the course of the term, these 'class scribe' posts will grow to be a guide book for the course, written by students for students.

With each post ask yourself the following questions:
1) Is this good enough for our guide book?
2) Will your post enable someone who wasn't here to catch up?
3) Would a graphic/video/link help to illustrate what we have learned?


Wednesday 20 October 2010

At the beginning of the lesson we had to discuss in pairs reputation and these points:
How important it is to you.
How your reputation can change.
If you can lose it or gain it.
What the relationship is between your identity and your reputation.

We then had a class discussion with everyone having a different view on whether reputation was important or not, with Yahaya stating that 'your reputation was an indication of who you are'.

Sir then asked us to draw a character from the play and to write comments on the outside of the character that referred to how they acted publicly, and on the inside how they acted privately. On the board sir drew an example with Iago stating on the outside 'loyal to Othello', and on the inside Janus; the two faced God. This was to establish the dicotomy between the characters public and private life.

We then read the play and realised how short Act 2 scene 2 was and analused the effect of this. Act 2 scene 2 is a statement by the Herald announcing victory over the Turks and the marriage of Othello and Desdemona, sparking off celebrations on the island. We then started to read Act 2 scene 3 where Othello tells Cassio to keep guard the night of the celebration. Iago arrives and the scene momentarily changes to prose. Iago is trying to persuade Cassio to drink, he succeeds and then has another silioquay showing his intentions to shame Cassio by getting him to somehow offend the Isle of Cyprus.

We then got into groups of 4 to re-read Iago's sililoquay and stop everytime we reached a full stop. Everytime we stopped we discussed whether it was a key phrase or key words. We were then fortunate enought to have an interview with a rather annoying Iago who demonstrated Iago's ablilty to manipulate what we were saying and avoid our questions.

Iago repeatedly has these silioquays which interacts with the audience revealing his plans, consequently making the audience feel as if they are part fo Iago's plans.

We then continued to read Act 2 scene 3 where after Iago's sililoquay we see Iago, Cassio, Monatano and gentlemen breaki9ng into songs and Cassio feeling the worse for weather. The speech has changed to prose because Iago's and Cassio's conversation is a drunk one. Iago and Montano are having a conversation and Iago makes it appear as if Cassio is a drunk, Roderigo goes after Cassio where a fight ensues. Montano attempts to break up the fight where Cassio threatens to hit him aswell. Iago then acts to be the mediator between the three when Othello arrives. Iago uses very clever vocabulary to describe the situation and refer it to Othello who has just arrived; 'Bride and groom', 'disresting them for bed', all show Iago's ability to appeal to his audience with the language that he uses. It's a very good example of how Iago manipulates people solely with his language.

We see in this scene perhaps Othello starting to crack. At the beginning of the play Othello could stop a fight with just words. Now we see Othello does not know what to follow; his heart or his head, Iago could be finally getting to him. P.79.

Iago grasses up Cassio for starting the fight but is making it out as if he is on Cassio's side and downplay's what Cassio does to over-react to the situation and get angrier at Cassio then he originally would of. P.81.

Othello leaves stage with a rhyming couplet to give a more dramatic effect. Iago is left with Cassio where Cassio is breaking down because he lost his reputation which he describes as 'the immortal oart of himself'. Iago tries to reassure him reputation does not matter. The whole conversation is in prose once again highlighting Iago's ability to change his actions dependant on who he is talking to. Iago then tells Cassio to go to Desdemona in hope she will get him his job back, when in actual fact it's part of Iago's plan. Cassio then leaves the stage comincally calling Iago 'honest Iago'.

Sir then wanted us to write a plenary which;
-Had each characters thoughts on reputation
-What do their conflicting views reveal about them as a character and why is this significant?

HOMEWORK!!!
-Sir gave us a sheet detailing all our homework, this was;
1.... Page 79 - what do you think Othello means in the following quotes? 'now by heaven', 'my blood begins my safer guide to rule', 'And passion having my best judgement collied', and 'Assays to lead the way'.

2... Underline any words or phrases that show Othello's anger.

3... Is this a significant moment in the play? Why?

4... Write 2 paragraphs comparing Othello in Act 1 and Othello here in Act 2. How are they different? Focus on language - choose evidence from both acts and analyse Othello's imagery/ the words he uses - what is the effect of the language in each case?

SWEET PEOPLE

Leigh Martin!!!!!!

16 comments:

  1. Kool Blog Duude :)

    I think in Act 2 Scene 3 is where we finnaly get to see the dark side to Othello as it is slowly seeping trhough.

    Esmeralda ;)

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  2. Good post, and i agree that Othello is changing for some reason but i`m not sure why yet
    Tamsin

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  3. I think that in act 2 scene 3 Shakespeare reveals a negative side of Othello to possibly highlight one of his weaknesses / flaws and also how he reacts when he is ignorant.
    Also Shakespeare develops Othello's bond with Iago in act 2 scene 3 which could possibly have a effect on future events.

    Excellent Blog Leigh..

    'Sonny.

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  4. I beleive that the pressure of being of high status is getting to othello. The crude regimes being committed by Iago are obviously getting to othello.

    Good blog post!!!!

    Chris W

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  5. I agree with Sonny i think Shakespeare is starting to show Othellos weak side of how he handles situations. I think that his flaw is Othello is very naive towards Iago. I think that hes going to fall into Iagos trap.
    Rosie

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  6. Excellent blog Leigh,

    In act 2 we see the negative side to othello and we see now that he is easily angered when his own men are brawling, highlighting the fact he honours trust and loyalty and when he finds it's cassio who was involved he feels almost betrayed.

    Lucy
    Lucy

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  7. real nice blog man, I wasn't in last lesson so this was very informative; and I needed the homework so cheers

    I think Shakespeare shows us a side of Othello, he shows us one which differs from earlier perceptions we have of him. He probably did this to establish the tragedy of the play in it's entirety, mainly by exposing Othello's vast reserve of pride; which will eventually be his downfall.

    Daniel J.

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  8. Awesome blog post

    I agree with everyone who thinks that we are about to see the dark side of Othello because he is finally cracking under the pressure of the lies that Iago has been feeding him.

    Aleksandra ...

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  9. Well done mate, i think you have understood this act really goood. in this act we see how the sly Iago has got to Othellos head.

    Saways xxxx

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  10. Good blog!!And in this act Shakespeare has show that Iago has succeeded in the first step of his conspiracy and he has also started to show the other side of Othelle which I think will bring a twist in the play.
    Akanksha.

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  11. Fantastic blog, i think that this act has shown exactly how manipulative iago can truely be.

    Roman.

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  12. Great Blog :D

    Act 2 finally see's Iago get to Othello, and we see his calm nature crumbling under the pressure iago is putting on him. Finally getting truly interesting, can't wait to see him explode

    ~ :'D Dylan~

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  13. Iagos plan is finally starting to pick up pace.

    We see that othello has put his guard down and disaster strikes.

    Chris. 张

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  14. great blog. i think iago was great.. this lesson i really got a better insight in to the character of iago. he is really blunt and manipulative.

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  15. that was YAHAYA by the way

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  16. well Iago must be a happy with himself, do think he will get the job.

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