Gentlemen, Your Verdict

In the short story "Gentlemen, Your Verdict" do you think the captain's decision was justified? Do you think that he had the right to choose who would live and who would die? Would you make the same decision?

Stories

Since we're starting short stories soon, I was thinking about why I hate them. What makes a story interesting for you? Why do you love some stories and dislike others?

For me it's character development. If there's a fantastic plot and terrible characters, the story is automatically pretty dull for me. On the other hand, if the characters are great and the plot is really boring, I can still like it. With short stories there isn't a lot of room for character development, so it mostly only focuses on the main theme.

We discussed this a bit in class today but I thought it was a good point. It was brought up that Othello is very easily swayed to follow Iago's hints. Why do you think he is so easily pursuaded by Iago?

Desdemona's Death

In class we discreetly discussed the reasons why Desdemona didn't seem to fight back at Othello when he told her he was going to murder her. Do you think she just accepted the fact that he would have killed her anyway? Why do you think she would ask to live for another night or day but still die in the end, and what would she have done in that night or day if she was given it? Present your reasons why you think she didn't use self defence and what you would do if you were in Desdemona's position at that time.

Movie Comparison

We spent today's class watching two different versions of Act 4 and Act 5. Which one did you like better, "Othello" or "O"? Why? Do you think the directors interpreted the text properly? What would you have done differently if you were the director?

Positive Or Negative Loss of Control

In class today we talked about is it ever justifiable to lose control of your emotions. The point about whether it is bad or good to lose control was discussed. But what if you lose control of your emotions in a positive way? Is that good or bad? What's the difference?

Emotional Turmoil

Some people say that it is bad to bottle up your emotions and yet there are others that believe that showing these emotions can be viewed as a weakness to be exploited by others. What are everyones views on this subject?

Evil or Good?

Some people think that there is mostly good in this world and some think that there is mostly evil in this world. But it can't possibly be both...or can it. In my opinion I think the world is naturally evil because we are all born evil and have evil minds from the beginning of our lives. Just think about when you were young, you always got in trouble and always whined and cryed about random stuff. But if you were good inside, you wouldn't be crying because you wouldn't need to cry because with evil comes sadness.
What are your thoughts? I want to know... :)

Question 5: p. 170

Outline/Discuss the argument tha tIago uses to comletely change Othello's thougthts from absolute love to distrust. Based on your own media experiences, determine how plausible this scenario might be.

Also, Iago says to Othello, "Men should be what they seem" (line 126)
a) how dangerous might it be to operate on such an assumption? In your experience does this statement hold true?

Question 4: p.170

Othello says to Desdemona, "When I love thee not,chaos is come again" (lines 91-92). Discuss how we might express this setiment today. Consider how you regard such statements:are they dangerous oversimplifications, or just expressions of blind love?

Hockey/Character card extension granted: Due Thursday folks!

The hockey cards.

What is your opinion on the amount of time we have to do the project.
Should we have more class time, or an extended due date?

My group is finding it is difficult to find a time where six people are all able to meet at once.

Othello believing Iago over Desdemona

Today in class we were talking about Othello believing that Desdemona was cheating with Cassio all because of Iago saying she was. I was just wondering why Othello trusts Iago more than he trusts Desdemona and I would like to know your thoughts on this.

Desdemona and him had to go through a lot of trouble to be together, which shows how dedicated she is to him and how much she loves him. But then all of a sudden Othello doesn't trust her anymore and thinks that she is cheating because Iago said she was. How can he just throw away that trust and believe someone else?

For those of you working on Emilia's character:

"But I do think it is their husbands' faults
If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties
And pour our treasures into foreign laps'
Or else break out in peevish jealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us;or say they strike us,
Or scant our former havin in despite-
Why, we have galls; and though we have som grace;
Yet we have some revenge. Let husbands know
Their wives have sense like them. THey see, and smell,
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
As husbands have. What is it they do
When they change us for others? Is it sport?
I think it is. And doth affection breed it?
I think it doth. Is't frailty that tus errs?
It is so too. And have not we affections,
Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well; else let them know,
The ills we do, their ills instruct us so." (4.3.83-100)

Why Did Shakespear Write The Way He Did?

I was just thinking about what we were talking about in class a bit the other day - "why did Shakespeare write the characters and the themes he did?"
It got me thinking... Why exactly did Shakespeare write the stories he wrote? Could it just have been for the sake of it, could there actually be nothing deeper than the text itself? Are historians just on a "wild goose chase" looking for some deeper meaning?
There are so many possibilities as to why Shakespeare could have written the stories he wrote. Where do you guys think he got his motivation for the characters and/or the themes?

Characters

So, I was just thinking about the characters in Othello and why I either really like them or dislike them. Who are your favourite and least favourite characters so far, and why?

Feel free to also talk about characters in Shakespeare's other works, if you want.

My favourite character in Othello is probably Roderigo, closely followed by Iago. Roderigo intrigues me because of his naivety. I want to know more about him and why he's so in love with Desdemona. Is he normally so weak and trusting, or is he just desperate? Do the other characters see Roderigo as weak?

My least favourite character is probably Othello, just because he's kind of... boring. I guess we'll see more sides of him later in the play, but so far all he seems to do is say "I love you" to Desdemona and do military stuff.

Shakepeare

So we've all presumeably read Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and now Othello. Some of you have probably read other works. So which of Shakepeare's works is your favorite? Your least favorite? The one that strikes you the closest to your core? Please answer and provide reasons why.

Othello

So, in Othello, we are always dicussing and reading about Iago, Roderigo, Othello, and other male characters in the book. I was wondering what people in the class thought of the females in the book?( Desedmona, Emilia, and Bianca.) What control or power do they have in the book?

p. 86 Question 4

Iago obviously doesn't care at all about Roderigo. He does, though,seem to care about Roderigo's money. Do you think Iago really wants only Roderigo's wealth, or does he have some other motive? Discuss this situation with other bloggers and try to decide what is really going on here.

Question 7 p.61

In his soliloquy, Iago seems to confess everything to the audience bt letting them in on his secret. Why does he do this- to gain sympathy? To show how how clever or superior he is? To suggest that his method is the best on for survival? or that such behaviour is a source of "fun"? To best everyone else because he is the only person using "reason" to succeed? Because he is truly, and justifiably, a bitter person? Because he is misunderstood? Profile this vile creature for us if you dare.

Question 4 p. 60

The session with the Duke raises the question, "What takes precedence, individual rights or the needs of the state?" You know what Mailer would say.

Shakespeare's Audiences

What do you know so far about Shakespeare's audiences? Are you familiar with the Globe Theatre? How much do you know about the Elizabethan era? Feel free to pump some info out to the class as we'll be discussing these important/invigorating topics tomorrow. Blog on.