How am I then a villain? -- Iago

Today's word for the day--THINK. After DEAR time, Mr. Hannah and I split you up into the same pairs you worked in yesterday to deconstruct Iago's third soliloquy. This one was a bit more difficult to figure out, I know, but you cannot get so easily frustrated with the text and just give up. Remember, it's about breaking bigger sections into chunks, and then into ideas, and then into sentences, and then into phrases, and then into words, in order to figure things out. Use the online lexicon to help you match unknown vocabulary words to their definitions. It WILL help you.

As for Iago, we learned that he is INDEED one of Shakespeare's most complex, interesting characters. Iago is struggling with the idea of being a villain. His first line reads, "And what's he then that says I play the villain?" Iago sees all the great advice he has given to others--to Roderigo, he has came up with a plan to help him win Desdemona's heart because he loves her; to Cassio, to talk to Desdemona so she can talk to Othello to get his position as lieutenant back. He sees all the good he has done, so he can't justify himself as a villain. Can you? Is the end worth the means? For example, we never find out why Othello chooses Cassio as his lieutenant over Iago. Supposedly, Othello and Iago have goen to war together. Is that not enough that he would choose Iago over Cassio? Does Iago not have a reason to be angry? To me, he does. I sympathize with him in that sense.

Think about it. How many of us have done something awful to someone? I bet everyone has. Yet, do we then look at ourselves in the mirror and call ourselves evil? No. It's human nature. Iago is struggling with the same idea. He sees his evil plan in action, but he also sees all the good he's doenf or others. In the end, he can't rationalize why he's the villain.

Keep this in mind as we jump into Act 3 on Monday. We'll see that Iago slowly becomes drunk with power and drives him to do things, I don't think, he would have done otherwise.

Have a great weekend!

DEETS:
In-class:
--DEAR
--Iago's third soliloquy breakdown
--Share out
--Video clip of soliloquy

HW:
--NONE

NOTE: Remember, although there is no homework over the weekend, there will be a quiz on Tuesday on Act 3 that we'll go over on Monday. Be prepared!