Katelyn Aguinaga

Othello

In Shakespeare’s ​Othello​, the story takes place in Venice. Othello, the Moor, marries his

love, Desdemona. Roderigo, a rich man, pays Iago to help him win Desdemona’s heart. Iago has

a personal vendetta against Othello because he chose inexperienced Michael Cassio to be

lieutenant instead of him. Iago creates a plan to ruin Othello, starting with demoting Cassio from

his position. Then, he convinces Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, resulted

in Othello killing her. When Othello learns the truth about what Iago did shortly after, he wounds

him and kills himself. So, is Shakespeare still relevant today? Many would believe, yes, it does.

It’s still relevant because of the universality of his works and the themes he provokes.

In Othello Log #2 and #3, they ask to tell a personal story the reader has experienced

about when they knew something other did not (or if others knew something they didn’t), and a

time when they felt jealous over the fact that somebody got something they wanted but didn’t

get. The first happens a lot in almost every play Shakespeare had written. Number 3 connects

more to ​Othello​. The main scheme in ​Othello ​started because Iago was angry at Othello because

he did not get the position he wanted. In Act 1, scene 1 of the play Iago says to Roderigo “One

Michael Cassio, a Florentine/(A fellow almost damned in a fair wife)/That never set a squadron

in the field,/Nor the division of a battle knows/.” Iago knows that Cassio isn’t fit to be lieutenant

because of his lack of skills in battle. This, also, relates to Log number 2. Only Roderigo knows

that Iago truly despises Othello. Many of modern readers can relate to the feelings that

Shakespeare’s character possess. On a ​USC News​ website, Michelle Boston says “Shakespeare’s

works are emotional, hilarious, pithy. But above all, he was masterful at imbuing his stories and
his characters with qualities that audiences and readers identify with…” His works are universal

because a lot of today’s people can still relate.

In Othello Log #5, it presents a few questions the reader can answer. All questions are

about betrayal. Betrayal is a common theme in Shakespeare’s plays that follow under tragedy, as

Othello​ does. One example of betrayal in ​Othello​ is when Othello discovers that Iago was

tricking him all this time. In Act 5, scene 2, Othello is enrages at Iago when Emilia tells him that

Iago begged her to steal the handkerchief Othello gave to Desdemona and says “Are there no

stones in heaven/But what serve for the thunder?—Precious villain!” Othello feels betrayed by

Iago. On the ​Oxford Open Learning​ website, Emma Somersett says “However, the themes

explored in Shakespearean plays are as relevant in 2016 as they were in the 16th and 17th

century. This is because they are related to basic human nature, which remains constant

regardless of evolutionary, industrial or scientific developments.” Betrayal is human nature,

whether it is to commit it or feel it. Shakespeare was human and so are his characters and so is

everyone today.

However, many would argue that Shakespeare is irrelevant today. There are many basic

reasons as to why Shakespeare isn’t relevant and shouldn’t be taught. One of them is the

overdramatized and unrealistic aspects of his stories. In Act 5, scene 2, Desdemona pleads to him

“Oh, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!” When he believes that his lover is unfaithful to him,

he decides to resolve the situation by murdering her. Many people today consider this to be

unnecessary, cruel, and perhaps simply ignorant. Yes, there are similar cases like this today, the

majority of people today breakup or divorce if one is unfaithful. A lot of events in Shakespeare’s

works can be considered “going too far”, over dramatic, and unrealistic. However, his works are
fiction- they are stories. They are meant to be dramatic to make an interesting story to last for

ages.

The universality and the human themes of Shakespeare and his works make them

relevant today. Even studying what makes Shakespeare unimportant can make people see the

appeal to him and the interesting aspects of his works. While Shakespeare can be difficult to

understand due to the language and the foreign laws and the way their worlds work, it makes

learning about it and studying each character and their development immersive.

Bibliography

Boston, Michelle. “Six Reasons Shakespeare Remains Relevant 400 Years after His Death.”
USC News​, 23 Oct. 2017,
news.usc.edu/91717/six-reasons-shakespeare-remains-relevant-400-years-after-his-death/

Shakespeare, William. “Folger Digital Texts.” Edited by Barbara A Mowat and Paul Werstine,
Folger Digital Textx​, ​www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/?chapter=5

Somersett, Emma. “Is Shakespeare Still Relevant?” ​Oxford Open Learning Why Is the
Assassination of JFK Such a Significant Historical Event Comments​, 8 Feb. 2016,
www.ool.co.uk/blog/shakespeare-still-relevant/