"Nothing comes between two people's love, like one person's jealously."

The 2001 film "O" based on Shakespeare's Othello depicts the similar tragic love story of Desdemona and Othello.  The film is set at a rich Southern boarding school with a successful basketball team.   Othello, Odin in the movie, is a young black male who joins the basketball team while his schooling is paid for by scholarship money.  Odin is immediately recognized by the coach as the captain of the team and the star athlete.  Iago, Hugo in the movie, is the senior starter who is jealous of the coach's unprecedented attention towards Odin and his lack of being chosen as a captain.  Moreover, Hugo is jealous of the promised love between Odin and Desi, Desdemona. Hugo similar to the play sees the love between Desi and Odin as blatantly wrong.  He hurls racial slurs at Odin.   

Like the play, Hugo attempts to poison the minds of all the players in his favor.  He tries to convince the Dean, Desi's Dad, that Odin is not right for Desi.  Hugo seeks out help from the school "slut", Emily, to steal the scarf (the handkerchief).  Roger, Roderigo, is madly in love with Desi and basically the school nerd.  His desperation to fit in the "in-crowd" demonstrates his loyalty to Hugo and why Roger easily allows himself to be manipulated.  Hugo's rampage continues as he tries to breed insecurity in Odin's relationship with Desi.  He even convince Odin to return to doing drugs which hype up Odin's anxieties.  Desi is actually a respectable woman in the play as she seemingly goes against the ideals of the South by dating Odin and numerous times she stands up to her father and Hugo about Odin.  

The poisonous power of jealous drives people to unspeakable ends.  Jealousy is defined as the "resentment against a rival, a person enjoyingsuccess or advantage, etc., or against another's success oradvantage itself."  Obviously, the definition is spot on for Hugo's selfish actions.  He resents the success of Odin which he feels entitled to and advantage of dating Desi.   Jealously is such an evil quality that it does end with a fulfilled end.

The jealously of "O" culminates in the final murder scene like play.  Odin after shooting Desi finally escapes the blindness by recognizing what Hugo has done all along.  Odin says, "You tell them I loved that girl! I did! But I got played!  [Points to Hugo] He twisted my head up. He fucked it up. I ain't no different than none of ya'll. My mom's ain't no crack head. I wasn't no gang banger. It wasn't some hood rat drug dealer that tripped me up. It was this white, prep school motherfucker standing right there! You tell them where I'm from... didn't make me do this."  Odin reveals how their white supremacy was the seed of corruption.  Odin, like Othello, as the black man was not the person to be worried about and watch, but rather one of their own was the one casting spells of deceit.    

Lastly, as Hugo is arrested in the movie and taken to police car. The camera's pan out the whole scene and a hawk flying, the school mascot.  Hugo as the movie's narrator reflects, "All my life I always wanted to fly. I always wanted to live like a hawk. I know you're not supposed to be jealous of anything, but... to take flight, to soar above everything and everyone, now that's living. But a hawk is no good around normal birds. It can't fit in. Even though all the other birds probably wanna be hawks; they hate him for what they can't be. Proud. Powerful. Determined. Dark. Odin is a hawk. He soars above us. He can fly. One of these days, everyone's gonna pay attention to me. Because I'm gonna fly too."  Hugo's final words elucidate his true jealousy.  Odin was inherently good and talented.  Even his description of Odin as "Proud. Powerful. Determined. Dark." directly relates to the character of Othello.  Hugo recognized how different Odin was from other humans and perhaps how he truly wanted to be Odin.  These finals words of Hugo could be sort of an epiphany to his blindness of why he committed the manipulative plan.   Like Odin, he was probably meant to be around other people.  Yet, he still to the very end is so envious of Odin saying he will "fly" to one day.

By looking at "O", I realize the absolute tragic downfall of the characters in Othello perpetuated by the jealousy of Iago.  Even as the tagline for the movie reads, "Trust. Seduction. Betrayal.", the characters are susceptible to pitfalls of human nature.  

I honestly forgot the movie was based on Othello.  Looking at the two works side by side really helped me understand the play.  I have watched this movie actually quite  few times.  

The Lovely Handkerchief Curse

The handkerchief is typically a hemmed square of thin fabric carried around for hygiene purposes.  In Shakespeare’s Othello, the handkerchief becomes a symbol.  Othello using his eloquent storytelling skills explains how he received a handkerchief from his mother which he believes to have magical powers.   His mother gave Othello the handkerchief as a symbol of fidelity.  She explained if he gave the handkerchief to a woman she would be forever true to him.  Othello gave the handkerchief to Desdemona who unfortunately dropped the handkerchief on the ground.  Emilia picked it up and gave it to Iago enlightening how, "My wayward husband hath a hundred times / Woo'd me to steal it" (III.iii.292-293).  Cassio “finds” the handkerchief and gives it to Bianca.  The handkerchief is more than just a traveling object throughout the play it means so much more.

The handkerchief is white with strawberries.  The little strawberries can look like little hearts.  The strawberries are symbolic of fruitfulness.  Moreover, the color red can symbolize blood as seen in the following lines, “There’s magic in the web of it…In her prophetic fury sewed the work;/ The worms were hallowed that did breed the silk,/ and it was dyed in mummy which the skillful/ Conserved of maidens’ hearts.”  In this passage, Othello’s exoticness is revealed further as the “blood” is supposed to the blood drained from embalmed bodies.  The blood on the handkerchief can therefore be the white wedding sheet stained with a virgin’s blood.  Possibly, symbolic of Desdemona’s blood.  Similarly, the red coloring coinciding with blood foreshadows the bloody ending.  Othello says,” With that recognizance and pledge of love/ Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand/ It was a handkerchief, an antique token/ My father gave my mother (V.ii.210-217)”.  The little piece of fabric ties the entire play together!  Emilia finally confesses she gave the handkerchief to Iago who set the whole web of lies in action. Everyone who touched or held on to the handkerchief ends up dead, injured, or imprisoned by the end of the play.  Is the handkerchief a curse?  Is love a curse?  Is love truly deadly?  The sex in marriage may actually bring about the evils of love.  

The Villainous Insane Iago

Shakespeare's Othello has the insane character of Iago as a central character.  As Act I begins, he is extremely angry about the recent marriage of Desdemona to the "moor", Othello.   Iago claims, "I follow him to serve my turn upon him./ We cannot all be masters, nor all masters/ Cannot be truly followed" (I. i. 44-46).  He elucidates how he wants to be the type of servant who that looks dutiful on the outside, but will systematically use this facade to make money serving.  Iago continues to perpetuate a false appearance as he operates in a deceitful manner when relating to other characters.  His mastery of language allows Iago to manipulate other characters into believing him.  For instance, Barbantio is forced to listen to the screaming outside his window of the crazed Iago trying to convince him of Othello's despicable magical actions against Desdemona.  Iago yells, 

Iago: “Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse. You’ll have your nephews neigh to you. You’ll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans."

Barbantio: "What profane wretch art thou?"

Iago: "I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs."

Barbantio: "Thou art a villian." (I. i. 106-114).

In the exchange, Iago is screaming how Barbantio's grandchildren will be black and "neigh" like horses.  He is using crude language to incite Barbantio's emotions.  Moreover, in Act I Scene iii lines 340-341 Iago plots to even use Roderigo to seek revenge on Othello: "I have ’t. It is engendered! Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light".  Similar to Iago's crazy exploitations, he has a severe dislike of women.  Iago speaks in a belittling manner of Desdemona, "Come on, come on. You are pictures out of door, bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds." (II. i. 116-118).  He demeans Desdemona an other women playing tricks whether ugly or good looking.  Iago's judgments are likely remnants of his disdain for his own wife's cheating behaviors.  Lastly, Iago has no real power to even act for he merely manipulates other people to act in his favor.  His web of manipulative lies makes Iago a dangerous villain.  Iago's despicable lies are his part of his master plan to gain money and supreme power. Look at how Iago capitalizes on manipulations of Cassio, Othello, and Roderigo trusting nature.   Iago's manipulations are able to come to fruition because of the false labeled reputation of being a "trustworthy" gentleman.  

Ultimately, Iago's lies, condescending attitudes, and taste for revenge demonstrate his insane.  

Insanity seems quite the familiar theme for Shakespeare...Was everyone crazy back then?

Iago the crazed bird from Aladdin...Named after Insane Iago?

Shedding Light on Twelfth Night

‘Carpe Diem’—seize the day!   Were the characters of Twelfth Night in it for the party?  Did they seize the moment to cause havoc?

 Twelfth Night is historically known in Christianity as the culmination of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Twelfth Night is the night before the twelfth day. The night is considered to be an epiphany.  The night is meant to be a night of revelation of truth and light. Obviously relates to the ending of the play , the “epiphany”, of all the true identities discussed in my previous post.  This holiday was celebrated as a festival in which everything was turned upside down.  Likewise, everything is relatively inverted in the play. Malvolio thinks he could become a nobleman.

Olivia, as a woman, is in charge of the household.  Viola dresses up as a man.  Feste the fool should actually be called wise. These examples illustrate how Twelfth Night like the holiday is emphasizing similar themes or a topsy turvy situation.  The festive nature of the play draws upon the carefree attitude of the alternative title of “Or What you Will”.  People around holidays are supposed to be happy-go-lucky and roll along with happenings.  The “Or What You Will” highlights the lighthearted nature of the characters.  Except for Malvolio, the rest of the characters seem to go along untroubled with whatever happens in the play.  For instance, Olivia is rather complacent about accepting Sebastain is not Cesario. She goes moves forward with the prerogative (as you said) “Let It Be”.  Shakespeare uses the carefree nature of the characters as a parable for the audience.  A parable is a story, which illustrates a lesson, usually used in Biblical terms by Jesus (once again pointing back to the reference of the Twelfth Night).  Shakespeare is teaching a lesson of not to take life so seriously for no matter what happens one can take a “whatever” attitude toward the happenings and move on.  The play’s title may be based on the Epiphany or revelation of light, but Feste points out how life is not always filled with “light”.  Feste sings, “For the rain, it raineth every day.”  Life often has times of rain and seemingly “darkness”.  Feste expounds on the reality of life. Life is tulmultuous, confusing, people wear disguises (masks), and full of absolute nonsense.  Twelfth Night as a play taught me to see the lighter side of life maybe life should be a party from time to time.  Focusing on the darkness would leave me dressed in bright yellow tights and cross belts sulking.  In the spirit of Twelfth Night, let's instead:  “Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”  

Additionally, the theme of lightness and darkness as you mentioned will be used in the Othello.  Shakespeare’s use of common themes throughout his works can illustrate how the lessons of life correlate. 

Before the Final Bow

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night comes to an end with each character revealing their true identity.  Sebastian and Viola are reunited.  The brother and sister pair quickly quiz one another on their family to make for certain they are from the same family.  Cesario reveals she is not a man, but rather Viola.  Olivia is particularly disturbed after she thought she was already married to Cesario.  Orsino (with not even a pause) expresses his true undeniable feelings for Viola.  And lets not forget about the crazed Malvolio who realizes Olivia never loved him, but rather he was once again fooled by false love.  The big "reveal" creates a sense of clarity for the characters, perhaps even a moment of realization at their silliness.  The true clown about town, Feste, recognizes their utter lack of sanity still as Malvolio storms off and Orsino quickly falls in love with someone he once thought to be a man.  Feste quotes from the letter, "Why, 'some are born great, some achieve/ greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon/ them" (V. i. 372-374). Feste is commenting on their lack of greatness!  The characters did not achieve any great feat by finally coming to their senses about people's real identity.  The characters may have been born into noble (great) families.  Yet, the characters do not have greatness thrown upon them for in this comedy the characters simply fall in and out of love.  Feste points to how the characters still see what is "outer beauty" (thinking everyone is a regulation hottie).  As the play came to end, one could almost feel the resolution right around the corner.  Being in the audience we have the inside scoop on what is going with the characters so we are able to laugh at their silly mistakes and nonsensical reasoning.  But as the play ends, Feste sings, "But that's all one, our play is done,/And we'll strive to please you every day"(V. i. 409-411).  Upon reading the final lines, I thought wait is the joke on me? Did all of these players seemingly dupe me? Shakespeare uses metatheatre in the sense of play or masque presented as part of the larger plot.  The use of metatheatre at the end of the play highlights how a masque or a "disguise" has been used as part of the larger plot to fool the audience.  The characters all along knew they were acting.  Shakespeare may have meant to teach the audience a lesson about laughing at another human's misperceptions and mistakes.  Shakespeare played a joke of his own on an unsuspecting audience.  Moreover, Shakespeare established a principle of being careful with love.  Shakespeare showed how stupid and unreasonable love could be.   Love should be well reasoned and meaningful!

Only Fools Fall in Love

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night plays on the foolishness of love.  The characters are falling in love based on mistaken identity which is absolutely and utterly foolish.  Olivia is falling in love with the "handsome" page boy Cesario because the way he is straightforward about wooing for Orsino.  Cesario demonstrates what Olivia finds attractive by actually being a 'man'.  Cesario is actually Viola, Sebastian's sister, in disguise.  Viola quickly falls in love with Orsino. Orsino is still excessively in love with Olivia.  Malvolio who is already in love with Olivia falls for a planted love letter by Maria.  He thinks the letter was written by Olivia and foolishly dresses up in ridiculous yellow stockings.  [Luckily, as the audience, we have the inside scoop into the confusing love of the cast.  To me, this is what makes Twelfth Night and other comedies funny is that we know something the cast does not know so the 'trick' or the punch line is not on us.]
Falling in love?  The characters of Twelfth Night do not think twice before falling into love.   Falling means, "to pass into some physical, mental, or emotional condition".  Olivia, Viola, Orsino, Malvoilio, and even Antonio quickly pass into an emotional condition of love.   Love has been illustrated across time to cause foolishness.  But, why?  Similar to the concept of slapstick comedy or comedy in general, love plays tricks on the mind.    Love literally makes people silly.  Love blinds people to human reason because  the emotions of love cloud any clear, sensible mental state.  Shakespeare elucidates on the reality of humanity.  The audience may laugh at the foolishness of the characters, but these characters are simply illustrations of the reality of love.  We quickly fall in and out of love. We idolize physical beauty or swoon over a "hottie".  We fall for comfort of companionship.  We deny faults of our partners or try to fix flaws of character.  The foolish love in Shakespeare highlights the foolish love college students experience on a daily basis, yet we seemingly ignore or deny the foolishness.  
Shakespeare's Feste should probably start roaming around today!  Feste says, "Would you have a love-song, or a song of good life?".  Individuals often pass up opportunities and jump at supposed "soul-mates" foolishly when we are missing out on the "good life".   Feste brings light to the reality of generations recklessly falling in love.  Can we really ever stop foolishly falling in love? 

Crazy Ophelia: Psychology in Hamlet

The young maiden Ophelia from Hamlet lost her mind!  The sexualized Ophelia began to mentally unravel after the death of her father and by giving herself sexually to Hamlet.  Did she suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder? PTSD?
In Act IV Scene v, Ophelia begins singing mindless and meaningful songs.   She sings, "Before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed."  Ophelia is singing about how she slept with Hamlet.  The song is a narrative about a maiden, but when the maiden comes out of the bedroom she is no longer a maiden.  Ophelia continues with how the man would reply, "So would I' a done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed.  She is referring to how if she had not gone to bed with Hamlet then he would have likely married her. Essentially, Ophelia was manipulated by Hamlet because of Hamlet's malice and resentment of his own mother.  Gertrude easily slipped into bed with Claudius right after Hamlet's dad died.  Hamlet recognizes Ophelia's quickness to jump into bed as too similar to his mother.  His essentially sexual abuse of Ophelia contributes to her possible Borderline Personality Disorder.  Borderline Personality Disorder is when a person's emotions are rapidly changing.  In Ophelia's case, she showed the symptoms of being sexually impulsive, fearing being abandoned, and feelings of emptiness.    Ophelia seems overly attached to Hamlet even though he is treating her poorly.   Furthermore, when she gives the possibly imaginary flowers this highlights how flowers serve no utility.  Symbolically, Ophelia feels like she serves no utility or purpose anymore. Borderline individuals are usually uncertain about their identity.  Ophelia is obviously questioning her identity given the present matters, since she is feeling abandoned and lost without a family.  Ophelia has no protection.  Likewise, Borderline individuals often become suicidal and self-destructive.  Ophelia falls into the brook and dies.  Her death can be deemed a suicide as Gertrude explains how she continued to sing songs, "snatches of old lauds", until the garments weigh her down enough to drown Ophelia from her "melodious lay".  Ophelia could not take her lonely life and tumultuous life any longer.  Therefore, Ophelia could be considered to have suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder or possibly even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder given the fact her dad died and she was pregnant at the time of death.  In any case, Ophelia shows another side of human nature to pushed to mental exhaustion from external pressures and chaotic events.