HELP - Shakespeare's 'Othello'

[aquachick_3]

i'm trying to write a paper on the significance and dramatic purposes of this soliloquy spoken by 'Othello' in the play of that name. i've pasted the text..... does anyone have any insight???? HELP!!!!!!!

OTHELLO
This fellow's of exceeding honesty,
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings. If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings,
I'ld whistle her off and let her down the wind,
To pray at fortune. Haply, for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have, or for I am declined
Into the vale of years,--yet that's not much--
She's gone. I am abused; and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours,
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others' uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogatived are they less than the base;
'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death:
Even then this forked plague is fated to us
When we do quicken. Desdemona comes:

[redletterruth]

Chris- when in the play does Othello say these lines? When Desdemona is alive or dead?

[aquachick_3]

it is from act 3 scene 3.... othello is beginning to believe iago that desdemona has been unfaithful with cassio.

[FlakeyGirl]

His feelings for Desde. have got him in a nasty back and forth in his head. I'm no fool, but I'm a fool for her----She's got me hooked on her, but I'd still toss her over a cliff if I found out she was cheating on me. I think any guy could identify with poor Othello...it's the age-old "can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em" quandary. He is seriously and deeply bemoaning certain powers that it is perceived that women hold over men.


That is the meat and potatoes of it, but there are a couple of things unrelated to romance. A social issue which is still relevant today; him being a moor and her a fancy white chick. Them being together and that making him feel out of place and perhaps inferior in her courtly world. The toad passage ties together the lovey dovey romancey struggle with the class/racial disparity.

I've been there at the 11th hour with didly squat, sure hope this helps!

[FlakeyGirl]

Oh, it looks like you've got it under control already!

[aquachick_3]

i'm getting there...... essay is supposed to be 800 words... i have 400 i haven't dealt with the black/white angle yet, hopefully that will give me more

THANKS!!!!!

[FlakeyGirl]

NP

[redletterruth]

I tried to think of something brilliant and failed. I really like the simile he used, comparing Desdemona to a hawk who was leashed by his heartstrings.

[aquachick_3]

thanks for trying claudia!! i talked about that

[aquachick_3]

just thought i'd let you all know that i finished my paper on othello this afternoon. didn't make the 800 words.... was only abou 650, but i was soooooooooooooo fed up with it i sent it anyhow. i just got an email back from my instructor 79% one more to go and i'll NEVER have to do another english essay again
thanks for all the suggestions and insight!!!

[FlakeyGirl]

Wow! Those must have been six hundred fifty d**n good words. Light on quanitity, heavy on quality!