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Othello Change (1 Viewer)

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Hey guys, i need help with finding out how the notion of change is explored through Othello. What quotes are the best representatives of change that Shakespeare writes in Othello? Also, how many quotes should i put in a 1000-1200 word essay regarding Othello.
 

buriza

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Have you read through the text comprehensively? I cannot tell you quotes from the back of my mind because personally I have not done Othello for around four years now. But you can find change in how Othello's character and language disintegrates, for example his words shift from being rather poetic and calm to crude and irrational. You will usually find evidence of this in how he refers to Desdemona throughout the play, or even his interactions with Iago.

And I would suggest that at the very least you should be using four quotes per body paragraph, backed up with discussion of dramatic techniques, but it really should be much more to demonstrate your broad knowledge of the play.
 

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are there any quotes showing his poetic quotes towards desdemona and his later rude responses to her.
 
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buriza

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You should be able to find them yourself. Do you not have a copy of the play with you?
 
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yes but i cant understand anything
 

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You should try talking about it to your teacher then. Most editions of Othello will also provide meanings for words that you may not understand. For future reference you are going to have to rely more on your own skills rather than others'.

Just as a starting point, look through portions of the play where Othello is referring to Desdemona. I am sure there must be some descriptive words Othello uses to describe Desdemona early in the play, as well as near the end of the play. For example, just scrolling through the play myself, this verse displays how initially, Othello bestowed Desdemona highly:

"It gives me wonder great as my content
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy! (he is happy to see her)
If after every tempest come such calms,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death! (he is able to endure bad events if he is rewarded with seeing her)
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas
Olympus-high and duck again as low
As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear, (if he were to die now, he would be happy because of her)
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate." (he has not known any other happiness like this)

And then compare it with Othello's descriptions of Desdemona at a later stage of the play:

"Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
Made to write 'whore' upon? What committed! (was her pretty appearance made to be unfaithful underneath?)
... Impudent strumpet!" ('strumpet' is essentially a prostitute or promiscuous woman)

"Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men." (he comes to believe he must murder her or her infidelity will spread)

"She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore.
... She was false as water." (basically he is convinced of her deception)
 

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need a short poetic quotation that othello says, and another short rude quote that he says, that highlights his change in language.
 

buriza

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"How I did thrive in this fair lady's love, and she in mine" → "she must die, else she'll betray more men."

∴ Rationality and adoration → irrationality and scorn.
 

buriza

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what does that mean
What do you mean, what does that mean? The phrases that I quoted?

"How did I thrive in this fair lady's love, and she in mine" in other words "How was I able to succeed in her love for me and my love for her." (notion of obvious awe and gratefulness)

"She must die, else she'll betray more men" in other words "She must die or else she will cheat on other men." (notion of irrationality and scorn as I said, for someone to murder someone else, it is usually innately irrational and scornful)

Have you done Shakespeare before? I recommend that you contact your teacher or other friends about this because you seem to be struggling in understanding Shakespeare's language, even the instances above which have been relatively simple.
 

nerdasdasd

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@OP

no fear Shakespeare has translations online . The have modern english translations for all plays online. Nfs.sparknotes.com
 

buriza

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It doesn't help if you have no flapping idea of what they're saying in the first place. Lol
I believe what hawkrider is trying to say is that OP needs to ultimately learn himself/herself Shakespeare's language and then make his/her own interpretations. We all initially struggled, to varying degrees, to understand Shakespeare's language but a lot of this has got to do with your own application. Reading through Shakespeare's plays thoroughly really helps — reading itself as a whole tends to be overrated.

The fact is, although I have been attempting to help OP, I do not want to be spoon-feeding him/her. It does not really help at all in the long run.
 

nerdasdasd

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I believe what hawkrider is trying to say is that OP needs to ultimately learn himself/herself Shakespeare's language and then make his/her own interpretations. We all initially struggled, to varying degrees, to understand Shakespeare's language but a lot of this has got to do with your own application. Reading through Shakespeare's plays thoroughly really helps — reading itself as a whole tends to be overrated.

The fact is, although I have been attempting to help OP, I do not want to be spoon-feeding him/her. It does not really help at all in the long run.
I personally had spent hours trying to understand my play and got no where hahahah.
(Caps)
 

buriza

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I personally had spent hours trying to understand my play and got no where hahahah.
(Caps)
Did your plays have meanings provided for words you might not understand? Personally I found that those editions really helped to grasp Shakespeare's language. Going off a blank slate would be a lot harder though.
 

nerdasdasd

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Did your plays have meanings provided for words you might not understand? Personally I found that those editions really helped to grasp Shakespeare's language. Going off a blank slate would be a lot harder though.
Doesn't matter anymore , the hsc is over :). True that ^
 

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