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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help
Personally, I think that even Shakespeare had his lapses -- just because he was the best doesn't mean he was absolutely perfect; his flawed humanity, and understanding of flawed humanity, is part of what makes him the best. And he makes "mistakes". And one of them is that, technically speaking, Iago may have less motivation than he "should". Yes, he does accuse Othello of having done his office with Emilia; but he only says it once, and it doesn't seem to have much to do with his malignant carryings-on. Personally, I think it adds to Iago's mystery and interest that we don't know quite why he is such a bastard.Further to this, I've just been reading a wonderful book called "Pieces at Eight", by Walter Kerr, who was the New York Times theatre critic in the 1950's. At one point, mocking "psychiatric" interpretations of Shakespeare, he writes, "if we aren't careful we're going to wind up REALLY explaining Iago's duplicity by proving that he was passionately in love with Othello and just wanted Desdemona out of the way." Then in a footnote, he adds: "I am behind the times. When this piece first appeared in print I was promptly informed that the contention had already been made in a reputable scholarly journal, and that -- thousands of miles away -- a notably cast British production had given the same thesis a thorough workout."
What's especially interesting about this is that the book was published in 1957, long before gay interpretations were widely considered acceptable.
Posted by John Lazarus on March 27, 1997 at 00:22:47
In Reply to "Iago's motives in OTHELLO., IS he a "motiveless malignity"?" posted by Sam on March 26, 1997 at 11:32:36
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help