"Barbie Doll"

                In many ways I find the central essence of Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” to be rooted in the idea of a stock character. The young girl in the poem is depicted as a strong, intelligent, independent woman with many unique gifts and talents to offer the world through her vibrancy and individuality. However, the girl was consistently pressured to improve herself because her “great big nose and fat legs” (Piercy, 835) prevented anyone from being able to see her genuine beauty, and the pressure and torment she experienced in the name of achieving physical perfection ultimately compelled her to take her own life. Thus, I believe that Piercy is asserting through her poem the notion that today’s culture both encourages and forces all young girls to essentially become stock characters, or Barbie dolls. Although the young woman presented in the poem possessed many beneficial and valuable qualities, all such gifts were overshadowed by the stereotype which all teenage girls are supposedly forced to comply with today. By mentioning the fact that the young girl was given dolls, fake stoves, and plastic lipstick to play with as a child, Piercy alludes to the idea that all girls today are molded to become stock characters, or stereotypical young women of today’s society, rather than embracing and developing their own individuality. Thus, in this manner, Piercy’s poem embodies a sarcastic and condemning tone as she conveys the idea that society’s obsession with creating all young girls into stereotypical Barbie dolls promotes a universal stock character which all girls must conform to.

                Furthermore, the idea of a stock character contributes greatly to the essence of this poem in the sense that the reaction of the young girl in the poem to the pressure she was receiving was also very stereotypical. Many stories have arisen in the past of young girls who were so distraught over their hopeless pursuits of physical perfection and so oppressed by the feeling of being unable to express their own individuality that they took their own lives. In trying to create an identity which the world would approve of, the teenage girl in the poem instead lost the only real identity she could ever truly possess: her very own unique and individual self. Piercy writes, “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt” (Piercy, 836). However, unfortunate as it may be, many young girls respond to today’s peer pressure in the same manner: instead of fighting for their own individuality and image, they fight endlessly to achieve perfection in the eyes of society, forsake their own identities, lose their sense of purpose and happiness, and take their own lives. Therefore, ironically, the poem “Barbie Dolls” reveals the fact that the young girl in the poem not only did everything in her power to become a “stock character,” but her reaction to her physical imperfections did, in and of itself, embody that of a stock character. In other words, the young girl in the poem acted as a stock character by placing too much emphasis in her life in trying to become a stock character. Though the sarcastic tone of the poem and the disheartening conclusion provide for the poem’s serious nature, Piercy does convey the central theme of embracing one’s own imperfection and individuality effectively via the utilization of the concept of a stock character.

"To His Coy Mistress"

               Figurative language is present in abundance throughout the poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell and plays a significant role in illustrating the central themes of experiencing and enjoying love in the fleeting instance that life on earth lasts. For example, Marvell articulates the idea that life on earth is not indefinite by using a metaphor in the following passage: “But at my back I always hear time’s winged chariot hurrying near” (Marvell, 804). By comparing time to a winged chariot in this manner, the author conveys the idea that time passes rapidly and that the remainder of their lives on earth shrinks with each passing day. Furthermore, by describing time as a winged chariot approaching him from behind, he alludes to the fact that death is constantly in pursuit of man, consistently drawing closer and closer to him, yet behind his back, where he cannot see for sure when it will catch he. Therefore, in using this metaphor of a winged chariot to express the fleeting nature of time, Marvell reinforces the speaker’s sense of urgency to convince his coy mistress to cast aside her shy nature and embrace their love before they become prisoners to the effects of time and lose their lives.

                Marvell also employs figurative language in the poem by incorporating similes into his descriptions of the mistress and his love for her. For example, he describes the youthful hue of his young mistress as resting on her cheeks in the manner that morning dew rests gently upon the earth. In comparing the skin of his lady to something so gentle and beautiful in nature, he highlights the fact that his mistress is delicate and likely to be shy rather than the type of woman who would embrace every aspect of life, such as love. Furthermore, the speaker describes his own soul as firing at every pore, and this figurative comparison advances the meaning of his work by articulating his own desire for his mistress. The fact that he describes every pore of his being as being afire serves as a strong indication that the speaker has no intentions of wasting any more time than he absolutely has to; rather, he would prefer to embrace life while he still possesses his youth rather than waiting for their encasement in marble graves to love one another.

                Finally, Marvell concludes the poem with the statement, “Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run” (Marvell, 804). I believe the sun to be symbolic of the couple’s time together and their lives at large. The speaker is intending to express the idea that they cannot prevent the time of their youth from fading away just as they cannot prevent the sun from rising and falling each day; however, they certainly can embrace every instant of their time together. All of these examples of figurative language therefore emphasize the speaker’s key purpose of convincing his mistress to forsake her coyness to as to enter into a loving relationship with him before the winged chariot of time takes either of them prisoner.

"A Jury of Her Peers" Pg. 426 Question 1

                Much irony can be found in the title of “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell. While the structure of the plot of the story is centered on determining who and what caused the death of Mr. Wright, the ultimate essence and theme expressed in the story were rooted in sexism. This work of Glaspell was first published in 1917, at a time in American history when women were not given the right to vote nor the right to be judged by a jury of peers, and women were often seen as having little purpose in daily life other than to fret over trifling things such as the cleanliness of dish towels in the kitchen. This view of women is conveyed by the three principle men in the story, Mr. Hale, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Henderson, the young attorney. Although the two women are brought along to the scene of the crime so that Mrs. Peters can gather a few essential items for Mrs. Wright, who is being detained under order of the law, and so that Mrs. Hale can give Mrs. Peters company, the two women are in no way expected to contribute in any way to the solving of the murder mystery. In fact, the men find a way of criticizing the women for their apparent simple-mindedness and lack of functionality in life throughout the duration of their visit to the Wright home. For example, the men act condescendingly towards the women when they discover them worrying over the state of Mrs. Wright’s canned fruit and quilt patterns. However, as the egotistical men search boldly for evidence of a murder, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters alone are able to discern that Mrs. Wright was in fact Mr. Wright’s murderer, as well as what her motives were in killing her own husband.

                The considerations mentioned above are what make the title “A Jury of Her Peers” very ironic in nature. While women in that time period were not allowed to ever serve on a jury, nor would women such as Mrs. Wright be given a jury of her peers in court, it was the only two women at the scene of the crime, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who were able to determine Mrs. Wright’s motives in killing her husband quite simply because they themselves were women, too. After discovering Mrs. Wright’s precious bird dead from a wrung neck and entombed in a very elaborate box, the women determine that Mr. Wright must have killed her bird out of maliciousness and irreverence towards his wife’s happiness. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters begin to understand that Mrs. Wright may have killed her husband simply because she was driven to insanity by the solitude, loneliness, and lack of love and companionship that suffocated her in her empty abode and was perpetuated by the stoic attitude of Mr. Wright. Upon discovering the dead bird, Mrs. Hale remarks, “I wonder how it would seem… never to have any children around? …No, Wright wouldn’t like that bird… a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that too” (Glaspell, 423). This excerpt proves that the women understood the oppression which Mrs. Wright must have felt by her husband because their metaphorical “song” had been crushed by their own husbands and men at large, as well. There, the title “A Jury of Her Peers” is ironic because, despite the fact that women were not believed capable of great intelligence or the ability to solve a murder mystery, the women alone were the only ones able to solve the mystery because they could sympathize with the motives of a woman whose hopes, dreams, and happiness had been crushed by her inferiority and loneliness. The women’s defiance at the conclusion of the story also reinforces the notion that all women were resistance to the sexism they all endured.

"Hunters in the Snow" (Based off pg. 202 question 4)

                The element of “Hunters in the Snow” which Tobias Wolff utilizes most prominently in order to maintain the suspense of the plot is the surprising changes of character that occur in Tub, Frank, and Kenny. To begin with, Tub undergoes a dynamic transformation over the course of the story as he shifts from a sympathetic, good-natured, and victimized man to a somewhat cold-hearted individual. At the beginning of the novel, Tub is depicted as an overweight but kind man who is constantly ridiculed by his friends for his incredibly large size. For example, Frank and Kenny criticize his lack of physical agility and merely sit and watch stoically as he struggles to climb through fences rather than lend him a hand. Moreover, when he eats nothing but an egg and a stalk of celery for lunch, they rebuke his lack of success on such a pathetic diet. Consequently, the reader initially identifies Tub as a sympathetic character who is subject to the bullying of his best friends on a regular basis; however, when Tub ultimately shoots Kenny in a desperate attempt to protect himself against what he believed to be a threat to his life, the reader can begin to see that Tub is not as weak and victimized an individual as one might initially suspect. While Tub may have been acting in self defense when he shot Kenny, this act serves as the first indication that Tub may lack important rationalizing skills and have issues with self-control. These flaws in Tub’s character are further emphasized when he is convinced by Frank to eat four full plates of pancakes at the diner. Wolff highlights Tub’s lack of self-control in remarking, “Tub ate several mouthfuls, then started to wipe his lips… the syrup covered his chin; it dripped to a point like a goatee… Tub took the fork in his left hand and lowered his head and started really chowing down…Tub lifted each of the four plates and licked it clean” (Wolff, 200). However, the full extent of Tub’s dynamic transformation is best manifested in the fact that he, along with Frank, fail to make any effort to retrieve the lost directions to the hospital or generally make any effort whatsoever to ease Kenny’s pain or rush him to the hospital. Although Tub may initially be seen as a bullied yet sympathetic character at the beginning of the story, his selfish and irrational actions throughout the course of the plot prove that he is instead a selfish man lacks compassion for others and ultimately becomes a bit of a bully himself.

                Frank’s character also shows a bit of a dynamic transformation in the sense that he begins the story being best friends with Kenny and ridiculing Tub, whereas, by the conclusion, he has forsaken his loyalty to Kenny in exchange for a close bond with Tub. However, I personally do not view this as much of a dynamic change since many aspects of Frank’s personality seem to indicate that he is unfailingly fickle. The fact that Frank never seems to take any initiative of his own while hunting with Kenny and Tub but merely follows the decisions and actions of others proves that he only intends to follow others. Furthermore, his confession to Tub that he is in love with a fifteen-year-old rather than his own wife proves that he is very capricious in relationships. Therefore, while Frank does change friends during the progression of “Hunters in the Snow” I do not believe that his character in and of itself changed in any significant way; rather, I believe Frank’s tendency to be fickle was a consistent trait of his which was displayed throughout the story.

Othello Act V Theme of Trust

                In my own personal opinion, I found the issue of in whom one should place their trust to be a major theme of Shakespeare’s Othello. Othello and Roderigo prove themselves to be the two characters whose actions speak to this theme most profoundly in Act V. To begin with, Othello has been placing his trust in the wrong characters throughout the entire play, but the culmination of this blind trust does not fully reveal itself until this fifth act. Despite the fact that Iago is a treacherous and dishonest man, Othello overlooks the indications that he is an evil man and chooses to take heed to every piece of false information with he gives Othello. Rather than questioning the man who is his ensign, he instead places all his trust in the conniving Iago and instead questions his very own wife, who is loyal and honest to the moment of her death. However, in addition to the fact that Othello foolishly trusted the wrong individuals, he additionally contributed to the theme of the dangers of trust or a lack thereof by refusing to trust the words of his honest wife, Desdemona. Despite her genuine and sincere protestations that she is absolutely and entirely guiltless and has performed no act of infidelity to deserve Othello’s scorn, he stubbornly insists that she is guilty, asserting that she must, “Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin, For to deny each article with oath cannot remove nor choke the strong conception that I do groan withal. Thou are to die” (Shakespeare, V, ii, 53-56). Othello has become so hardened in heart by his belief of his wife’s affair that he has become adamant in his resolve to murder her, and no words in Act V can dissuade him of the need for Desdemona’s death. However, the entire issue could clearly have been resolved if Othello had only placed his trust in the much more honorable character of Desdemona rather than the wicked Iago.

                Roderigo’s blind trust of Iago also reinforced the necessity of placing trust in the right character. Roderigo foolishly trusted Iago for quite a length of time, handing over most of his riches to the man without demanding any immediate and concrete evidence that his personal sacrifices were even being used for the advancement of his own good. Though Roderigo does eventually see the futility of his trust in Iago and even confronts Iago about his falsehood, he makes this essential revelation a little too late and ultimately still faces a very unfortunate death at the hands of Iago. Had Roderigo placed his trust in someone more honorable than Iago, then he could not have been used as an instrument in Iago’s wicked schemes, and the entire plot of the novel may have been altered. Therefore, the events which unfold in Act V of Othello prove the  culmination of the theme of the relevance of trusting the appropriate individuals in the final act of the play.

Othello Act V Dynamic Characters

                A number of characters prove themselves to be dynamic characters in the fifth and final act of Shakespeare’s Othello, including Othello and Emilia. Othello is the first character in the act to reveal his dynamic nature by acting according to very evil impulses and murdering his wife, Desdemona. At the beginning of the novel, he is characterized as a very valiant, honorable, and respectable man who was able to remain calm and composed in stressful or treacherous situations, specifically in battle. As the play progresses, Othello exhibits these personality traits on many different occasions, including when charged by Brabantio of drugging his daughter and when handling the chaos of Cassio’s drunken rage in Act II. However, when the state of his emotions and heart were threatened by the news of Desdemona’s infidelity, he rapidly transformed into a man who did not resemble Othello in the slightest. He had angry fits of rage, threatened to murder Iago, had a couple of seizures, and resolved unabashedly to kill both Cassio and Desdemona. While Othello’s heartbreak at the thought of the infidelity of his wife is certainly understandable, the fact that he actually murders his wife with his bare hands in Act V despite her desperate and honest pleas of innocence is altogether inexcusable. At the beginning of the play, imagining the calm and collected Othello murdering the woman he was madly in love with would have been inconceivable; however, by strangling her despite her gentle protestations in Act V, Othello finally reveals that he has changed in a number of important ways as a result of the action of the play, therefore making him a dynamic character. Although his eventual shame ultimately causes him to kill himself, the fact remains that the novel’s action changed Othello in a number of significant ways.

                Despite Othello’s dramatic change of character of the course of the play, Emilia’s transformation as a dynamic character is the most potent in Act V. At the beginning of the play, Emilia was characterized as being incredibly shy and timid, and she was always accepting of her inferior role as Iago’s wife. Her unrelenting subservience to Iago was proven by the fact that she gave Iago Desdemona’s handkerchief in response to his request. However, Emilia’s entire personality changes entirely in Act V when she finally finds her voice and confronts her husband for all this evil actions. With immense bravery and boldness that would be unimaginable in the character of Emilia, she defies her husband’s orders to be quiet and states firmly that, “I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak” (Shakespeare, V, ii, 183) and also that “Good gentlemen, let me leave to speak. ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not now” (Shakespeare, Act V, ii, 194-195). Therefore, in this scene, Emilia proves that she is a dynamic character by changing in the sense that she found her independence and courage over the course of the play.

Othello Act IV Foreshadowing

              In Act IV, scene iii of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Shakespeare utilizes foreshadowing by indicating the imminent death of Desdemona through the song she sings about a willow. Desdemona explains that she learned the song from her mother’s maid. She remarks, “My mother had a maid called Barbary. She was in love, and he she loved proved mad and did forsake her. She a song of “willow”—and old thing ‘twas, but it expressed her fortune, and she died singing it. That song tonight will not go from my mind” (Shakespeare, Act IV, iii, 25-30). Desdemona then proceeds to sing the song, which tells of lady sitting at the foot of a willow tree, crying in misery about the fact that the man she once loved no longer returns that love to her. The reader can tell that this is clearly foreshadowing by the fact that the situation of the lady in the song very much resembles the situation which Desdemona is currently dealing with. While she knows that she is completely innocent of every crime her husband suspects her of, she also can clearly see that he has lost all love and respect for her. Since the woman in the “willow” song is miserable and lonely, the reader might also presume that this represents the lack of happiness which Desdemona will always be burdened with forevermore. Furthermore, the aspect of this song which makes it an even stronger source of foreshadowing is the fact that Desdemona’s mother’s maid was reminded of the song after experiencing a similar situation and then died singing it. Moreover, Desdemona admits to not being able to get the song out of her head that night. Therefore, when considering the fact that the “willow” song was sung by a woman Desdemona knew going through the same situation as herself at the moment she died, and that, on top of this, Desdemona cannot help but think of the song that very night, the fact that Desdemona is likely to meet her own death that very night becomes evident. Consequently, Shakespeare employed foreshadowing through the “willow” song in order to build suspense. This also contributes somewhat to dramatic irony, considering that the audience is aware of Othello’s intentions to murder Desdemona, whereas Desdemona suspects no such action of her husband whatsoever.

Othello Act IV Symbolism and Minor Characters

In Act IV of Shakespeare’s Othello, the significance of minor characters and symbolism is revealed in the discussion that is conducted between Bianca and Cassio regarding the handkerchief. The conversation begins as Bianca confronts Cassio for asking her to copy the pattern on the handkerchief he found in his room. Although Cassio promises that he has no idea who the handkerchief belongs to, but that he simply happened to find it in his room, Bianca convinces herself that it is a handkerchief given to him by another woman. Believing that her relationship with Cassio is much more serious than Cassio views it, she is greatly offended that he would ask her to copy the pattern of a handkerchief belonging to another mistress of his. However, it is during this conversation that Othello is spying on Cassio and Iago, and, when he sees Bianca wielding the handkerchief which he gave to Desdemona, he receives the “ocular proof” of Desdemona’s infidelity that he worried about for quite some time. Othello blindly accepts the lies which Iago has been feeding him when Iago declares, “Did you see the handkerchief… Yours, by his hand. And to see how he prizes the foolish woman your wife? She gave it him, and he hath given it his whore” (Shakespeare, Act IV, i, 162-165). This scene therefore reveals the importance of the symbolism of the handkerchief. Because the handkerchief was the first gift which Othello gave to Desdemona, it is representative of their binding and loyal love to one another; consequently, when Othello believes that Desdemona has betrayed him and given this precious token of love to the man with whom she had an affair, he is heartbroken. Furthermore, believing that Cassio had in turn given this gift to his mistress, Othello became all the more outraged. Had the handkerchief not symbolized his love for Desdemona, then her gift of a mere handkerchief to another man may not have been so offensive to Othello and certainly could not be considered “ocular proof” of an affair between her and another man. However, the symbolism of the handkerchief makes this misconception devastating to Othello purely because of its implications of the love shared between Othello and Desdemona. Because the handkerchief carries such significant meaning, its possession by another man also carries much more significant meaning as well.

Act IV, scene i also reveals the significance of minor characters to the advancement of the plot in Othello. Without the minor character of Bianca, Cassio may never have bothered to ask anyone to copy the pattern of the handkerchief and paid it no attention. However, by giving the handkerchief to Bianca and offending her in the process, Othello observes the passing of his handkerchief from the man he believes to be sleeping with his wife to that man’s mistress, which convinces him to murder Desdemona. Consequently, without the role of Bianca, Othello may never have received his ocular proof of her affair and may never have found the need to murder her.

Othello Acts I-III Dramatic Irony

In looking at the first three acts of William Shakespeare’s Othello in their entirety, the literary device employed by Shakespeare which catches my attention the most is dramatic irony. I would be so bold as to make the argument that dramatic irony is the very foundation of the plot of the novel, since the very cunning and ingenious nature of all of Iago’s actions are centered around the fact that he is able to “wipe his hands” of every evil action he commits. Iago is able to single-handedly remove Cassio of his position, convince Othello of his wife’s infidelity, and a number of other vicious deeds while simultaneously convincing every single character that he is not only innocent, but loyal and honest with them. Examples of this dramatic irony pervade the entire first three acts of the play but perhaps can be seen most prominently when Iago blames Cassio for the fight that breaks out during the war victory and wedding celebration. Iago intentionally gets Cassio drunk beyond his point of emotional stability and then purposely has Roderigo pick a fight with Cassio in order to rile him up. However, when Othello asks Iago to explain the situation, he acts as though he is pained to say anything poor of his dear companion Cassio. He even goes as far to declare that he will only testify against Cassio in confidence that his words will bring no harm to Cassio. He insists, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mot than it should do offense to Michael Cassio. Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth shall nothing wrong him” (Shakespeare, II,iii,200-202). This is the height of dramatic irony since the audience knows full well that Iago had every intention of brining harm to Cassio. As the play progresses, this dramatic irony will be essential  to Iago’s success at bringing about the doom of every single character while maintaining the characters’ trust in himself, his words, and his actions.

Othello Act III

Before even beginning to read the play, we were told in class that the object of a handkerchief would be very essential in William Shakespeare’s Othello; considering that this handkerchief first appears in the duration of Act III, I could not help but immediately take notice to its role in the story and its many layers of symbolism. The handkerchief first appears when Desdemona attempts to wipe Othello’s fact in comfort when he expresses anguish. Taken aback by his unusual display of anger and rage, Desdemona distractedly drops the handkerchief, and Emilia sneakily retrieves it after Desdemona has exited. She explains in a brief soliloquy that Iago has wanted her to retrieve this handkerchief for quite some time. She declares that “I am glad I have found this napkin. This was her first remembrance from the Moor” (Shakespeare, Act III,iii, 292-293). With this massive revelation, the audience finally begins to understand the significance of the hankerchief and Iago’s desire to attain possession of it. The handkerchief is an essential symbol of the love and loyalty between Desdemona and Othello considering that it was the initial and heartfelt gift given to her. As a result, Iago wishes to obtain the handkerchief so as to place it in the possession of Cassio. This will serve as circumstantial evidence to prove to Othello that Cassio has had affair with Desdemona. The true genius behind the plan is that, while this evidence will be undeniably in favor or Desdemona’s infidelity, nobody else will understand the horrible evil which Iago has performed in framing Cassio with the handkerchief. Therefore, the handkerchief becomes not only a symbol of the love and loyalty between Othello and Desdemona, but also the trust in their relationship. As the handkerchief begins to change ownership and location, so does Othello’s trust in those characters surrounding him. As the play progresses, understanding the condition and location of the handkerchief will be critical to understanding the state of Othello and Desdemona’s love and relationship.

Othello Act II

                One of the most unique and interesting portions of Act II of William Shakespeare’s Othello was the conversation conducted between Desdemona, Iago, and Emilia about four different types of women. While I admit that I am not entirely sure what the significance of this conversation may be to the remaining action in the play, I do believe that this conversation provides important insights into Iago’s character and perception of women. To briefly summarize, Iago ultimately circumvents genuinely complimenting any type of woman by providing only left-handed compliments of woman at best. He describes beautiful and smart women as having the brains to utilize their beauty to gain a man; beautiful and dumb women as being without worry since their foolishness will make them more attractive in the eyes of men; smart and ugly women having the wit to marry an uglier man so as to make herself look even prettier; and dumb and ugly women as using the exact same tricks as beautiful and smart women. Ultimately, the message which Iago is attempting to convey is that he sees little value or significance in woman. After a long passage describing the perfectly obedient, inferior, and servile woman in Act II, i, 147-156, he finally concludes that “She was a wight, if ever such wight were… to suckle fools and chronicle small beer” (Shakespeare, Act II, i, 157-159).

                While I may be unsure as to whether or not this conversation will have any greater significance in the rest of the play, I do believe that this conversation is noteworthy simply in the fact that it shows Iago’s detestation for women. Since the reader can now plainly see that he views all women as having ulterior motives in order to find a husband and satisfy their desires, understanding his intention to bring about Othello and Cassio’s destruction by spreading lies about affairs seems much more plausible and logical. Furthermore, this conversation is important to understanding the relationship which Iago has with his wife and the way he intends to manipulate it in the future. When addressing Cassio after he kisses Emilia in greeting upon her arrival in Cyprus, Iago remarks that, “Sir, would she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue shoe oft bestows on me, you’d have enough” (Shakespeare, Act II, i, 100-102). Therefore, while Iago clearly has no respect or love for his wife, he intends to keep her as his wife for as long as she can be useful to him. As the rest of the play progresses, the reader may find that understanding the opinions and perceptions of Iago revealed in this conversation are necessary to understanding his actions and motives.

Othello Act I

                William Shakespeare employs a great deal of direct and indirect characterization of the central characters in Act I of Othello so as to immediately provide the reader with an understanding of the personalities and underlying motives of the characters. For example, Othello is immediately characterized as a confident, calm, and righteous man who conducts himself with integrity. His integrity and pure intention can be seen in the fact that he married Desdemona because he was in love with her mind rather than her body. His marriage is that of genuine love, and he has no ulterior motives in marrying Desdemona other than to love her with his whole heart and soul. Furthermore, Othello’s capability to maintain composure can be seen in the cool and collected manner in which he defended himself against Brabantio and those who accused him of drugging Desdemona in order to trick her into marrying him. Although Othello’s physical differences from the rest of his companions due to his Moroccan nationality often lead to racist comments, most all characters aside from Iago greatly respect Othello for his work and personality. For example, the Duke highly admires Othello and even defends him to Brabantio, who was appalled by Othello’s sudden marriage to his daughter. In advising Brabantio to accept his daughter’s marriage to Othello, he remarks, “If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black” (Shakespeare, Act I,iii, 286-287). Being aware of Othello’s good-natured demeanor will be critical to understanding his responses and actions later in the play, so Shakespeare’s characterization of him in Act I was ultimately essential.

                Shakespeare’s characterization of Iago in the first act of Othello is perhaps even more critical for the reader’s understanding of the plot. Because the play has such a strong foundation in dramatic irony, the reader must understand that, while Iago is a truly vile and evil character, all the other characters in the novel are completely ignorant of his wickedness and believe him to be honest and loyal. This trust of the other characters in Iago, particularly Othello, can be seen in the fact that Iago is often addressed or described as “honest Iago.” However, Shakespeare intentionally utilizes frequent soliloquies of Iago to explain to the audience his true personality and true intentions, which are nothing short of loathsome. For example, characters such as Roderigo believe Iago to be genuinely concerned with their welfare and emotionally invested in their friendship, yet when Iago delivers a soliloquy, his actual motives are revealed: “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse, for I mine own gained knowledge should profane. If I would time expend with such a snipe for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor….” (Shakespeare, Act I,iii,363-366). Without such revealing soliloquies being presented within the first act, the reader may be just as ignorant as the characters in the play of Iago’s evil nature. In reality, the fact that the story is told from the perspective of the villain is what distinguishes this play from the rest of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Therefore, Shakespeare’s use of soliloquy and other forms of indirect characterization are essential to laying a foundation of the character’s personalities and motives which will be essential as the play progresses.