The Legend Continues

My first exposure to the writings of Shakespeare, unfortunately, left an unimpressed taste. It was Julius Caesar, a play that I thought failed to live up to the expectations I had of the legendary playwright, actor, and poet. The language was tedious and simply hard to follow. However, I ditched my dull impression of Shakespeare when reading his tragedy Othello last year. It was definitely worth the read: Othello grabbed my attention from the start and gradually increased it by the time we finished the tragedy. I was particularly struck by the level of acceptance of the servile roles that the two main female characters, Desdemona and Emilia, undertook. Desdemona explicitly defines her submissive role to Othello when she asserts that “I am obedient” (3.3.99); likewise, Emilia demonstrates her servile job when she remarks “I nothing but to please his fantasy” (3.3.343). Shakespeare's language here evidently demonstrates that his plays from roughly 400 years ago still have relevance to today's society.

However, I still have yet to see a live Shakespeare performance of any of his plays. As discussed briefly in last class, I think it is very crucial to remember that these plays were not meant to be read and analyzed, but to be watched and performed. I look forward to comparing my experiences with reading and watching a live performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.