The Complex Relationship of Desdemona and Emilia

I find this clip quite instructive about the relationship between Desdemona and Emilia.  Neither lady is minor as far as their import in the play is concerned.  While Emilia's deed, that is, giving Desdemona's fallen handkerchief to Iago, calls into question the bond between the two of them, I would argue that they are as close as any two people can be.  But as with everyone else, theirs is an imperfect relationship.  There is an inevitable flaw, regardless of how good any relationship is.  An inevitable shortfall in understanding between people is part of it all.  The major thing that ignites such an imperfection is this:  As Desdemona becomes increasingly embroiled in the disintegration of her marriage, Emilia has to navigate the vicissitudes of her own marriage to Iago.  Emilia must take part of the blame for the horrible death of Desdemona, which clearly pains her at the end, but ironically, I think, the two women are as close and as similar as ever by virtue of being women who must fend for themselves in a male-dominated, male-abusing circle. 

The Evil Genius that is Iago

That Iago is "an agent of destruction," as Rory Kinnear describes, is certainly true.  But that phrasing doesn't quite do justice to the evil genius that Iago is.  The proud Othello has earned his lot in life via his military prowess and valor and his articulate, upstanding manner.  But his Achilles Heel frankly is that he is tone deaf.  He lacks the Emotional Intelligence to acknowledge where he is vulnerable and to discern what his seemingly faithful right hand man has a grievance about and is subtly scheming.  Like Adolf Hitler who had tremendous empathy for the German people, so does Iago have for Othello.  So, empathy being a crucial aspect in his machinations, Iago has doses of Emotional Intelligence that Othello lacks.  He hears what the latter is deaf to, and knows precisely where the latter is weak, and sets about to manipulate, with great patience and precision, just as Hitler did, his very target.  The tragedy of the play, at the end of the day, is that the resolution of Iago's grievance warrants nothing short of the discrediting, the dismantling, and ultimately the death of Othello.

The Army as Central to Othello

The army is absolutely central to this play.

So says Director Nicholas Hytner.  At first, I resisted that notion in my mind, as in my readings of Othello and watching of productions and adaptations, the army seemed more like platform or backdrop, certainly not central.  But this bit from the National Theater convinces me otherwise.  For one, fighting and killing define the character of Othello, Iago and company.  For another, a tacit code exists, which emphasizes that everyone of them looks out for the other.  So when the proud Moor passes over Iago, he causes a breach in that code, and the mayhem, violence and destruction that ensue are simply part and parcel of  how central the army is to the play.   

Hytner turned to Major-General Jonathan Shaw for advice and guidance, who relates an intriguing  behind the scenes story.  The rest of the soldiers followed suit on how to wear their uniforms and gear.  But not actor Rory Kinnear, in regards to his character Iago, and Shaw kept correcting him on how he ought to wear his beret and trousers.  In time, Shaw stopped, as he understand how Kinnear was playing that evil genius and underhanded rebel of a character.

"Pity you couldn't dress Iago properly."

"Yes, that's the point."

will.i.am Bids Hamlet a Good Night

will.i.am, as William Shakespeare

will.i.am is of course with the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas, and after my preceding two articles this week, I thought a bit of humor is in order.  I'm all for anything tasteful, illuminating and hilarious as far as learning and enjoying the Bard is concerned. The little quote is a reference to their wildly viral hit and an allusion to the Prince of Denmark:

Thankfully Dame Judi Dench Kept at Shakespeare

Dame Judi Dench as Titania, in A Midsummer Night's Dream

[Dame Judi] said she has a lifelong hatred of the Merchant of Venice after being taught it badly at school, being made to read lines monotonously in turn.

“I remember having to read in a class and them saying you have to read six lines each,” she said. “Six lines each of the ghastly Merchant of Venice, regardless of who was saying them.

“It made it a complete nonsense. I never liked the play and I should never have played Portia – there, I’ve said it.

“It ruined the play for me, completely ruined the play.”

Reference: Judi Dench: Bad teaching put me off Shakespeare play for life.

At worst, a bad teacher can certainly leave a repulsive taste in students' mouths about whatever subject they may have had the misfortune of studying with that bad teacher.  Let's be grateful, then, as fans, audiences and readers, that Dame Judi kept at it anyway and acted Shakespeare on stage.  I haven't had the pleasure of watching her perform in such a role, but I've had the privilege of seeing Shakespeare so many times now on stage and film.  Along with studying him at Northwestern University, I'd like to believe that every actor and director of those performances were, like Dame Judi, proxy teachers to us all, too. 

Refreshingly Honest Tact on Shakespeare

In Shakespeare is too obscure for the stage, methinks, The Telegraph writer Jemima Lewis takes a refreshingly honest tact on the reverent Bard:

“There’s nothing in the world less funny,” my father once told me, “than a Shakespearean joke.”

Is there any less convivial feeling than sitting in a theatre surrounded by people pretending to laugh at a Shakespearean gag?

The Emperor's New Clothes

Lewis is like the child in the Hans Christian Andersen tale - The Emperor's New Clothes.  The loyal subjects are absolutely mum about said new clothes, as the Emperor parades in front of them all in the buff.  Quite naturally, a child exclaims instead, But he isn't wearing anything at all!

In fact, I would go further than my father. I’d like to do away with Shakespeare altogether – at least on stage. It’s just too old. The language is so antiquated that, unless you’ve already studied the play at school, you spend the whole time trying to work out the meaning of one line without missing the next one. It’s like trying to pat your head while rubbing your tummy.

Lewis seems to dole out an indictment of Shakespeare, but I think that would be a misreading of her piece.  Rather, it's an acknowledgement of how difficult Shakespeare can be, or is, to a modern day audience.  I am so glad I studied a solid year of his plays at Northwestern University, and I am quite grateful to have had three different professors who lectured us clearly and persuasively, often animatedly and humorously.  I loved Shakespeare from the very first time I read him, and I enjoyed him even more from their classes and of course understood much better than I ever would have.

Actors and academics, who spend their lives chewing over Shakespeare’s every perchance and perforce, tend to forget how much they know. Dame Judi [Dench] says children should be encouraged to look beyond the text and think about the big themes: love, anger, jealousy and so on. “That’s what Shakespeare’s about, all those things. He says it better than anybody else.”

I’m sure he does. But you have to leap the hurdle of basic comprehension before you can get to the deeper meaning. The reason I am a Shakespeare philistine is that I was badly educated. I only ever studied – by which I mean line-by-line analysis with a beetle-browed teacher – one play: Macbeth. And actually, I loved it. Still do. I can even watch it on stage without undue suffering.

Perhaps Shakespeare does come alive on the stage. But first he must be exhumed in the classroom.

All the more crucial, if children are ever to grasp and enjoy Shakespeare, to study up on him and to enlist a knowledgeable, engaging teacher.  Adults might look into classes at a local college, seminars at the neighborhood library, or even discussions in an online community.  They don't necessarily have to be fully schooled on him, before they watch him on stage.  Instead, they can do whatever mix of reading and reciting, talking and watching, suits them best. 

In an age of short attention span, and short video clips, and clipped messages, Shakespeare is a call to pause, reflect, and learn.  I can say that it's so worth it.