Ahmed's Character analysis

Who is your character?

My character is Iago, he is one of the most notorious and mysterious villains of Shakespeare time. He spends all of his time plotting against Othello and Desdemona, eventually convincing Othello that his wife has been cheating, despite the fact that Desdemona has been completely faithful. Iago's capacity for cruelty seems limitless, and no motivation he gives for his actions seems enough to explain the incredible destruction he wreaks on the lives of the people he knows best.

What is their current situation, feelings, desire and objective?

The thing about Iago is we never really know for certain why it is that Iago wants to destroy Othello. Throughout the play, Iago provides multiple and incompatible motives for hating Othello. At one point, Iago says he's angry because Othello passed him over for a promotion. Later, he claims to suspect that Othello is having an affair with his (Iago's) wife (Emilia).

Who or what are they talking about?

In act 3 scene 3, Iago begins his insinuations of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona by reminding Othello that Cassio served as Othello and Desdemona’s go-between during their courtship. Othello asks Iago whether he believes Cassio to be honest, and Iago feigns reluctance to answer. Iago plants in Othello’s mind thoughts of adultery, cuckoldry, and hypocrisy, until Othello screams at the ensign to speak his mind. Iago suggests that Othello observe his wife closely when she is with Cassio.

How am I showing this?

Iago plays with Othello's own fears and reinforces those fears with lies and manipulates him.
he does this because he is jealous of him.
through the play there's a famous speech where he confesses that he hates the moor ' Othello'
 because Othello gave the promotion of lieutenant to Michael Cassio the job that iago has always wanted. Iago claims he's far more qualified than Cassio, who lacks Iago's experience on the field of battle. Clearly, Iago seems pretty jealous.
So i will have to have hatred towards cassio for not giving me the job and the rule i have always wanted.

What are my movements like & do they reflect my characters emotions?

I wouldn't try and be sneaky or physically change my actions to show that my character is the villain  of the play. I could do that with the thought process and facial expressions which I believe it will help my performance and create tension in the scene. As my character is alreadt very evil, acting very innocent could really bring that up.
I will be grining when he turns his face away.

What vocal techniques must I introduce? 

To make my piece reflective I have come up with a lot of voice tones and found the perfect one for Iago which is delivering my lines quietly. This helps the audience show that he is hiding something from Othello.

 

Ahmed's Milestone 1 Presentation.

Brief Summary of Othello

This is one of the great tragedy themed plays by Shakespeare. Othello is a highly esteemed general of Venice. Iago is Othello's ambitious friend to him when Iago really is deadly jealous of him. Othello promotes the position of Lieutenant to Michael Cassio and Iago's hate grows for Othello even more so he begins to an evil and malicious campaign against the hero. Othello elopes with Desdemona daughter of Barbainto a rich politician of Venice. So Iago plots against them by telling Othello lies, he tells him that his wife is cheating on him with Cassio. He begins to be suspicious and believes Iago. Othello returns to the castle and kills his wife. Emelia, Iago's wife knows everything and tells Othello he then wounds Iago and kills himself.

Othello & Iago

Othello the Moor is the main character of the play. The hero of the play, as in Shakespeare’s day, racism was common and non white characters were generally described as ignorant or evil. He is also an unusual hero in that he is hurt with a condition that causes fits of rage and image. The tragedy of the character is that, even though he is a brave and brilliant man, he brings about his own death by allowing ego and fear to rule him.                                                                                                                                                                Iago is Othello's most trusted regent. At the beginning of the play, Iago claims to have been unfairly passed over for promotion to the rank of Othello's lieutenant in favour of Michael Cassio. Iago plots to make Othello lower Cassio, and thereafter to bring about the downfall of Othello himself. After Iago plans an evil act to ensure Cassios reduction. he sets to work on his second plan: leading Othello to believe that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio.
Summary of our scene

In our scene Iago is playing Othello's insecurities about Desdemona. He gets Othello to believe him. He builds up his suspicion by manipulating him through words as Iago is very smart and eventually Othello believes him and follows his false thoughts which is the fact that he is black and old Desdemona wouldn't like him.

Themes in Othello.

Jealousy - Othello is the most famous plays that focuses on the dangers of jealousy. The play is a study of how jealousy can be fueled by mere circumstantial evidence and can destroy lives. In Othello, the hero succumbs to jealousy when Iago convinces him that Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife – in the end, Othello murders his wife and then kills himself. It is interesting that Iago uses jealousy against Othello, yet jealousy is likely the source of Iago's hatred in the first place. In Othello, jealousy takes many forms, from sexual suspicion to professional competition, but it is, in all cases, destructive.

Marriage - The play begins with a conflict between Desdemona's husband and her father, who sees his daughter's elopement as a kind of theft of his personal property. The play's two wives Desdemona and Emilia are both unfairly accused of infidelity, and both wives are murdered by their abusive husbands. More famously, perhaps, is the way Shakespeare examines sixteenth-century anxieties about interracial couplings – in Othello, the marriage of a black man and a white woman allows Shakespeare to explore attitudes about race and gender. As it was disgrace for the audience for one of them to marry someone who's black.

Identity - Shakespeare explores factors that play an important role in the formations of one's identity, race, gender, social status, family relationships, military service, etc. Othello is also concerned with how an individual's sense of identity which can break down and be manipulated by others shapes his or her actions.
Again, racism - it could make its contemporary audience think that black people are not as bad as they thought they were.

I believe these themes were very relevant to Shakespeare's audience because religious tension in England during this period, the historical public context which it was written would have contributed to a very negative reaction by the audience to the marriage.

The relevance of the play for both audience of today and then is the fact that Shakespeare's message in Othello is very important to us. You need to be able to trust your significant other and they need to able to trust you.

16th and 17th Century Performance Conditions

The stage was covered with straw or rushes. There may have been a painted wall with trees and hedges, or a castle interior with practicable furniture. A placard announced the scene. The audience was near and could view the stage from three sides, so that no "picture" was possible. Verbal cues given for location and setting as there was no props or scenery

Public performances generally took place in the afternoon, beginning about three o'clock and lasting perhaps two hours. (very fast paced, Hamlet took 2 hours to perform) Candles were used when daylight began to fade. The beginning of the play was announced by the hoisting of a flag and the blowing of a trumpet. There were playbills, those for tragedy being printed in red. Often after a serious piece a short farce was also given; and at the close of the play the actors, on their knees, recited an address to the king or queen. The price of entrance varied with the theatre, the play, and the actors; but it was roughly a penny to sixpence for the pit, up to half a crown for a box. A three-legged stool on the stage at first cost sixpence extra; but this price was later doubled.

 This is something Iago would be wearing at the time.
Shakespearean actors who performed at The Globe theater were paid anywhere from three shillings a week to two shillings a day. A few of the actors became part owners of the theaters and became very wealthy.

original stage for Othello.

Differences:

•  at the time audience would eat and talk throughout the performance it wouldn't be a problem because theatre was consider as a time passing entertainment and it was not a big deal.

• They used sun light for the performace and all performances were held in the afternoon
• women were not allowed to perform on stage so women characters were always played by men.

• the plays used little scenery, they have used language to set the scenes.

 The acting society & Actors:

• theatre companies were always busy performing about 6 plays a week with only having a short period of rehearsals.
• actors had to work extremely hard and learn their lines as soon as it was handed to them
• Actors have only recieved their characters lines without know their que or what the story was about they had to perform.
• Actors had no staging crew, so everything that was needed for the peformance they had to find and desgin for themseleves.

 

Ahmed's Notes & Evaluation.

Week 1

In our first lesson, we were given our Shakespeare play scenes and what characters we were, my character was Iago who is one of the most difficult character to play that Shakespeare has created.
We were also taught how Shakespeare language goes in rhythm (Iambic Pentameter) which was very helpful, it helped me organise the lines, gave me an idea on which lines to emphasise more than the others.
I think for the iambic pentameter I didn't do very well because it doesn't fit into every lines only certain ones.
To improve I need to go cut down my lines and find out the meaning of every word.

Week 2

Some lesson were unfortunately cancelled because of timetable clash, but what we did was played a game called murder where we had to find out amongst who the undercover murder is.
I think this game was a great exercise for actors performance just before going on stage or performing because it will keep him going.
Me and Charles did a line run but my partner didn't completely know his lines so we went off to do research of our scenes and characters.

Week 3

We had a social discussion in class. Social discussion is matter of theme that society's talking about, it could be issues, war, racism ext.
we were also taught how a play could solve that issue. for example; many modernised Shakespeare plays has been made for different matters, like Romeo and Juliet was modernised in 1996 because of gangs increasing in USA so they made that movie for young teenagers to see that gangs are useless and what it will lead to.
We also staged our piece for the first which wasn't very good because my partner didn't know his lines again but, we could only improve if my partner learns his lines so we can plot everything.

Week 4

We have worked with 2 professional actors , Matt and Michael who also helped us in our Shakespeare scene from Othello. They told us to make sure to move and speak with purpose and think about how we can get our characters alive, as in creating a world for them.
This really helped us because our piece didn't have much with it, but they gave us couple of ideas to use for the performance.
To improve we need to come up with ideas of our own.


Week 5

We were preparing for our first presentation and presented it to the class about our play. I think me Charles did extremely well on our presentation because we included everything we possible could and extracted all the information the pack and answered it on our presentation.
During this week me and Charles also staged our Shakespeare scene for the first time, to improve it we both need to find a purpose of moving.

Week 6

Me and Charles went off with our scripts alone and delivered it completely different in voice and action wise. This helped us know what would be the perfect level of performing or way of saying our lines on stage.
This helped us find out what our character's are like physically and what they're thinking at that situation.
To improve we could include or make up things that our characters do physically example; play with their hands or create a habit for them to bring them to life.


Week 7

Me and Charles said our lines while walking around the college. We made it seem like we were having a normal conversation. This helped us find the naturalism in the scene.
During this week Charles talked about the final staging, how our plotting will be and what costume we need, also what props we are going to use.
I think our piece finally coming alive and almost ready to perform.
we need to improve on our staging and use of space and we're ready.


Finally, me and Charles performed on Wednesday 23.10.2013
Performance wise I think me and Charles did pretty well putting up with so much lines. I am glad with my partner after all, he did learn his lines.
What I thought went well was the fact that we preformed very natural and we understood the play in depth. That helped us a lot with our actioning,  movements and we knew what we were doing and why.
To improve for me personally I would work on my articulation, although it's my biggest challenge I will have to overcome my lisp. I will need to see speech therapy or whatever it possibly takes.
If I was to do my piece again I try to push my partnern from the start in leaning his lines. I wouldn't think of staging our piece one week before the show and keep pushimg my partner. I would also work on my special awarness, because I did spill my drink once or twice.
Although our performance was quite strong I wouldn't give myself a distinction until I see myself improved on my voice completely.

Ahmed 's Modernised Shakespeare & Differences.

Modernised Shakespeare Productions.

Othello was modernised in 1997 by Jude kelly. Stewart played Othello without the traditional blackface in this original and thought-provoking production featuring photo-negative casting, this change is one of few bold and largely successful choices in a production that also features an increased emphasis on abuse against women and racism. This was set in the Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C.
This modernised production has reflected racism and marriage theme because of it's audience as racism was an issue back then. This modernised production has had great impact on its audience as the story's main theme was jealousy and for them to watch a modernised version helped them see it and understand it easily. 
The modernised production relates to the original context with the overall message to its contemporary and audience of today with the themes.
The target audience were mainly adults and the social discussion it created were several issues that have social implication. This version of Othello had great impact because the audience could put themselves in that position which is very important for the audience.

Essential to the success of Othello is the fact that the issues and themes explored in this tragedy, written by Shakespeare in about 1604, are still relevant to the modern audience. The interest of an audience is held by themes that are fundamental to the human condition, as these reflect our world and examine human nature. Othello explores the issues of racism, gender, domestic violence, the supernatural and the pathology of the entirely evil person, which are all remarkably relevant to our time. Thus the interest of the audience is held, as issues that affect the viewers and readers of the play spark individual opinions, reflection and thought. For example, in Act IV Scene I, Othello strikes Desdemona, instantly raising the issue of spousal abuse, and thus also prompting a reaction in the audience. By discussing themes that are relevant to people of any time, place and culture, Shakespeare has been successful in ensuring his play will hold the interest of audiences all over the world, for hundreds of years. 

Shakespeare ensures he shall hold the audience's interest by creating a colourful cast of characters for the audience to observe and become acquainted with. There is the malignant Iago, who seems to delight in his own wickedness, acknowledging himself as a villain without remorse. In Act II Scene III he asserts, "When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows as I do now." Other characters are also used as devices for holding the attention of the audience. For example, the readers and viewers of Othello would groan as Cassio is led into drunken behaviour, nod at the words of the perceptive Emilia and cringe at the machinations of Iago. By creating a wide range of characters, Shakespeare ensured they would evoke emotion in the audience and thus maintain their interest.

This photo shows Jude Kelly performing as Othello

  William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was not originally aimed for a teen audience, Luhrmann’s versionclearly is. Yet both retain the target of reaching across classes and social backgrounds with relatable and recognisable characters. despite its original audience of primarily female readers. This contrasts with Clueless, which brings the same classic story to modern teenage audiences, male and female alike. The emergence of films aimed at teenagers began in the late 1950s and 1960s, as they had a disposable income. Julie Everton explains that ‘[…] Teen flick genre […emerged in the…] 1950s as result of the fragmentation of mass cinema audiences into age specific consumer groups. In order for these films to be successful as adaptations audiences had to be able to relate to classics in new ways.

   These adaptations also used a variety of new media forms to interest an up-to-date modern teenage audience.  Romeo and Juliet[14] used sound, visuals, newspapers, text, images, montages and TV in the prologue to introduce the tone of the film. Clueless also uses a similar technique in its opening sequence.  Cher, the protagonist played by Alicia Sliverstone, even suggests that the montage appears like an advert, and there is constant reference in the film to other forms of popular culture. Heckerling and Luhrmann both used ideas that these films were up-to-date, though the plots are adapted from the original Shakespeare and Austen texts. This attracted younger audiences who saw their styles and tastes reflected in characters’, and therefore cared more for the story, and were drawn to watch them.
 information from : http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/study/english-literature-studies-brighton/brightonline/issue-number-four2/how-can-films-be-used-to-popularise-classics-for-teen-audiences,-with-specific-reference-to-william-shakespeare-1597-and-baz-luhrmanns-1996-romeo-and-juliet,-and-jane-austens-emma-1816-with-amy-heckerlings-clueless-1995