Sound & Sense: Chapter 14

Dirt In The Ground

Death- why are we talking about death?
Well, everyone eventually takes their last breath.
But once that day comes, what happens to you?
It's actually quite simple for me, a Jew.
No heaven, no hell, just dirt in the ground,
No fuss, no stir, not even a sound.
Family mourns the loved one within a day,
But there's no repenting, so no reason to pray.
Every religion has their own belief system:
Afterlife, the spirit world, or even divine wisdom.
None of that is necessary; I think it's quite simple-
Death is meaningless; it is not a symbol.
It may be the day that your time has come,
Your heartbeat will stop, no longer a drum.
It can be sad, or scary, or even quite daunting,
So live a full life and leave nothing for wanting.

Othello: #7

            The play ends with a bloodbath of murders. However, before he kills himself, the only thing that Othello is concerned with is how he will be remembered. He pleads with Lodovico to describe him as he actually is, neither better nor worse. Othello believes that he loved “not wisely, but too well” (V. ii. 404) and he is “one not easily jealous” (V. ii. 405). The audience may or may not agree with Othello’s characterization of himself and it is now time for the reader to form their own opinion of Othello. Did he die a noble and honorable leader of Venice, or an evil murderer who was a threat to the state? Othello recounts time where he was both enemy and defender of the state. He compares himself to a “base Judean” who threw away a pearl worth more than all of his tribe (V. ii. 407–08). The race card is played a couple times throughout the play, but most of the characters do not see Othello’s race as an issue. Othello then reports a time where he killed an enemy Turk to defend Venice (V. ii. 414-17). Othello casts himself as both an insider and an outsider, but it is up to the audience to decide how Othello’s death will be remembered.

Othello: V. ii. 1-24

            Up until the moment Othello kills Desdemona, he must remind himself of his reasons. The repetition of “it is the cause” (V. ii. 1, 3) in the opening lines of Othello’s soliloquy demonstrates that he is not one hundred percent certain of his decision to kill his wife. It is as if he has to continually remind himself that she was unfaithful, or he will begin to doubt his beliefs. The repetition also reveals Iago’s influence on Othello. Without the constant presence of Iago, Othello is tempted to resort back to his rational thinking. He is almost swayed to not kill Desdemona: “Oh, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade/ Justice to break her sword!” (V. ii. 17-18). In his soliloquy Othello also notes Desdemona’s skin color as he states, “Yet I’ll not shed her blood,/ Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow/ And smooth as monumental alabaster” (V. ii. 3-5). Before he decides to kill her, Othello searches for confirmation bias of proof of Desdemona’s infidelity. He subconsciously wants to blame his skin color and lean on a preconceived prejudice to fuel his anger. With the idea that Cassio has all of the same credentials as him, but he is white, Othello wonders if it would be more natural for Desdemona to love a white man. Her skin is whiter than snow, which also attests to her purity and innocence. Othello notices this purity as he kisses her in bed, but he is so brainwashed by Iago that it does not register with him. Othello truly passes the point of no return. After continuous brainwash by Iago, Othello no longer contains a voice of reason within him. At the end of his soliloquy he utters, “I must weep,/ But they are cruel tears” (V. ii. 22-23). By using the word “must” Othello feels as if there are no other options, but in reality he is just too far into the realm of emotion that he cannot think rationally. Othello cannot see past the lies and his love ultimately destroys him.

Othello: #5

            Before this scene Othello’s anger and rage builds up inside of him. He tries his best to hide his intentions and dismisses Desdemona. However, as Iago shows him more “proof” of Desdemona’s infidelity, Othello cannot suppress his fury. He slaps Desdemona in front of Lodovico, which shocks everyone. Desdemona starts crying and Lodovico asks, “Is this the noble Moor, whom our full senate/ Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature/ Whom passion could not shake, whose solid virtue/ The shot of accident nor dart of chance/ Could neither graze nor pierce?” (IV. i. 297-301). This is Othello’s turning point. I predict that he will now tumble into a downward spiral resulting in his own death. He used to be respectful, loving, and kind, but he just hit his wife in front of someone who will most likely go back and tell all of Venice. Lodovico’s reaction is expected, as one could only assume that Othello is losing his mind. In a sense, he is losing his mind. Iago has been so successful in feeding Othello lies that Othello can no longer discern truth from lies. Othello’s personality has changed so much that it is only a matter of time before his emotions take over and make him do something terrible that he will eventually regret.