Emilia's diary

Day 6 of August, 1522-

I just left my lady's chamber...and to be frank, I am very upset with myself. I allowed my demanding husband to take what I cherished most-Desdemona's handkerchief! For once I felt as if the gods where smiling upon me. I could almost feel there presence when I found my lady's cloth laying on the ground. Upon til today the idea of stealing it from her crossed my mind on many occasions but I never dared go through with it. My love for Desdemona eclipse any selfish desire I may harbor in my heart. And even when Iago tried to get me to still it, I refused him time and time again. Oh, why couldn't I had hidden it from anyone to see. I wasn't going to keep it. I wonder if the gods might have thought that. Could that be why it's been taking out of my possession. If I have transgressed in my heart without realizing it, I pray the gods will forgive me.

Day 7 of August, 1522-

How I wished I knew what to do now. My lord seemed very perplexed at the sight of my lady's handkerchief. What must he think is going on with the gift he once gave Desdemona? I must ask my lord Iago why has Cassio now possessed what he took from me? Perhaps Othello thinks that my lady gave it to the Leutenaunt...oh that can't be! Why would she give Cassio what the moor has given her. My women would love to have in their possession that token of love, gift from the heart, a piece from heaven. I will speak with my lord to see why the leutenaunt had the lady's cloth in his hand. I can't tell anyone of this or else I will be under suspecion. I pray gods would strip me bare and expose my deeds. To the gods I shall pray for forgiveness.

At this point in the play, starting with the first journal entry, I believe Emilia is trying to forfill her duty as a wife, which is to be obedient to her husband. Iago asked for Desdemona's handkerchief and she let him take from her. In regards to her loyality towards Desdemona-there wasn't any. As much as she may have wanted her handkerchief, and as difficult as it may seem to not keep it (once found on the ground), she should have done right by her lady. When you look at the bigger picture, it's a piece of cloth versus her relationship with Desdemona...what's more important? Towards the end of the play Emilia redeems herself by standing up for Desdemona but by then she had already been killed.

Iago's Sexist Language

Through out scene 3 of act 1 in "Othello," Iago uses sexist terms to describe women, or label them. Before I begin explaining what his terms tell me about him, his attitude towards women, and feelings men direct towards women (lust, reverence, and love), I wanted to define his name because a lot can be learned from what it means.

Iago is of Spanish and welsh origin. It's a variant of James which means "he who supplants" or in other words: he who takes the place of another, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like.

Why am I bringing up this point? I think that one of the biggest reasons why Iago is not fond of women or of other men being with one is simply because he is threatened with being overshadowed by one. If he does have a wife (which he does), it's only because he sees her as someone he can use to help him attain something (whatever that may be).

Towards the end of scene 3 of act 1 in "Othello," when Iago and Roderigo are alone having a discussion about being in love, Iago tells Rod, "I would change places with a baboon before I would drown myself for the love of a female bird" 1.3.330. Since Rod mentioned killing himself over Desdemona, Iago thought of him as being foolish if he dared kill himself because to him a woman is not worth giving your life up for. Later on he explains to Rod that Desdemona "is young and will change her mind" regarding her love for Othello. He also says that "when she is done with his body, she will see the mistake that she made. She must have variety..." implying that Desdemona is a whore and is only with Othello for sex and not love. In fact, Iago doesn't even believe that love exists, he tells Rod that whatever feelings he may have for Des "is a mere offshoot of lust."

Iago is a sexist in every aspect of the word. He believes women are lustful creatures that shouldn't be loved nor trusted. As for men, anyone giving his heart (or life, as in Rod's case) to a woman is a fool. Sure enough Iago doesn't want any woman getting in his way and warns other men to avoid them. If this is his stand against women, it makes me wonder if he's gay? You can never be too sure. M

Sonnet #7

Thou love me yes or no?...
Thou love me right or wrong?...
My love thee ought to know
like a singer knows a song.
My heart sings with joy.
Joy which overflows and never ceases.
Even if man threaten to destroy (my flesh)...
Love still increases!

"Let truth be told..."

Soon after Hero regained conscienceness, she was secretly led by Friar to a nunnery, where she awaited for her conspirators to be found out and brought to her father. While in the nunnery she shared in the fellowship of the nuns. She was treated as though she were a nun herself. Hero was all so grateful to be in the company of such caring women. None of the sisters knew why she was there at first. Until one evening, as they all sat around a table having dinner in the cathedrals dining hall, Hero after a few bits of her meal suddenly stopped and began to tear. The nuns around her wondered why she was crying as they comforted her. After a few minutes, while most of the sisters in the room remained quiet, Hero began to talk about the humiliating and hurtful experience she had, at what was suppose to be one of the best days of her life (her wedding):

"I can't believe God can allow such a thing to happen at the hands of the people I trust must!..."

The nuns near her looked at each other with puzzled, wondering would Hero could be referring to.

"About a week ago I was set to marry my beloved lord Claudio but we did not..." She closes her eyes in disappointment and after a few seconds of being silent a sister asks her why didn't she marry. At first it seemed difficult for Hero to answer the nun but eventually she did. It wasn't easy to have to recount what was said and done but she pushed herself to speak.

"I, I...I didn't marry because my beloved accused me of being impure with another man."

The nuns were taken back by what she said. Then Hero continued to explain herself so that the sisters wouldn't get the wrong idea as her father did.

"But it's not true. He claims to have seem me one night in my bedroom window with a scoundrel. I tried to explain to him how it isn't so but he didn't believe me. Neither did his friend, prince Pedro and my father. How much it broke my heart to hear my beloved make such accusations on a day in which the only words I would expect him to say to me are "I do." Besides what Claudio and Pedro might think of me, there was nothing more hurtful than hearing my father say, "Doesn't anyone have a dagger's point for me?" To know that my father wants to take his life away on my account was like a nightmare coming true."

The nuns were appalled by what they heard. One sister even began to cry silently to herself.

"All my life I have tried to honor my father but in one day all my good deeds and name has been taken away from under me. Up until that day, I wondered what married life would be like. I wondered how many children I would have with Claudio and what they would grow up to be. I was living in a fantasy and not reality has awoken me."

One nun asked her what she planned to do now with her life?

"Father Frair has a plan on how to clear my name. Thanks to him and a few others, my father now believes that I've been set up. So in the mean time he has asked me to stay hear until my 'true' accusers can be found and arrested. I know that God will raise me up to the height from which I've fallen from. As it says the in the good book, 'you reap what you sow.' I've honored my father in every way possible and God will soon honor me."

In hearing this the sisters all chants, "Amen!"

War of the Roses: Benedick's view of Beatrice

It is obvious as one reads along the first act of "Much Ado About Nothing" that Beatrice and Benedick are attracted to one another (even if it's in an awkward way) but neither one of them seems to want to admit it. In Act 1 scene 1 (when we see Benedick and Beatrice first interact) Benedick tells Beatrice that he is "loved by all women" but her. He then changes his pitch by saying that he'd wish he could change his "cold heart" because he doesn't really love anyone. It clear that he doesn't mean the latter part of what he said to Beatrice. Why else will he question why Beatrice doesn't love him when "all women" do? I think that the only thing that's getting in the way of them getting together is their ego.
Later on in the evening of Act 1, Benedick tells Don Pedro and Claudio how he wishes to remain a bachelor til old age because he doesn't trust women. It seems that his mother cheated on his father and that's why he rather not get involved with any woman but I don't think he believes that of Beatrice. The fact that she speaks to him so bluntly not caring if he's insulted by what she says, is an indication that he can trust her. He can trust that she is honest about what she tells him about himself, although there could be another side to this issue which I do not see at the moment. As I mentioned before, Ego is there number one enemy-not each other. As for Cupid, he should aim at there ego and not their hearts.

About Me: "Mi Vida" by San Martin de Bklyn

Hours before the 1974 Times Square New Year Eve's ball dropped and people began to cheer the start of a new year, I was born. I've lived in Brooklyn most of my life. I started out in Williamsburg, then East New York, and now in Cypress Hills. Although I did reside in Woodhaven, Queens for a short time. Growing up as adolescent, I was very much involved in Athletics. All year round I played a sport depending on what season it was. In the summer I played baseball and basketball. In the winter I'd play football. I wasn't much different from the boys in my neighborhood. Some of us even got into bodybuilding and boxing.
As I got older and started to attend college, I got more in tuned with the Arts. Throughout high school I listened to music, such as hip-hop and R&B but in college I learned about Rock and folk. My world as I knew it began to expand. I also got intrigued with film and literature. I watched numerous movies and wrote a whole lot (and still do). I hope to some day become a published writer or even a director (but this is a long shot). Don't be fooled...this is not why I'm in school for. I attend college now because I'm hoping to teach English in middle school (hopefully creative writing). Much has happened between high school and now but I rather not get into all of that. As far as what I'm like and what my interest are you can get some idea from what I've shared thus far. I will say that I am a person of integrity, at least I've been told. I always try to look for the good in people or things. And I do my best to have fun in whatever I'm doing. That's me ya!.....Mi Vida.

"A voice shouting in the wilderness..."

Times were hard for anyone living in London during the mid-late 1500s. William Shakespeare was one of many in London who witnessed the unfolding of the bubonic plague. Youths above all were the ones who were mostly affected. The life expectancy for any newborn child was less then thirty years of age. As for those already grown, they weren't expected to live past fifteen (particularly children residing in poorer parishes of London; children of aristocrates had only a slight advantage). This Goliath-like plague caught my attention because of how quickly and effectively it sieged England. I couldn't picture something like this ever accuring in the United States because of all of our recent medical break throughs and discoveries. But what if we (as a country) hadn't evolved in medical science...we too can easily fall victim of what the citizens of England experienced. I can't tell what might've been going through Shakespeares mind during this time but I can imagine that it affected his writing. And perhaps it motivated him to write more often than usual because death was knocking on the door.
As I continued to read along about "Shakespeare's World," what struck me as a surprise (just a little I suppose) was to know how divided the people were, especially at a time when they should be uniting to help one another. There were two distinct classes: the rich and the poor. Within the "empowered" group you had aristocrats (monarch, nobles, and knights). These men were educated and wealthy. The "Poor" on the other hand, had little to no social standing and claim to authority. It's not surprising to know that poor people were affected more by the plague then the rich. I remember how it was during the first week of the 9/11 bombings, people of all classes united to help its fellow man. Not because it was socially right but because it was morally correct. Behind our social standings or class rankings, we are all human first. That is something that we all share and can relate to (whether rich or poor). Unfortunately for the people of England this wasn't the case (as a result more died than could've been saved). I'm pretty sure Shakespeare saw this too and was inspired to write about it.
As I conclude, I'd like to focus on the treatment of women in Enland at this time. Women were restricted socially, economically, and in legal standing. Being rich or coming from a rich family didn't benefit any of them. The only woman who was spared such treatment was the Queen (because she ruled). Any woman who asserted her views too vigorously was thought of as being shrewish and labeled a "scold." Such women were punished along side "whores" by local authorities. I can't imagine women like Hilary Clinton or Oprah Winfrey lasting more than twelve hours in a society like this one. After reading about this, I began to notice how far women have come in having civil rights. This too I know Shakespeare wrote about as he shouted in the "wilderness."