When teaching Act IV of Othello, there are many possible points of discussion. To give just a couple of examples, a teacher might choose to examine Desdemona’s request to have the sheets from her wedding night put back onto her bed: “Prithee, tonight / Lay on my bed my wedding sheets, remember; / And call thy husband hither” (IV.ii.108-10). And later, in scene three, Desdemona instructs Emilia, saying, “If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me / In one of those same sheets” (IV.ii.23-4). Examining these two references to her wedding sheets facilitates a conversation on the unanswered question of Desdemona’s virginity, as well as her faithfulness to Othello.
A teacher could also choose to juxtapose Desdemona and Emilia by examining Emilia’s speech in scene three:
Let husbands know
Their wives have sense like them. They see, and smell,
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
As husbands have. What is it that they do
When they change us for others? Is it sport?
I think it is. And doth affection breed it?
I think it doth. Is’t frailty that thus errs?
It is so, too. And have not we affections,
Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well; else let them know,
The ills we do, their ill instruct us so. (IV.iii.92-102)
Looking at this speech, what can we understand about Emilia in her relationship to her husband, and her relationship to Desdemona? Do these two female characters represent opposite sides to the same coin? In what ways are they similar, and in what ways are they different?
Looking at and discussing these pieces is a sound approach to teaching this act; however, this approach is mere discussion in a play that begs “ocular proof,” that demands “make me to see’t” (III.iii.77 & 81). Therefore, I’d like to present an exercise that, through the use of a visual medium, literally looks at the play.
Initial Discussion: Can anyone think of a play (or movie) that they’ve seen that has a song performed in it—not necessarily a musical, just a play that has a sort of musical interlude? What was the effect of the song on the play? Did it add an air of seriousness, or did is provide comedic relief?
The examples that pop into my mind all use songs as a means of comedy, like Family Guy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and recently, Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey. All of these are comedies, though. Can anyone think of a movie that uses song in a more serious manner, perhaps to convey a darker mood?
With all that in mind, I’d like us to read a portion of Act IV aloud. I need three volunteers, one to read the lines of Othello, one the lines of Desdemona, and one Emilia’s. Read lines 7-58.
Having read that, let’s think about Desdemona’s song. There are only two places in this place where singing is utilized (this being the second), so why here? What is gained by having Desdemona sing this song?
Rather than thinking about the words of the song, though—as I know we are all so inclined to do—I want us to think about this visually. What effect, visually, does staging a song have on the audience? What’s different than if, say, Desdemona were to just say these lines?
Now, with all of this in mind, we’re going to create something ocular, something that we can see, rather than just read or hear. We’re going to make a music video!
Here’s how it’s going to work: As one group, you’ll be making one music video. Everyone is required to participate in the making of this video; however, there is no requirement as to how each of you participates. This is to say, you don’t have to sing if you’re uncomfortable with singing. Different aspects of a music video have to be met, though: 1) the words must be spoken or sung; 2) there must be some sort of physical movement, be it acting or dancing; and 3) there has to be some sort of music.
You have about fifteen minutes to discuss and decide how—if you were making a modern day music video—you would perform this song.
Things to think about: what tone or mood do you want your video to convey; are you performing the song in or out of the context of Othello; can you pick a single genre of music to perform this song within; do you want to just perform to song or could you incorporate other line from the play?
FEEL FREE to use anything in the room to assist you in the making of your video, especially the computer and the other technology in this particular classroom. And feel free to edit and amend the song as you see fit.
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow;
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her and murmured her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and softened the stones—
Sing willow, willow, willow—
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve—
I called my love false love; but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow;
If I court more women, you’ll couch with more men.
At the end of the fifteen minutes, you will stage your video, which I’ll record. And hopefully, tomorrow we’ll be able to actually watch and discuss our music video. If we can’t, then we can’t; but in a normal class, this would be planned out so that students can watch the music videos.
A teacher could also choose to juxtapose Desdemona and Emilia by examining Emilia’s speech in scene three:
Let husbands know
Their wives have sense like them. They see, and smell,
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
As husbands have. What is it that they do
When they change us for others? Is it sport?
I think it is. And doth affection breed it?
I think it doth. Is’t frailty that thus errs?
It is so, too. And have not we affections,
Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well; else let them know,
The ills we do, their ill instruct us so. (IV.iii.92-102)
Looking at this speech, what can we understand about Emilia in her relationship to her husband, and her relationship to Desdemona? Do these two female characters represent opposite sides to the same coin? In what ways are they similar, and in what ways are they different?
Looking at and discussing these pieces is a sound approach to teaching this act; however, this approach is mere discussion in a play that begs “ocular proof,” that demands “make me to see’t” (III.iii.77 & 81). Therefore, I’d like to present an exercise that, through the use of a visual medium, literally looks at the play.
Initial Discussion: Can anyone think of a play (or movie) that they’ve seen that has a song performed in it—not necessarily a musical, just a play that has a sort of musical interlude? What was the effect of the song on the play? Did it add an air of seriousness, or did is provide comedic relief?
The examples that pop into my mind all use songs as a means of comedy, like Family Guy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and recently, Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey. All of these are comedies, though. Can anyone think of a movie that uses song in a more serious manner, perhaps to convey a darker mood?
With all that in mind, I’d like us to read a portion of Act IV aloud. I need three volunteers, one to read the lines of Othello, one the lines of Desdemona, and one Emilia’s. Read lines 7-58.
Having read that, let’s think about Desdemona’s song. There are only two places in this place where singing is utilized (this being the second), so why here? What is gained by having Desdemona sing this song?
Rather than thinking about the words of the song, though—as I know we are all so inclined to do—I want us to think about this visually. What effect, visually, does staging a song have on the audience? What’s different than if, say, Desdemona were to just say these lines?
Now, with all of this in mind, we’re going to create something ocular, something that we can see, rather than just read or hear. We’re going to make a music video!
Here’s how it’s going to work: As one group, you’ll be making one music video. Everyone is required to participate in the making of this video; however, there is no requirement as to how each of you participates. This is to say, you don’t have to sing if you’re uncomfortable with singing. Different aspects of a music video have to be met, though: 1) the words must be spoken or sung; 2) there must be some sort of physical movement, be it acting or dancing; and 3) there has to be some sort of music.
You have about fifteen minutes to discuss and decide how—if you were making a modern day music video—you would perform this song.
Things to think about: what tone or mood do you want your video to convey; are you performing the song in or out of the context of Othello; can you pick a single genre of music to perform this song within; do you want to just perform to song or could you incorporate other line from the play?
FEEL FREE to use anything in the room to assist you in the making of your video, especially the computer and the other technology in this particular classroom. And feel free to edit and amend the song as you see fit.
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow;
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her and murmured her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and softened the stones—
Sing willow, willow, willow—
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve—
I called my love false love; but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow;
If I court more women, you’ll couch with more men.
At the end of the fifteen minutes, you will stage your video, which I’ll record. And hopefully, tomorrow we’ll be able to actually watch and discuss our music video. If we can’t, then we can’t; but in a normal class, this would be planned out so that students can watch the music videos.
*Note: Since there are so few of us, we’ll just work as one group on one video. If it were a bigger class, there could be several groups making several music videos for this one song. And having different groups making different videos would facilitate a conversation on the different ways that Desdemona’s song can be interpreted.
Source: Susan M. Kochman. MTV Othello. Folger Shakespeare Library, 1998.
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