Othello (possible spoilers)

[kempermentor]

> Carol responds:
> ... I'd read the play more than once, and I have no "gaydar"
whatever (unless, of course, I'm reading Shakespeare' s sonnets, where
the competing attractions to the beautiful young man and the Dark Lady
are spelled out for me). ... Iago has no clearly identifiable motive
(except jealousy and possible racial prejudice). He's been passed over
for a promotion, and he refers to Othello as "the old black ram" in
connection with Othello's beautiful young wife, Desdemona, suggesting
that Desdemona will soon grow tired of her and look for someone
younger. Iago is married, and he seems sexually attracted to Desdemona
rather than Othello, whose friend he pretends to be. 

Kemper now:
I checked out a couple of sonnets and the fair youth is compared to a
rose and has the face of a woman.  He also has the best
characteristics of a women: gentle heart, non-fickle, bright eyes that
don't roll.  It is odd to me that he would compare a male friend in
such a way.  Shakespeare also says that a) he can't be with the youth
because the youth has a penis; or b) the youth is interested in women
and doesn't find Shakespeare attractive.

After reading Othello, I think it's b.  I don't think the youth had an
interest in Shakespeare.  I think Shakespeare had an eye for the youth
and treated the loss of plucking that rose as sour grapes.
Shakespeare does not want to experience these feelings.

Iago is Shakespeare's Jungian shadow. 


> Carol:
> BTW, I recommend reading the play, preferably an annotated edition
by critics *not* of the "queer theory" school of criticism. Please
don't attack me for the term: it's used by its own proponents. But you
need an ideologically neutral edition by a respected scholarly
publisher. A Norton Anthology of English Literature will do if you
took any university literature classes and kept your textbooks!

Kemper now:
I took Shakespeare in college.  We only read the plays and of the
tragedies only Macbeth (at OSF next year!!!) and King Lear. 
There was no talk that I recall about his sexuality, of course that
was nearly 20 years ago.  My text book was stolen (along with other of
my literature books! A pox on their house!!) some college summer.  I
do have a HUGE Shakespeare book, but it's not really handy and reading
it is physically tedious.


> Carol responds:
> It wouldn't be 1950s London. ... Dumbledore's visit must
have taken place in the summer of 1938. During the Depression era,
that suit would really have stood out!

Kemper now:
I knew that sounded wrong, but again, I blame the kid for waking up at
an ungodly hour.


> Carol:
> BTW, I agree that DD could have played a Muggle easily .... Why did
he choose to stand out? i guess he figured that, with his long hair
and beard, he might as well wear a flamboyant suit to match.

> Catlady:
> Kemper! Are you suggesting that that was a suit he already owned,
for purposes of hanging out in Muggle gay bars?

Kemper now:
I have an internal fanfic on the day DD went to the orphanage.  After
his meeting he went to a gay bar, but I imagine it more of a speakeasy
of sorts.  He meets a Muggle man.  They have a great conversation and
plan to meet up in a week.  DD leaves the bar and disapparates back to
Hogsmeade.  A week passes and he returns to the bar, but it is burned.
 He inquires about the Muggle only to discover that the man was
tortured and murdered.  DD goes to a newstand and asks for a paper. 
Not sure if that could've happened in London at the time, but I like
how it adds depth to DD's love (or lack of) life.  Tragic. Like Iago,
only different.


> Kemper earlier: 
> Instead of 'office' I heard 'orifice'. I know. It's a stretch. But
Shakespeare is a tricky willie when it comes to language.

> Catlady:
> To me, it seems that more important to know the usage of the word
'orifice' in that turn of 16th to 17th century era.

Kemper now:
I agree.  If this was a thesis, I'd research more.  But for now, I'm
just going with what I know.  I check out the online etymology of
orifice and office.  It wasn't very helpful.  Though both entries
suggest I '(see factitious)'.  Not super helpful either, but with
further research it might lead to 'office' being a nice play on 'orifice'.

Kemper