Midterm Blogging Assignment

Reading my posts I have noticed that I focus primarily in the “trickery” that seems to like within most of Shakespeare’s work. Shakespeare was a clever writer and always kept the audience on their feet, but more importantly he was able to keep his audience intrigued instead of just confused. By focusing on the switching gender roles, the importance of identity, as well as the ever shifting language (or lack-there-of) use, Shakespeare was more than able to keep my attention.

In my first post, I commented on the relationships within the soap-opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream with that came the focus on the ever changing gender roles that have been a major factor within Shakespeare’s plays. There is an interesting question as to whether or not Shakespeare himself believed in the gender switches that he performed (Viola, Beatrice, Desdemona etc.) and I personally am very intrigued by those un-answered questions that Shakespeare poses within his works.

On the same thought-process the next post was in regards to Twelfth Night where the role of identity seems to be engrained within physical appearance. What I found interesting in re-reading my post I again found signs of role switches that would be considered taboo if one was to read a history book (women dressing up as men or servants trying to “jump ranks”). I again was unable to answer the question of whether or not Shakespeare himself believed in these unheard of and in some cases punishable traits that popped up within his characters.

Last but certainly not least was my post regarding the language use for Iago within The Tragedy of Othello. This last post is not so much about the physical topics that are unanswered within the plays (gender/identity roles) but it has to focus on what is and is not said within the play itself, “I am not what I am.” There is this continual confusion specifically within my posts on the topics that seem to confuse the reader but at the same point the reader is completely aware of what is going on within the story itself. The confusion seems to make the play for me and as a result I wonder why I haven’t watched more soap-opera’s in my life if these are the topics that seem to catch my interest.