Most of the play is about Iago messing with Othello, getting into his head with
the jealousy stuff. The man is like a dog with rabies, evil to touch. But
Shakespear makes Othello act confused, like he don't know what to do. I'm
saying, get mean with the bitch! Niggers don't take crap from nobody. He don't
need to ask Iago what to do, telling him go spy on his woman, "bring me the
ocular proof". Get straight up with the woman, ask her what's the deal.
Shakespear have him falling down with epilepsy, and now Iago playing him
for a sucker.
See, Shakespear didn't understand niggers. This Othello travel around the
world, he tough and silent like Chuck Norris. The man decide to make a home
for himself in Venice. Aint easy to migrate and start a new life in a strange
country. People don't want you cause you different. But a man got to stop
moving around some time, put down roots somewhere.
And Desdemona, she kind of migrating too. Moving out of Daddy's home, and
starting a new life. Stepping out of "no man" in my life, crossing into new
territory. People don't like when you do that. And since it's a black man and a
white woman, she got to watch his back, he got to watch her back. Only way
they going to make it.
Othello was right to tell her, you hang with me, everything's cool, you mess with
me, then "chaos is come again". Nigger got to know his woman is there for him
100 Percent!!
So when Iago start getting into his head he should have settled the matter right
there. Get mean with the bitch, that's what any nigger would do. Got Othello
saying, "Arise black vengeance", like now this is some racial thing. And saying he
"won't scar that whiter skin of hers than snow." Can you believe, Othello kissing
his woman, at the same time getting ready to kill her, and don't want to mess
up her snow white skin? Make no sense.
He shouldn't have trusted that sly dog Iago, calling him "honest Iago", like they
were buddies. Trust nobody, I say. Your best friend will sell you out if you give
him a chance. Trust nobody.
Well the handkerchief, Othello made a big mistake with that. Came back to
haunt him. He should have given the woman jewelry and stuff, not a hand-
kerchief. Desdemona didn't understand how much the handkerchief mean to
him.
An Egyptian first gave the handkerchief to his mother, who gave it to Othello
to pass on to a Moorish woman, who would understand about the "sibyl" and
"magic" and stuff. Desdemona didn't understand all that. I think that's what
flipped the Moor, when she lost the handkerchief. It's like losing a bird you care
for all these years. You wake up one morning, you hear no sound, the bird cage
open, the bird that used to sing to your soul is gone. Othello trusted Desdemona
with the handkerchief. She didn't take care of it. Lost her man right there.
I rate this play a B. My reason for giving it a B grade is because I learned a lot
about what could happen to a black man who's on his own in this world, even
though Shakespear didn't get it all right. I think teachers should teach plays
like "Othello" more. I had "Romeo and Juliet" in my freshman year, it was
alright, then "Macbeth" with Mr. Bilicki which I didn't like (didn't like Mr. Bilicki
either).
This play has taught me one thing, which is to get through all your adolescent
stuff quick, then settle down with some woman. I don't plan to wait like Othello
till I'm in the "vale of years". Might end up marrying the wrong woman. Anyway,
first I got to shake off stuff that's on my back right now.
The End.
(from "Ah Mikhail, O Fidel!", a novel by N.D.Williams, 2001)
FARJOURNEY CARIBBEAN 