Othello - William Shakespeare - So You Haven't Read

[@extrahistory]

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[@Sarahbryson321]

1 day ago

[@Luffingtoncloak]

We are good together

[@jonny.f4803]

Can you please make another channel for games/books and leave this one for history?

[@ulfberht4431]

Considering how bad your video is and how much lies, bigotry, biased agenda and hatred to the western politics are in this video, I think World Anvil might be regretting that decision.

[@Panda_Roll]

Manipulative villains are the scariest in fiction because, unlike the evil wizard or fairy, they're grounded in reality.

[@seenasoltani1808]

Wizards aren’t evil! Don’t be racist.

[@Panda_Roll]

@@seenasoltani1808 Being a magic wielder is not a race. It's a vocation.

[@kingofcards9]

Sounds like extra credits.

[@emmie-c8t]

This exact reason is why I’m terrified of Mother Gothel from Tangled.

[@SotoRoto-w3f]

Because reality is scarier than fiction.

[@AviRox1154]

Iago is right up there with Richard III among the greatest villains in literature. With Iago, you're begging for him to fail even though you know the play is a tragedy, because you want Othello and Desdemona to be happy, and with Richard, you're made an accomplice in his schemes thanks to him constantly detailing exactly what he's doing, and you can't help but love-hate him every step of the way. I'm not even a big fan of theater, and I love watching actors have fun playing those roles.

[@stevejakab274]

At least Iago's schemes make sense. I've never seen a performance of Richard III where the seduction of Lady Anne was believable.

[@henrygustavekrausse7459]

A character that reminds me of both of them is Salieri from Amadeus

[@mrdjchasm]

One of the things that makes Iago so scary, and I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned, was that there was this expectation in both executions and plays at the time for the criminal/villain to explain themselves and their motivations, like Othello telling the counsel why he killed his wife. But Iago never does this! He commits himself to silence when they ask why. He withholds even that satisfaction from the audience. He COULD have been racist, jealous or something else but we never know with certainty why he did any of it. That makes him the greatest villain of all time in my book.

[@ericmarmal9849]

In the play, he has an aside that said he hates Othello promoting Cassio (a scholar) instead of himself, and for potentially sleeping with his wife.

[@mrdjchasm]

@@ericmarmal9849 he himself hints at reasons why he might have done it. But he never gives the clear answer unlike many other villians. Also Iago is a such a deceptive liar I've often wondered if he even is lying to the audience about his perceived slights. When pressed by Othello why he did everything he says his last line in the play. OTHELLO I do believe it, and I ask your pardon. Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body? IAGO Demand me nothing: what you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word.

[@kingofcards9]

True, but the video is clearly trying to push the race angle really hard. Like it's pretty cringy how obvious it is.

[@MovieFan1912]

If that isn’t proof that ambiguity can make great storytelling, I don’t know what is.

[@em5522]

​@@kingofcards9 yeah, I've been noticing that they've been taking a lot of their stories/myths/histories with an obvious bias. I don't always dislike the bias, but I would've liked them to have played more into the ambiguity of some of their interpretations when it is also clearly there too.

[@archive6094]

Fun Fact: In 1968, there was a jazz musical version of Othello in Los Angeles called Catch My Soul, starring Jerry Lee Lewis

[@louisdarden108]

Read Othello aloud with my AP English Lit class. I got to play Iago, and I read him with an impression of TFS' Alucard. Absolutely loved it.

[@MrTARDIS]

"But Othello, bitches love Cannons!"

[@7deEspadas]

Iago goes to a walk

[@kaltaron1284]

@@MrTARDIS Let's go on a walk. A veeery enthusiastic walk. Also: "What amount are we talking about?" - "The Alucard amount."

[@dionadair8195]

I did the same thing with my AP class. Iago is an absolute b******, and very fun to read as.

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

A well-played Iago is one of the most compelling yet loathsome characters in theater. You are privy to every snippet of his malice and petty justifications, showing how unreasonable a seemingly 'sensible' person can actually be.

[@edcrichton9457]

Iago is quite reasonable, even rational, just thoroughly evil.

[@CaptainSeaDog_]

Funnily… I played Iago in theater class. Most fun role I’ve ever played LOL

[@pandabear4565]

6:20. Iago doesnt do everything because hes jellous of othellos position of power, he does it because he feels othello wrongfully passed him up for promotion, in favor of cassio

[@MSCOURBINBLEU]

Bingo

[@pandabear4565]

Iago is one of, if not my favorite villans ever created. I just love his monolouge, "how am I then the villan" he also does everything he is doing because he got passed up for promotion. And almost gets away with everything. Then refuses to speak of why he did everything.

[@scumbaggaming9418]

In the words of Greg Proops on Whose Line Is It Anyway, "Look Othello, we don't mind y'all movin' here, I just don't want you datin' my sister no more."

[@Dinuial]

One of my favorite versions of that final scene was a performance at Pleasure Faire (YEARS ago, back at the Devore site when shows still ran for 30-60 minutes). After stabbing Iago, Othello ripped out his intestines and used them as a jump rope. Someone then came up to the stage with a sheaf of papers, shows them to Iago who pops up with "I bleed, but am not yet finished!" Othello: "Let me see that! (examines the pages) Damn rewrites..."

[@history-jovian]

Damn

[@Shadowreaper5]

When I was in high-school our English class had us read and perform Othello for some kind of shoehorned in fine arts credit. My group got to do act 3 scene 3 and I was stuck as Iago. When I was a child I thought 'why would anybody want to play the villain? Everyone hates villains', but then I got to play Iago, and I found, as many actors during the Hays Code did, that when you're the hero you have to be serious, but when you're the villain you can ham it up and really lean into he cartoon villainy. I went full Disney villain for the "I shall leave this napkin his his rooms" speech. It was a ton of fun to perform. The fact that I got to do a villainous monolog may have helped too. Iago was a terrible person, and I would never encourage anyone to emulate or even sympathize with him, but he was great fun to pay, and really gave me an appreciation for the people who go up on stage regularly.

[@Richforce1]

There was very little hinting as to Iago's motives even hinted at the play except being passed over for promotion, Race least of all. What makes Iago so despicable and terrifying as a villain is that ambiguity, that anything could have done it and that any one of us could become Iago unless we make a continuous effort to be virtuous. Iago isn't meant to be read as a racist, the closest thing I think fits best is the Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight, he just wants everything to burn and is defiant to the last. Racism is evil, don't get me wrong, but Iago as a character is meant to show that there is such a thing a pure evil and needs to be fought against both in the injustices in the world and the temptations in our day to day lives to ignore living a virtuous life.

[@galiciangladiator5857]

Yeah I thought it was weird how the episode mentioned the race angle in the story so many times when I don't remember race really even being mentioned in the story apart from that Othello is a Moor, even less that Iago's motivation is that he's a racist.

[@tallymanz6756]

It was usually listed as one possible motivation among many. I don’t think In a play where one of the first schemes Iago tries to pull is framing him for kidnapping to the senate because he’s moorish and his wife isn’t it’d be the wildest thing on earth to assume that racism is if not a motivator for Iago then definitely an enabler.

[@mrblue___]

So you really don’t think race played a role? Look at what he called O in the play

[@dw4201]

In my interpretation from what I understand of the book, at no time is Iago portrayed as really racist (or not racist either). What is visible is that he knows that the judges are racist, and he is willing to use this to harm Othelo, even though he himself is not particularly racist, which in my opinion makes Iago even more villainous than if he were " simply" racist.

[@Wanderer1258]

7:03 I think that statements about them not having free time for love affairs are exaggerations since the ottoman fleet was destroyed in the terrible storm. So, despite the war time, they actually had some free time for other activities. If Iago found time for his plots and schemes, then definitely others could have had time for affairs.

[@tessat338]

An American friend of mine in suburban London got to play Emilia in "Othello" with her local theatre company before the Pandemic.

[@stormy7745]

Othello is one of my favourite tragedies, right alongside King Lear (both of which I enjoyed more than Hamlet and Macbeth). Thanks for covering it!

[@aquapb893]

Othello was the first play I read in high school where the plot made me look past the confusing language because I was so hooked

[@Roycesraphim1]

I liked the lawrence fishburn version producing cassio in the final act and offering othello a knife. Showing they were still bro's in the end

[@jessiem.9994]

In my Shakespeare class, i discovered that Laurence Fishburne played Othello with Kenneth Braughn as Iago in 1995. It was really good.

[@kingofcards9]

Iago probably did it due to being passed up for promotion. His low societal standing made it impossible to rise through the societal ranks. The promotion was his only chance at a good standing and position in society a man like him could get and lead to better or just any opportunities. Othello basically (in Iago's mind anyway) ruined his life.

[@wanna-be-thinker2377]

Well, going by three reasons at the beginning of the video, it's possible, for multiple reasons in multiple ways, he somehow convinced himself that all this victims, but mainly Othello, destroyed his life and happiness in every way possible. (Again in his twisted mind.) And I'm including the possible "rumor mill" that was against him too.

[@rparl]

If you embark on a journey of revenge, first dig two graves. Confucius

[@michaelevans1193]

I’d love to see them do “The Screwtape Letters” here.

[@Foxpawed]

Strongly recommend checking out at least Kyle Kallgren's episode on Omkara, the Indian film version of the play, if you want to see Iago get what he deserves.

[@MovieFan1912]

I always look forward to seeing Shakespeare covered in this show. I have mentioned in the past that the Shakespeare episodes are my favorites in this series.

[@davidogundipe808]

I love all of Shakespeare works as I find them fascinating and compelling.

[@grapeshott]

I don't think there is any indication that in Othello story that Iago was motivated by racism. In fact the concept of "racism" as we understand today was not there in Shakesphere's time. There might be some anger against an "outsider", but that does not provide such a strong motivation to do such horrible villainy, considering the fact that Othello was respected by his subordinates and even his employers. And Iago was even stupid enough to leave such evidences, and get himself tortured at the end.

[@edcrichton9457]

Fear of the foreigner in 17th century England is a parallel to modern racism. In Shakespeare's time people of other countries were often described "the French race..." for every stereotype.

[@nidohime6233]

I think what you meant is xenophobia rather than racism. People tend to mix the two.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

Iago: "I'm gonna do what's called a Pro Gamer Move"

[@jackhhun2698]

I once had someone Argue that in general if the Affair between Othello and Ariago's wife was considered a legit thing; in some cases Ariago using suspicion of Orthello's own inner darker nature projected onto his faithful wife was an Ironic form of divine justice almost akin to karma. But that is still something of a debate i suppose

[@KasumiRINA]

Jealousy IS something someone who was an adulterer himself would project, that's true, Othello's final speeches have plenty of self-deprecation. It makes Iago even more devilish, instead of making schemes on his own, he uses Othello's faults as a person (jealous, vindictive, violent), if you imagine Iago as a demon playing with his mind, the story becomes even more interesting.

[@AlSidre]

I just re read the Revenge of the Sith novel and I am seeing so many similarities in story beats. I am definitely reading Othello

[@hunterfiles7987]

I never knew anything about Othello I have to admit that I will have to read this play.

[@brockmckelvey7327]

Way down, way down, way down in Tragedyville

[@brockmckelvey7327]

I haven't seen Hadestown, but you get the picture

[@tzisorey]

So is the game named after him, a pun about turning against people?

[@ANGELiki1992]

...That was a pretty good villain laugh at 0:57

[@n0o01]

Iago is the best kind of scumbag in a story.

[@zenfrodo]

Key word here: "read". It's a play, like most of Shakespeare's works. It's intended to be staged and watched, with real, live people bringing the play to life in front of you. Reading it isn't the same (and I'm an avid reader myself). So no, I haven't read Othello. I was forced into reading Hamlet & Macbeth & R/J in school, and was only bored out of my mind...until our teacher brought in movies and vids of theater performances, which turned a lot of bored students into involved & fascinated kids. Every summer, our city offers free Shakespeare Theater In The Park, and it's so much fun to go to those. Seek out such things in your own areas, folks, and experience these as Shakespeare wanted them to be seen.

[@KasumiRINA]

Macbeth is like one and a half hours to read, I went through it in two bus trips.

[@LCCWPresents]

Best Shakespeare story we studied in high school in one of the best literature classes in high school.

[@jeremy1860]

Shakespeare was by no means the only playwright of his era, and yet his works have stood the test of time while most others of that period are forgotten. What was it about his writing that made them so long-lasting I wonder? 🤔

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Publication. Unlike other playwrights, Shakespeare's works were preserved via publication by his friends after his death thought ot cones at the cost of the originals being lost to time...

[@bernardoheusi6146]

The printing press. Egyptians, greeks, the "barberians" etc didn't have It.

[@cmsully1]

He was one of the world's first shitposters

[@Chameleonred5]

@@cmsully1 The others may be correct, but your answer is my favorite so I choose you.

[@Sorcerers_Apprentice]

His themes and topics are still about issues relevant to societies today. Most of the characters are well written and complex, with understandable motivations. Including the female characters, unusual for his time.

[@talithacumiferguson8834]

Please do these other Shakespearean plays next: Cymbeline King Lear Anthony and Cleopatra Hamlet The Tempest The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night Much Ado About Nothing

[@stevejakab274]

What, no love for Titus Andronicus ?

[@talithacumiferguson8834]

@@stevejakab274 I've never read or seen that play.

[@KasumiRINA]

Much Ado is my fav play, and I loved the movie (Keanu there tho).

[@trippsmythoftheaurigancoal8155]

"So You Haven't Read" has become my favorite feature of EC.

[@abdrahimtahiri2337]

Guys you have to read it somethings here are totally different from the book

[@jameslmathieson]

That obvious Fox News logo got me. 😂 A+ shade.

[@kingofcards9]

It shouldn't, this channel is supposed to tell history, how can anyone trust them if they are subversively pushing political agendas.

[@emmetttaylor1739]

I saw the movie with Orson Welles in English Lit class back in 1970 in Collage. It was a good movie.

[@woodlandcreature8857]

"Let's make this 16th century masterpiece about the dangers of envy and lust into a modern day 'muh racism' social commentary" As Shakespeare states in Othello, "Moorish" soldiers were common in the venetian army, and although racism was obviously prevalent at the time it is abundantly clear that the jealousy comes from success, rank and power and not racism.

[@kingofcards9]

Exactly, extra credits clearly values pushing a certain (politically motivated) angle in the video leaving little to no nuance or debate.

[@ZR3009]

My goodness he is truly a good epitome of *villain*

[@loganpoer8648]

I’m actually reading Othello Right now In my AP Literature Class

[@averongodoffire8098]

I think Iago had a lot of little “reasons” to dislike Othello. To be honest, I think considering all the reactions people have of him in the play, they all put them aside because most people in the play are not as bad as Iago, Iago is just a bad person, he doesn’t care about the Ottomans, Venice or even himself considering. Iago is an unhappy man and choice Othello to take his hatred out on, it’s a tragic choice and even more tragic, the fact it may have been a random one, Casio is just as much of a target of his hate but Othello came to mind first so he would do.

[@bluedragonninja]

I wondering for next Shakespeare that you are covering, would you mind doing, "the Tempest". A show I am current watching seems to be inspired by it, I would love to see your take on the play.

[@darknessunknown4384]

So in Gargoyles, Macbeth named Demona after Desdemona; I see what you did there, Disney.

[@paulchapman8023]

Macbeth named Demona for her fighting prowess in 1040. (“You fight like a demon!”) There was another gargoyle (or rather, a gargoyle’s ghost) identified in the credits as Desdemona; she was one of the spirits possessing Coldstone. (The other two, of course, were identified as Othello and Iago.)

[@em5522]

​@@paulchapman8023 yeah, when the show introduced Coldstone (and the many souls with him at the time), they really played into the play's references.

[@floydblandston108]

Beautiful...and the 'Faux News' banners really made my day- thanks!

[@dr.atheist3087]

Thaaaaaannnnnnnkkkkk Yoooouuu I understand why y'all don't normally go over the entirety of what you review in this series but it's really nice to get a full review.

[@gustavakerman2566]

If Hamlet and Othello switched tragedies, neither tragedy would have happened in the first place

[@SilverFang2789]

I remember reading this in high school back on 07. Great story though most of the details are lost on me nowadays.

[@ayanjit9196]

Same here.

[@pickle6225]

The fact that y’all keep releasing episodes about book im currently reading for English is scary

[@alisaurus4224]

Thank you for this! Othello was the first Shakespeare i studied, in freshman year of college

[@Elizabeththegreatest]

Othello is AWESOME!

[@laureneras9523]

Iago is the best villian ever written

[@coleforbes6268]

Please do a video on Edgar Allen poe.perhaps cask of amontillado?

[@jonahfalcon1970]

Iago's motivation? "I am not what I am." To Elizabethan audiences, he's saying he's the DEVIL. (Exodus 3:14 - God says "I am what I am.")

[@ScreamingSturmovik]

of course it's more likely that racism was the cause then him actually just being a petty narcissistic sociopath i thinki first read Othello in high school as a manga which was really cool to find

[@Shauntheduke.]

Pretty sure it was the jealousy of another person getting a promotion they wanted not to mention the play doesn’t actually make it clear rather or not Othello had slept with his wife and leaves it open for interpretation.

[@ScreamingSturmovik]

@@Shauntheduke. well i was trying to be sarcastic about the racism thing (seems that EC leaned kinda hard on that one imo) it's been way to long since i've read it

[@KasumiRINA]

@@ScreamingSturmovik they're compensating for completely ignoring Heathcliff hated for his race and looks in Wuthering Heights.

[@fantasy873]

"And then we drop papa-in-law and the little woman off a cliff. YYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH KER-SPLAT!!!" Oh wait, that's the wrong Iago. Or is it?

[@uigokublack1482]

if you ever wondered why the channel has plateaud, remember the roots that you abandoned, along with those who once followed Extra Credits. Long before you were a jack of all trades

[@elmo1234]

Great episode. And well done for handling the racial elements in a sensitive yet humorous way. "Cool, cool cool."

[@1ronDragon]

1:52 Your Orson Welles character looks like Harry Styles 😆

[@Raso719]

I thought he was a member of the Moops....

[@matthewmccaughey1628]

COVER THE TEMPEST NEXT!!!

[@jarrodyuki7081]

exam and essay done!!!!!!!!!

[@caelgrayheavens1234]

Way to go Amelia❕❕❕

[@postapocalypticnewsradio]

PANR has tuned in.

[@Googoobie711]

I was casted in a play as Othello and I'm trying to understand his background but reading Shakespeare is too hard

[@TheCreepypro]

one of the few actually good stories by Shakespeare

[@Tolstoy111]

Lay off the shrooms

[@mr.johnson3844]

7:42 Using the FOX news logo without the "FOX" and with "news" in quotation marks. Yep, no bias here. Move along.

[@zackakai5173]

Well Fox News is pretty demonstrably an outrage-based entertainment channel masquerading as a news source, so it's appropriate.

[@Tyleya]

Extra History: maybe you just don’t like him… Me: He isn’t going to go there Extra History: Because he’s black Me:😮 by George he went there…😅😂😂😂😂😂

[@neverhungryagain2187]

You cute what’s yo Instagram

[@neverhungryagain2187]

Crazy I was subscribed to you

[@Rudnaz_127]

Just casually having the news station symbol be based on Fox News' one and news being in brackets. lol

[@anesu846]

Thanks Abed

[@jamesonpace726]

Moore's the pity, (geddit, geddit..).

[@azazelreeds]

Othello is easily my favorite Shakespeare play

[@jarrodyuki7081]

one more exam one more essay and two more quizzes for stats. and then one more exam adn two more quizzes for enviormetn.

[@papageno88]

The "news" screen was fantastic.

[@knightofhistory]

I love this channel, it is so interesting and makes subjects that perhaps wouldn't be entirely enticing very catching and enjoyable. I hope one day my channel (also a history channel) will be as gripping as yours! Best the Knight of History.

[@elihersh2133]

The analogy at the end went a little off the rails

[@FergersonBinklebottom]

Just read this last year in school and my friend and I had fun reading it. (Movie good too!)

[@jarrodyuki7081]

one more exam. one more essay and two more quizzes for stats. an then one more exam and two more quzizies for environment!!!!!!!

[@trey47]

The moors would be a great one to do

[@francissreckofabian01]

Iago should be a politician.

[@EdbertWeisly]

Please do Battle of Dorking

[@sophiasangiorgio9645]

Can you do A Midsummer’s Night Dream!

[@bendi3768]

You should do pale horse pale rider no one talks about that book

[@macaylacayton2915]

again no I haven't read this, i struggle with reading shakespeare due to the large amount of figurative language which makes question what is and isn't figurative.

[@stevejakab274]

Don't read Shakespeare, watch a performance.

[@macaylacayton2915]

@@stevejakab274 don't they have the same amount of figurative language as each other?

[@KasumiRINA]

@@macaylacayton2915 you mean metaphors or just outdated English? Because it depends. People for whom English isn't main language get dubbed versions and they're easier to comprehend, but the cost is losing all wordplay.

[@macaylacayton2915]

@@KasumiRINA both

[@jarrodyuki7081]

one exam one more essay and two more quizzes for stats............. and then one more eaxm adn two mor quzizies fron evnioemrent.

[@bairdduvessa]

Dinoriders, nice

[@jarrodyuki7081]

one exam one more essay and tow more quizzies for stats............ adn then one more eaxm adn two more quzizies for evineormt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@amethystsavage4018]

Jokes on you, I read this twice and saw the ThugNotes vid before this came out 😂

[@Chaos_God_of_Fate]

I love hate wagons though :(

[@neverhungryagain2187]

0:16 😮😂

[@loganfish1015]

Can you please make so you haven't read episode on artimise fowl.

[@EdmundDwight-i8o]

Harris Eric Martin Christopher Perez Jessica

[@jarrodyuki7081]

exam and essay done then two more quizzes. and then one more exam and two more quizzes for environment.

[@nidohime6233]

Did Iago also use religion as another way to acussed Othello (maybe acussing him of being a "barbaric moor") for kidnapping Desdemona, or it wasn't brought up in the original play unlike other Shakespeare works where religious discrimination is a plot point too?

[@retro3188]

*Accuse.

[@KasumiRINA]

He hinted at it, Othello was a Christian Moor (wouldn't be allowed to serve in Venetian army otherwise) and he contrasts himself to "circumcised dogs" talking about Turks, who are Muslim.

[@joshuawells835]

Junior Year English