About Spacemen and Shakespeare

Post 224:

            I have neither the right nor the expertise to address the work of the greatest wordsmith in history, but here’s me letting my impetuous nature run amuck.

            I’m rediscovering Othello the last few days—freaking badass.

            Not exactly a scholarly overview, so let me say a few things about it.

            Let’s get it out there; pretty much every line is genius, working on multiple levels.

            And it’s not my usual tone to take—generally I find myself in opposition to those teachers that derive multiple meanings from every line of literature.

            Here, though, you can’t help it. This dude was playing chess while the rest of us play checkers.

            So many words have two or even three meanings and/or insinuations. In a way, Shakespeare is the greatest smartass in the history of the world. He’s toying with the reader or the viewer, because he can, and because it’s awesome.

            The character of Iago is the ultimate devil on the shoulder. It’s a pretty cool story, because the actions and logic of the tale really go through him. He’s a defunct and corrupt soul, yet you get to see the innards of his psyche; somehow, Shakespeare makes him almost understandable.

            Life hasn’t sat well with him, so he’s essentially walking away from the living. It’s beautiful and sad and terrifying all at the same time. I just thank God that He sent a team of aliens down in Elizabethan times to write all these works of genius. That’s a big thumbs up to the man upstairs and to his spacemen.

            Things are getting weird. I better stop. See you after.