Othello Act Three

1. What is a tragic flaw? What do you believe is Othello's tragic flaw? What is your tragic flaw? Explain.

A tragic flaw is a characteristic of a person that if taken advantage of could cause them extreme emotional and possibly even physical damage. Othello's tragic flaw is that he is naive, and he will listen to anything. He is easily manipulated because of how naive he is. My tragic flaw is that I am a prideful person. This pride makes me hold grudges, and often time it causes me to make stupid decisions.

2. Below is the Shakespearean and modern version of Othello. Examine the quote about a good reputation. What does Iago mean through this quote? How valuable do you believe a reputation is? What is your reputation? What kind of name do you have amongst others? 

"A good reputation is the most valuable thing we have—men and women alike. If you steal my money, you’re just stealing trash. It’s something, it’s nothing: it’s yours, it’s mine, and it’ll belong to thousands more. But if you steal my reputation, you’re robbing me of something that doesn’t make you richer, but makes me much poorer."

"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing:

'Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed."

He means that every person has a reputation to others. This reputation is what describes who we are, regardless of whether it is true or not. He is just telling the truth in this quote. Nobody else can own your reputation, but if they trash it and destroy it, then they haven't helped themselves, but they have hurt you. I hate reputations, but they are "valuable". Society places too much on reputations. I think that sometimes they can be important, but you ought now judge too heavily on a reputation because you don't know if it is true. I don't know what my reputation is to be exact. I can't read other peoples minds. I know how I act and what I say,  and I know that sometimes people don't always see you for how you are. There are misconceptions. I know that I have made numerous mistakes in my lifetime, and they are mistakes that will live with me forever. To some people that is all they see is the mistakes. To others they see the better side of me. My positive attributes. I am known as a pure bitch to some people, and to others I am as nice as they come. That is a misconception though because there are plenty of people out there that are nicer than myself. My reputation depends on our past relationship, or what somebody has heard about me. Somebody who has heard nothing but bad things about me will say I have a bad reputation. Others who have heard good things will say I have a good reputation. I know who I am, and what I stand for. I know the mistakes I have made, and the things that I have said. Ultimately I would like to think I have a positive reputation, however, I know that this is probably not true. There are people who think poorly of me. I work everyday to better myself, and to make my life better, and to live the life that is best for me.

3. Connect this quote to another film/movie/book or to your own personal life. 

Ideas can be like poisons. At first they hardly even taste bad, but once they get into your blood they start burning like hot lava.

Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons

Which at the first are scarce found to distaste,

But with a little act upon the blood

Burn like the mines of sulfur.

 I can relate this to my life easily because it is the story of my life. There are moments in my life that have made me into who I am today. There are things in my life that I have struggled with. I used to think so negatively about myself. I used to be able to dismiss it, but then it grew harder to blow it off. It got to the point where I felt so depressed all of the time. One day the thought of suicide popped into my head. I told myself that I was crazy, and that I couldn't do that. I just dismissed it. I done this several times, until it became harder and harder. Finally I decided I would try. So I did. Obviously and thankfully I was not successful because I wouldn't be as strong as I am and I wouldn't be as lucky as I am, or as privileged as I am had it not been for the fact that I failed. The thought of suicide was nothing to me at first, but then it kept popping back in my head over and over.