So I was flipping through Othello today helping somebody look for a monologue, and I was struck by Emilia’s reaction to Othello right at the end of the play, where Othello basically says, “Iago told me everything,” and it all falls into place for Emilia.  Check it out:

OTHELLO

Cassio did top her; ask thy husband else.
O, I were damn’d beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon just grounds
To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.

EMILIA

My husband!

OTHELLO

Thy husband.

EMILIA

That she was false to wedlock?

OTHELLO

Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true,
If heaven would make me such another world
Of one entire and Perfect chrysolite,
I’ld not have sold her for it.

EMILIA

My husband!

OTHELLO

Ay, ’twas he that told me first:
An honest man he is, and hates the slime
That sticks on filthy deeds.

EMILIA

My husband!

OTHELLO

What needs this iteration, woman? I say thy husband.

Emilia repeats the exact same line 3 times.  Othello even asks her, “Why do you keep repeating yourself?”

Somebody get into her head for me.  How do you play that? Is it denial?  Not necessarily that her husband is a bastard, I’m sure she knows that – I’m thinking more that Emilia recognizes that if *she’d* seen through Iago sooner, then Desdemona might still be alive.

Or is it more like, “That son of a b*tch, I’ll kill him!” Like she’s not even listening to Othello. She’s already put everything together in her head, and now the fact that she keeps saying “My husband” over and over again has nothing to do with Othello.

Or something else?

Mostly just curious. If she’d said it once, or if she’d worded it differently each time, I wouldn’t even have noticed.  But the repetition is obviously there for a reason, so as an actor or director, how do you make it work? Why does she do that?

Here’s one of those times where I get to ask the readers a question.  I’ve heard the name David Garrick mentioned frequently enough in the history of Shakespeare.  But I don’t really know much about him.  So, rather than just going to read his wikipedia page I thought I’d ask the audience.  What I’m mostly curious to is this – would you argue that he was a major positive force in crafting the image of Shakespeare we know today, or do you think that perhaps he did more harm than good by catapulting Shakespeare until into that “literary deity” realm, causing people to spend the last 200+ years trying to knock him back down to reality?

Thanks everyone for the amazing suggestions about what to do with all my Tempest DVDs!  It’s going to take me awhile to fully process what I can realistically do, but it seems like almost everybody suggested donating to local schools/clubs, so that will certainly be on the list.  I also like the idea of creating something, like producing a modern interpretation of a scene from the play. 

Anyway, I promised 3 winners chosen randomly, and here they are:  Cass, Brian and Alexi!  Even if I already have your address, please drop me a line so I don’t have to go searching for it.

Thanks for playing, everybody! Look for more opportunities to win (both from me and from some other Shakespeare blogs, hint hint big hint) soon!

UPDATED APRIL 2, 2012 — My app is now available in the Google Play Store!  Thanks to everyone who helped test.

Ok, show of hands, how many of you out there have an Android phone or tablet device?  Note that this includes the new Nook and Kindle Fire devices, those are both Android.

Second question, how many of you would be interested in helping me test an application I’m working on?  This would involve me sending you a software “package”, you trusting me that I’m not doing anything bad to you, and you knowing how to get it installed on your machine when it doesn’t come from the market.  (Try that with an Apple device! :))  Note, in case you know enough about the terminology, that this in no way involves “rooting” your device.

As a career programmer I’ve forever wanted to combine my abilities at coding with my passion for my subject, and it’s always eluded me.  I’m the closest now that I’ve ever been, I’ve got an actual application that I’ve actually packaged and run on my phone.  It’s not beautiful, but that’s part of why I want other people to see it so I can ask you, “What should I make this do?”

Much like writing my first ebook, this is a learning experience.  The “meat” of the matter, the big where you have the idea or the feature or the content, you want to think that this is 90% of the job and then you just wrap it up and it’s ready for public consumption. It’s more like the other way around – the idea itself represents maybe 20% of the final, and then you’ve got a lot more work in “finishing” it.

Anyway, let me know. This post is going up late on a Friday so I have no idea who is going to see it, but I gotta start somewhere. Thanks!

UPDATED: By let me know, I meant email me.  I need some way to send you the files!  I probably should have been more clear about that.

In case you missed it going by on Twitter I’ll post it again – there’s a quote going around attributed to Sir Ian McKellen that says of course Shakespeare was gay.  Honestly, when I saw the headline go by that “Shakespeare actor says Shakespeare was gay” I thought, “Well there’s a stupid and uninformed actor trying to get his name in the paper.”  Needless to say I was quite surprised to see Sir Ian looking back at me when I clicked.

I’m trying to find the original source since all I can find are clips out of context, but here’s the juicy part:

SIR Ian McKellen: “No doubt Shakespeare was gay. His predilection was evident from his works. An unmistakenly feminine portrait of his patron Henry Wriothesley adds evidence that early sonnets to ‘fair youth’ were probably meant for males.

“Married, with children, he left his wife in Stratford to live in London. I’d say he slept with men. ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ centering on how the world treats gays as well as Jews, has a love triangle between an older man, younger man and a woman. And complexity in his comedies with cross-dressing and disguises is immense. Shakespeare obviously enjoyed sex with men as well as women.”

Clearly this merits discussion. I am hoping (nay, assuming) that Sir Ian was being a bit silly, as I don’t often see anybody with a Shakespeare credit to their name saying that there’s “obviously” or “no doubt” about anything in the man’s life.

Discuss.