Othello - GCSE stuff

[kia cat]

Any advice on a good website for writing about this? Child's homework has been dragging on and we are all fed up with Mr Shakespeare. Like to wrap it up and enjoy summer hols! Thanks

[Mr Veritas]

These Google results for "Othello Analysis" might help,just don't copy them word for word! LOL
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=othello %2Banalysis&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=

[Margaret007]

Forget the PC and internet, get you child to read the book and then honestly aswer the Questions.

I kinda get ****** off with the low standards of todays education, you are just on on the reasons why.

[kia cat]

Mr. V. Thanks, we'll give that a go, just looking for a little guidance.

Margaret, she's read the book, more than once, they've done it extensively in class over the past term, act by act. Just has a mental block over this, probably boredom. We were just looking for a bit of guidance to solve the problem.
Please don't assume every student just uses the net as a shortcut. I have to say I think shakespeare is very over rated and not terribly relevant in this day and age. I'd be far more impressed if they would concentrate on the basics, like how to improve various styles of writing [eg Business, personal] basic spelling without using a spellchecker.

[kia cat]

ps Margaret how's your own own spelling and grammar going? Finished your 11+?

[fredpuli47]

kia cat, now then , Margaret's spelling is kinda OK :) !
Yes, the one problem with great literature generally is that it's wasted on the young.They have not the experience of life nor the maturity to appreciate the depth of it. Their simply reading Othello several times won't, in itself,make the play fully self-explanatory. The help that the material in the link may give is to point the youngster to the subtleties they, naturally, miss and give them some more insight.They may go on from there.With any luck, in later life, they won't hate whatever set texts they were obliged to study (but this is unlikely!)

[SpodoCommodo]

Have you considered watching a film version for inspiration? I found the Orson Welles' version to be very good:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045251/

(but I have no idea how much it keeps to the original)

[jno]

actually, I can see five spelling errors in Margaret's four lines... but fredpuli, isn't reading Shakespeare (or other literature) part of life experience itself? Wouldn't Othello teach you something about the workings of jealousy, for instance?

I agree the language in Shakespeare is slowly slipping away from us. But actually watching a performance - the Welles DVD is a good one - brings it to llife.

[Ava77]

Shakespeare is 'overrated' and 'not relevant' today?!

Oooh, don't get me started! lol. It's very relevant, you just need to see past the language and style to the underlying themes.

With encouragement like that, no wonder your child's bored with it.

[dot.haukes]

Why not focus on the racism in the play for a start, Iago on many occasions uses the racist card to poison Othello's doubters and Desdemona's actions are often influenced by the objections of her family to the relationship purely because of the moor.
t's years since I studied it but I also recall the 'hankie' being used as the plot device to cause bother, so try looking at the way that is used to m,anipulate the relationships and jealousy.

[kia cat]

Thanks for the replies. It's become someting of a stumbling block, because its dragged on so long [March I think] and also despite watching the film and knowing the plot, there's a distinct lack of interest. We are trying it a bit each day, in the hope we can get it done with. By not relevant, I meant that there were other priorities in English [to me anyway]. That would be stringing together a sentence, being able to spell, able to fill in a form, job application etc.

Ava as for " �With encouragement like that, no wonder your child's bored with it. </i." I think you're being slightly unfair. We have sat and read with her, asked questions and explained what we think ashave her teachers. It's just not sparking up her imagination.