Othello Shakespeare vs. Parker Essay - 615 Words

Othello: Shakespeare vs. Parker To create an adaptation of a literary work is not an easy task, especially if it is a classic work by man named Shakespeare. Today movies are expected to be packed with drama, action, and sex. True, Othello contains all of these, but it certainly isnt a blockbuster by todays standards. When Shakespeare wrote Othello, viewing the play was an event in itself, not an hour and a half thrill ride that todays viewer have come to expect. This was Parkers dilemma, to create a concise adaptation that could hold its viewers. Still, with revisions and scene cuts Parkers film still runs a little over two hours. There many drawbacks to cutting scenes from an original work, one is loss of cohesion. There are†¦show more content†¦The reader is intended to relate to Othellos universal feelings of jealousy and betrayal, yet simultaneously be left with a feeling of justice when he finally meets his demise. This theme is most obvious in the case of Othello, but is certainly not exclusive to him. Another example of this altered theme can be illustrated through a brief look at Iagos character. While Iago is manipulative and cunning he plays far to involved and plays more of a role in Othellos downfall than Shakespeare intended. Parker portrays Iago as an almost demonic being capable of taking down any man, which minimizes the flaws in all the characters namely Othello. Again, Shakespeares design in which Othello himself is responsible for his own downfall is lost. Othello, as is true for all characters in the original text, is plagued by a devastating character flaw that consumes and kills. The reader in Shakespeares original text is meant to be left with a feeling that each character received there just deserves. Parkers movie on the other hand, leads the viewer to believe that everyone, especially Othello, is a victim of Iagos treachery. Viewers of Parkers film are given a Tarantinoesque ending where everyone dies for nothing. Most of the story remains intact, but for the reasons behind different characters downfall. In my opinion Shakespeare intended for each characters downfall to be of his own making. EachShow MoreRelated A Marxist Reading of Shakespeares Coriolanus Essay examples2243 Words   |  9 PagesA Marxist Reading of Coriolanus      Ã‚  Ã‚   One popular dissecting instrument of any Shakespearean character is the modern tool of psychoanalysis. Many of Shakespeares great tragic heroes-Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello, to name a few-have all been understood by this method of plying back and interpreting the layers of motivation and desire that constitute every individual. Add to this list Shakespeares Roman warrior Coriolanus. His strong maternal ties coupled with his aggressive and intractable