Updating the Setting of Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Modernization o

Along the crowded streets of Philadelphia the cars rush by and people atomic number 18 always in a hurry, provided the poverty of the people that merry in the neighborhoods can never be hidden. The name, the City of Brotherly Love, is close ironic as crime and hate fill the streets of the city. There is a division between the people that can not be hidden, however only exaggerated by peoples interactions. This is the setting in which the Shakespearian bunk Othello will be interpreted. This modernization of this classic disaster will be more appealing to the youth of today, who will be able to relate more to the characters and the setting of the play. The changes to the plot and the language of the play are minimal, but the changes to the setting and characters are drastic. The same issues, race, green-eyed monster, and manipulation, still remain, but there is a twist to how they are portrayed. The setting of the play is dramatically changed from Venic e and Cyprus to inner city Philadelphia. This one change alters the scenes and characters roles in society, but allows Shakespeares original plot to be carried out. It has been said that, High school proved a neat setting for modern-day versions of Shakespeares comedies Strong headed boyish embarking on first love come with the fitting youd make out to find more sharply defined social strata or break away opportunity for self-conscious humiliation (Walters, 2002). By setting the film in a high school, characters are at a real penetrable point in their lives as they are discovering new things about themselves, are forming relationships, and have insecurities about themselves. Often during these vulnerable years, teens use bullying and rigor to get others to conform or get ... .... This modern setting and the contemporary characters help todays audiences understand the complexities of human relationships and the destructive qualities of jealousy that Shakespeare wrote ab out in the original play. This film, just as the original play, is very much a tragedy where treachery and jealousy lead to the improper deaths of Othello and Desdemona. Works CitedBell, Millicent. Shakespeares Moor. Raritan. Vol. 21(2002) 1-14. Bent, Geoffrey. Three green eyes monsters acting as applied criticism in Shakespeares Othello. The Antioch Review. Summer 1998 358-73. Fierman, Daniel. The bosh of O. Entertanment Weekly. 10 Aug 2001 20-3. Walls, Lisa. Bullying and Sexual Harrassment in Schools. Committee for Children. http//www.cfchildren.org/article_walls1.shtml. Walters, Ben. O. Sight and Sound. February 2002 56-7.