My encounters with Shakespeare throughout my childhood were sporadic yet interesting. According to my mother, my dad read Hamlet to me when I was a baby and he was bored, but aside from this perhaps premature exposure to severe familial difficulties, I never really gained an interest in Shakespeare until high school. We did the traditional Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar, and I found, in between having to explain difficult passages to my peers and engaging in half-hearted class acting (I think it's great when Shakespeare is performed, except when I have to do it) that I really enjoyed the stories and characters that Shakespeare produced. I've always been interested in seeing just how much Shakespeare has influenced literature around the world, probably more so than any other work with the exception of the Bible.
I would have to say, if pressed, that my favorite play is Othello (confession number 1: This might change. I haven't read every single one of Shakespeare's plays. The Tempest is high up there as well). I really enjoy the characters in this play, especially Iago (and here's number 2. I really enjoy a good villain, not just the I'm so misunderstood variety) but all of the other characters as well. I feel that Othello provides great insights into how people view themselves in relation to each other. I studied Othello in English 251 Winter 2011 semester and realized that not only did I like this play, but I liked discussing Shakespeare with other people as well. My previous experience had been mostly on my own, but I found that I gained new insights and perspectives when I talked about what I thought in class. I am looking forward to what I will learn and what I can share this semester.
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