Othello Dramatic Reading - Statement of Intent

My Dramatic Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlC54L53FbY

          I chose to perform Othello's soliloquy from Act 5, Scene 2, where Othello is getting prepared to kill his wife, Desdemona. This particular soliloquy is filled with emotion and conflicting feelings which helped me to determine where tone, emphasis, and pauses, should be. During this scene, Othello is very angry with Desdemona because he was tricked into thinking she was unfaithful to him, but he is also overcome admiration of her beauty and the love that they shared. In his soliloquy, I decided to put an emphasis on phrases such as, "It is the cause, It is the cause," and, "Yet she must die," because I felt Othello said them to convince himself that murdering his wife was his only option. I felt a sense of urgency in these lines where Othello wanted to get the murder over with. After saying, "Yet she must die," I paused before reciting, "else she'll betray more men," in order to put an emphasis on Othello's realization in why he wanted to murder Desdemona in the first place. When delivering the line, "Yet I'll not shed her blood, nor scar that whiter skin of hers as snow and smooth as monumental alabaster," I used a gentle, sweet, and loving tone to portray how Othello still adored Desdemona and his sorrow.
          After "becoming" Othello for two minutes, I learned how hurt he was by the idea that Desdemona had cheated on him and how he suffered from the conflicting feelings of love, anger, and jealousy all at once. Before I had prepared for this dramatic reading, I solely thought of Othello as an overpowering man who made rash decisions based on questionable information. While part of that is true, I have now recognized Othello's true love for Desdemona and the grief and rage that he felt after being tricked into thinking she cheated on him. After finishing the dramatic reading, I realized how dangerous and detrimental jealousy can be. I also found that people really need to analyze important pieces of information judiciously before making a decision.
          This particular soliloquy really defined Othello's emotions and it defined him as a character. This scene was not the climax or the resolution, but the audience gets a better understanding of Othello's struggle and his obsessive need to take revenge. Othello's soliloquy further complicated the conflict because he is revealing that his mind can't be changed and that Desdemona must die. He won't forgive her or attempt to discover if she's innocent or not... Othello is set on killing Desdemona despite his admiration for her love and beauty.