Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The Diary of Othello: A Hero Who Has Won Eternal Love (Or Has He?)



Day 1

                I felt guilty marrying Desdemona in secret, and yet it was our love that drove us to wait no longer, how could we not? I can’t believe that I had to defend myself to the courts, how could her father ever think that I had ruined his daughter? Not only that but he said that I used magic to make her marry me! Standing before the council I told them the truth that “Of my whole course of love—what drugs, what charms, what conjuration, and what might magic (For such proceeding I am charged withal) I won his daughter.” I told them that she was the one who made the first move that she loved listening to my stories about my life of adventure after living a life of solitude. I went on to say that “She loved me for the dangers I have passed, And I love her that she did pity them. This is the only witchcraft I have used.” Luckily they believed me once Desdemona told them that it was true. I was shocked when her father placed our hands together, his approval of our marriage. Now we are on our way to Cyprus where I must defeat the Turks.

Day 2
                Arrived to find my love waiting for me on the docks. We embraced and kissed as if we had been apart for years, which it felt like to me. What great luck that the ship the Turks were on was eaten by the sea! Now I can simply enjoy being with my new wife and we can start our lives together. 

Day 3
                I cannot believe what happened. Last night I had to fire Cassio and strip him of his lieutenancy. What else was I to do? Iago was there and I know that his “honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio.” I would have made an example of him right there had it not been for Desdemona. How can one I trusted so much betray me so much? It wouldn’t have been as bad if it hadn’t been Montano that he injured in his drunken fight! After all he is an official, how could I do anything less but demote Cassio?

Day 4
                “Excellent wretch!—Perdition catch my soul But I do love thy!” How can this be?! Desdemona turned demon! I would not believe it if it had not come from honest Iago. I even told him so, saying that “I know thou’rt full of honest and full of love and honesty and weigh’st thy words before thou giv’st them breath”. Still I told him to show me proof. Which he did by telling me that Desdemona had given her handkerchief, her first gift from me, the one that my mother “dying, gave it to me, and bid me, when fate would have me wived, to give it to her”. I told her the power of the handkerchief and that “to lose’t or give’t away were such perdition as nothing else could match”. This is the greatest betrayal that she would give it to Cassio who was once my closest friend. When I asked her for it she did not have it, proving what Iago said to be true. 

Day 5
               
                What is left to be done, but to kill her so that she will not betray other men, like she did her father, and then me? “It is the cause…”. Emilia keeps trying to tell me that I have it all wrong, but what does a ladies maid know? After all, I have seen the proof of it with my own eyes, the handkerchief in Cassio’s hand. Plus, honest Iago tells me that it is true. Desdemona is now but a monument, a “cunning’st pattern” the prototype of beauty which can only be admired when she is lifeless. “It is the cause”, I must do it.
Editors note: Upon finding the diary, it was discovered that all quotes come from Shakespeare's play Othello. If he had lived longer he also would have been able to write about how he learned the error of his view of Desdemona, that she was in fact innocent. Instead of writing about it, Othello was so struck with grief about what he had done that he killed himself. Iago was seen for the snake he truly was, and Othello and Desdemona died next to each other.

The Diary of Macbeth: Magic, Witches and Blood, Oh My!



Day 1
                Meet three witches today. Thought they were kind of iffy, until they said “All hail, Macbeth, who shall be king hereafter!” Couldn’t wait to tell Lady Macbeth, sent a letter ahead of me because I was so excited for her to hear about our future. Banquo was kind of worried about what the prophesies mean, and what we have to do to fulfill them. I just don’t see why he’s worried though, especially after today. We won the battle after all! And I’m going to be King some day! J

Day 2
                Lady Macbeth says that we have to kill the King. I don’t know how I feel about that. “If it were done when ‘tis done, the ‘twere well It were done quickly”. I mean sure I really want to be king but does that really mean I have to murder the man that I respect. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand”….O there’s the bell…gotta go.

Day 3
                I can’t believe what I have done. Did I really kill Duncan? It seems like a nightmare. Lady Macbeth told me to man up. “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,’ the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care. The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourisher in life’s feast”. How I am going to get the image of Ducan’s dead body out of my head? “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine Making the green one red”. My hand our too blood even for the ocean to wash clean, I can never undo what I have done, this will forever be on my head.

Day 4
                Went to go see the witches again. I wanted them to tell me what I should do. I wanted them to tell me that killing Banquo ensures my kingship. Did not expect what actually happened. It was kind of creepy to be perfectly honest. Not only did they not speak directly, but then they spoke through three apparitions. Then they said this spell that started with “double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!” and it just got weirder from there, guts and fingers and all these weird stuff. The good news is that they also said “the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” as if that’s even possible that a man could be born not of a woman! Plus they said “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.” Which I know can never happen because who can tell the trees to move, especially not a whole forest! I shall be king, and king forever!

 Day 5
                What did I do? I’ve killed the king, his heirs (except Macduff) and Banquo’s family. I just wanted to be king, I just thought I would have to kill once. Now, I keep having to kill to cover it up. Not only that but I saw Banquo’s ghost at the dinner party. If it wasn’t for Lady Macbeth they would have said I was crazy, maybe even demon possessed and I would have been cast out by the town or worse. Lady Macbeth was right when she said that “What’s done cannot be undone”. I must finish what I have started. Besides no man can harm me, I WILL BE KING!
Editors note: Upon finding the diary, it was discovered that all quotes come from Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth did not write about if he actually became king or not because he was killed by Macduff, who had stopped nursing early and was considered "not born of a woman". In an attempt of camoflauge Macduff and his men took parts of Birnam Wood.

The Diary of Hamlet: To Be or Not To Be



Day 1
                Dad’s funeral just happened and then my mother married Claudius today. Can you believe that they even used the leftovers! How messed up is that?! The whole kingdom is rejoicing when they should still be mourning my father. Not only that but Claudius keeps calling me son when they couldn’t be less true, “a little more than kin and less than kind” would be more accurate. He may be my blood, and may have married my mom, but he will never be my father! I was walking around the castle today and I saw two of the men practicing their duel fighting, Laertes was there. I thought it might be good if I practiced too so that I’ll be ready to kill Claudius, but really who needs strength when they have brains? Maybe that’s what I should be using instead. Gotta think up a plan.  Write more later. 

Day 2
“To be or not to be—that is the question”. Do I really want to become a murder? But, how can I not when it means avenging my father’s murder? What if the ghost isn’t really my father? Maybe he is just telling me that Claudius killed him because he is really a demon sent to cause me to sin in murdering Claudius. I must find out the truth.

Day 3
                Trying to decide whether or not I want to kill Claudius is not as simple as I thought. I mean where do I draw the line? I mean I can’t kill Claudius while he’s praying, let alone in a church that’s unholy, by Protestant AND Catholic standards. Plus, I really want him to suffer for killing my father and I don’t want to kill him if he has a chance of going to hell. Not to mention that I kind of want to mess with Claudius first, I want him to know that I know. I’ve come up with a great plan and got the actors to do a play which depicts how my father died, “The plays the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King”.

Day 4
I really think that I’ve pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. They all think that I’m crazy, but once they realize who Claudius really is, they’ll see who the monster really is. I do kind of feel bad about telling Ophelia that I don’t love her, and never did in my newest letter to her. But I had sent her a poem before telling her “Doubt thou the stars are fire/ Doubt that the sun doth move/ Doubt truth to be a liar/ But never doubt I love”.  Surely she’ll remember that, and understand that I don't really mean I never loved her. She knows how much I love her, this is only for a time, then we can truly be together.

Day 5
                If only my father were here to give me advice. Although I guess he kind of already has, he wants me to “revenge his most foul murder”. I’m just not sure. I mean maybe I should just kill Claudius and be done with it. But then again…

Day 6
                How can the whole kingdom be blind to the truth about Claudius, “one may smile and smile and be a villain”. I told my mother the truth today and she didn’t believe me! She thought that I was mad! Although I did feel I little crazy when I thought I had finally killed Claudius, it turned out to just be Polonius (Ophelia is going to kill me), but I can’t believe she didn’t see my father’s ghost! Although maybe he just appeared to me, but wouldn’t he want my mother to see him, so that she knew I was telling the truth? O, I don’t know, maybe when I kill Claudius she’ll finally see the truth.


Editors note: Upon finding the diary, it was discovered that all quotes come from Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Hamlet did not complete his diary because he ended up dying from the poison that killed both his mother and Claudius. With his final breathes Hamlet made Horatio promise to tell his story, and make sure that Fortinbras would become King of Denmark.