Swordplay is used in both Othello and Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)

Introduction

Swordplay is a skill that involves using asword particularly in fencing. Shakespeare’s Othello has used the device in creating the plot of the story. Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) written by Anne-Marie MacDonald also uses the device to create its plot in the aim of making it interesting and captivating to the reader. Shakespeare and MacDonald have used the device at the end of the story, and it is aptly analyzed in this unit.

Sword-play in Shakespeares Othello

Othello, by Shakespeare, uses swordplay device in making the plot of the play captivating. It is at the end of the play where Iago and Roderigo are seen standing at brothel (Shakespeare, 193). Roderigo is set by Iago to a position and gives him a type of sword known as rapier. Iago steps out of the place when Cassio entered the scene although Roderigo required him to be around the place in order to assist him fight (Shakespeare, 193). Cassio is pieced by Roderigo who was waiting for him anxiously, but failed to target the armor accurately. The sword fight continues for some times, and Roderigo is gravely wounded by Cassio who stabs and injures him. Iago comes on the scene and stabs Cassio on the leg, leaving him helpless and crying for assistance (Shakespeare, 195). Shakespeare uses the swordplay in his plot of the story to depict the vengeance that exists amid individuals. The device illustrates how Roderigo and Iago intended to revenge on Cassio (Shakespeare, 195). This is proven when Othello enters into the scene and perceives that the sword fight was successful vengeance that Iago had attained. Readers are clearly shown the amount of hatred that the characters had amid themselves through the sword play.

Swordplay in MacDonalds Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) is a comedy written in 1988 and talks about the life of Constance Ledbelly, a professor of English Literature from Queens University (MacDonald, 13). At the end of the book, three characters; Othello, Desdemona and Constance are involved. Constance is given an attractive necklace by Othello, while Desdemona observes the scene. He begins to have a suspicion on the relationship amid the two individuals. Suddenly, Desdemona and Iago come into the scene fighting vigorously with swords. McDonald uses the scene as a sword play device, which makes the play fascinating. He uses the device to show the intense hatred amid the characters such as Desdemona, Constance and Iago. The characters fight to substantiate the hatred built inside their hearts with swords. In the scene of swordplay, Constance also attacks Iago thinking that she does not want to fight and kill the Desdemona. After the sword-fight, Iago shows Desdomona details written in a page from a manuscript, which suggested that Iago should find the truth in Verona in order to prevent Desdemona killing her. The swordplay as a device has been used to solve the misapprehension among the Desdemona and Iago.

Conclusion

Shakespeare and McDonald use swordplay as a device to depict some characters mind-set and develop the plot of the play. In Othello, Iago and Roderigo attack Cassio through a sword-fight with the aim to revenge. In Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), MacDonald depicts the conflict amid the Desdemona, Iago and Constance. Consequently, swordplay is an apt device that authors can use to develop the plot of their story.

Works Cited
MacDonald, Ann-Marie. Goodnight Desdemona (good Morning Juliet). New York: Grove Press,
2005. Print.
Shakespeare, William, Frederick C. Horwood, and Ralph E. C. Houghton. Othello. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1980. Print.