Dear William Shakespeare:
May I call you Wills (like a famous best man)? I feel like I’ve gotten to know you better over the past few days. (And you have a beard, which I like.)
My university has a special week-long “school” for professors to do a deep dive into a text to help us better teach it to students. I signed up for “Othello,” as it is even more relevant today (and I hadn’t read it since I was at this university the first time as a student). (Best part: Watching the Mekhi Phifer/Julia Stiles/Josh Hartnett movie version as homework.)
Anyway, you wrote certain lines in your other plays that people really love and quote all the time. Yet I found some in “Othello” that I’m going to start using regularly:
“Being full of supper and distempering draughts, upon malicious bravery dost thou come to start my quiet?”
I plan to use Brabantio’s line (Act 1, Scene 1) the next time Darryl rings the doorbell after 9 p.m.
“O, gentle lady, do not put me to’t, for I am nothing if not critical.”
I’ll channel Iago (Act 2, Scene 1) with Miles’ mom at the pool this weekend.
“I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that was craftily qualified too, and behold what innovation it makes here!”
Cassio knows a good drinking line when he speaks it (Act 2, Scene 3). As do I. Speaking of drinking …
“I learned it in England, where indeed they are most potent in potting.”
Indeed. Iago speaks the truth (Act 2, Scene 3) about folks drinking in a big way.
“Ha, I like not that.”
Iago delivers a line (Act 3, Scene 3) that is perfect for a variety of occasions.
So thanks for putting words in my mouth. It may have been hard to be the bard, but your efforts still resonate more than 400 years later.
Yours in all kindness,
Beth
Observe and report 
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