Shakespeare Survivor: The Tribe Has Spoken

In a moment of celestial alignment the season finale of Survivor: San Juan del Sur occurred just seconds after I finished that lovely little drama Othello by that little known Bard (one might say a Shakespeare-Survivor syzygy). Being a superfan of both Shakespearean drama and reality TV I watched both. Also, in a flash of cosmic coincidence, the subtitle of this season’s Survivor was "Blood vs. Water" in which loved ones competed against each other, how Meta, but I’m getting off topic. The proximity of these two events sparked a fire of Iago fan boy-ism that I cannot contain. Without a doubt Iago is the greatest super villain of all time. If you disagree, I apologize, but you are wrong. Seeing the finale, and therefore a recap of the season, I cannot help but notice how amazing Iago would be on a reality/strategy TV show like Survivor or Big Brother. As resident strategy expert and ambassador on this journey through Shakespearean reality television, let me be your guide. The first rule to being any good at playing Survivor is that you need to be cunning. You need to see three moves down the line and do anything to keep yourself alive in the game. Exhibit A-Z: Iago. From the moment the play starts and Iago sets this wheel in motion he is in absolute control. He anticipates the disagreeableness of drunken Cassio, the gullibility of trustworthy Othello, and the intense desire of love-struck Roderigo. His plan has been formulated to compensate for all variables in human behavior and he has several fallbacks. Like when Roderigo and Cassio are about to fight. Iago explains to the audience that regardless of who dies Iago comes out beneficial. Rule number two of winning Survivor is having a tight alliance. You need people who you can trust and who can trust you. Iago has this category pretty locked up with friends on all sides of the ball. He befriends Roderigo from the beginning, always reminding him that his intentions are at heart. He gains the trust of Othello after years of servitude. He earns the trust of Cassio after pledging to aid his cause. These three characters form what is known in the world of strategy as a shield. If something goes wrong, Iago has protected himself from all sides and someone else can, and will, take the fall instead of him. This leads into rule number 3, ruthlessness. At the end of the day it’s all about you and Iago knows this. Some of the greatest people to ever play the game of Survivor have taken those closest to them all the way to the end and then cut them when they needed to. You need to keep them close enough that you can stab them in the back when the time comes. You use them for as long as they are worth and then dispose of them before they can figure out your plan. Iago easily disposes of Roderigo and Othello, but makes one mistake: underestimating Cassio. Iago tries to let him loose but he survives. This is ultimately the fall of Iago. Having said this, and because Iago is presumably still alive, I believe Iago would be able to win a modern-day Survivor. Iago is extremely intelligent and is able to see the impact of his decisions down the road. Iago has created a shield around him so that he is protected from any accusations with multiple scapegoats. Iago has also kept his allies close enough that he can turn on them at a moment’s notice in order to benefit himself. That is what makes Iago, not only the best fictional Survivor player to ever not play the game, but also the mastermind of all masterminds.

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Othello vs. Oedipus? In a surprising turn of events I find myself having enjoyed two plays in under a month. I was taken aback. This is completely unlike me. I like fiction and fantasy, not drama. I found myself searching for an answer to this almighty question. I thought about the plot of each play and the setting, but nothing really jumped out at me. Then it hit me like a sword in the darkness: the protagonist. In both the plays, Othello and Oedipus (note how they both start with O, very important), the main character is the epitome of a dramatic hero. Oedipus is the glorious champion over the Sphinx, praised by all in Thebes. Othello, similarly, is the decorated war captain, revered by many. Each man finds himself in a terrible scenario at the fault of his own gullibility. Othello believes too much in the honesty of Iago and Oedipus has convinced himself that he is absent of evil and wrongdoing. What made me feel so connected to each of these men, and as a result the play as a whole, was their willingness to purge themselves of this figurative blindness and get down to brass tacks. Essentially, to man up. This sudden restoration of clear-headedness is what made me so ensconced in each work. I could identify with these men and learn a lesson. That even though they had been set back, misled, had failed, they took it upon themselves to make the difference (however extremely they did). Oedipus decided, as an act of strength, to blind himself. He could not handle what the world he lived in looks like and made the decision to shield himself from such abnormality. Othello sees all the things that he has done wrong and takes himself out of this world. By punishing himself he pays the ultimate price of death. While both men take their penance a little too far, I agree with the decisions they make. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In my heart I know that Oedipus and Othello both believed this and lived their lives in this way.