Name: Carrie Richards

Course Code: ENG4U

Lesson 19, Unit 4

Key Question #46

K02-0564: Kid Dynamite

I feel that the song “K05-0564” by Kid Dynamite effectively portrays the emotions of
envy, betrayal, deceit, and regret strewn throughout Shakespeare’s Othello. It is a frantic,
fast-paced song lasting under two minutes, which is much like the pace of Othello. Othello
regresses from a stable, powerful man into a fickle, vulnerable lunatic over the course of only
a few days. The song is about the singer not being able to trust his girlfriend and putting an
end to their relationship. This basically mirrors the feelings and actions of Othello, though
Othello literally puts an “end” to his relationship with Desdemona. Specifically, the lyrics of
this song echo how Othello feels about Desdemona as he is being brainwashed by Iago.
The lyrics also describe regret, which Othello feels when he is forced to “take” Desdemona’s
life. Finally, the song also talks about being controlled and manipulated, which is what Iago
does to all the characters in the play.
The first stanza in “K02-0564” talks about not being able to depend on someone
when that person should be counted on. When Othello married Desdemona, he expected
them to be faithful to each other, as should any husband and wife. Also considering Othello’s
power and stature, it makes it even more unlikely Desdemona would cheat on him. This is
why he does not believe Iago when he first tries to plant the seeds of envy into Othello’s
head. Othello says “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest (3.3.225). But later on, Othello is
fully convinced by Iago that Desdemona betrayed him. Lines 3 and 4, “I feel like a fool
because I believed in you. / I compared the likes of you to the things I do,” reflect how
Othello feels betrayed. He thought very highly of Desdemona, but once Iago gets the
thought of Cassio and Desdemona together, there is no changing his thinking. Othello says,
“Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No my heart is
turned to stone; I strike it, and it hurts my hand. O, the world hath not a sweeter creature!
She might lie by an emperor’s side and command him tasks.” (4.1.183.-187) This shows how
Othello still does consider Desdemona a beautiful person and how he puts her on his level,
but that she cannot be trusted.
Stanza two of the song; K05-0564, relates to the betrayal felt by Othello. Line 5,
“Then the bother builds, I go through it at times,” could be the way Othello feels as Iago
builds jealousy. Othello gets only slightly worried when Iago begins to set his plan in motion,
as he is a strong man and is not easily swayed by his emotions. When Iago first tries to talk
to Othello about Desdemona and Cassio, Othello says, “No, Iago; I’ll see before doubt;
when I doubt, prove; and on the proof there is no but this; away at once with love or
jealousy” (3.3.189-192). Othello wants proof before he believes anything. Over time
however, Iago’s words get to Othello. The following line in the song, “You’d think I’d be used
to it, but I don’t have the mind,” could show how Othello has become vulnerable to Iago’s
tactics. Iago’s consistent efforts to create jealousy and envy in Othello have succeeded. This
is the point where Othello has fallen into Iago’s trap and is now under his control. Othello is
undertaken by emotion at one point and falls into a trance. Iago says, “Work on, my
med’cine works! Thus credulous fools are caught, and many worthy and chaste dames even
thus, all guiltless, meet reproach.” (4.1.46-49). This is where Iago knows he has control of
Othello and his ability to reason is gone. This is very out of character for Othello to lose
control.
Lines 7 through 9 of the song, “...to deal with with your deceit/or wallow at the feet/of
empty promises or its royalty,” could describe Othello not being able to trust Desdemona
anymore. It does not matter what she says to him, Othello will not listen to her. Othello
confronts Desdemona and says, “Come, swear it, damn thyself, lest, being like one of
heaven, the devils themselves should fear to seize thee. Therefore, be double-damned:
swear thou art honest” (4.2.34-37). Desdemona responds by saying she is truthful, but
Othello does not believe her, it’s too late for him to change his mind about her. The lines in
the song could also be interpreted as relating to the deceit of Iago. They are simply pawns in
his master plan, especially Roderigo and Cassio. They are given “empty promises” by Iago,
and these words are along the lines of what they might say to him if they were to realise they
were being used.
The chorus of “K05-0564” could describe how Othello felt after killing Desdemona.
Lines 11 and 12, “I only needed you to be there for me/ I just wanted you to stop taking
advantage of me,” can show Othello’s sorrow while and after taking Desdemona’s life. These
lines make it sound like he was forced to kill Desdemona, which is also shown in the play.
Before Othello kills Desdemona, he says, “O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade justice
to break her sword. One more, one more! Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
and love thee after. One more, and that’s the last. So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep,
but they are cruel tears. This sorrow’s heavenly, it strikes where it doth love” (5.2.16-22).
These lines show how Othello still loves Desdemona, but he is going to kill her anyway. He
acts almost if he has to kill her, like he has no choice. Lines 13 and 14 in the song, “Now ,
I’m not coming around anymore. You can call it f*cked up if you want,” could show how far
Othello has fallen. These lines show that he knows it was wrong to kill Desdemona, but he
was so jealous he had to do the deed, he was so caught up in envy that he lost his ability to
reason.
The next stanza could be used to describe Iago’s feelings toward the whole situation.
Lines 16 and 17, “I don’t care, I don’t need to be the better man./ I’m sorry if it’s not the
decent thing to do,” accurately shows how Iago feels about the whole situation. When
devising his plan, Iago says, “Two things are to be done: my wife must move for Cassio to
her mistress; I’ll set her on; myself awhile to draw the Moor apart and bring him jump when
he may Cassio find soliciting his wife. Ay, this way! Dull not device by coldness and delay”
(2.3.383-388). This shows how he is only there to help himself. He does not care if other
people are hurt, as long as he gets what he wants. The last line in this stanza, “Talk about it,
maybe someday you’ll see the truth,” could be Iago hinting to everyone that if they were less
like him, they could have avoided their fates. All the characters in Othello look out mainly for
themselves, just like Iago, except he is craftier than them. The jealousy and envy Iago put
into everyone’s mind causes them to be cautious of each other, and therefore not figure out
Iago was controlling each one of them.
The last stanza could be interpreted as Othello giving advice after everything is over.
Lines 19 to 21, “There’s one thing that I know./Friends, they come and go./ A lesson learned
in life and I have you to owe,” can be interpreted as Othello regretting killing Desdemona,
because he knows that he cannot trust most people, but Desdemona was one person he
could depend on. She was one of the only people in the play that was truthful. When Cassio
tells him he did not cheat with Desdemona, Othello says, “...Speak of one that loved not
wisely, but too well; of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought perplexed the extreme; of
one whose hand, like the base Judean, threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe…”
(5.2.339-344). Othello kills himself after realising how badly he messed up. He knows he
was lucky to have Desdemona and he should have cherished her and trusted her. Line 22 of
the song, “I am growing everyday and fools get in the way,” describes how Iago got in his
way with his relationship with Desdemona. Without Iago in the picture, Othello and
Desdemona most likely would have had a happy relationship However, their relationship is
ruined by Iago and his pawns Roderigo and Cassio. The last line, “If I whistle loud will you
come and play?,” could be perceived as one last desperation by Othello to say he is sorry to
Desdemon. He knows she is gone and his emotions got the best of him.

“K05-0564”- Kid Dynamite- Lyrics

When you say you will it really means you might

When you don’t come through I shut up, it may start a fight
I feel like such a fool ‘cause I believed in you
I compared the likes of you to the things I do

Then the bother builds, I go through it at times

You’d think I’d be used to it, but I don’t have the mind
to deal with your deceit
or wallow at the feet
of empty promises or its royalty

I never asked you to change

I only needed you to be there for me
I just wanted you to stop taking advantage of me
Now, I’m not coming around anymore
You can call it f*cked up if you want

Smile if you will, a mile, if you can

I don’t care, I don’t need to be the better man
I’m sorry if it’s not the decent thing to do
Talk about it, maybe someday you’ll see the truth

There’s one thing that I know

Friends they come and go
A lesson learned in life and I have you to owe
I’m growing everyday and fools get in the way
If I whistle loud will you come and play?

I never asked you to change

I only needed you to be there for me
I just wanted you to stop taking advantage of me
Now, I’m not around anymore
You can call it f*cked up if you want
 Name: Carrie Richards
Course Code: ENG4U
Lesson 19, Unit 4

Key Question 47:

Dear Desdemona!
I am writing to you out of urgency! My husband, Iago, has planned something terrible,
just awful! You need to run, leave immediately! You cannot trust Othello, he is going to kill
you! He believes you have been unfaithful! He thinks you have had an affair with Michael
Cassio, I know you haven’t but Othello believes otherwise. I feel awful saying this because I
like to think of us as friends, but I helped Iago and I am so sorry! I had stolen your
handkerchief that Othello had given you and framed you, I felt like I had to! Iago was
unbearable and so mean! I had picked up your handkerchief and said to my husband:
“No, faith she let it drop by negligence. And, to the advantage, I, being here, took’t up. Look
here it is.”
Iago was so happy he said:
“Be not acknown on ‘t, I have use for it.
I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin,
And let him find it. Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ:this may do something.
The Moor already changes with my poison:
Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons.
Which at the first are scarce found to distaste,
But with a little act upon the blood.
Burn like the mines of Sulphur. I did say so:
Look, where he comes.”
Desdemona, please understand I tried to tell my lord, your husband, that Iago was not
truthful, that he lied! I need you to believe me my lady that I had told your husband: “O
mistress, villany hath made mocks with love, My husband say that she was false!” I also told
Othello:
“that handkerchief thou speak’st of
I found by fortune and did give my husband
He begg’d of me to steal it.”
Desdemona, please, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me; I should not have
listened to Iago, even though he is my husband. I need you to run now my lady, be safe!
I am hoping this email gets to you before thy lord kills you!

~ Emilia