‘Othello’ critics

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12 Terms

1
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(19th century) Coleridge: ‘motiveless malignity’

  • reasons for Iago’s spite

  • Concluded Iago is ultimately evil for the sake of being evil

2
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Simon Bubb: ‘Iago chooses…silence.’

  • Iago’s plot is uncovered (not motives) and he can do no more damage, yet he chooses silence

  • The terrifying ways in which someone can use language to manipulate others for their own evil purposes

3
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(20th century) A.C Bradley: ‘Desdemona is helplessly passive.’

  • as a woman in a patriarchal society, she has no voice or means to judge her husbands actions

  • Early critics tended to see Desdemona as a simple reflection of Jacobean ideals of female virtue

4
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Lisa Jardine: ‘it does not just matter that a woman is called a ‘whore’ it matters when and where she is.’

  • Seriousness of the incident is explicit, in strong contrast to the earlier implications of Desdemona’s purity and honesty.

  • She has been publicly designated as a ‘whore’ in terms damaging enough to be of a substantial threat to her reputation

5
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Schwab: ‘most underrated and constant victim is (Iago’s) wife, Emilia.’

  • clear that she has been abused and manipulated by her husband

  • She voices against him at the end, disregarding social norms and the expectations of women

6
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(20th century) Vanita: (Desdemona) is killed not only by Othello and Iago but by all those who…fail(ed) to intervene.’

  • other characters had seen her getting humiliated and beaten in public, yet fail to stop what is coming

  • However, due to Othello’s status, would they have been afraid to do something?

7
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O’toole: ‘Othello starts to take on Iago’s characteristic imagery and style of speech.’

  • Eloquent speech → violent and harsh words of misogyny etc

8
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Lisa Hopkins: ‘whore’ (Bianca)

  • Bianca is only portrayed as a ‘whore’ throughout, yet Shakespeare creates her and puts her in the play for a reason

  • Bianca serves as a figure of misfortune- a contrast to the virtuous Desdemona and honest Emilia

9
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Lisa Hopkins: the hankerchief scene

  • puts women against women

  • A woman of power is unlikely → the ending is so shocking to an audience (Emilia being the one to break the revelation and confront Iago’s manipulation)

10
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Rymer: Othello is ‘noble’ and never falls completely- we feel ‘admiration and love’ for his character

  • presents Othello as blameless

  • Othello’s commitment, erotic and of passion

  • Othello never falls as a result of the audience who feel love for him ??????

11
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A.C Bradley: Iago is fully culpable

  • sees Othello as ‘noble’

  • Blames Iago- his twisted evil mind forces all to fall to his puppetry

12
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Burton: ‘Wives are slippery, often unfaithful’

  • implies that women often cheat on their husbands- infidelity