othello
IAGO:
QUOTES:
“I am not what I am”, admitting that he is a liar and accepts the fact that he is deceitful; and is happy with it. Also referencing an epithet (which sums him up as false).
Shows how deep his duplicity goes. Allusion to the book of exodus where God says “I am who I am”. Iago reverses this, creating the idea he is like the devil.
“I hate the Moor”, this is a soliloquy, which is him directly speaking to the audience (as if they are a part of his conspiracy)
“Fresh appetite”, his view on love once you have enough you want other things
“O beware my lord of jealousy: it is the green-eyed monster”, Iago understands jealousy
“The moor changes with my poison”, The audience is a part of Iago’s plan and we are his co-conspirators.
“Beshrew him for’t”, He wears a mask for everyone, this time he pretends to be on the women’s team but he has no team apart from selfishness
“In following him, I follow myself” - irony, he is not loyal, he is selfish (parallel structure)
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe”, seems unnatural and contrasts. Shows how manipulative Iago is. ‘your’ is possessive. Animalistic imagery of sex and trying to undermine their pure relationship.
Deadening is presented as innocent whilst O is seen to be corrupting her. Animalistic imagery is degrading and suggests they lack self control.
“My Lord, you know I love you”, deceitful, uses echoing to use Othello’s language against him and force him to question his own morals.
IAGO SEEING LIFE AS A GAME:
Iago is adrenaline seeking and sees life as a game, “For my sport and profit”. Iago sees the world in black and white, as if it is always a win-lose situation with no middle ground, this shows his competitive nature and his selfishness. Iago has no remorse and believes that he is the centre of everything.
IAGO’S TAKE ON RELATIONSHIPS:
“Twixt my sheets. He has done my office.” This shows that Othello believes that love is almost like a chore, as if it is comparative to a job/office (no pleasure only as a necessity). This quote suggests the contrast between the relationship of Emelia and Iago to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. “You rise to play and go to bed to work”. This is Iago’s take on women which is very misogynistic and demeaning women, acting as if they are only for the pleasure of men and the subordinate role. Also the duplicity of Iago is shown through the rhyming couplets (this is a structural device).
IAGO’S RACISM:
“Ass,” is the way Iago refers to Othello. It is traditionally a working horse (this represents the idea of Othello, no matter how hardworking, will always be inferior).
“The Moor” is how Iago refers to Othello behind his back, however never to his face. This is derogatory and also dehumanises Othello.
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe”, seems unnatural and presents the animalistic side of sex and imagery, being crude.
Iago calls Othello a 'beast', a 'Barbary horse' and an 'old black ram' to Brabantio, Desdemona's father. Shakespeare does this to create the illusion that Othello is perverted, has no control over his sexual urges, and is lustful, immoral and selfish to take the virginity of a young white girl.
IAGO’S PSYCHE
He wants to ‘corrupt’ innocent minds, so he could seem like the ‘normal one’
Othello:
QUOTES:
“Honest Iago”, has blind faith in the one betraying him.
“And on the proof, there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy”, He doesn’t understand himself he thinks he would never be jealous without proof (foreshadowing and dramatic irony).
“I am bound to thee forever”, loyalty towards Iago and not his wife.
“Your napkin too little”, Idea that she will never be able to help him.
When he starts to transform he uses degrading language like Iago, for example, “whore” when referring to his once pure relationship.
Othello loves Desdemona until the end and doesn’t want to ruin her beauty, “Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow”.
“A horned man’s a monster and a beast” Act 4 scene 1 othello to Iago. A horned man references a cuckold. The bestial metaphor suggests a cuckolded man has no place in society and like an animal. ‘Monster’ could show Othello's concern that a cuckolded man means he has failed society and viewed as a monster. However, ‘monster’ could also foreshadow O’s murder of D like he is a monster, and therefore has failed morally. The fact Othello is worried about his reputation of being a cuckold shows how it is wounded pride that upsets him rather than his love.
“Her name, that was as fresh as Diana Visage, is now begrimmed and black as my own face” He compares Desdemona as being like Dian - the Godess of virginity. However, now she has fallen from grace and therefore become ‘black’. O assosiates this negative decline with his skin colour, highlighting his own negative view on his face and how he has internalised his racism. Whilst once D was pure, she is now like him.
“For she had eyes and chose me” O saying that despite his ethnicity, D chose him. This is an indication of his insecurity - D had to overlook his race to marry him.
“Rude I am in my speech and little blessed with the soft phrases of peace” Othello to the senate in Act 1 scene 3. This shows Othello's insecurity, as he worries he won’t be able to articulate himself. This may be due to the fact he has internalised the racism that others project towards him. However this is ironic as he goes on to speak with beautiful language and metaphors, showing his great skill.
“If [Desdemona] be false, O then heaven mocks itself’ Conveys Othellos complete trust in Desdemona at this point, almost mimicking swearing to God. He attributes Desdemona to pure moral hood that can’t do wrong. However, the possibility of heaven to mock itself challenges its infallibility, foreshadowing the chaos to come when O does think D is false.
“Othello’s Virtue and valour ultimately makes him admirable”
Valour - great bravery, especially in battle.
Virtue - doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.
Iago makes the audience forget how respected othello used to be
Othello is a soldier, he has to have valour
When he confronts Brabantio, Brabatio insults him, accusing him of using magic to seduce his daughter, Othello remains calm and collected and doesn’t rise to the bait - shows his - showing his virtue. He still treats Brabantio with respect as he calls him, “noble self”.
Iambic Pentameter structure in these monologues, presents Othello as sophisticated and allowing him to battle to racial stereotypes that Brabantio accuses him of, this represents valour because he has the courage to face people who are undeniably racist and force them to change their ways and go back on their initial argument.
He is referred to by other characters as, “valiant Othello”.
THE HANDKERCHIEF
The handkerchief symbolism O and D’s love bond and loyalty. However, it’s meaning is manipulated by Iago to represent D’s unfaithfulness.
The white background with strawberry’s symbolises virginity as well as marital fidelity.
In the play, many characters handle the handkerchief (Emilia, Desdemona, Othello, Iago, Cassio, Bianca). This could symbolise how everyone is involved in their private marriage affairs. This is a problem as it is what leads to misinformation and lies to spread.
In Act 3 Scene 3, D tries to bind the handkerchief to Othellos head. Othello may perceive this as an insulting act - D is trying to hide a part of othello which could symbolise her hiding something from him. It could also suggest to Othello that D wants to cover up Othello as she disapproves of his appearance. Othello sees this as Desdemona spiking the token of his love.
When D drops the handkerchief, it symbolises the gradual loss of their love and from this point, we see their marriage collapse. When she loses it, O sees this as a betrayal of their bond in marriage and uses this to collect “ocular proof" that D has been unfaithful.
JEALOUSY
“Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ” Iago Act 3 Scene 3 Here, Iago shows how jealousy is based, not off of proof, but off of the persons belief that something is true. Jealousy is seen as a delusion, something lacking reason or logic. People form fatal conclusions from insignificant “trifles”. There is a relation to religion. Religion may lack proof, but it is proved by a persons believe in it. This is the same with jealousy. The relation between jealousy and religion also suggests the jealous are devoted to their paranoid beliefs in the same way one is devoted to God.
CASSIO
At first, he is seen as a gentleman and charming, upper class, well spoken. He is a simple for upper class white male dominance.
However, his status is quickly undermined, showing how the “perfect” man we perceived is a fraud.
Casio is easily manipulated by Iago - despite saying he has ‘poor and unhappy brains for drinking’, he still gets drunk and is easily provoked.
HOW CASSIO ACTS TOWARDS DESDEMONA
Cassio treats Desdemona with respect and chivalrously, mainly because of her high class and social standing.
He says: ‘Divine Desdemona’ ‘hail to thee, lady!’ ‘Inviting eye, and yet mithinks right modest’
However, whilst he respects Desdemona, he does not show the same courtesy to Bianca. This shows the double standard surrounding romance and women, and how men judge women based on their social standing.
WHen he is asked if he will marry Bianca he says ‘I marry her? What! A customer!’
Cassio dismissed the idea of marrying B, calling her a customer. This shows the exploitation of women, and sex workers.
Turning point for Cassio:
- His turning point was at the end of Act 2, when Othello demoted him publicly. Until then, Cassio was seen as an arrogant, self-assured man who sees him as invincible. Now, he is faced with emasculating loss of power, and flounders. He says he is ‘Ay, past all surgery’. This suggests the greatest wound inflicted is loss of reputation. Cassio also managed to be manipulated by Iago, falling for the trap and becoming easily agitated, causing him to get demoted.
Quotes:
‘Reputation, Reputation, Reputation! O I have lost my Reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial!’
Use of reputation, the rule of three, and exclamation emphasises how devastating this turn of events is for Cassio.
His reputation is the most valuable thing he owns, and without it he is like a beast. This shows the importance of honour as what distinguishes man from animal, and how to be considered human, one must be recognised by society. (lower class is dehumanised).
Paradoxical phrase - Lost the immortal part. The fact Reputation is ‘immortal’ is because once you die, reputation and your legacy lives on, hence making you immortal.
Contrast between the ‘immortal’ and ‘bestial’ parts of a person suggests that reputation brings people closer to eternal life, so they resemble gods.
MISOGYNY
These words are used to describe women in othello : whore, housewife, mistress, customer, fitchew, catiff, wanton, hobby horse, strumpet.
DESDEMONA'S SWAN SONG
‘If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me in those same sheets’ proleptic irony, because we know that she will die in those same sheets, foreshadowing.
DESDEMONA
HER DEATH
She dies in her own bed, the same bed she was supposed to have cheated in
Othello needs her to pray before she ‘goes to bed’ because he wants her to go to heaven, even though he supposedly hates her, as she has supposedly cheated on him. This shows that his motivation to kill her come from himself, as he is the one that cant deal with the inner turmoil that this is causing him.
‘A guiltless death i die’ compared to ‘nobody, but myself’ she has been gaslit probably into believing that she is responsible for her death, even though it is never hers.