Othello Critical Quotes Flashcards

Critical Interpretations of Othello

Othello's Language and Rhetoric

G. Wilson Knight critiques the 'Othello music' as exaggerated and falsely rhetorical. John Leonard echoes this sentiment, pointing out a 'dreadful weakness' within Othello's eloquent speech. These perspectives suggest Othello's impressive language might mask underlying flaws or insecurities.

The Intertwined Nature of Othello and Iago

Fintan O'Toole observes that Iago and Othello are so closely linked that they begin to merge, highlighting a dangerous connection or mirroring between the two characters.

Tragedy and Conflicting Worldviews

O'Toole defines successful tragedy as arising from intense conflict between opposing value systems, worldviews, or societal perspectives. Tragic figures are those caught in the middle of these tensions. He also notes that a central figure in major tragedies often loses their sense of self, with their identity progressively weakening.

Racism's Impact on Othello

O'Toole argues that racism permeates Othello's very being, becoming an intrinsic part of his private self, carried from the external world.

Iago's Deceptive Nature

Marjorie Garber describes Iago as operating under the cover of darkness, both morally and literally. Coleridge famously characterizes Iago's evil as 'motiveless malignity,' emphasizing its seemingly inexplicable nature.

Voyeurism and the Central Relationship

Emma Smith points out the drama's voyeuristic fixation on Othello and Desdemona's sexual relationship, suggesting it as a key structural element. She also argues that the play concludes with an irreconcilable religious and ethnic division, centered on the protagonist's impossible identity, ultimately destroyed by unbearable cognitive dissonance.

Iago as a Manipulative Figure

Thomas Heywood describes Iago as ‘the joker of the pack’. Richard Mallette argues that Iago's manipulative language is a warped version of 16th-century sermon theory, making him even more diabolical by distorting discourses that Shakespeare's audience would have recognized as sources of salvation.

M. Crane describes that ‘Prose is not Iago’s true language; whenever he is alone, he drops into the verse of the Machiavellian villain’.

Othello's Outdated Ideology

Sean McEvoy suggests that Othello's tragedy stems from his adherence to an outdated ideology – a chivalric warrior code – in a world now driven by money and self-interest.

Othello's Susceptibility

F.R. Leavis argues that Iago's success lies not only in his intellect but in Othello's inherent readiness to believe him, suggesting that 'the essential traitor is within the gates.'

Symbolism of the Handkerchief

Kiernan Ryan interprets the handkerchief as drawing a parallel between Bianca and Desdemona and Emilia, symbolizing the fragility of marriage due to its association with both a 'despised kept woman' and respectable wives.

Identity as Performance

Stephen Greenblatt argues that Othello's identity relies on the constant performance of his 'story.' He also notes that Othello embodies both the institution and the alien, the conqueror and the infidel.

Iago's Refashioning of Identity

Emma Smith suggests that Iago demonstrates how identity, constructed as a narrative, can be deconstructed, refashioned, and rewritten.

Domestic Tragedy and Patriarchal Instability

W.H. Auden views domestic tragedies as highlighting the instability of patriarchal power.

Othello's Lack of Self-Knowledge

Marjorie Garber posits that Othello's inability to reconcile his public and private selves leaves him without self-awareness.

Iago as a Catalyst of Evil

Ayanna Thompson describes Iago as 'the devil Othello deserves', indicating a fitting punishment or perhaps an externalization of Othello's own flaws.

The Power of Storytelling

Kiernan Ryan asserts that control over storytelling equates to control over the world within the context of Othello.

Iago's Exploitation of Racism

Ryan argues that Iago exploits the prevailing racism of Venetian society for his own ends, rather than being inherently motivated by racist hatred.

Desdemona's Transformation

Emma Smith observes that Desdemona transitions from an independent figure in Venice to a mere prop in a dominant male narrative.

Tragedy's Meaning

Granville Barker considers the play ‘A tragedy without meaning’.

Othello's Idealization of Desdemona

John Wain believes Othello doesn't see Desdemona realistically but as an idealized, magical figure.

Racial Difference and Isolation

Wain argues that racial difference signifies Othello's isolation rather than inherent terror.

Religious Interpretations

John E. Seaman interprets Othello as a Christian tragedy, likening Othello's downfall to Adam's and Desdemona's situation as the opposite to Eve.

Othello's Possessive Love

Caryl Phillips views Othello's love as possessive, considering Desdemona a prize or war spoil.

Othello and Collective Identity

Anya Loomba argues that Othello must be understood in relation to the collective category of 'Moors.'

Jealousy and Racial Difference

Anya Loomba suggests that male jealousy in the play is intertwined with both racial difference and perceived female infidelity.

Iago's Understanding of Othello

Arthur M. Eastman suggests that Iago can manipulate Othello because he understands the seeds of the same emotions inside himself.

Othello's Ownership

Kenneth Burke describes Othello's stake in Desdemona as ‘ownership in the profoundest sense of ownership, the property of human affections, as fetishistically localised in the object of possession, while the possessor is himself possessed by his very engrossment.’

Emilia's Role as Truth-Teller

Matt Simpson views Emilia as dying 'in service of the truth,' emphasizing Desdemona's ignorance of the world.

Emilia and Femininity

John Bayley sees Emilia as 'the mouthpiece of repressed femineity.'

Cassio's Lovable Nature

A.C. Bradley considers ‘There is something very lovable about Cassio’.

Iago as a Surrogate Dramatist

Graham Bradshaw considers ‘Iago is Shakespeare’s most extraordinary example of a surrogate dramatist’.

Othello's Credulity

Kenneth Muir says ‘Othello’s fatal flaw was his credulity’.

Othello as an Outsider

Helen Gardner argues that ‘He is a stranger, a man of alien race’.