INTERTEXTUALITY PAPER 1

OTHELLO

  • HAMLET - Ophelia drowns by falling from a willow tree after Hamlet leaves her, a willow tree symbolises inner suffering and heartache from a woman, such as Emilia

  • HAMLET - Hamlet’s father was poisoned by a substance being poured into his ear, iago says ‘I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear’ to OTHELLO

  • TITUS ANDRONICUS - black men in renaissance england were violent savages, Aaron played Tambora;s devilish lover who was the engine of the plan to destroy the Andronicus family, He fathers a child with her who was described as ‘joyless', dismal, black and sorrowful issue’. Aarons dark skin is synonymous with his dark and evil soul, and he also displays a hypersexuality the english asssosciated with black men.

  • KING LEAR (1605) - Brabantio dies from shock and horror of Desdemona’s elopement with othello and lear dies from the grief of cornelia’s death. Brabantio is made to fel as though desdemona has died ‘you have lost half your soul, you heart is burst’. Malcontent and Machievellian villians in renaissance drama who share iago’s cynicism and abuse others to get what they want. The illegitiamte son Edmund plots agaisnt his brother and father so ha can get their lands and titles, exploiting women like Iago does.

  • MERCHANT OF VENICE 1598 - Shylock and othello are both considered outsiders to society (shylock is Jewish and othello is black). Handheld items are also used to show love, such as the handkerchief and the rings in the merchanmt of venice (love and commitment). Jessica in the Merchant of Venice elopes with Lorenzo, renouncing her religion and her father (shylock). Shylock speaks the racists fear (antisemitism) and becomes a justification of hatred, also seen in othello, eg 5:2 (are you the blacker devil)

  • DUCHESS OF MALFI, 1614, JOHN WEBSTER - unequal and socially unacceptable matches, revenge tragedy, dutchess is cruelly tormented and murdered on her brothers orders when they find out about her secret marriage to a servant (steward Antonio), raises questions about how men dominate and abuse women

  • ROMEO AND JULIET 1597 - tragic consequences of intense love, both heroines are assertives but the patriach (caoulet or brabantio) expects his daughter to make a socially acceptable marriage and is angered when she does not, doomed lovers, both loves are subversive and unacceptable due to their families ( race or montague/capulet), juleit deifes her father by secretly marrying Romeo and refusing to marry Paris.

  • A WINTERS TALE: MISPLACED JEALOUSY (1623) - King Leontes becomes paranoid about his wife’s infedielty, falsely accusing her of adultery with his best friend and he imprisons her with no evidence other than suspicion, exiles the newborn, but it dies due to distress

  • ADAM AND EVE - Othello mirrors adam as an initially innocent figure who is corrupted through deception, reflects a christian worldview where temptation leads to moral collapse

  • ST AUGUSTINE (DOCTRINE OF THE FALL) - (the idea that human beings fall from grace when reason is overpowered by disordered desire, especially passion overriding rational control) Othello’s jealousy reflects reason collapsing under passion

  • HAMLET - Both plays explore how proof and perception drive tragedy (Othello replaces Hamlet’s hesitation with rapid certainty)

  • MACBETH - Iago and the witches both manipulate protgaonists into self destruction through suggestion.

  • PROMETHEUS MYTH - Iago’s knowledge functions like forbidden insight that destroys rather than enlightens Othello

  • MEDEA (EURIPIDES) - (a greek tragedy where jealousy lead to emotional extremity and destructive revenge). both Medea and Othello show jealousy transforming love into violence

  • MORALITY PLAY - Iago functions like a vice figure, directly addressing the audience and orchestrating corruption

  • THE MOON - (links to classical myths as well as Diana/Artemis) moons assosciation with women connects how female characters are viewed as changeable, unknowable and potentially deceptive

  • UN CAPITANO MORO - by Cinthio (1565) followed Cinthio’s plot where a Moorish general is decieved by his ensign into believing his wife is unfaithful

REBECCA

  • MY COUSIN RACHEL (1951) - a gothic mystery novel, Philip Ashley suspects his cousin Rachel of murdering his guardian Ambrose. Is rachel a pyschological manipulator or is she simply jealous? Is she a deadly manipulator or a victim of Steven’s paranoia. Told through Philip’s biased perspective (an unreliable narrator). Philip is captivated by her charm a pyschological battle between his suspicion an attraction. Never know if she did kill him or not, Philip is convinced of her guilt and kills her only to find evidence she was likely inncoent.

  • THE BIRDS (1952) - theme of nature, horror story where a flock of birds attacks humans, a british coastal town becomes a background. Focused on Nat Hocken who is a war veteran, story follows his desperate attempts to protect his family as the attacks escelate. Themes of fear, helplessness and natures revolt.