Othello - aceh.b-cdn.net



Othello General Notes – 21/6/18Scene with Robyn in abandoned house and her friends turn upRobyn looks extremely uncomfortable, her arms crossed over her legs.Chaotic editing back and forth showing close-ups of people’s mouths as they speakRobyn seems overwhelmedUnpacking a question – 26/6/18Mary Oliver is a ‘visionary’The poems within the American Primitive collection are a celebration of the physical and primitive world, with a focus on showcasing the both the joys and pains of the natural world.We are told in Tracks that Robyn Davidson’s mum had hung herself, which can be posited as a major instigator of her journey.Othello Notes – 27/7/18Othello begins ‘in media res’, in the middle of the action.Iago reveals himself early on in act 1, scene 1, stating “I am not what I am.”He tells the audience that no one will ever truly know his thoughts since “heaven is my judge,” not humanity.Anachronistic character with anachronistic motives in a world of differing ideologies, e.g. Christianity and Stoic philosophy.He later on says “I must show out a flag and sign of love, which is indeed but sign.”Context:Great chain of beingVery superstitious and religiousMedieval/early modern world viewJames 1 was KingOthello is described in act 1, scene 1 as:A “Barbary horse” “Horribly stuffed with epithets of war”A “black ram”A “lascivious Moor”Othello Notes – 31/7/18Shakespearean tragedies are all 5 act plays, with each act having a general purpose:Act 1: Exposition, introducing characters, central themes/concerns established, foreshadowing.Shakespearean plays were performed during the Jacobean era. Grouping of ideas: Venice, Christian, European, white, civilization. Whereas Turks seen as: infidels (Muslims), brown, uncivilized.In Act 1:Central theme of manipulation. Iago manipulating Brabantio to be angry at Othello and his daughter, Rodrigo to “put money in thy purse”, and even partially Othello.Those that stay honest include Cassio, Desdemona, Othello.Othello defends himself to Iago, stating that he has done service to the signiory (Venetian government) putting him in good rapport, and he is in fact “from men of royal siege” from which “as proud a fortune as this that [he has] reached” i.e. that of Brabantio by marrying Desdemona.Iago swears upon the God Janus, an Ancient Roman God with two faces, which is fitting, since Iago himself showcases one thing, but is another.“I am not what I am.”Scene 2, line 1: Iago says that he lacks the iniquity “to do no contrived murder” (premeditated murder) due to his conscience. This is of course duplicitous, since in the scene prior we had scene Iago putting these words into Brabantio’s mouth, and later in the play Iago plans to murder Cassio.Othello Notes – 7/8/18“Iago is most honest.” – act 2, scene 3Dramatic ironyDuring act 2, scene 3 Iago tries to put words in Cassio’s mouth.He wants Cassio to say something about Desdemona that can be taken out of context, something like a sexual innuendo.He is basically nudging Cassio saying “ehhh, she’s pretty nice, isn’t she?”Iago knows that Cassio can’t hold his drink and so he knows that if he can “fasten but one cup upon him” he will put “Cassio in some action / That may offend the isle.”He wishes to convict Cassio.Iago is full of duplicity.During the scene while Cassio and Montano are fighting he is on one hand telling Rodrigo to go and cry Mutiny, while on the other he is saying Cassio is a good man.He actions embody the antithesis of his words.“I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth / Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio” – Iago.Once again this is dramatic irony, since the entire situation was of Iago’s doing and planning.“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation!”Represents theme of class, and how much it means during this context.Getting a job, making friends.“I have lost the immortal part of myself, / and what remains is bestial.”His office is what makes him a man, otherwise he is merely a beast. His reputation is core to his being.Idea of damage to reputation vs damage to the body. Bodily damage will heal in due time, but reputation will take much longer to heal, if at all.“Our general’s wife is now the general.” – Iago.He is starting to make connections between how to set Desdemona against Othello by manipulating her, using the fact that “she is of so free, so kind, so / Apt, so blessed a disposition.”“You advise me well.” – CassioExcept that Iago is in fact not advising him well, since Iago is merely manipulating Cassio to try and create a gap between the Moore and Desdemona.Othello Notes – 10/8/18Throughout Othello epithets are used to describe characters, often in a prerogative (negative) light.For instance, Othello himself is described by Iago as The lusty Moor‘Thick lips’Black RamThe DevilEtc.Many of these monikers or titles used are bestial in nature.Othello is a “Barbary Horse”Trying to say they are less than human.Othello is described as overly sexual. In Shakespeare’s context, people were afraid that these sexual, African and other immigrant men would ‘taint’ their daughters making them not desirable to potential suitors. There is a symbol that black = evil/sexual/bestial.Iago is given the title “Honest Iago”But in reality, he is far from honest, and this repetition of dramatic irony builds tension throughout the text.Act 2, scene 3 (Iago Speech) “How am I then a villain / To counsel Cassio to this parallel course / Directly to his own good?”Iago is trying to justify his scheming, saying that advising Cassio to enlist Desdemona’s help is in fact the best course of action. However, he then adds that “When devils will the blackest sins put on, / They do suggest at first with heavenly shows / As I do now” which delineates, through use of religious allusion and antithesis, Iago’s true motives behind his counsel; to use Cassio for his own desires.“by that small hope hath cashiered Cassio” Iago to Roderigo.“Ay, that way. / Dull not device by coldness and delay.”Rhyming Couplets Iago is telling Roderigo to act while the Iron is hot\Othello Notes – 13/8/18Act 3, scene 1:Clown and first musician sexual banter used as comic relief from the tension being built throughout the prior act.Cassio says to Iago “I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest.” Once again dramatic irony, as well as at this point, almost completely stupid.Act 3, scene 2:Desdemona tells Cassio not too worry, that Othello “shall never rest” and that she will “intermingle everything he does / With Cassio’s suit”.She very much wants to help Cassio return to his position.“Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again.” Othello.“For Michael Cassio, / I dare be sworn I think that he is honest.” – Iago.Iago makes out like he is defending Cassio so that when he does reveal something that Othello will find scandalous, it will carry much more weight.“Men should be what they seem; / Or those that be not, would they might seem none!” – Iago. This is verbal irony since Iago is telling Othello that men should be what they seem, yet he himself is the antithesis of his fa?ade.“You cannot, if my heart were in your hand, / Nor shall not, whilst ‘tis in my custody.” – Iago.Iago tells Othello that even if his heart was in his hands, he still could not know his thought/feelings. This is an extension to his soliloquy earlier in the play where Iago references wearing his heart upon his sleeve. He has become so deceitful that his heart can no longer tell the difference between the truth of his character and what it seems to be.“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!” – Iago.Ironic because Iago himself is motivated by jealousy.Summary:Throughout the scene Iago makes Othello question Desdemona’s loyalty, using Cassio’s suit of her as a catalyst to Othello’s jealousy. He makes Othello overthink each little detail to a point at which Othello himself even asks “why did I marry?” Act 3, scene 3:“Ha! I like not that.” – Othello (line 35).Othello’s reaction to Cassio leaving Desdemona as he approaches.This is the first time we see the seed of doubt begin to sprout in Othello’s discourse. Desdemona accidentally drops her handkerchief which is picked up by Emilia and given to Iago.“Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again.” – Othello.Oxymoron, antithesis, foreshadowing, figurative language. (techniques used in this quote)If Othello has reason to doubt his love for Desdemona the Universe will fall to chaos and imbalance.Elision is the omission of a syllable, used extensively throughout Shakespearean texts, e.g. on’t [on it]Othello blames Iago for his faith being tainted, saying:“I had been happy if the general camp, / Pioners and all, had tasted her sweet body, / So I had nothing known.”“O, now, for ever / Farewell the tranquil mind!”“To be direct and honest is not safe” – Iago.Othello attacks Othello out of frustration and he replies with this.Iago tells Othello that Cassio speaks out in his sleep of keeping his and Desdemona’s love secret, while his unconscious urges are clearly visible: “And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand … and then kiss me hard”“Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief, / Spotted with strawberries, in your wife’s hand?”Iago plants another seed of doubt in Othello’s mind from which to later reveal and use for his own plan.At the start of scene 3 Othello is completely in love with Desdemona and only 400 lines later he is prepared to kill her due to Iago’s deceit.Othello Notes – 15/8/18Othello is a Shakespearian tragedy. Conventions include:Tragic hero, i.e. Othello. All tragic heroes have a/multiple flaws which eventually become their undoing.Othello tragic flaw is that of jealousy, as well as that of being overly trusting. He is a soldier and heavy with his emotions.Desdemona can also be seen to have a tragic flaw, in that she is often weak and overly na?ve. Emilia on the other hand is not weak, and would do most anything for Iago – including sleeping with other men – but only if her conscious bid her to.Dramatic techniques:Characterization:Othello is a general, and is muscular, cool, etc.Emelia Is a variation on the stock comedy character of a maid who is quite rebellious.Bianca is a Venetian courtesan, and is highly trained and intelligent. When Cassio says he does not have time for her, she simply says that she will be at home. She does not need him.Costuming:As Othello becomes more jealous and barbaric his clothing changes from that of his venetian wear to military gear. Dramatic techniques change throughout generations as the moral and social values of said generations change also.E.g. Desdemona. Were she in our current generation, would put up much more of a fight to Othello and not simply give in.The supernatural and superstition.The Handkerchief is given supernatural status.Act 3, scene 4:The clown is symbolic of the audience. It is paradoxical since clowns, on the surface, seem quite foolish, but are in fact very smart, as they know what is happening. The clown shares the audience’s knowledge.“I dare not say he lies anywhere” – ClownDouble meaning (pun) of lies, meaning both lying to someone, as well as lying down WITH someone.“Lend me thy handkerchief.” – OthelloThe seeds of doubt Iago planted only scene earlier have already began to sprout, to a point in which, where Desdemona misplacing the handkerchief would have once led to a minor disagreement, it is now a major break in their relationship.Later in this dialogue Othello demands Desdemona to “fetch me the handkerchief”: “The handkerchief!”Emelia presents a very depressing view on relationships:Saying that men “are all but stomachs” and women “all but food”.This says a lot about Iago, since that is surely where these thoughts come from.Iago is obviously not a very good Husband.Emelia desperately wants Iago to care for her, and love her, which is why she does what she does for him.Repetition of “can he be angry?” – IagoThrough this repetition Iago attempts to change the other characters thoughts on Othello, making them question whether Othello is really the gentle, noble man they think him to be, or he is in fact an anger-filled, war-like man.He also attempts to show that he cares for Othello and wants to help him.Othello Notes – 16/8/18Act 4, scene 1.Iago’s descriptions of Desdemona’s supposed infidelity become increasingly graphic and damaging as Othello’s ears become ever more inclined to his words.“Pish! / Noses, ears, and lips! Is’t possible?” – OthelloOthello’s language begins to become disjointed and he moves at a much faster pace. This showcases the turmoil of his emotional state.“Work on, / My medicine, work!” – IagoExtended metaphor of the poisonous quality of Iago’s words.“If you’ll come to dinner tonight, you may. If you / will not, come when you are next prepared for.” – BiancaShe does not NEED Cassio, and is strong in her will.“she shall not live! No, my heart is turned to / stone” – Othello Stone is unshakeable, his decision is made, there is no going back.This is the tragic moment of the play.“I will chop her into messes!” – OthelloHe begins to use extremely violent language.“How shall I murder him, Iago?” – Othello Othello has entirely lost his way. He has fallen to the barbaric, careless nature of a common soldier during a war. He has lost his nobility and honor and become bestial.Iago undoes Othello’s reputation in one foul swoop:After Othello strikes Desdemona, Lodovico says “this would not be believed in Venice / Though I would swear I saw’t” This is so out of Othello’s character that Lodovico himself questions whether he had really witnessed it.Iago then begins to manipulate Lodovico’s opinion on Othello.Telling him: “He is much changed.”To which Lodovico replies “are his wits safe?”Iago speaks once again in a controlled manner to make Lodovico think he is holding back truths that may damage Othello’s reputation.“He’s that he is: I may not breathe my censure / What he might be.”Summary:Othello’s fit / loss of eloquence and nobility.Iago’s manipulates Othello, Cassio and Ludovico.Othello’s violent and bestial resolve.Desdemona is characterized as disloyal and whore-like.Ludovico’s is dismayed at Othello’s behavior.Symbol of the handkerchief:The handkerchief is white and has red strawberries on it.White represents purity and innocence, while the strawberries may represent blood drops, suggesting a fall from grace.The handkerchief itself symbolizes the unification of Othello and Desdemona. It is given the importance of a marriage ring, and Othello sees it as such.Thus, when Desdemona loses the handkerchief, Othello becomes upset, and questions her loyalty, even more so when he sees it with Cassio. In Othello’s mind, it represents Desdemona’s loyalty to him.It can also be posited that the handkerchief has a secondary symbolism of the way in which women are traded as possessions.Othello Notes – 18/8/18Act 4, scene 2:“Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.” – OthelloOthello is past all reason. He will not even contemplate whether Desdemona has, in fact, been loyal this entire time, but rather, only wants her to confess what he is so believed in.“Are you not a strumpet? … I took you for that cunning whore of Venice / That married with Othello.” – OthelloHe has lost all valency and honor. He is extremely rude/harsh in his discourse“Lay on my bed my wedding sheets” – DesdemonaIn Medieval times, the tradition was that wedding sheets would be bloodied after the newly married couple had sex, which showcased the bride was a virgin. These sheets were kept as a reminder, a symbol of that transaction and purity.Thus, Desdemona employs Emilia to lay out her wedding sheets to remind Othello of her loyalty to him.Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio, since, as he postulates, Othello is to leave for Mauritania with Desdemona, unless of course, Cassio cannot be left in his place.Emelia defends Desdemona vehemently.She says that just as someoneSummary (key ideas)Emelia is loyal to Desdemona, and insists to Othello that it is not only completely silly to think Desdemona disloyal, but that it is also impossible since she has been with Desdemona always. There simply is no time that secret words could have passed between Desdemona and Cassio.Her loyalty is however, divided. She loves Iago, and desperately wants Iago to love her back, but Desdemona is her mistress. Thus, when she finds the handkerchief, she sides with her husband over Desdemona, not understanding his motives yet (the depth of his duplicity).Humanism:KnowledgeLogic and reason: empirical evidence. Othello demands “ocular proof” from Iago.Opposite: Superstition, passion, emotion, slander, gossip, instinct.Iago plays on these weaknesses.There is a question about genders role in Othello. Desdemona even states that Othello “hath commanded me to go to bed” and “we must not now displease him”.Othello Notes – 22/8/18Act 5, scene 2:“What you know, you know: / From this time forth I never will speak a word” – IagoEven after being discovered and called out, Iago attempts to remain indifferent and act as if innocent.“Speak of me as I am: nothing extenuate, / Nor set down aught in malice.” – OthelloOthello asks that he be remembered as the man he was, not by the act he had committed and while doing so, that they tell the truth and all the details of what has transpired, not exaggerating anything due to anger.Othello kills himself. Reasons for this could include:Wanting to retain some semblance of honor, in a similar way to that of the samurai. That by taking his own life, he has atoned for his action and expressed his sorrow.He did not want to live with the regret and anger of killing Desdemona.He recognizes that his life will be greatly changed, and his social standing completely destroyed, and so wanted to take the “easy” way out.“I took by th’throat the circumcised dog / And smote him thus.” – OthelloOthello has associated himself with the derogatory terms that people have used to insult him, agreeing with people’s dehumanization of him.Acts SummaryAct, sceneDescriptionQuotes1:1Iago and Roderigo persuade Brabantio that Othello is unlawfully with Desdemona.“In following him I follow but myself” - IagoIago is scheming against Othello and Cassio, to try both gain Cassio’s office, as well as get revenge as he believes Othello to have topped his wife.“I follow him to serve my turn upon him” - Iago1:2Iago arrives before Brabantio and his men to warn Othello.1:3Othello is summoned by the state; Brabantio trumpets his cause against him to the council.“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceiv’d her father and may thee.”2:1Othello returns to the settlement victorious against the Turks.“Her eye must be fed.”“O, you are well tun’d now! / But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music, / As honest as I am.”2:2A herald announces the Turkish fleet’s destructionInsignificant scene 2:3Iago convinces Cassio to drink, eventuating into a fight which leads to Cassio’s “So, I will turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her own goodness make the net / That shall enmesh them all.” - Iago3:1Cassio gets Desdemona to speak for him to Othello.“The purchase made…”“My suit to her / Is that she will to virtuous Desdemona / Procure me some access.”3:2Othello inspects the fortifications and Iago brings Cassio to Desdemona“These letters give, Iago, to the pilot, / And by him do my duties to the senate.”3:3Iago plants seeds of jealousy in Othello’s mind about Cassio“It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss.” – Iago3:4Othello demands his handkerchief from Desdemona, showing his jealousy.“I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a lodging and say he lies here or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.”4:1Iago Sets in stone Othello’s murderous resolves.“How shall I murder him Iago?” - Othello4:2Emelia defends Desdemona’s loyalty as Othello directly calls Desdemona out for the first time.“Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.” - Othello“This is a subtle whore, / A closet lock and key of villainous secrets; / And yet she’ll kneel and pray.”4:3Emilia consoles Desdemona on the tension between her and Othello.“Nor I either by this heavenly light; / I might do’t as well I’th’dark.” - Emilia5:1Roderigo confronts Cassio and Iago’s plan enters its final stages.“This is the night / That either makes me, or fordoes me quite.” – Iago5:2Othello kills himself, attempting to retain some honour.“Speak of me as I am: nothing extenuate, / Nor set down aught in malice.” - Othello“I took by th’throat the circumcised dog / And smote him thus.” - Othello“Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. / From this time forth I never will speak word.” – IagoIago’s soliloquy analysis:“And what’s he then that says I play the villain.” – How can anybody accuse Iago of being a villain? Iago believes that he has put up a good act and that there is“For ‘tis most easy/Th’inlining Desdemona to subdue/In any honest suit.” – Iago believes that it is easy to get Desdemona to do what he wants.“His soul is so enfetter’d to her love, / That she may make, unmake, do what she list, /Even as her appetite shall play the god/With his weak function.” – Othello is enslaved by his love for Desdemona, and that she can make him do anything. Personification of lust or sexual desire is used to be a powerful force in swaying the very actions of an obsessed Othello.“honest fool” – Iago describes Cassio as too na?ve for his own good.“When devils will the blackest sins put on, /They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,” – Symbolism and contrast used with the devils, sin and heaven. Iago states that when people are about to commit a great crime, they put on a disguise to hide their intent, just as he is doing.“So, will I turn her virtue into pitch, /And out of her own good make the net/That shall enmesh them all.” – Use of visual imagery to show how much Iago plans to twist and manipulate Desdemona“Divinity of hell!” – Contrast between divinity, the study of heaven of God, with hell. Iago talks about whoever is to accuse him of being evil is arguing on the basis of Satan’s ideas.Iago speaks with a confident tone, detailing his plans to bring down Othello by exploiting Desdemona’s kindness and Othello’s obsession with her.General:Epithets - adjectives used to describe OthelloThe MooreThick LipsBlack ramThe DevilLusty MoorSatyrInfidel - non-ChristianThey all have pejorative and derogatory connotationsBestial referencesDehumanising You are less than humanYou are an animalBlack has a symbolic association with evil and immoralityIn Shakespeare we find:The desire to make human beings the focus of attention and to write about universal moral and philosophical problemA belief in human agency over fate and superstitionSuperficial absence of moral preaching combined with deep moral concernsBelieve in balance of moderationEmphasis on reason with compassion and loveThe self-determination and rational individualism of renaissance humanism was thus deeply at odds with a fate-driven view of the worldDramatic techniquesDramatic ironyCharacterisationCostumeMonologueSoliloquyAsidesStaging (Cassio cannot see Othello)Character analysis:Iago’s manipulationIago tries to plant seeds of doubt into Othello’s head on Desdemona’s loyalty by acting very hesitant and careful when Othello asks him what was on his mind.He pretends to show concern over Othello’s obsessiveness and jealousy, gaining trust and credibility. He first lures Othello in with several questions regarding the relationship between Desdemona and Cassio.Iago quotes Barbantio: “She did deceive her father, marrying you” ?this emphasises Barbantio’s line from Act 1, reminding Othello of those words. If Desdemona was able to betray her father, then there’s no reason she couldn’t do the same to Othello.Iago further tries to calm Othello down, warning him not to give into jealousy or anger, and to pay no further heed to the matter.Iago’s conversation with Othello acts like reverse psychology, by luring Othello in through curiosity, Iago tells Othello not to worry too much about Desdemona’s loyalty, which in turn pushes him further to doubt his wife.Emilia:Emilia is a contrast to DesdemonaDesperately wants Iago attention and affectionHas a pessimistic view on the concept of love, believing that women are objectified by men as objects of sexual pleasure.Desdemona’s handkerchief plays a large role in showing how Emilia is trying to get Iago’s attention. Although shown as very loyal to Desdemona, she stole the handkerchief fully aware of her act and does not speak up when Othello demands Desdemona for the handkerchief.Big Ideas (i.e. what you wanna know to get a band 6 response):The Elizabethan World ViewStrict social hierarchy set in place by God. King at the top.The divine right of KingsA medieval concept that the King is chosen by God and was used to secure (contested) positions on the throne.Plots, threats and war (Context)Catholic plots against the crown (i.e. gunpowder plot)Shakespeare was historically linked with such a plot.Spanish armada recently defeatedOthello wrote Othello to please James I WHO HAD A KEEN INTEREST IN THE HISTORY OF THE TURKES AND THEIR DEADEAT BY THE CHRISTIANS.He pays the bills.Venice and Cyprus (the symbolism of setting):Venice was historically a racially diverse city state, trading with the Byzantine empire.Shakespeare uses Venice as a setting for multiple of his plays.Centre of the known worldCyprus by contrast, is perched on the edge of the Western worldSymbolically Venice and Cyprus represent civilization and the wilderness respectively.Renaissance Humanism (Context):Developed out of reprisal for the arts.In Shakespeare we find:A desire to make human/s the focus of attentionA belief in human agency over fate and superstitionA belief in balance or moderationAn emphasis on reason mixed with compassion and love for humanityTension between humanism and the old-world view:Kames I was notoriously backward-looking and revived an interest in superstition and witchcraftComplete obedience to God and the king (as god’s anointed ruler) was one’s only protection against chaos and damnationSelf-determination was at an odd with the religious belief of this timeIago humanist monster:Self-made, highly individualistic and determined to fashion his own destiny.He is malicious and ruthless, and will do anything to achieve his own interests, often at the cost of others, and against all codes of chivalry or “the old world” thinking.Very manipulative.In Iago we see all the dangers inherent in the pursuit of individualism, caring not for the moral codes of society.Iago as a meta-character:He is aware of the role he is playing, and at times steps out of the action, breaking the invisible ‘fourth wall’ of the stage. He invites the audience to know his inner thoughts and motivations, implicating the audience in his actions.The audience has an uneasy sense of collusion with Iago.Duplicity and Optimism:Iago is the ultimate opportunist. He reacts to the unfolding events around him and adapts his plans accordingly.Iago can be said to be driven by, in Coleridge’s words, a “motiveless malignancy”.His motives include:Feeling slighted professionallyJealousy of Cassio’s promotionSuspicion of Othello cuckholding himHe relishes in the role he has chosen to playHe even tells Cassio in the first act that “I am not what I am”Othello the anachronism:Othello is a man of war in a time of peace: a man out of time.Ultimately, he cannot adapt to the subtle intricacies of civilian life.His misguided principles and deep sense of having been wronged are his downfall.He states that he is “little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” as he has spent his life “in the tented field”, occupied with “feats of broils and battle”.A world superseded:Othello lives according to a set of stories through which he interprets the world, but this world has been superseded, and so the contradictions within his ideology destroy him.Othello the self-dramatizer:Othello puts thoughts into action.Although he describes himself as “rude in speech”, he is in fact, very eloquent and more than able to affirm his own reputation as a brave general and noble warrior.He seeks to evoke pity in the final scene, as though feeling sorry for himself.Order and Chaos:There is a general idea that man (or society in general) is doomed to savagery and chaos; that order inevitably spirals into disorder.Othello acknowledges the tension between harmony and disorder, which are the two extremes between which he swings. Chaos is the destruction or the natural order.The qualities which recommend him on the battlefield; noble, ingenuousness, quickness to anger, etc. are also those which lead to his downfall in venetian society.A storm which destroys the Turkish fleet is chaos in nature.It was thought in Elizabethan times that black men were ‘hot-blooded’, and ruled by their emotion – a consequence of living in hot climates.What separates Man and Beast:Order and chaos are also manifested corporeally: Iago works to undo Othello by denigrating him, likening him to animals and demons, infecting him with malicious untruths.Cassio bemoans the loss of his reputation which he avers is ‘the immortal part of [my] self”.Man, and Beast and Otherness:References to monkeys, satyrs and goats are all calculated to play uncomfortably on the sensibilities of the Elizabethan audience.Iago debases and undermines Othello by likening him to beats.Elizabethan context:Black man ravaging white womenInchoate fear of the ‘other’Language and power:As the play progresses, so too does the usual transparency of verbal communication begin to thicken and, rather like when we are made to think about the operation of breathing, the process is rendered strange.Iago is both resentful and protective of the eloquence and bookishness of Venetian aristocratic society.Iago can be seen as the consummate rhetorician. He can speak the rhetoric of the ruling class with Othello equally adept as he can share discourse with the common soldier.Iago’s language is calculated and his sophisticated understanding of language allows him to disrupt the linguistic confidence and decorum of others; he is adept at verbal miscommunication.He often utilizes calculated aposiopesis to plant doubt in Othello’s mind – a calculated omission setting him on his tragic course.E.g. when Cassio leaves Desdemona: “I like not that” – Iago.Although this in itself has no malicious base, it sets doubt in Othello’s mind as he struggles to imagine all the scenarios that could have occurred.Iago also runs Othello in circles repeating and mirroring his words to unravel meaning. E.g. act 3, scene 3.In the final scene, Iago withdraws from language altogether, announcing “from this time forth, I will never speak a word” signaling his ultimate defeat.Gender:Desdemona’s innocence and obedience vs Emilia’s independence and strength.Emelia chooses death over her husband.What’s it all about?Othello becomes an ‘everyman’, representative not simply of a race, but of man in general. He is the everyman in that, much like we all do in our own lives, he fights an internal struggle between good and evil, civility and barbarism.That’s the end I promise! Good luck with your exams ................
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