act 1 scene 1 Flashcards
“thieves, thieves”
Repetition – “Thieves! Thieves!”
The repeated word creates urgency, shock, and chaos.
Mimics the sound of a street alarm, grabbing attention and stirring panic.
It exaggerates the act of Desdemona’s elopement, framing it as a crime,
Metaphor
Calling Othello a “thief” for marrying Desdemona reflects racist and patriarchal views.
Desdemona is objectified — treated like property stolen from her father, not as a woman with agency.
The metaphor reinforces themes of control, possession, and male honour.
“an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”
- Animal Imagery
“Ram” and “ewe” reduce Othello and Desdemona to animals.
“Tupping” (a crude term for mating) evokes a disturbing image of lust rather than love.
This dehumanizes Othello and their relationship, suggesting it’s purely sexual and unnatural.
2. Racial Contrast
“Black” vs “white” plays on Elizabethan racial stereotypes: black symbolizing evil or corruption, and white symbolizing purity or innocence.
Implies that Desdemona is being defiled by Othello’s race, not just his actions.
Reinforces the racist idea that blackness corrupts whiteness.
3. Possessive Language
Referring to Desdemona as “your white ewe” treats her as Brabantio’s property, not a woman with autonomy.
Suggests that Othello has stolen or violated something that belonged to another man — echoing the “Thieves!” cry earlier.
“you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you”
Bestial Imagery
“Covered” is a term used for animals mating, again reducing Othello and Desdemona’s relationship to base, animalistic lust.
Referring to Othello as a “Barbary horse” evokes the image of a powerful North African stallion — both racist and dehumanizing.
Suggests Desdemona is being violated by a beast, not loved by a man.
marriage will affect his grandchildren and will affect his lineage- powerful motivator for brobantio
“give me a taper” “light I say light”
- Symbolism of Light
“Light” here symbolizes truth, revelation, and clarity.
It reflects Brabantio’s desire to uncover what has happened to Desdemona — to bring something hidden or “in the dark” into full view.
This links to the broader theme of illusion vs. reality in the play — light becomes a metaphor for truth, which is repeatedly manipulated by Iago.
The repetition of commands (“Give me”, “Light, I say!”) conveys urgency, panic, and a loss of control.
His frantic call for light is ironic — even in literal light, he remains blind to the truth due to his racial and patriarchal bias.
