Act 1, Scene 3 - Key Events Flashcards
How does the scene open?
Duke and senators discuss the Turkish threat
What is debated in court by the senators? What is accepted by the Duke?
Othello and Desdemona’s marriage
Their courtship
What is granted by the senators?
Permission for Othello and Desdemona to travel as a married couple
What do Roderigo and Iago further cement? Who do they want to ruin?
Their plans to destroy Othello’s marriage and Cassio’s reputation
What does the discussion of Othello’s marriage emphasise?
Military conflict
What did Venice value Cyprus as in the 16th century? Why would Venice want to protect it?
A colonial outpost
Commercial reasons
What do the Turks bear? What does this create a feeling of?
“Purposes towards Cyprus”
Immediacy
What do the Turks run parallel to in Othello’s life?
Conflict
What does the Senator suggest to the Turks? How is this described?
They set sail for Rhodes
“Pageant/To keep us in false gaze”
Who does the Senator’s fraudulence link to? What link does this reassert?
Iago’s lies
Private and public conflict
How do the Duke and senators greet Othello? What is this interrupted by?
“Valiant Othello”
Brabantio’s “grief” that “swallows other sorrows”
How does Othello describe his signiors during his plea? Why does he say this modestly?
“Most potent, grave and reverend”
“Rude am I in my speech”
What does Othello say he is blessed with?
“Little bless’d with the soft phrase with peace”
What does Othello promise to tell? How does this frame his relationship with Desdemona?
“An unvarnish’d tale of the whole course of love”
Chivaric yet loving
What does Brabantio dismiss all of Othello’s claims as?
“Against all rules of nature/Cunning hell”
What does Brabantio emphasise about Desdemona’s love? How does he describe Desdemona?
It’s due to “some damn conjur’d”
“Maiden never bold”
What 3 things does Brabantio suggest Desdemona’s marriage is mismatched?
Her youth, culture and fear of black men
“What she feared to look on”
What does Othello ask for so Desdemona can speak for herself?
“Send for the lady to the Sagittary”
What does Othello tell a tale to the senators about? What has Othello valiantly experienced?
“The battles, sieges and fortunes”
“Anthropophagi”
How did Desdemona listen to Othello? What would she “devour up”?
“Greedy ear”
His stories
How does Othello summarise his love with Desdemona? Why does Othello love Desdemona?
“She loved me for the dangers I had passed”
“I loved her that she did pity them”
What does Desdemona’s “greedy ear” subvert about Brabantio’s accusations?
“This is the only witchcraft I (Othello) have used”
How does Othello appear in this scene? Whose view does this contrast?
An eloquent soldier
Brabantio’s
Who is impressed by Othello’s tale? What does he think about Othello’s blank verse?
Duke
It would “win” his daughter too
How does Desdemona dutifully describe Othello?
“Lord of all my duty”
What does Brabantio do with Desdemona? What does this emphasise?
Disowns her
Patriarchal society
What do the rhyming couplets of the Duke and Brabantio suggest? How does the Duke establish Othello’s role?
A swift conclusion to the conflict
“More stubborn and boisterous expedition”
How does Desdemona describe her elopement? What has she violated to be with Othello?
“Downright violence”/”A storm of fortunes”
Social norms
What does Desdemona’s elopement foreshadow?
Future violence and tempestuous nature
How does Desdemona reject the racism? What did she fall in love with?
She “saw Othello’s visage in his mind”
His “valiant parts” and status
How does Brabantio describe Desdemona’s elopement? What does this suggest?
She “has deceived her father and may thee”
Desdemona will be a promiscuous wife, and establish the foundation for Othello’s jealousy
How does Othello describe Iago? What is this quote loaded with?
“Man he is of honesty and trust”
Irony
What does the use of prose imply with Roderigo and Iago’s conversation?
Scheming plans
What is Iago irritated by with Roderigo? What does he say he will do?
His melancholic attitude
“Incontinently drown” himself
How does Iago respond to his drowning phrase? How does he describe women here?
He “never found a man who knew how to love himself”
“Guinea-hens”
How is Iago’s depraved mortality presented? What are the 3 ways?
“Blood and baseness”/”Raging motions”/”Carnal stings” over love
What does the use of imperative verbs embolden? What is an example?
His claims of Othello and Desdemona’s vices
“Put money in thy purse”
How does Iago see the “Moor”? What does he think Desdemona will become?
“Changeable”
Easily “sated”
What does Iago do when Roderigo leaves? What will he do to Othello’s ear?
Soliloquise
“Abuse Othello’s ear”
How will Iago manipulate Othello?
Use his “free and open nature” by “hell and night”
What do the audience become involved in at the end of the scene? What will they witness throughout the play?
Iago’s malevolent scheme
Iago “bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light”
