ACT FIVE Flashcards
“If …… do remain,// he hath a daily …… in his life//that makes me …..” - Act 5, Scene 1
Iago to Roderigo
“If Cassio do remain,// he hath a daily beauty in his life//that makes me ugly” - Act 5, Scene 1
Iago to Roderigo
Theme of Jealousy
Although often Iago is labels as a “motiveless villain” this quote highlights his jealousy as one of the sources and roots to the tragedy he is creating, emphasising the destructive nature of jealousy as a whole.
“Oh ….. Iago, honest and ….// That hast such a noble sense of thy friend’s …… ,// Though ……. me.” - Act 5, Scene 1
Othello to Iago.
“Oh brave Iago, honest and just// That hast such a noble sense of thy friend’s wrong,// Though teachest me.” - Act 5, Scene 1
Othello to Iago.
Theme of Appearance vs Reality, and Manhood and Honour.
The dramatic irony and the height of which Othello has fallen is extremely evident here. Othello is a mighty war general who should not be taught how to slay and kill. The audience continue to view the extent that Othello is completely blind to Iago’s villainy which is where the absurd and comic nature lies. Othello also credits Iago on the fact he has injured Cassio in order to help him, he is associating violence with honour.
“O ……. Iago! O …….. dog!” - Act 5, Scene 1
Roderigo to Iago
“O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!” - Act 5, Scene 1
Roderigo to Iago
It seems that Shakespeare never wishes us to fully understand Iago’s motives. When Othello demands an explanation, Iago is silent. Iago can often be likened to the devil which this quote portrays him as lacking humanity. If Iago is the devil incarnate, pure evil, then he needs no motives other than evil itself. That is his motive. Only human compassion forces us to try to humanise him by projecting the various motives upon him but his silence evidently his true evil has no explanation to offer. Quote shows Roderigo to be a comic figure even though a pitiful one. Only now in death does he realise that Iago has taken everything from Roderigo, his money, his time, his effort, and eventually his life for his own gain.
“This is the night//That either …… me or …….. me quite” - Act 5, Scene 1
Iago to Emilia.
“This is the night//That either makes me or fordoes me quite” - Act 5, Scene 1
Iago to Emilia.
Shakespeare is reflecting some of Iago’s weaknesses in this quote. Although throughout the play Iago is constantly portrayed as a somewhat director of a play within a play, ultimately no one is really invincible in the tragic genre.
“Yet I’ll not shed her …..//nor scar that whiter skin of hers than ….” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello Soliloquy before killing Desdemona.
“Yet I’ll not shed her blood//nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello Soliloquy before killing Desdemona.
Theme of Love and Relationships, and Womanhood and sexuality.
Before her death, Othello claims that he will not do it in a violent manner, to protect her beauty. That is the only thing that leads Othello to show ‘mercy’, which suggests that Desdemona was only subjected to her looks even by her own husband, so did Othello truly love her? He didn’t want to protect her for her inside beauty, but for her skin.
“Yet she must …. , else she’ll …… more men” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello Soliloquy before killing Desdemona.
“Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello Soliloquy before killing Desdemona.
Theme of Womanhood and Sexuality, and Manhood and Honour.
Desdemona’s sexuality is being used to justify her death, even though she was never unfaithful in the first place. A man’s honour is based off of how well they control their wives, and Othello is willing to protect other men’s honour over his own wife. Othello’s last scene is emphasising his villainy rather than the men we thought he was.
“Methinks it should be now a huge ……..//of … and ….. and that th’affrighted globe// should yawn at alteration” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello as he’s smothering Desdemona and Emilia is outside the door.
“Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse//of sun and moon, and that th’affrighted globe// should yawn at alteration” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello as he’s smothering Desdemona and Emilia is outside the door.
Othello recognises that he has lost something good, and feels that nature should reflect the chaos he is finding himself in. This also comments on an earlier quote Othello made:
“But I do love thee; and when I love thee not,//Chaos is come again”
The reference to chaos suggests that the world is out of line, and Othello’s love for Desdemona is no longer there. Iago’s power as a villain has manipulated their reality.
“O, the more ….. she,//and you the …… devil!” - Act 5, Scene 2
Emilia to Othello
“O, the more angel she,//and you the blacker devil!” - Act 5, Scene 2
Emilia to Othello
Theme of Prejudice and Race.
Emilia highlights the differences between Othello and Desdemona. The use of ‘blacker’ makes this undeniably racial. The couple were never compatible, in terms of their personalities, and for the colour of their skin. The racial views of the era meant that Desdemona and Othello were destined for tragedy.
“I found by …….. and did give my husband” - Act 5 Scene 2
Emilia to Othello.
“I found by fortune and did give my husband” - Act 5 Scene 2
Emilia to Othello.
This is a pivotal moment in the tragedy of the play, not only in terms of the plot, but also highlighting Othello’s flaws. Emilia reveals that she was responsible for the handkerchief situation, and because Othello constantly used this piece of ‘evidence’ to confirm his suspicions and justify his actions. This reflects the flaw in Othello that he was never the strong man people perceived him to be.
The fact that Emilia was the one to reveal this and cause Othello’s anagnorisis is also notable, as it was a women who drove the final tragedy forward and held that power.
“An ……… murderer, if you will” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello about himself.
“An honourable murderer, if you will” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello about himself.
Theme of Manhood and Honour.
Does Othello remain somewhat deluded and self-dramatising, as some critics have suggested? He still insists that he is honourable: has his pride been his downfall? In his final speech the Moor presents himself as both hero and villain. He reminds Lodovico and the others (with characteristic self-effacement) that he has been of service to the Venetian state, and seems to want to insist on his identity as heroic soldier, not disastrous husband.
“Demand me nothing, what you know, you know; From this time forth, I will …… speak a ….. “ - Act 5, Scene 2
Iago.
“Demand me nothing, what you know, you know; From this time forth, I will never speak a word” - Act 5, Scene 2
Iago.
This could be seen as a weak ending for such a diabolical villain, however it adds to the enigmatic nature of his evil and suggests that Iago was acting entirely without motive. Throughout, his motives have been questionable and founded merely on rumours and hearsay. The fact that he offers no explanation seems to make his actions all the more worse and furthers the link between him and the devil.
“Then you must speak//of one that …… not …… but too well//of one not easily ……. , but, being wrought, ………. in the extreme” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello.
“Then you must speak//of one that loved not wisely but too well//of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, perplexed in the extreme” - Act 5, Scene 2
Othello.
Theme of Manhood and Honour.
This is how Othello wants to be remembered. He is still almost presenting himself as a victim rather than accepting his flaws. In his death, pride is portrayed to be his fatal flaw.
