appearance vs reality Flashcards
1.1 Iago: “as loving his [othellos] own pride and purposes evades them, with a bombast circumstance”
AO2 Plosive language. The horrid consonants make it vitriol and spitty.
AO2 The sibilance of circumstance is snakes and spiteful, adding to the animal theme.
1.1 IAGO: “but I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at: I am not what I am”
AO2: metaphorically deceptive language, He is openly two faced and deceptive.
AO2: The colon shows the divide between his traitorous side and his two faced side.
1.3 IAGO“…hell and night/must bring this monstrous birth to the worlds light”
AO2 Rhyming couplet = witchcraft and conspiring element is sinister and inhumane.
AO2 Juxtaposition of night and light shows his two faced nature. Good vs evil like black vs white.
AO2 The iambic pentameter shows he speaks with force and confidence. He feels security
2.3 “[IAGO sings] why then let a soldier drink! Some wine, boys”
2.3 “ the town will rise, gods will, lieutenant, hold, you will be shamed forever”
Acting in a deceiving manner.
- leading the drunken spirit and secretively encouraging more drinks through singing.
- Wants cassio drunk to do something offensive or make him want desdomona
false attempts to help + brake up the fight.
2.3 iago “reputation is an idle and most false imposition”
AO2: ironic as iago has destroyed cassios reputation.
He claims it is given to you by someone false and to not worry.
This evokes iagos two faced nature.
2.3 iago to the audience “and what’s he then that says i play the villain? What this advice is free i give and honest”
tells audience he isn’t a villain including them in the story to increase dramatic irony AO2
3.3 “O grace! O heaven forgive me! Are you a man? Have you a soul, or sense?”
“I should be wise, for honesty’s a fool”
AO2 Exclamatory ‘O’s and rhetorical questions exaggerate his reaction pretending to be hurt and threatening to never tell the truth again.
AO2 A semantic field of virtue and godliness adds to the deceiving nature. Seems genuinely offended + victimised.
AO2 Very ironic and maybe a double meaning, portraying the foolishness of othello
4.2 IAGO “But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever—I mean purpose, courage and valor—this night show it.”
Two faced nature
Flattering roderigo to stop him uncovering his plan and finding out he is behind it all.
5.1 [enter iago, with a light]
Gratiano: “here’s one come in his shirt, with light and weapons”
AO2: SYMBOL OF LIGHT - Iago manipulates the whole play, shining light on certain things to twist the truth, whilst shielding other things in the shadows. Adding to the confusion of chaos. Also links to his false pretence of being a saviour and innocent, using his light to act as an angel.
Iago is the only one able to see it both physically and metaphorically
5.2 “demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth i never will speak word”
Iago’s last line of the play.
A fitting response to show his character’s devilism. He has ultimate control, after talking and manipulating consistently throughout the play he doesnt reveal the root causes of his mavolence and leaves his motives ambiguous
3.1 “[talking about iago]i never knew a florentine more kind and honest”
He is deceived by iago’s false appearance and this is portrayed using ‘florentine’ refers to the city of florence where liars and cheaters come from, AO3
AO2 therefore creating irony
4.2 RODERIGO“for your words and performances are no kin together.”
5.1 “o damned iago! O inhuman dog!”
4.2 Roderigo is suspicious of Iago and turns against him.
First person to pose a threat to iago and could jeopardise his plan
5.1 He finally sees iago for who he is but no one else is around.
Exposing for the first time what Iago really is - an inhuman dog with no conscious or morals capable of evil, harmful acts
5.2 LODOVICO [to iago] “O spartan dog, more fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea”
“Look on the tragic loathing of this bed: this is thy work”
AO2 - This is the first metaphorical creation of the other existing parts of the universe or a global scale reference, he has committed such monstrosities it is incomparable with anything
Tragic loathing - tragically beautiful tableau.
AO2 Could be saying it is iago’s fault and his ruin - iagoss artwork as he is a master - the entire tragedy is fuelled by him and iago’s work.
AO3 The audience are emotionally moved but satisfied with the bittersweet ending as cassio becomes ruler of cyprus. The tragedies purpose is to dramatise humanities weaknesses and the disasters that follow, almost as a call of warning to the audience
