As lovers, Othello and Desdemona either worship or despise one another. There is no middle ground Flashcards
She loved me for the dangers I had passed…
…And I loved her that she did pity them
Othello’s weakness is that he is too much of a…
…soldier to be a good lover -Levis
The tyrant custom has made the steel…
… couch of war my bed of down
my…
…fair warrior
“She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them”
synthetic parallelism that reveals
- Othello’s love is based on self fulfilment
- Jacobean conventions of love as men- strong and women- emotional
“Othello’s weakness is that he is too much of a soldier to be a good lover” -Levis
Othellos hamartia
“The tyrant custom has made the steel couch of war my bed of down”
metaphor subverts the typical marital “bed” imagery with “war” shows incompatibility of military heroism with love in Othello.
“my fair warrior”
- arguably worship by aligning with archetypal strength of a soldier
- however still subverts love with war
she turned to folly…
…and she was a whore
“she turned to folly and she was a whore”
aligning her will sexual promiscuity and corruption, damning her to hell as a traitor to God, him and society
“green eyed monster”
it is jealousy that initially motivated Othello’s hatred of Desdemona
Excellent wretch!… when I love…
…thee not, Chaos is come again”
“Excellent wretch”
oxymoronic compliment adds a disturbing impact as he blurs worship and despise, foreshadowing his spiral into despising Desdemona
“Chaos is come again”
foreshadowing the tragedy of this play as Desdemona’s death
“death was preferred to dishonour” -Cox
Othello chooses to destroy Desdemona rather than have his name tainted by her transgressions
“devine Desdemona”
once pure state is corrupted
my downright violence and storm…
…of fortunes may trumpet the world
“my downright violence and storm of fortunes may trumpet the world”
SF subverts the traditional passivity of women in love.
Hyperbole reveals her love as worldly
let me…
…go with him
“let me go with him”
imperative shows her autonomy over her father and thus the extent of her worship
commend me to my fine…
…Lord. O farewell
“commend me to my fine Lord. O farewell”
love and worship even when murdered.
“lord” subverts religious and romantic love showing that sh worshipped him as a God
“Desdemona becomes a stereotype of passivity” -Jardine
the intensity of her love for Othello materialises her passivity which ultimately condemns her to a passive death
