Big Ideas In Othello Flashcards
Othello and des marriage
Ultimately, the tragedy is that othellos and Desdemonas optimistic desire for a world in which all races and genders can achieve autonomy is destroyed by forces that wish to maintain the status quo. This is a play about where racism and misogyny coexist, but it’s also about the failure of the individual to combat oppression
Othello
During the play’s exposition, othellos nobility and integrity was admirable; through his eloquent speeches which challenges racist stereotypes. However, uses othello as a vessel to demonstrate the power of such ideologies; his racial identity makes him vulnerable to iagos schemes, and as he internalises characteristics of his identity he is shaped into the very stereotype he refuted in act 1.
Iago
Is the quintessence of prejudice and discontent. Not only does he he rail anyone who is an outsider, but he also attempts to manipulate them to their downfall. His character is used to comprehend mankind’s capacity for evil, unsettling especially in a very religious society
Desdemona
Provides a glimmer of hope for women; her outspoken nature and her determination to make her own choices shows how women can have agency. However ultimately the play suggest that female empowerment is not possible within renaissance society
Cassio
Foil to iago
Demonstrates that it is possible to maintain one’s integrity and moral compass even in the face of being reduced to a debased pawn
Emilia
Her development as a character is the mirror of Desdemonas trajectory , as Desdemona becomes more passive, Emilia finds her own voice
Is othello a misogynistic play?
Othello to Desdemona: ‘here comes the lady; let her witness it.’ Witness= testify and validate: othello expects his wife to echo his statement not to share her own thoughts on the matter. Dramatic irony bc we see that this is a marriage born out of problematic and erroneou[wrong] assumptions, des decides that her marriage is going to be subsidiary to her husband and in turn relegates the woman’s decision to the latter part in ‘and to his honour..’
Emilia played by a male character- criticise a member of his own sex, thus inspiring opportunities for introspection. Taciturn to outspoken, women are not one dimensional.
Bianca magnifies the extent to which marginalised women could be reduced to stereotypes in a patriarchal society. People view her as transactional bc she she is a prostitute and a ‘housewife’ that by selling her desires buys ‘bread’ and ‘clothes’. ‘Bread’ and ‘clothes’ are metonyms for practical goods and the mercenary diction of ‘selling’ and ‘ buys’ suggest that Bianca is only after Cassio for nothing more than material and bodily goods
Is Emilia really a feminist?
Tragedy of an intellectually independent but socially dependent women- behave in ways that prioritise survival over values, even if it agonises her.
1] conflicted loyalties. Handkerchief= token of oth and des love and damage that a lack of communication could cause. It crosses the hands of all the couples in the play, always functions as a trigger for conflict e.g em faces the struggle of deciding where her loyalty should lie[ obey her husbands command that she steal it for him, or fulfil her professional duty to return it to des.] 3.3’ i am glad i have found this napkin.. wayward husband’, capriciously deceitful carries strong value judgement, her moral conflict deepens as she continues to speak signalled by the conjunction ‘but’. ‘ not i. I nothing’ repetition of words in reversed order brings to mind a knotted mind and image of someone’s hands being tied in hostage. ‘ do not chide; i have a thing for you’ - their marriage operates based on the logic of trade and barter rather than love or feeling, used as self protection, em sacrifices her own reason and morality to comply with his whims.
2] des in a distressed helpless state of being humiliated n wrongly accused, ems indignant , trenchant views stand as a stark refreshing contrast. Wishful bluster[rant] or genuine belief?. 4.3 repetition of ‘ i think’ = only imagine or fantasise themselves having the agency to carry out real actions that would affect the power dynamics in a marriage. Em being the subversive shrewd wife who won’t stand for her husbands abusive slanderous lies, isnt really Emilia herself, but a projection of who she wishes she could but can never really be= mimetic desires. Vivid active verbs about men [ ‘slack’ ‘power’ ‘strike’] compared to passive verbs’ have galls’ ‘have some grace’ have some revenge’ = there’s no outward physical impact with ‘having’ a trait, ‘ let them use us well’, men dictate women and determine the terms of treatment within a marriage.
3] dangers of overthinking. Her shame and guilt over being complicit in des death: ‘ o villainy!’ Her endless thinking about the plight and injustices faced by women and in thinking so much she has not done anything to change and avert the course of tragedy. Her last words’ so speaking as i think , alas, i die’ the parallel of ‘ i think’ and ‘ i die’ draws an implied causality between ‘thinking’[ too much] and her ‘dying’-her endless rumination and avoidance of action has finally led to her death.
What does Emilia dramatise?
She dramatises the deeper tragedies that women back then face, which is their awareness of gendered injustice but their simultaneous inability to do anything about it. In Shakespeare England, patriarchy was very much the socio-cultural norm so feminism was still an anachronism. Although women were not formally educated ,they have the instinctual intelligence to know that the treatment they were receiving from men were unjust and demeaning. Perhaps this consciousness would have been stronger with Elizabeth 40 yr matriarchal rule coming to an end.
Stockholm syndrome in othello
Desdemona and Emilia in Othello can be linked to Stockholm syndrome, as both women demonstrate behaviors that align with loyalty, submission, or empathy toward their abusers despite being mistreated. This psychological concept helps illuminate how the patriarchal and abusive structures of their relationships lead them to tolerate or even justify their partners’ harmful actions. Desdemona exhibits signs of emotional dependence and loyalty to Othello, even as his abuse escalates. Despite his verbal attacks, jealousy, and eventual physical violence, she continues to defend him and blame herself for his behavior:
Submission to Othello’s Abuse:
In Act 4, Scene 1, when Othello publicly strikes Desdemona, she remains silent, refusing to challenge his authority or behavior.
She later rationalizes his anger, telling Emilia:
“Unkindness may do much,
And his unkindness may defeat my life,
But never taint my love” (Act 4, Scene 2).
This unwavering devotion, even when she is mistreated, reflects a form of emotional conditioning similar to Stockholm syndrome. Desdemona clings to her idealized image of Othello, believing his love for her remains intact beneath the surface.
Blaming Herself:
Unwitting Complicity:
Emilia plays an instrumental role in Iago’s scheme by stealing Desdemona’s handkerchief, believing it will earn her favor with her husband:
“I nothing but to please his fantasy” (Act 3, Scene 3).
Her willingness to betray Desdemona, whom she cares for deeply, underscores her desire for Iago’s approval, even though he shows her little affection in return.
