Brabantio KQ Flashcards
“O, treason of blood!”
Act 1 scene 1-
*suggests great betrayal or violation of family ties.
*“treason”- link to monarchy- insight into the patriarchal beliefs of Jacobean Era- Women are property- submissive to men. rhere is a gender hierarchy- men are superior- any subversion of this is seen as immoral.
“O, thou foul thief! Where hast thou stow’d my daughter?”
Act 1 scene 2-
* “foul thief”- accusing Othello of theft- see’s his daughter as a possession, something he owns. Also very racially motivated, no way she left of her own free will, she was taken without consent.
“stow’d”- concealment- suggests Othello his Desdemona until they were married- prevent anything from breaking it up.
*foreshadowing the challenges/clashes that will rise due to an interracial marriage.
“Abus’d her delicate youth with drugs or minerals”
Act 1 scene 2-
* Racial beliefs- black men are violent, dangerous, all the same- no exceptions from the stereotypes surrounding “moors”.
*Allussion to witchcraft- Jacobean Era- fear of witchcraft and potions- Only way Othello won Desdemona is through witchcraft and potions.
* “delicate youth- Brabantio’s fear of Desdemona’s purity and innocence being corrupted, see’s the “moor” as dirty, evil, corrupting.
“she is abus’d, stol’n from me and corrupted”
(Act 1, Scene 3)
Themes:
Patriarchy: Reflects the view of daughters as property- use of “Stol’n” emphasises the hold men have over women, she has defied her father and married for love (against the societal expectations of Venetian society), taken away the power he had over her.
Racial Tension: Shows Brabantio’s prejudice against Othello- does not believe they married for love but Othello has used violence or magic to cooerce her.
Deception & Trust: Highlights Brabantio’s sense of betrayal.
Literary Devices:
Diction: “Abus’d,” “stol’n,” “corrupted” suggest mistreatment, theft, and moral decay.
Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee.
Act 1 scene 3
Brabantio is warning Othello about Desdemona’s deceiving nature, states that she may deceive Othello just like she deceived him.
Key as Iago uses this idea to manipulate and control Othello while they are in Cyrpus.
For nature so preposterously to err, Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, Sans witchcraft could not.
Act 1 Scene 3
“For nature so preposterously to err”: Brabantio is saying that it is completely unnatural and absurd (“preposterously”) for Desdemona to make such a mistake (“err”) as to marry Othello.
“Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense”: He argues that Desdemona is not lacking in any way—she is neither deficient, blind, nor lacking sense. In other words, she is a sensible and rational person.
“Sans witchcraft could not”: Brabantio concludes that without witchcraft (“sans” meaning without), such an unnatural mistake could not have happened. He believes that only through supernatural means could Desdemona have been led to marry Othello.
