Cassio (and bianca)

Question 1

2:1 Cassio talking about the storm: foreshadowing conflict between him and O

Answer 1

“they were parted with foul and violent tempest”
“I have lost him on a dangerous sea”
later: “the great contention of the sea and skies parted our fellowship”

Question 2

2:1 D’s beauty protects her from storm

Answer 2

“tempest themselves, high seas, and howling winds”
“letting go safely by The divine Desdemona”

Question 3

2:1 how does he describe Desdemona upon her arrival

Answer 3

“grace of heaven”
- suggests the grace of God surrounds her

Question 4

2:1 what does he do that might anger Iago

Answer 4

“he kisses emelia”

Question 5

2:1 ironic comment C makes about Iago - reference to Iago saying “mere prattle without practice”

Answer 5

“You may relish him
more in the soldier than in the scholar.”
- i resents this in C

Question 6

2:3 Cassio drunk

Answer 6

“Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk”
“I am not drunk now” x 3
- repeated
- In trying to prove he’s not drunk, he sounds more drunk.

Question 7

2:3 cassio drunk fight

Answer 7

“knock you o’er the mazzard” - to Montano
“they fight”
“he lunges at cassio” - in front of O

Question 8

2:3 Cassio upset about reputation

Answer 8

are you hurt? - “Ay, past all surgery”
“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have
lost my reputation, I have lost the immortal part of
myself — and what remains is bestial. My reputation,
Iago, my reputation!”
- more significant than physical injury/animalistic

Question 9

2:3 What does Cassio call the wine/ repeated qs

Answer 9

“Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear?”
“let us call thee devil!”
- blamed himself

Question 10

2:3 calls iago:

Answer 10

“honest iago”

Question 11

3:1 frequently used to describe desdemona/ Iago asks if he’s been to bed

Answer 11

“Why, no” - losing sleep over it; easily manipulated by iago to get D’s help
“virtuous Desdemona”
I: “I’ll send her to you presently”: potentially improper married man and women to be alone; messenger - reminds of comedia

Question 12

3:1 Cassio about Iago being honest

Answer 12

“I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest”
- Machiavelli was a Florentine and hence they were reknowned for their cunning, not honesty.
- Again, Cassio appears foolish in his statement and misunderstands Iago

Question 13

AO3: Common trope - to do with cheating

Answer 13

AO3 a convention of medieval courtly love that a noblewoman might have a secret emotional liason with a nobleman eg Lancelot and Guinevere
- 3:1 ends with cassio requesting E to speak to D

Question 14

3:3 Scene begins with D telling cassio she will help him:
his responce?

Answer 14

“Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio, He’s never anything but your true servant.” - charming responce

Question 15

3:4 Cassio again asks D to help with O

Answer 15

“I do beseech you
That by your virtuous means I may again Exist, and be a member of his love”
“all the office of my heart Entirely honor” - followed by D’s scary statement “more I will than for myself I dare”

Question 16

3:4 Bianca and Cassio
Cassio charming to Bianca

Answer 16

“What make you from home?
…
Indeed, sweet love, I was coming to your house.”
- charming, Cassio the lover - perhaps proving he already has a lover - not in love with D
- finds it odd she is out of house

Question 17

3:4 Sense Bianca has strong feelings for Cassio - talks about being apart from him

Answer 17

“What, keep a week away? Seven days and nights?
- repeated time references
- to be absent this long is not treating her well.
Also note the timescale - he hasn’t seen her for a week. This is an example of what is often called the double timescale of the play as from what we have witnesses, this is only Othello’s second day on Cyprus

Question 18

3:4 Cassio politely apologises for not seeing her; gives her handkerchief

Answer 18

“But I shall, …
Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,
(giving her DESDEMONA’s handkerchief)
Take me this work out.”
- polite, apologises, tries to make amends. They seem genuinely fond of each other?
- asks her to copy needlework; rather than give as love token

Question 19

3:4 Bianca accuses Cassio - his responce

Answer 19

“This is some token from a newer friend!
To the felt absence now I feel a cause. Is’t come to this? Well, Well”
- again ‘cause’ being a reason for jealousy - here the woman is jealous and despite her being a courtesan/prostitute, she is not accused of anything by Cassio - the reverse of the situation between Othello and Desdemona, where a state-sanctioned wife is accused of sleeping around by an unjustifiably jealous man

Question 20

3:4 Cassio’s aggresive responce to B’s accusations

Answer 20

“Go to, woman,
Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth
From whence you have them. You are jealous”
- Compare how he refutes the jealousy easily, unlike Desdemona - is there a double standard?

Question 21

3:4 ashamed of Bianca?

Answer 21

“I do attend here on the general”
“nor my wish, To have him see me womaned.”
“not that I love you not”
“But that you do not love me”
- ashamed; see’s here as lower status; or can he not as a soldier; male pride; rep
- these parallel phrases are a good natured verbal jousting. They seem evenly balanced
“‘tis very good” - acceptive

Question 22

4:1 Iago talking to Cassio (Othello hiding in the shadows) - cassio laughing talking about bianca - what does he call her

Answer 22

“Alas, poor caitiff!”
“Alas, poor rogue, I think indeed she loves me”
- from O’s line suggesting he is laughing
- pities her
- implies he doesn’t feel the same
- poor girl

Question 23

4:1 Iago talking to Cassio (Othello hiding in the shadows) - he laughs at her

Answer 23

“Ha, ha, ha!”
“I marry her! What? A customer?”
“Do not think it so unwholesome.”
- he makes it clear that he can’t marry a prostitute - their relationship is explicitly transactional
- idea of unnatural marriage “‘own clime, complexion and degree’”

Question 24

4:1 compares her to a toy

Answer 24

“the bauble” - silly girl, child’s toy, therefore childish/foolish - object? his word ‘haunts’ suggests exaggeration to mock her
“leave her company” - then she enters

Question 25

4:1 Enter bianca after I and C are talking: offends her upon enterance

Answer 25

“fitchew” “a perfumed one”
- polecat - notorious for smell and lechery so prostitute - offensive

Question 26

4:1 Enter bianca after I and C are talking: her anger shown

Answer 26

“This is some minx’s
token, and I must take out the work? There, give it your
hobby-horse.”
- promiscuous women
“If you’ll come to supper tonight, you may. If you will
not, come when you are next prepared for.” - ultimatum
“yes, I intend so” - still wants to see her

Question 27

5:1 R tries to kill C

Answer 27

“thrusts at cassio”
“But that my coat is better than thou know’st I will make proof of thine.”
- practically speaking, this is fortunate for Cassio, metaphoricaly it is interesting as it brings out Cassio’s pride in his superior status
“wounds Roderigo”
“iago from behind wounds cassio in the legs” - the first time we see Iago actually commit violence himself - not very noble an example either!

Question 28

5:1 Cassio emphasises her is hurt

Answer 28

“Iago? Oh, I am spoiled, undone by villains!
Give me some help.”
- repeated reference to villain
- ironic iago is helping him

Question 29

5:1 Bianca defends herself to emelia

Answer 29

“I am no strumpet, but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me.”
“As I! Fie upon thee!” - emelia
- implying that she earns an honest living from providing a service, just as wives implicitly do?

Question 30

5:2 Cassio defends himself to O

Answer 30

“I never gave you cause”

Question 31

5:2 Cassio’s quote about O

Answer 31

“For he was great of heart”
- an extraordinary human, as a tragic hero is seen to be - yet no more than human - fallible, flawed and thus doomed.