Deception (and betrayal) Flashcards
the setting of act one scene 1
it is at night - establishing the key theme of deception and the mysterious intentions of Iago. it allows him to mask the truth in the dark - idea of seeing vs not seeing.
We are introduced to Iago and Roderigo first – rather than Othello himself, creating anticipation, but also altering the audience’s perception of Othello as the dangerous, aggressive Moor. Reflects the larger disparity between appearance and reality in the play.
‘That thou, Iago, who has had my purse’ Roderigo to Iago
Immediately characterises him as deceptive and untrustworthy – Iago is spending Roderigo’s money. The fact the play opens with deception is heavy foreshadowing
heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so, for my peculiar end’ Iago
Creates a disparity between appearance and reality – doesn’t explicitly say his on reasons – inscrutable. He dirves the narrative
‘I am not what I am’ Iago
Establishes deception as an integral part of his character. Iago is conscious that he is playing a role, and the audience is forced to question appearance vs reality from the very beginning of the play.
The contradiction of this statement establishes Iago’s duplicity and the demonic nature of his character – his outward appearance is merely to conceal his true self
Iago: ‘Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell, As when by night and negligence the fire’
it is perhaps significant that he even tries to devise brabantio to actually get his attention.
Disrupting sleep of Brabantio, authority figure – symbolises Iago’s rtole as a disruptor to the social order
‘Even now, now, very now, and old black ram is tupping your white ewe’
Iago attempts to DECIEVE others about Othello:
Creates a sense of urgency and panic.
Reflects contemporary stereotypes of old black men as more sexually threatening – also reflecting the idea of the January May romance. He lays the ground emotionally, then moves to explicitly offensive sexual imagery which is often tied to animalistic imagery, reflecting racism. He attempts to provoke Brabantio. Contrast in colour reflects racial difference and characterises Desdemona as with pure Venetian innocence. Desdemona presented as dominated by her animalistic husband (Othello is the subject and she is the object). The bestial language used to describe Othello would have resonated with the Shakesperean audience – great chain of being wa s ahierarchical Christian structure which places animals lower than even the lowest of humans – demonstrating Iago’s belief that Moors are lowlier than Europeans. The colour black allows Iago to emphasise othello’s apparent evil nature
‘you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse’
Crude sexual animalistic imagery. Deliberate attempts to provoke and inflame.
Rorderigo:’ an extravagant and wheeling stranger’
establishes Othello as an unstable and untrustworthy Other
‘Enter Brabantio in his night-gown’
Vulnerable state – vulnerable authority to iago’s manipulation
Iago ‘I lack iniquity’
Ironic, duplicity
Othello and Iago’s language at the beginning of the play
- Othello speaks in blank verse in this scene – a sign of noble intentions. Iago moves between poetry and prose, reflecting his Machiavellian intentions, depending on what is most expedient for him
Brabantio: ‘she is abused, stolen from me and corrupted by spells and medicines’
Dutiful love always bound with ownership
Othello has deceived brabantion, stealing his daughter
‘I won his daughter’
She chooses him – giving desdemona agency. Contrasts with Brabantio
However it is also the possessive language of objectification.
Desdemona: ‘I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband’
Assertive, controlled in command of her thoughts. She both subverts and accepts male authority
She betrays her father
Brabantio: ‘Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: she has deceived her father, and may thee’
Final words to the couple is a warning. Foreshdawoing
This is the first time he is encouraged to suspect her =- B claims that the foundations of their love are built on betrayal/
Ironic – refers to eyes to see- he is so manipulated by iago that he cannot ‘see’ properly either
Iago ‘a frail vow betwixt an erring Barbarian and a super-subtle Venetian’
Iago intends to deceive the other characters into thinking that this is what O and D are
Iago: ‘with little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio’
Predatory image – uses Cassio’s courteous strength against him. Allows audience to visualise his role in the play – and also this image of him as a spider attributes to him a degree of authority over the plot – he has the power to make decisions that affect other characters
Iago: ‘O, you are well tuned now: but I’ll set down the pegs that make this music’
Imagery of a musical instrument – describes their rhythm and harmony together. He suggests he will interrupt this harmony
Cassio: ‘Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial’
Cassio is distraught at ruining his reputation – highlights its importance within the play. Iago’s manipulations are able to ruin the reputations of cassio, desdemona and Othello, whilst he builds up his false reputation of honsrty.
Iago: ‘I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear’
Repeated poison imagery – soliloquies establish him as a villain in control. Expolitin the intimate trusting vulnerability of Othello
‘so will I turn her irtue into pitch and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all’
Modal verbs reflect iago’s cponfiodence. Imagery of entrapment – he uses his goodness against her to corrupt hr reputation
Iago: ‘Well, my good Lord, I’ll do it’
Iago plays the role of both the good and the duplicitous servant – Greek. Reinforces his control of perception
Iago” ‘No, sure, I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like seeing you coming’
Deliberately gives a false version od events.
Iago: ‘Honest, my lord?’ Othello: ‘Honest? Ay, honest’
Deliberate mirroring of speech – as the play progresses, Othello begins to speak more like Iago – losing his eloquence
Iago: ‘my lord, you know I love you’
Iago is able to exploit Othello’s changing feelings and the homosical bond and trust.
Iago: ‘O beware my lord of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on’
Image of jealousy as self-devouring – all consuming, renders you insensibke.
Othello: ‘For she had eyes and chose me. No, Iago, I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove’
Importance of seeing – relevant to race, he is aware of the way he LOOks different, implying she chose him despite his ethnicity. This is a subtle indication of Othello’s insecurity. As eh feels Desdemona had to overlook his ethnicity in order to marry him. It also introduces his desire for proof.
He tries to assert himself as a ratinal character relying on evidence – however in reality he acts rashly, judging based on what he hears. He acts quickly so as to appear authoritative.
Othello: “I am bound to thee forever’
Gratitude, unquestioning – Iago’s power
Othello: ‘her stolen hours of lust…he that is robbed’
Positions himself as the victim. Women as property – undermining suggested equality. He seems to be treating her increasingly less like an equal – doubting the sincerity of their loe.
Othello: ‘I had been happy if the general camp..had tasted her sweet body;
Exaggerated – didn’t care if he didn’t know – links to cultural significance of cuckholdry and iago’s view of love as purely sexyal. Women as passive property to be enjoyed.
‘Othello: ‘Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, be sure of it, give me the ocular proof’
Degrading, emotive tone. Link to seeing vs being, appearance v. reality and the importance of sight and proof. His insistence on evidence is testament to his honesty and nobility, but it also leaves him open to manipulation when Iago falsely produces evidence.
Othello: ‘I think my wife be honest, and think she is not, I think that thou art just, and think thou art not.’
Structure of the lines reflects his division and confusion
Iago: ‘See Cassio wipe his beard with’
Disrespectful, potentially intimate image – hancherchief
Othello: ‘Lie with her?Lie on her? We say lie on her when tey belie her! Lie with her, zounds, that’s fulsome! Handkerchief! Confessions! Handkerchief’
Iago is particularly skilled at the power of suggestion, evoking sexual imagery in othello’s mind. His use of prose suggests a lack of control. He is pushed to breaking point. His language is now just short clauses and exclamations, reflecting his mental state – he cannot think clearly past his jealousy, contrasting his early composure where he spoke fluently/poetically. Repetition indivcates his obsessive fixation
Clown appears in scene 4
Clowns are typically features of comedy – to lighten the mood – however they are also associated with chaos and misrule – frightening, things are in disguise and you canno trust – therefore it is significant that it appears when he talks to desdemona
Othello: ‘Damn her, lewd minx: O damn her, damn her’
Othello’s language becomes progressively more offensive – sense of losing control – contrast with ‘sweet desdemon’
Othello [aside] ‘O harness to dissemble’
Fashionale concept of dissembling – to talk about something in an ambiguous way which hides your thoughts on it – authorities at the time were very suspicious of dissembling
Othello: ‘Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady’
Demanding, commanding direct – moving into the militaristic zone. Begins his interrogation of her. A moist hand connoted promiscuity
The talk of hands is ironic as he eventually smothers her – she dies at his hands
Iago: ‘my medicine, work’
Motiveless malignance.
Iago orchestrates a performance for Othello to see cassio and desdemona’s disloyalty
Othello is a helpless onlooker – increases audience’s complicity as we can hear his comments/ signficiant that the fim version has Othello unwillingly in a cage
Iago allows Othello to hear about the handkerchief
It is reported as true, therefore it is percieved as true by Othello – iago’s web of deceit has ensnared all characters.
Othello: ‘I will chop her into messes! Cuckold me!’
Violence. Messes = servings of meant – Shakespeare therefore deliberately connotes his savage behaviour. How dare she make him a fool. Male honour is more important than her personal betrayal – speaking to contemporary beliefs. Women are presented as inherently duplicitous with a tendency to be sexually unfaithful.
Iago: ‘do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed – even the bed she hath contaminated’
Demonstrates iago’s ultimate control and motiveless malignity. Iago wants him to activerly/physically kill her, playing into this idea of savagery but also giving proof and evidence – allowing him to taunt Othello. He replaces the ritual of consummation wiuth strangulation, making it into a symbolic tableau and subverting the sanctity of the marriage bed. Poison was also supposedly a feminine and passive death, contrasting with the physical mutilation of strangulation
Othello: ‘good, good, the justice of it pleases’
He clearly sees the social consequences of cuckholdry worse than of murder. We see his skewed pursuit of justice, ironic. Repetition of good suggests he is taking pleasure in the thoughts of his revenge – madness is also demonstrated with the idea of murder being an act of justice. Idea of justice is repeated as the play builds to its climax, making it more tragic
‘this is a subtle whore’
Referring to desdemona – blaming her accusing her of being sexually unfaithful, taking it to a holy level – contrasting this degradation with the beautiful language he used to describe her earlier. He now begins to speak and act like iago. Heightens tragedy for audience as he is now no logner able to determine truth from lies
Othello: ‘heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell’
Accuses her of lying and pretense – juxtaposition – all-eoncompassing nature of flase perception. He believes she has deceieved him into thinking she is a virtuous, kind woman.
Othello: ‘o, ay, as summer flies are in the shambles that quicken even with blowing. O thou weed who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet
Image of decay, gore and corruption. Groteseque nature of the deception – appearance vs realirty
Othello: ‘was this fair paper, this most godly book made to write ‘whore’ upon? What commited?’
Objectifies her into a vandalised book – their love story is ruined as the idea of her is ruined – linking to courtly love.
Othello: ‘o thou public commonwe! I should make very forges of my cheeks that would to cinders burn up modesty….heaven stops the nose at it and the moon winks’
Whore – coarse language. Subverted images of chastity, he is ashamed of her actions - male honour . extravagant, hyperbolic images.
Desdemona: ‘that there be women do abuse their husbands in such gross kind?’
She cannot conceive this – highlighting her innocence and sheltered nature, almost contrary to the beginning of the play
‘yet she must die else she’ll betray more men’
Modal verb must – conveys a sense of duty. As if it is a foregone conclusion.
persuade justice to break her sword’
He sees himself as justice, and sees this almost as a moral duty. Legalistic language is used, reflecting his attempt to distribute justice.
Othello’s speech here is clearly modelled on the final speech of a magistrate in court, reflecting how he sees himself as an instrument of justice.
Desdemona ‘they are loves I bear to you’
She is referring to her disobedience – in some way this is the cause of her downfall as it sparks the idea of her deception – sense of circularity
Othello: ‘that he that – Ud’s death! – used thee’
God’s death – strong swear. Profane oath. He cannot bring himself to talk about itn
Give context - morality plays
- Shakespeare loosely follows the conventions of morality plays - microcosms of real social problems, order, and structure. They tended to utilise one character symbolic of mankind, going through difficulties, with other characters representing either goodness or evil - relied on personification to see the consequences of good/evil
- Iago is the vice charatcer, symbolising inherent evil due to his ‘motiveless malignity’ - these are frequently seen as devils, reflecting religious views of the time of the devil as Walking among people
- Dramatic irony created through Iago’s deception being obvious only to the audience
- in morality plays, the protagonists are frequently the contrasting image to these villainous characters - noble and of good character facing difficulties which come in the form of psychological turmoil
- eg Othello stuck between who to believe, in a liminal space of uncertainty
- Shakespeare’s morality play structure differs in its ending - usually sends audience with a good moral message but Othello can be seen as a nihilistic play (much more tragic ending) - Othello arguably doesn’t experience any redemption at the end, as he sins in both murder and suicide - this leaves the audience uneasy about his fate in the afterlife
