Jealousy Flashcards
Iago: ‘I know my price, I am worth no worse a place…his Moorship’s ancient!’
Immediately establishes in scene 1 that his grievance against Othello is due to his failure to make Iago his liutenant.
Ancient = ensing/lower class role. Iago feels cheated, a victim of class difference
Iago: ‘poison his delight…plague him with flies’
This imagery of poison is used throughout the play. Old Testament biblical imagery - Iago associates himself with someone who brings about justice and vengeance.
Iago: ‘I hate the Moor’
Reflects the strength of his hatred - the fact that he says that he is willing to act on ‘suspicion…as if for surety’ suggests that there is an inherent evil nature to his character, and the motives he gives are purely incidental
Iago: ‘they met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together’
here, he attempts to provoke Rodrigo’s jealousy. first example of Iago using jealousy as a tool of manipulation.
Iago: ‘doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards’
Uses imagery of poison to describe his jealousy.
Iago: ‘she’s framed as fruitful’
Iago ives a sexually charged depiction of Desdemona, suggesting fertility/reproduction and a sexual appetite. Venice had a reputation as a place of seuxla promiscuity for women – iago draws on these stereotypes to promote jealousy
Iago: ‘I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear’
repeated poison imagery to describe jealousy - it is used not only in relation to his own jealousy, but it becomes like a disease which he spreads.
Repeated poison imagery – soliloquies establish him as a villain in control. Expolitin the intimate trusting vulnerability of Othello
Iago” ‘No, sure, I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like seeing you coming’
He is attempting to provoke jealousy in Othello by promoting a false version of events which he gets Othello to believe was his own idea
Othello: ‘Zounds! What dost thou mean?’
Jealousy promotes anger and a lack of control - Swearing – language degrades – no longer in a position of power as he is being manipulated into thinking cassio is plotting against him. Jealousy as a tool to catalyse Othello’s downfall
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 insensible. Othello becomes this monster - ironic, as it is Iago who is originally jealous.
Iago: ‘that cuckhold lives in bliss’
Iago connects cuckoldry to jealousy - masculinity and reputation are at stake due for Othello
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 love. he is jealous - but it isn’t necessarily about an emotional betrayal, but rather the threat this poses to his masculinity.
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 - jealousy as a catalyst for madness
Iago ‘Behold her topped?’
Image of sex – crude, graphic - tries to provoke jealousy
Iago: ‘See Cassio wipe his beard with’
imperative ‘see’ - orders Othello, provoking a jealous reaction. Disrespectful, potentially intimate image – hancherchief
‘Arise black vengeance from the hollow hell… for ‘tis of aspics’ tongues’
Jealousy as a powerful force
Almost black magic image – palying into stereotype
Evil imagery of snakes and hell and darkness.
We begin to see the breakdown of othello’s mental state through his language – his anger is evident through his repeated exclamations – he loses control of his language just as he loses control of his temper
Othello: ‘within these three days let me hear thee say that Cassio’s not alive’
It is othello’s idea for killing Cassio – undercurrent of violent streak. Jealousy has a physical reaction
Othello: ‘Damn her, lewd minx: O damn her, damn her’
It is interesting that his jealousy is directed as anger towards her - the real betrayal is cuckoldry and social standards - superficiality of their relationship?
Othello’s language becomes progressively more offensive – sense of losing control – contrast with ‘sweet desdemon’
Desdemona: ‘but my Noble Moor is true of mind and made of no such baseness as jealous creatures are’
Ironiocally she isn’t worried about how he might react. Dramatic irony. Contrast between the ideal of him that she fell in love with – her trust is perhaps misgiven
This also serves to show just how far Othello has fallen- he is so different from his mild-mannered appearance at the start of the play
Othello: ‘Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady’
jealousy and paranoia. 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
Othello: ;This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart’
Aka generous…but his phrasing is deliberate – chooses to perceive in a certain way and then use it as evidence
I’ll tear her all to pieces’ Othello
jealousy and anger
Othello: ‘O, it comes o’er my memory as doth the raven o’er the infectious house’
Bad omens foreshadowing tragic demise. Imagery of disease and plague – iago infecting Othello with jealousy
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
Othello: ‘how shall I murder him iago’
jealousy translated into anger
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.
Othello: ‘I am glad…to see you mad’
The rhyme’s circularity suggests lis loss of control and distraction. He takes h=this as evidence – shows us how warped his perception is. Public nature of scene makes him seem alone and isolated
Jealousy as a catalyst for madness
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: ‘that he that – Ud’s death! – used thee’
God’s death – strong swear. Profane oath. He cannot bring himself to talk about it
What is Shakespeare saying about jealousy?
- throughout the play Shakespeare is exploring the consequences of jealous dispositions - jealousy is central in driving most of the characters’ actions
- Shakespeare argues that jealousy doesn’t occur in isolation - jealousy is a symptom of society and the institutions explored - eg Othello’s jealousy is partially sparked by his insecurity about race/outsider position.
- shakespeare is also arguing that jealousy is an inevitable epidemic within societies that preach the ownership of female sexuality by men
Describe the relationship between race, religion and jealousy in Othello
- Religious ideas shape the characters’ behaviour - Othello is able to ‘fit in’ to Venetian society by converting to christianity - thus perhaps suggesting that any diversion from Christianity is an immoral one
- Jealousy and conscience are shown to be linked, allowing us to understand Othello’s descent. Individuals in Jacobean England were encouraged to be introspective (self-improvement through appealing to their own conscience). Othello: ‘I had rather be a toad/ And live upon a vapour of a dungeon/than keep in the corner the thing I love’ - mental struggle. His descent into jealousy is a spiritual one
- Othello’s madness is linked to race - Shakespeare draws on stereotypes of African men as inherently and extremely jealous. Play could be seen to be inspired by geohumoralism (used to justify white supremacy) which stated that Africans were not naturally jealous but if provoked would react jealously - hotter climates lead to aggression
- Othello himself suggests his race presupposes him to jealousy/rages: ‘I am black/And have not those soft parts of conversation’
describe the relationship between femininity and jealousy in the play
- Jacobean ideas of female infidelity are prominent
- the thought of her unrestrained sexuality angers him as it would represent a challenge to his honour as a husband and his masculinity
- He begins to doubt her loyalty: ‘her name, that was as fresh/as Dian’s visage , is now begrimed and black’ - reflecting fears surrounding female sexuality, purity and corruption
- renaissance women were expected to be ruled by their husbands - assertiveness would be seen as a transgression of the established social order that legally made them possessions - explaining Othello’s anger, as her infidelity is viewed as a challenge to his authority
Describe the symbolism of the handkerchief in relation to jealousy
- portrays his progress from love to jealousy
- what was once a sign of love now is unfaithfulness
- design of the handkerchief (white with red strawberries) signifies female virginity and martial fidelity
- the handkerchief is used by Iago as a tool to manipulate Othello - it positions her as an adulterer, provoking his madness
- the fact the handkerchief passes through many characters is particularly significant - Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Iago, Bianca - it represents marriage, therefore the handling of it suggests how everyone is involved in private relationships - problematic as it allows doubts to spread. therefore, the handkerchief is a prevailing central object which demonstrates the conflict of their marriage, and arguably the fallibility of the marriage institution as a whole
describe Othello’s speech acts and their consequences in relation to the presentation of jealousy
- Othello’s characterisation of himself is significant in defining and influencing his jealousy
- His speech at the beginning is assertive and candid - suggesting a strong sense for reason and rationality and calmness, suggesting Othello is much more level headed at the beginning. ‘Not I. I must be found. My parts, my title, and my perfect soul/shall manifest me rightly’ - he is sure in his innocence at the grinning of the play.
- In contrast, Iago’s speech tends to use directives - suggesting he likes to be in a position of authority to give instructions
- at the beginning of the play therefore he has a self-assured sense and a strong grip on reality - a stable outlook uninfluenced by stereotypes which makes him respectable in Venetian society
- as he grows more jealous, his speech towards Desdemona grows more violent - revealing his insecurities and jealousy
- ## ‘Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul/But I do love thee’ - the changing nature of his love. Excessive love (religious imagery) and jealousy are shown to parallel each other here - suggesting that his madness surrounding his wife’s sexuality is due to his excessive love for her.
describe the significance of jealousy and redemption
- his use of a ‘fatal flaw’ by Shakespeare is important in establishing his tragic heroes, leading the audience to question whether they can achieve redemption.
- tohllo’s tragic flaw is his jealousy
- the fatal flaws destroy the character’s mortality and sense of responsibility
- Othello’s first sense of redemption was achieved when he was rescued from slavery. Links to his conversion to christianity and a sense of being saved - key in his respectability and position in Venetian society - he’d redeemed himself from being a Moor. Shakespeare uses this to highlight that he was able to integrate without transgressing social boundaries
- His subsequent character transgressions undermine the redemption he achieved at the start of his life
