Justice & Revenge Flashcards
What is the role of a typical early-modern stage revenger, an example from another play, and who fills it in Othello?
The character who plots private vengeance against a leader who embodies states justice, Hamlet, Iago
“I hate the moor and it is thought abroad that…
‘twixt my sheets he’s done my office, i know not if’t be true but I for mere suspicion in that kind will do as if for surely” A1.S3
What quote shows that Othello possesses immense political power?
A2. Othello described as a ‘worthy governed’ in ‘full commission’ of Cyprus
By having Othello possess immense political power how can the play be read?
The fall of a leader. Which deals with ‘affairs of the state’ increasing significance of justice and revenge
What is the revengers compulsion to repeat?
Vengeance is perceived as justice, the original offence is repeated against the original offender
How does Iago fill the role of revenger through compulsion to repeat?
-Wants to be evened ‘wife for wife’
-Transformation of Othello into Iago
‘Some such squire he was that turned your…
wit the seamy side without and made you suspect me with the moor’ A4.S2
Iago accepts suspicion as… and as a result he entered a state of…
surety, mental turmoil
Iago says that the very… of Othello with his wife ‘doth…
thought, like a poison mineral gnaw my inwards’ A2.S1
What does Iago say in A1.S1 to foreshadow inflicting the same mental turmoil onto Othello.
‘were I the Moor, I would not be Iago’
In A3.S3 how is Othello’s mental turmoil presented? ‘Thou hast…
AND ‘Her name that was as…
set me on the rack’, fresh as Dians visage is now begrimmed and black as mine own face’
How the Royal Shakespeare company 2015 production emphasise about justice and revenge? And how does it do that?
Duplication of mental states. 2 black actors as Othello and Iago, in the trailer Othello embraces Desdemona saying ‘chaos is coming again’ A3.S3 camera pans down and when it pans up it’s Iago who Desdemona is facing
How does Othello’s Justice contrast with that of Venetian Justice?
Senate of Venice applies reason and concludes evidence is artificial with the Turks and with the ‘trial’ of Desdemona and Othello senate applies 3 key processes charge, defence and witness
Othello structural inversion of Venetian justice
How is Othello as a leader a structural inversion of Venetian justice?
Decides verdict then finds proof also doesn’t apply reason in order to identify the handkerchief as artificial proof. Further he doesn’t specify accusations so she can’t defend herself from the charge and he doesn’t take into consideration the witness (Emilia)
What quotes show Othello as a structural inversion of Venetian justice
‘False as hell’ A4.S2
‘Villain be sure thou prove my love a whore be sure of it, give me the ocular proof’ A3.S3
