Language Flashcards
There are significant differences between the poetic images and speech style Othello uses early in Act 1 and Act 11 and the violent images and disjointed style he uses in Acts….?
3 and 4
From his opening speeches in Act 1 Scenes 2 and 3, it is clear that Othello’s characteristic idiom is what?
his characteristic idiom is dignified, measured blank verse
From his opening speeches in Act 1 Scenes 2 and 3, it is clear that Othello’s characteristic idiom is dignified, measured blank verse which help establishes what?
his heroism and nobility
Othello’s speeches demonstrate authority in Act 1 scene 2, there is a sense of danger and beauty in Othello’s references to ‘________’ and ‘___’ when he is confronted by Brabantio and his followers. From this Shakespeare reminds us that Othello is an impressive character and a powerful speaker
bright swords
dew
How is Othello’s power reinforced in Act 1 scene 2?
as he uses his words not just to defend his elopement with Desdemona, but also to enable I’m to keep her. If he did not speak persuasively, the ‘bloody book of law’ may deprive him of his wife.
How does Desdemona mirror Othello’s powerful speech?
she uses the same dignified and purposeful idiom that Othello employs
Through their shared speech patterns what does Shakespeare convey?
the harmony and mutual affection of Othello and Desdemona. The lover are, as Iago expresses it, ‘well tuned’ at this point in Act 2
Through their shared speech patterns, Shakespeare conveys the harmony and mutual affection of Othello and Desdemona. The lovers are, as Iago expresses it, ‘___ _____” at this point.
well tuned
Many of Othello’s long speeches can be compared to what, which expresses the nobility and romance we come to associate with the tragic protagonist?
poems
Othello is Shakespeare’s most ‘poetic’ hero, this seems appropriate why?
because we focus on his experiences of love in the play, making us believe his love for Desdemona and making his fall thus more tragic.
The orderliness of Othello’s verse suggests not just his confidence as a lover, but also the fact that the senate are wise to trust Othellos _________.
judgement
Why do we accept Othello as both loving husband and military man?
because of his measured speech style
In Othello, language is not simply the media by which the drama is conveyed like other Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists of the time. in this play language is action. Othello falls because he believes Iago, whose every utterance is deceptive. Through language Iago imposes his will on the hero, and creates the opposition within Othello’s marriage. When Othello is taken in by false words, what is the result?
tragedy
We watch as characters construct their own and other’s identities through language. and exert power either by ?
speaking, remaining silent or silencing others
When Othello is corrupted by Iago’s false words, what happens to his stately style?
it begins to break down
When Othello is corrupted by Iago’s false words, his stately style begins to break down; in Act v Scene 1 how is this evidence?
as he asks questions and bark out a series of short exclamations; exclaiming ‘handkerchief’ three times
Othello’s fractured sense of self is conveyed through the words and syntax. How does his speech end in Act 4 scene 1?
“It is not words that shake me thus. Pish!. noses, ears, and lips. Is’t possible?confess?handkerchief! O devil!’
“noses, _____, and lips. ___ _______ ?confess?handkerchief! _ ____!’
ears
is’t possible
O devil
There is a terrible irony in Othello’s declaration that ‘it is not words that shake me thus’. why?
as the events of the play an the violence of his outburst suggest that words are destroying Othello.
What is ironic about the way Othello exclaims “it is not words that shakes me thus”?
as the use of disjointed prose rather than measured verse suggests reason has given way to passion.
From Act 3 onwards, Othello and Desdemona struggle to understand one another’s language. How is the breakup of their martial harmony conveyed?
through the disruption in the lines and Othello’s measured calm gives way to verbal bullying
when confronted by the truth Othello then recovers, returning to what?
returning to the majestic idiom of his earlier speeches at the end of Act V. His final speech echoes his first speech to the senate, but othello no longer speaks of himself as a worthy hero.
When confronted by the truth Othello then recovers, returning to the majestic idiom of his earlier speeches at the end of Act V. His final speech echoes his first speech to the senate, but othello no longer speaks of himself as a worthy hero. He now compares himself to what ? (2)
‘the base indian’ and ‘circumcised dog’
What is the source of Iago’s power?
Language
Language is the source of Iago’s power, but his characteristic idiom is different from Othello’s once his mind is poisoned?
Othello’s becomes full of colloquialisms and oaths (Zounds), befitting a cyclical soldier
How is Iago’s language more complicated than Othello’s?
As the villain he slips between prose an verse ,adapting his style to suit his different audiences and purposes
What convey’s Iago’s crude nature when talking to Rodrigo?
The way his fast-moving prose of his exchanges conveys his crude nature
Othello begins to use Iago’s base idiom when he decides to revenge himself on Desdemona. What does this show?
his increasing authority over him
What does Iago’s use of asides reveal?
his cunning, destructive nature
How does Iago’s use of asides reveal his cunning, destructive nature?
as he is able not only to direct but also to comment on the action of the play
What are Iago’s asides and soliloquies a source of ?
dramatic irony increases dramatic tension
By appearing reluctant to talk in Act 3, what does Iago gain?
he gains the opportunity to speak at length and poison Othello’s mind
What could suggest Iago’s continued power at the end of the play?
his continued silence
Why is it both ironic and appropriate that Iago is unmasked by Emilia?
as her powers of speech were ignored
