Love Flashcards
Iago: ‘thieves, thieves, thieves’
Reflects the way in which Desdemona and Othello’s love is initially demonised
- It is significant that he chooses to use the reptetiion of thieves to wake up Brabantio – emphasises the importance of property, establishing Othello as dangerous and thieving, but it also relates to Othello stealing his daughter – reflecting the subordination of women
‘Even now, now, very now, and old black ram is tupping your white ewe’
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
‘the devil will make a grandsire of you’
Devils were thought to be black. Iago positions Othello within the narrative as evil. Audience becomes aware of Iago as masterful.
‘you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse’
Crude sexual animalistic imagery. Deliberate attempts to provoke and inflame.
your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs’
Development of image of bestiality into a truly monstrous image
Roderigo: ‘gross clasps of a lascivious Moor’
Predatory sexual undertones.
Othello: ‘‘I love the gentle Desdemona’
Contrasting with iago’s description of their relationship as purely sexual – comes across as proud, calm, confident
IAGO: ‘Faith, he tonight hath boarded a land carrack’
Iago creates a sexual image of a treasure ship, reflecting an image of piracy. Iago views relationships as purely sexual/lusting. Presents Othello as a thief.
Brabantio: ‘damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her… in chains of magic’
Accuses Othello of black magic – reflecting racist stereotypes. Imagery of entrapment
This is an almost hysterical soliloquy
Brabantio cannot fathom why DESDEMONA WOULD HAVE MARRIED A MOOR UNLESS SHE WERE ENCHANTED BY HIM, THUS INTRODUCING THE motif of witchcraft. This gives Othello an air of otherworldliness and exoticism. Magic was neither understood nor accepted by Christian Europe, so associating Othello with magic further removes him from society and others him.
That I have ta’en away this old man’s daughter it is most true; true, I have married her’
Reclaims and redefines.
Frames this as an almost pure act despite the fact it is a transgression
Othello: ‘of my whole course of love, what drugs, what charms’
Almost mocking/undermining what he is charged with
‘I won his daughter’
She chooses him – giving desdemona agency. Contrasts with Brabantio
However it is also the possessive language of objectification.
Brabantio: ‘to fall in love with what she feared to look on’
Emphasises to audience the bravery of choice to leave her father
- her love is initially something liberating, it is transformed into restricting
Senator: ‘subdue and poison this young maid’s affections?’
poison imagery reflects the shocking nature of their love
Senator: ‘Or came it by request and such fair question as soul to soul affordeth’
Nature of mutual respect – mutuality of respect and care – makes the fall more tragic = transformative love at the start of play is destroyed
Othello: ‘How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love and she in mine’
Sense of balance in love – love mot corruption/magic
Her father loved me, oft invited me, still questioned me the story of my life’
Long but important speech gives an insight into Othello’s past. Noble, heroic qualities are expressed. He draws on exoticism
‘She’d come again, and with a greedy ear devour up my discourse’
Image of consumption – reference to her appetite – interested in the wider world and exoticism of Othello – consumes his stories. Establishes their relationship as not just sexual, but based on stories – he presents a version of himself and she falls in love with that – almost idealistic love? Desdemona makes the controversial choice of rejecting the monotony of her life in favour of the exotic.
Also indicative of an early 17th century fascination with ‘otherness’ – it was a time of exciting exploration, Francis Drake ect.
‘She loved me for the dangers I had passed and I loved her that she did pity them’
Perhaps there is not a soldi foundation for their love
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
Love is initially liberating
‘My heart’s subdued even to the very quality of my lord’
Despite overturning conventions with her father she submits to Othello – goves her agency and allegiance to him – he has power over her heard
‘And to his honours and his valiant parts did I my should and fortunes consecrate’
His great deeds – she fell in love with his stories. Religious imagery reflects her total commitment
I saw Othello’s visage in his mind’
His face is transformned by his mind – race isn’t an obstacle for her
Othello: ‘But to be free and bounteous to her mind’
He wants to pay attention to her mind. Tries to justify that their love is more than just sexual lust – contrasts with iago who only understands love through sex. He highlights that his interest in her isn’t motivated by sexual desire – anticipating this stereotypical charge against black men
Othello; ‘my life upon her faith’
devotion
Roderigo: ‘I will incontinently drown myself’
Hysterical expression of unrequited love.
‘The food that to him now is luscious as locusts’ - Iago
Metaphor of food – love purely is consumption and fulfilling of appetite over fulfilling of emotion
‘a frail vow betwixt an erring Barbarian and a super-subtle Venetian’
Othello – foreigner, savage outsider – women for male consumption. Common stereotype of Venetian women as untrustworthy prostitutes. She has a deep and calculated understanding of social codes - he views their love as something easily exploitable
Montano to Cassio about Othello: ‘is your general wived?’
State of being altered – burden of wife/
Cassio: ‘she that I spake of, our great captain’s captain’
Elevated desdemona to divine status – makes people less forigiving of her flaws – implies that she has the authority and status.
Othello: ‘O my soul’s joy’
Relationship is presented than more than just sexual
Othello ‘If after every tempest come such calms may the winds blow till they have wakened death’
Storm imagery is a metaphor for their overwhelming feelings. Foresdhawoing – tempts fate. His love overshadows his professional life
‘let the labouring bark climb hills of seas’
Image of crashing waves – confidence of their ability to withstand the troubles of the future – pathos
Iago: ‘I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona a most dear husband. Now I do love her too’
He stays alone on stage speaking directly to the audience – increasing the culpability. He recpognises their love – establishing the tragic irony of what is to come. He doesn’t really love desdemona – he os just jealous.
Othello: ‘the purchase made, the fruits are to ensue’
Complex nature of love – is this purely lustful/ sexual image – fruit of union = procreation
Iago: ‘he hath not yet made wanton the night with her, and she is sport for Jove’
Contrasting view of Desdemona – views her merely as a sexual object. Connotations of promiscuity. Jove = Jupiter – womanizer
The willingness of iago and cassio to talk about desdemona in such an explicitly sexual way – homosocial misogyny
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.
Othello” ‘sweet desdemon’
Love
Desdemona: ‘’What’eer you be, I am obedient’
Submissive, obedient wife
Othello: ‘excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul but I do love thee!’
He speaks freely in the presence of iago – homosocial bond. He is lovin in this moment – love is presented as powerful yet precarious – Othello is in the grip of emotions that he cannot control
Iago: ‘my lord, you know I love you’
Iago is able to exploit Othello’s changing feelings and the homosical bond and trust.
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.
mirrors Iago at the beginning
Iago ‘Behold her topped?’
Image of sex – crude, graphic
Othello: “all my fond love thus do I blow to heaven’
Othello: “all my fond love thus do I blow to heaven’
Othello: ‘In the due reverence of a sacred vow I here engage my words’
Commitment – explicit rejection of love
Othello: ‘I greet thy love’
Othello finishes iago lines – showing how far he has fallen under his manipulation.
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: ‘now art thou my lieutenant, I am youw own forever’
Homosocial bond – confirms power Iago has over Othello.
Iago: ‘to lip a wanton in a secure couch’
Paints desdemona as this unknowable, sly and subtle
Othello: ‘a fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet woman’
Mourning loss of corrupted wife – we see a tension between hating and wroshippign desdemona – his interal division is conflicted. The issue is not that she doesn’t love him b ut rather his reputation
‘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
Desdemona: ‘lay on my bed my wedding sheets’
Reminiscent of their past relationsuip , linking to virginity. Ominous foreshadowing however as the audience knows the intention is to strangle her there.
‘if e’er my will did trespass ‘gainst his love’
It is not love – roderigo’s love for d is merely cold and sexual – exposes emptiness of his feelings
Desdemona: ‘my mother had a maid called barbary… she had a song of willow… and she died singing it’
Song – love and madness. Barbary = home of moors. Willow = traditional symbol of lost love. Another reference to death, foreshadowing . a story about female figures submitting to pain of lost love. A real contrast to her agency at the start. the references to nature are an idea of a refuge of safety from the aggressive world of men
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
‘I will kill thee and love thee after’
A love which is warped – by jillin g her, he regains control.
