Othello Flashcards
act one scene one summary
play starts with Iago and Rodrigo arguing over the fact that Roderigo has paid Iago a lot of money to try and woo Desdemona so Rodrigo can marry him. however, Othello has just married Desdemona.
- Iago says he had absolutely no idea they got married, and that he doesn’t actually like Othello as he didn’t promote hum got lieutenant.
- instead Othello promotes Cassio, a Florentine, to lieutenant.
-the two men make their way to brabantios house where Iago explicitly tells him how Desdemona and Othello are having sex.
- brabantio believes his daughter has been taken by black magic, and he wishes that Rodrigo married his daughter.
- they go on a hunt to try and confront Othello.
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themes shown in act one scene one
gender and race prejudice
deceit
jealousy
manhood and honour.
KEY QUOTES 1.1- ‘if I ever did dream of such a matter, abhor me.’
Iago trying to convince Rodrigo that he didn’t know Othello eloped to Desdemona. already sets him up to be deceitful and a pathological liar to get what he wants.
KEY QUOTES 1.1- ‘a Florentine…that never set a squadron in a field… more than a spinster.’
JEALOUSY
-Iago is annoyed as Cassio has been promoted to leiutenant and he hasn’t.
‘Florentine’ derogatory xenaphobic term for someone from Florence- outsider like Othello.
-however Florence has connotations of kind and noble so Shakespeares way of knowing what to think of Cassio.
-ALSO ironic from Iago as Iago is an Italian name so he too is also considered an outsider.
-furthermore ‘ never set a squadron on a field’ shows his toxic masculinity and ego complex as he thinks he is more manly and more worthy of the position than Cassio.
-‘spinster’ derogatory term for an unmarried woman. shows Lagos mysoginistic attitudes towards women.
- HOWEVER this is interesting as he hates women but is seen to do relationship type things with men like the marriage to Othello and sharing a bed with Cassio, therefore perhaps can look into queer/gay reading of Iago and that will explain why he is so mysoginistic.
KEY QUOTE 1.1- ‘ thick lips’
racism
physiosophical thoughts of what African people were like from the greek times
KEY QUOTE 1.1.- ‘look to your house, your daughter, and your bags.’
Desdemona is listed as a valuable item/posetion/something to be owned.
states women to be valuable for what you ge4t from them
again Iago showing his mysoginistic traits.
KEY KEY KEY QUOTE 1.1- ‘old black ram is tupping your white ewe.’
-Iago again showing racism.
-Shakespeare knew his audience liked crude bawdey sexualised jokes
-racist joke that draws on audiences inherent sterotypes of black people
-the white and black imagery and symbolism- innocence vs the devil
-animal imagery links to the presentation of Othello
- astrological link- ram are very sexualised people (Aries)
- the ram vs the ewe also draws on the age difference between Othello (50s)
and Desdemona (18)
KEY QUOTE 1.1- ‘the worser welcome! my daughter is not for thee’
basically brabantio saying roderigo is no good enough for his daughter however when he finds out that Othello is black he wants Rodrigo to get with Desdemona.
KEY QUOTES 1.1- ‘ Barbary horse, you’ll have nephews neigh to you […]. ‘
-semantic field of animals / horses - linking to Othello.
- Iago uses animal imagery a lot to show he thinks they deserve no respect and should be treated like animals.
-he is plotting against Othello by trying to ruin his marriage by trying to turn brabantio against him by telling him that his heritage will be ruined by a black man.
KEY QUOTE- 1.1 ‘ the moor’
constant use of the moor instead of calling Othello by his name shows the lack of respect they had for him embodying the treatment of black people as the other.
- depersonalisation of Othello
- a part of different cultural mainstream.
