Othello Flashcards
What are five quotes by Othello?
“Keep up your bright swords for the dew shall rust them” (Beginning of the play)
“Send for the lady / And let her speak of me to her father” (Beginning of the play)
“Thou hast set me on the rack” (Quote from the middle of the play)
“Prove my love a whore” (Quote from the middle of the play)
“Honourable murder” (Quote from the end of the play)
What is the analysis for “Keep up your bright swords for the dew shall rust them”?
- Gentle sarcasm.
- Othello doesn’t view violence as a solution.
- He is immune to toxic masculinity and has a lack of interest in violence.
- Implying Brabantio is old.
What is the analysis for “Send for the lady / And let her speak of me to her father”?
- Portrays Othello’s devotion to Desdemona and the mutual respect between them. Typically women didn’t get to have a say but Othello allows Desdemona to fight her own case.
- Ironic - throughout the rest of the play, Desdemona doesn’t get a say. This emphasises the change in Othello.
What is the analysis for “Thou hast set me on the rack”?
- This metaphor has connotations to medieval methods of torture, conveying Iago’s power over Othello.
- Within Act 3, Scene 3, we watch Othello crumple. His greatest nemesis is his own mind, and in this scene, he gives into the paranoia and doubt.
What is the analysis for “Prove my love a whore”?
- This quote displays Othello’s commitment to justice. His dedication to law and reason comes in direct conflict with his emotional response to paranoia.
What is the analysis for “Honourable murder”?
- Even when Othello is about to murder Desdemona, he objects to her accusations.
- He manipulates language to his own gain to preserve his honour and reputation.
- Shakespeare highlights the duplicity of language in this quote. Murder to some may be seen as ‘sacrifice’ to others.
What are 3 quotes for Iago?
“I hate the Moor” (Beginning of the play)
“I am not what I am” (Beginning of the play)
“Villainous whore” (End of the play)
What is the analysis for “I hate the Moor”?
- The simple and blunt tone in this quote shows the strength of Iago’s hatred.
- Iago provides motives for his hatred but never gives a proper reason.
- “Moor” suggests he’s trying to separate Othello from society based on his race.
What is the analysis for “I am not what I am”?
- Plays on God’s words.
- Conveys the paradox of human identity. A person can be one thing by appearance and another inside. The truth is that we are limited by our perceptions of others.
What is the analysis for “Villainous whore”?
- Iago is ruled by sexual jealousy, pride and competitiveness - all traits that define toxic masculinity.
- He views Emilia as a “fallen woman”.
- Shakespeare demonstrates the hypocrisy within male insecurities through Iago’s words and actions.
What are three quotes for Desdemona?
“He hath left part his grief with me” (Middle of the play)
“A guiltless death I die” (End of the play)
“His unkindness may defeat my life but never taint my love” (End of the play)
What is the analysis for “He hath left part his grief with me”?
- Shakespeare portrays her extreme altruism, sacrificing herself for the needs of others. This reaches it’s crux as Desdemona is killed.
- Displays her innocence.
- The conflicts of the play are taken out on her, with many juxtapositions clashing.
What is the analysis for “A guiltless death I die”?
- Shakespeare presents Desdemona’s assertiveness.
- She maintains her innocence in the face of Othello’s lies and fury.
What is the analysis for “His unkindness may defeat my life but never taint my love”?
- Unconditional love right up to her murder.
- Love empowers her.
- She is faithful to him in mind and body.
What are three quotes for Emilia?
“I nothing but to please his fantasy” (Middle of the play)
“My husband” (End of the play)
“Lay me by my mistress” (End of the play)
What is the analysis for “I nothing but to please his fantasy”?
- There is still a part of Emilia that craves Iago’s affection and attention.
- For the first half of the play she appears to be submissive to her husband’s desires. however her confidence and voice builds as the play goes on.
What is the analysis for
“My husband”?
- It’s only once the full extent of Iago’s wickedness comes to light that she is able to reject him.
- She asks multiple times before she accepts the terrible truth. We can see she still held affection that blinded her right up to the end of the play.
What is the analysis for “Lay me by my mistress?
- Shakespeare challenges Emilia’s initial impression of the submissive wife through her fierce loyalty to Desdemona. She chooses her friendship over her marriage at the end and dies to clear Desdemona’s name.
What is one quote for Cassio?
“The divine Desdemona” (Beginning of the play)
What is the analysis for “The divine Desdemona”?
- He views Desdemona with awe.
What are two contexts that relate to Othello?
- Shakespeare’s sources.
- Peace Treaty with Spain.
What were Shakespeares sources?
Gli Hecatommithi by Cinthio was published in 1565. It tells the story of Disdemona and a Moor captain. The Moor’s ensign falls in love with Disdemona, and when she rejects him he tells that Moor that she cheated on him with the corporal.
The plot proceeds very similarly to that in Shakespeare’s Othello, until in Cinthio’s version, the Moor kills Disdemona by beating her. The Moor and the ensign turn on each other and the Former is tortured and killed by Disdemona’s relatives.
- Shakespeare’s Iago is far more ambiguous and therefore seems more evil than the Moor’s ensign in Cinthio’s version.
- Shakespeare also adds Rodrigo and Brabantio. Brabantio adds depth to Othello’s insecurities due to his opposition to their marriage. Rodrigo is another person for Iago to manipulate.
What was the Peace Treaty with Spain?
In 1604, King James signed a peace treaty with Spain. Shakespeare was paid to watch large events like this due to his acting career and nice-looking costumes.
Iago shares his name with the Saint of Spain, Iago translated to English means James. Spain was a scary place for some and therefore calling the evil character Iago, insults both the Saint of Spain and King James indirectly. It implies Shakespeare disagreed with the King’s choices.
Whilst he couldn’t directly suggest this, Shakespeare uses Iago as a vessel to promote his anger and lack of respect towards the King.
What are two further readings relating to Othello?
- Oliver Park’s 1995 film adaptation of Othello.
- Romeo and Juliet.
What is Oliver Park’s 1995 film adaptation of Othello?
Oliver Park’s 1995 film adaptation of Othello displays Iago as a man with homosexual desires. Iago’s lack of motivation, or unwillingness to express his true motivation for his hatred towards Othello, suggests a deeper reason may be there.
Iago also displays a deep-rooted hatred for women, evident in his objectification of Desdemona, using her as a took to get what he wants, disregarding her as a person.
It could be argued that his real motive is a homosexual desire for Othello. This would certainly explain the pleasure he takes in preventing Othello from marital happiness. He may want to punish Othello because he can’t have him.
What critical perspective supports Oliver Parker’s film adaptation theory?
“Iago is motivated by a strong, latent homosexuality” - S. Hyman.
How does Romeo and Juliet link to Othello?
Shakespeare had previously portrayed a pair of doomed lovers in his play, Romeo and Juliet. This play displays a young couple from rival families. Due to their family feud, the love between Romeo and Juliet is as unacceptable to their families as Othello’s marriage to Desdemona.
In both Romeo and Juliet and Othello, Shakespeare explores the tragic consequences of love. In each play, the tragic heroine is assertive, but the patriarch - Capulet or Brabantio - expects his daughter to make a socially acceptable marriage and is angered when she does not.
