Othello Flashcards
‘Like the base _ _ _ _ _ _, threw a _ _ _ _ _ away’ (5.1)
Theme; death
Devices: pearl symbolism, simile
int: the image of a ‘pearl’ references Desdemona’s, true value and pure nature that Othello couldn’t contemplate until he had ‘threw’ her away.
- alt 1: the pearl is also symbolic of incorruptibility and hidden knowledge. In this scene, Othello comes to a clarity and actualisation that Desdemona is his ‘fair warrior’ and in the midst of Iago’s deception she was still loyal and ‘incorrupt’. The hidden knowledge aspect could derive from the idea that Othello never really understood Desdemona, he just attracted her with his bold heroics in battle. There in lies Othello’s falsehood, he chose to believe Iago and think the worst of Desdemona, when she truly was the hidden ‘pearl’ in the Oyster of the said to be disloyal Venetian women of the period.
alt 2: there is also the idea that the pearl holds wisdom gained through experience. In this case, Othello has experienced Desdemona’s unfeigned love and is burdened with the wisdom of needing to know better and having to ward off gullibility.
- Int 2: The simile referencing the ‘base Indian’ is much debated by modern scholars. This is because in “The first Folio” (book collection of Shakespeare’s plays), “Indian” is spelt ‘ludean’ or ‘Judean’ (modernised). If Shakespeare intended the word to be Indian then he would be referring to the Indians of the New World (“savages” in Renaissance England). Famous Shakespeare editor, George Lyman Kittredge, wrote “the supposed ignorance of savages with regard to the value of precious stones had become proverbial”. Thus, Othello would be comparing his treatment of Desdemona to the savage. However, if Shakespeare intended the word to be “Judean”, then Othello is likely comparing himself to Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus. It was common for someone to refer to their soul, in Shakespeare’s plays, as their ‘eternal jewel’ (Macbeth). Therefore, the ‘pearl’ would be Othello’s soul, meaning he had lost his soul as well as murdering his beloved.
AO3: A Jacobean audience might sympathise with how easily Othello was lead astray due to the idea of cuckoldry. They would be familiar with the idea that Moors and others were outsiders and considered as ‘savages’ similar to ‘Indians’ and understand his somewhat understandable emotional crippling due to Iago’s manipulation. This may further bring the realisation that normal people aren’t that much different to the so-called “savages” of the New World
- AO5: F.R Leavis - Othello’s love is ‘composed very largely of ignorance of self as well as ignorance of her [Desdemona]’ and displays a ‘not uncommon kind of grudging malice’
- Samuel Coleridge = Othello DIDN’T kill Des out of jealousy, but because of Iago’s manipulation. Othello isn’t to blame. Iago is “a being next to devil”, his monologues are “the motive-hunting of motiveless malignity”. Iago has no reason to be evil but he’s evil anyway.
“Haply, for i am _____/And have not those ____ parts of conversation” (3.3)
Theme: isolation
Devices: soliloquy, declarative sentence, symbolism, blank verse
BLANK VERSE: uses this verse to list his race and lack of education as flaws. This highlights the derogatory beliefs of the period and how people of colour were considered as Incapable of being civilised.
alt 1: in poetry, writers often use blank verse to free their work from the constraints of rhyme. Perhaps, Shakespeare has methodically given Othello this device to provoke the idea of escaping racial and derogatory beliefs of late 1500s Venice and suggest it to a Jacobean audience too.
SYMBOLISM: the colour ‘black’ in the Jacobean era was often associated with ‘black magic’ and evil. Because ‘black magic’ was associated with witches in Shakespeare’s England, this colour was widely known as a symbol of misfortune and danger. Therefore, Othello’s skin colour automatically deters the audience from trusting in his character
alt 1: this can link to the use of the ‘blackface’ in the Jacobean era and the fact that these actors painted their faces black to resemble a person of foreign ethnicity e.g ‘moors’. This role was largely deemed ‘minstrel’ and comical. The ‘blackface’ used for this play, could foreshadow the control Iago gains over Othello, to use him as a puppet of self-destruction.
ADJECTIVE “SOFT”: the idea that Othello doesn’t have ‘soft parts of conversation’ emphasises the Venetian beliefs that outcasts were barbaric and uncivilised.
alt 1: this could be a d.irony used by Shakespeare, where, Othello believes he is ‘hard’ and ‘rigid’, only to fall to Iago’s manipulation. This may be exemplary of Othello’s hubris and devotion to his ‘battle-image’, only to ruin this image by believing Iago’s lies and falsehood.
AO3: Because of the Renaissance, Shakespeare consistently structured his plays to question social, political beliefs of society. Here he may craft a comical tone, where the belief is that outcasts are uncivilised and don’t have ‘soft parts of conversation’ or a civilised tone, yet Othello is given a position of nobility and high social status.
AO4: Othello and Shylock (Merchant of Venice) = racism, presentation is ethnic minorities as evil or in positions of power they, arguably, shouldn’t have. Shylock is wrongly treated for being a Jew by society and specifically Antonio (devout Christian)
AO5: Post colonial approach (Loomba, Newman): How Othello’s race/colour determines his downfall before the play has even begun
- Frances Dolan: “By making his protagonist black, Shakespeare prepares his original audience to question Othello’s authority, to suspect that he might misuse it groundlessly”
“If I do prove her _______,/
Though her ______ were my dear heart-strings,/
I’d whistle her off, and let her down the wind/
To prey at _______” (3.3)
theme: corrupted love, patriarchy, insecurity
devices: extended metaphor, homonym, derogatory attitude
- Othello’s soliloquy which marks the turning point of the play
- EXTENDED METAPHOR: Othello is a hawk. “haggard” = untamed animal (fits the stereotypical derogatory attitudes of a ‘moor’ in Venetian society). “jesses” = falconer straps, which Othello compares to his “heart strings”
alt 1: Othello is beginning to let go of the idea of Desdemona being his “fair warrior” and that her once deemed pure nature, has been revealed as a consequence of her being held down by “jesses”. Only when let go, he believes she will reveal her true nature.
alt 2: leather is used to construct a “jess” because it is seen as a durable and flexible material, providing comfort and protection. This information exacerbates Othello’s feelings to this (false) revelation regarding his wife, and while he as tried to prove to her his devotion with his declaration of love (seen in the first act in “she gave me for my pains a world of sighs” “she loved me for the dangers I had passed,/ And I loved her that she did pity them”). He believes he has given all his efforts only for her to be “let down the wind” as a “haggard”.
alt 3: Because a falcon typically symbolises a creature of beauty and proudness, yet needing to be domesticated. Othello may see Desdemona’s said to be infidelity as a huge failure in himself and a harm to his honour and status. This further exemplifies the fact that over-valuing honour is his fatal flaw (hamartia).
- HOMONYM: (“to prey at fortune”), “prey” is a homonym of ‘pray’. When Othello kills Desdemona he tells her to pray beforehand.
- possible, subtle foreshadowing of Othello forcing Desdemona into submission and putting her on a false ‘trial’ for her infidelity against him as a sin.
- AO3: 1600: a translation of John Leo’s/Leo Africanus’ ‘A Geographical Histoire of Africa’ is published in England. Very popular. Leo was a black man who had been brought up in Barbary. He spoke about how he and ‘his people’ would “rather lose their lives than put up any disgrace in the behalf of their women.” It is widely speculated that Shakespeare knew Leo, and that Othello is based off of him.
- Elizabethan Patriarchy: Patriarchy = male controlled and dominated society. Women had few legal rights, entitles to inherit property, but if they married, everything they owned passed to their husbands instead of them. Fathers chose husbands for their daughters. Intellectually woman were supposedly inferior to men, and incapable of rational thought. They were rarely educated past stitching, singing, and domestic work.
- AO4: - Othello + Lear = men who’s reputation is larger than life
- Hamartia = Othello’s insecurity/honour, Lear’s pride
AO5: William Hazlitt = Othello has great “depth of passion”, evokes a lot of PATHOS. Sympathizes with Othello, says he’s “noble”. Iago is only evil because he knows how to exercise his intellect more than anyone else.
- 20th century critic - F.R Levis:
Othello was deeply flawed
- Othello’s downfall was because of his own weakness, not because of Iago
- Iago’s success isn’t due to his “diabolical intellect” but due to Othello’s weakness and hubris
- Othello gives in too quickly
- Othello is self centered
“It is the _____, it is the cause, my soul:/
Let me not name it to you, you _______ stars!/
It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood,/
Nor scar that ______ skin of hers than snow,/
And smooth and monumental alabaster:/
Yet she must die, else she’ll ______ more men./
Put out the ______, and then put out the light” (5.2)
theme: death/misogynism/corruption
devices: anaphora, sibilance, fig lang,
- ANAPHORA: “it is the cause” repetition means Othello is totally certain that he has “cause” to kill her, while remaining completely vague about what the actual “cause” is. This is exemplary of the “green-eyed monster” Othello has became, due to Iago’s manipulation, he ceases to think rationally and acts barbarically against the idea of cuckoldry and his wife’s said to be infidelity.
- SIBILANCE: “soul…stars…shed…scar…skin…snow…smooth”: the whispering sound here creates a soothing effect, similar to a lullaby. This is a stark contrast to the murder Othello is about to commit. It seems as though he feels that, he will find peace in Desdemona’s death as her infidelity will be no more.
alt 1: Specifically, the plural noun “stars” has meaningful symbolism. For example, the star of David in Judaism, represents protection. Perhaps, Othello feels he has a right to commit the sin of murder, due to Desdemona breaking the commandment of ‘thou shall not commit adultery’. The idea of cuckoldry forces him into a primal state, perhaps thinking more into the old testament in the Bible and the Decalogue, which validated ‘an eye for an eye’. Moreover, the star of Bethlehem in the new Christian testament represented God’s guidance, further reinforcing the idea that Othello believes there is a valid level of justice in his actions.
- FIG LANG: “Put out the light, and then put out the light”: this repetition of “light” can refer to both literal and figurative lights: the light of the candle, and the symbolic light of Desdemona’s life. The dull tone of this line emphasises the meaning of “Desdemona” (misery).
alt 1: this could forge another argument, that Othello is acting in an unchristian way. To put out the light of candle (symbolic of the light of Christ) could suggest the idea that Othello is losing faith in the ‘spirit of truth’ and would rather be succumbed by darkness. This further reinforces the idea that Othello has become barbaric and indeed a ‘green-eyed monster’ - AO3: As a married man, your reputation was based on your wife’s. If she cheated on you, you would also be publicly shamed and ridiculed. Some men were even demoted at work
- Morality play: Focussed on a man who gives in to temptation and then repents
- AO4: - Romeo and Juliet: Both plays are arguably domestic tragedies, not political or wartime tragedies
- Circumstances are to blame for deaths in the play, not individual people
- The morality of murder and suicide
- theme of jealousy can link to the play ‘Much ado about nothing’ where Claudio accuses Hero of infidelity and refuses to marry her.
- AO5: Samuel Johnson = Also Neoclassicist. Said play was realistic. Impressed by: “the fiery openness of Othello”, “the cool malignity of Iago.”, “the soft simplicity of Desdemona”
- William Hazlitt = Othello has great “depth of passion”, evokes a lot of PATHOS. Sympathizes with Othello, says he’s “noble”. Iago is only evil because he knows how to exercise his intellect more than anyone else.
“O thou ____/
Who art so lovely ____” (4.2)
theme: corrupted love/misogyny/derogatory attitude
devices: oxymoron, symbolism
- OXYMORON: Desdemona is described as a beautiful ‘weed’. This moment may be critical for evidence of the division Iago has inflicted on Othello’s inner-being. Part of him sees Desdemona as ‘lovely fair’, yet the misogynistic side, created by Iago, reveals a more powerful resent in Othello.
- SYMBOLISM: Shakespeare often used different species of weeds (nettles) in his plays. For example, in Hamlet, weeds were used to represent, devastation, neglect and disorder (‘tis as an unweeded garden’). In KIng lear, his ‘crown of weeds’ are used to represent mental instability , disorder of a nation and deterioration of an individual.
alt 1:
In general, weeds tend to have negative connotations in Shakespeare plays, yet, some species like the ‘Fumiter’ or ‘Fumitory’ weed, has been used in herbal medicines or remedies. This could reinforce the theory that Desdemona, could in fact have been Othello’s remedy for stability and allow him to transition from just a battle hero to a General with a political voice (1.3). There is the irony that Othello thinks he is relieving himself of her, when really he needs her to be civilised and flourish in a Venetian society
AO3: Assertive (reverse patriarchal) women would be literally punished in Shakespeare’s time. Punishments: the ducking stool (women ducked into lakes or rivers), the scolds bridle (iron framework around the woman’s head), carting (being carted around town and mocked publicly)
AO4: Hamartia = Othello’s insecurity and Hamlet’s need to revenge
- Language used to manipulate people in monologues or soliloquies,
- Romeo and Juliet: Both plays are arguably domestic tragedies, not political or wartime tragedies
AO5: Neoclassicist: Samuel Johnson = Also Neoclassicist. Said play was realistic. Impressed by: “the fiery openness of Othello”, “the cool malignity of Iago.”, “the soft simplicity of Desdemona”
- 20th century critic - A.C Bradley: The Tragedy of the play is that Othello is “exceptionally noble and trustful” and is manipulated by Iago.
- Othello is a “great man”
- Othello is “the most romantic” of all of Shakespeare’s characters, his intense emotions means he can’t think clearly about Desdemona. This is his downfall.
‘the moor’, ‘_____ ram’ , ‘_____ lips’ (1.1)
theme: race
device: semantic field of racial stereotype, metaphor, sexual and animalistic imagery
- int 1: ‘moor’ typically refers to North Africans who worked as slaves and servants to Europeans. Othello is usually called by his race, behind his back by the rather dubious characters of this tragedy (Iago).
- Alt 1: a ‘moor’ is also a tract of uncultivated land, typically covered with heather. The idea that this land is uncultivated could be symbolic of Othello’s room for manipulation. He has no devout beliefs/trust that would otherwise prevent him from being deceived by Iago. Moreover, the ‘heather’ is a flower symbolic of protection and admiration, an old Scottish clan believed wearing this flower in their bonnets helped them win battle. This can be exemplary of Othello’s excessive pride and how the Duke excessively relies and has faith in the ‘valiant Othello’ (1.3).
int 2: the ‘black ram’ further isolates Othello’s character because this animal contrasts the typical soft, timid and manipulative sheep, with its virility and power. Iago uses the idea of Othello as an ‘alpha male’ to make Brabantio feel threatened and seek revenge for his daughter which also comes from the sheer unpredictability of an animal
- Alt 1: there is a sense of irony in this depiction of Othello because he proves to be just as easily led as the average sheep due to his excessive pride in himself and honour. This is quickly exposed as jealousy and paranoia when Iago suggests Cassio has been having an affair with his wife
- Alt 2: in catholicism, (profound religion of Italy) ‘black’ is symbolic of death (‘good Friday’) but also ignorance and fear. Hence, Iago is telling Brabantio to ‘fear’ the ‘virility’ of someone as ‘powerful’ as Othello which basically challenges his own honour
- Alt 3: To begin with we can see Iago’s jealousy of Othello’s reputation, which leads him to resort to racial isolation. Shakespeare challenges the audience and negative image of ‘moors’ due to cultural tension in the very first scene by making Othello a military hero.
- int 3: ‘thick lips’ denotes a racialised physical attribute of Othello, but also alludes his hypersexual nature (as big lips are often a symbol of sexuality). It makes it seem as though Othello is an unemotional animal that feeds of pleasure and sex making Brabantio feel as though he can’t be trusted.
AO3: Jacobean audiences recognise ‘moors’ as separate from society
- a modern audience realise Iago is doing this to create tension in Brabantio
- A Jacobean audience would recognise the evident shame in reproduction outside of marriage and for pleasure rather than procreation. Because the audience have not yet met Othello, while condemning Iago’s mischief, they are still wary of the negative connotations associated with moors as being primal and potentially lacking moral code
- 1600: a translation of John Leo’s/Leo Africanus’ ‘A Geographical Histoire of Africa’ is published in England. Very popular. Leo was a black man who had been brought up in Barbary. He spoke about how he and ‘his people’ would “rather lose their lives than put up any disgrace in the behalf of their women.” It is widely speculated that Shakespeare knew Leo, and that Othello is based off of him
AO4: Othello is instantly deemed as the typical tragic protagonist who is secluded from society due to his race. Isolation is also seen in Shakespeare’s Hamlet where Phedre’s ‘outcast and fugitive’ suits Lear and Hamlet as characters
AO5:
- Loomba would criticise that characters like Iago are too racially motivated and this is the key issue in the tragedy unfolding
- Jardine would argue Desdemona would be ‘too-independent’ to be able to leave and run off with Othello in the first place and this quality is what causes Othello to distrust her and be manipulated by Iago.
- Raymond Briggs: ‘blackness’ was associated with the devil, evil, death (racism)
“____ I am in my speech,/And little bless’d with the soft phrase of ______…” (1.3)
theme: honour, appearance vs reality
devices: irony, evocative/lyrical/persuasive language
int 1: multiple levels of irony to Othello’s claim to be ‘rude’ in his speech. In this speech and in others, he uses evocative, lyrical and persuasive language in order to elicit sympathy from other characters - definition of rhetorical skill.
int 2: goes on to describe fact that Desdemona fell in love with him while listening to his bold heroics.
alt 1: if there is any truth to Brabantio’s accusation “thou has enchanted her”, this enchantment was achieved through the decidedly civil art of rhetoric as opposed to sinister magic.
int 3: It is possible Othello misrepresents his own rhetorical skill because he has internalised the racist idea that being a Moor makes him “rude in speech” in comparison to the more refined white Venetians.
alt 1: his humility is itself a useful rhetoric tactic, as it allows him to suggest that his true talents lie in noble, masculine domain of battle.
AO3: A Jacobean audience would recognise the “Moor” as islamics from Northern Africa who had conquered Spain. When Christians recaptured Spain, many Moors adopted a European culture (I.E Othello). his use of rhetorical skill would subvert the typical interpretation of the barbaric Moor
AO4: Harmatia = Othello’s insecurity and Lear’s pride
- Othello + Lear = reputation larger than life.
AO5: Romantics like Coleridge and Hazlitt would be concerned with the psychological state of Othello who values his honour and know how a positive social projection is valuable to him. Isolating him and forcing personal misery upon him transforms him into a tragic hero
Modern critics argue that otherness was the main issue, where Othello’s race excluded him from ever being considered a normal citizen.
"If it were now to \_\_\_, Twere now to be most \_\_\_\_\_, for I My soul hath her \_\_\_\_\_\_ so absolute That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_." (2.1)
themes: aopearance vs reality/manhood and honour/womanhood and sexuality
devices: foreshadowing
int 1: While they wait for Othello to arrive, Cassio has a brief conversation with Desdemona, inspiring Iago to trick Othello into thinking Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Othello arrives, and declares that he could not be any happier and thus wouldn’t mind if he died then and there. Othello’s innocent joy in this scene could be said to tempt fate. Indeed, without realising it, in this speech Othello accurately foreshadows that he will never be this happy again – he will die soon too. The added tragic element underlying this statement is that Othello’s wish to die happy will go unfulfilled; both his marital bliss and nobility will die with him.
AO3: Iago uses this information to turn Othello into a violent ‘green-eyed monster’ that theme of revenge and violence is a quality of Senecan Tragedy which was largely influential on Renaissance dramatists
AO4: Othello is a gullible and manipulatable character that wouldn’t survive in the real world. Othello + Coriolanus are examples of men larger than life who can’t survive in the real world. My rage is gone,
And I am struck with sorrow.
(Aufidius, Act 5 Scene 6)
AO5: 20th century critic F.R Levis: “Othello was deeply flawed” “his downfall was because of his own weakness, not because of Iago”
“Excellent ______! Perdition catch my soul
But I do love thee! And when I love thee not,
_____ is come again” (3.3)
themes: appearance vs reality
devices:
AO2: Othello has promised Desdemona that he will reinstate Cassio, though he has also seen Cassio sneak away seemingly guilty manner, and remains confused and suspicious about what is really occurring. He has asked Desdemona for some time alone, and after she leaves he reflects on his love for her in mixed terms, on the one hand saying that not loving her would mean “chaos,”, while at the same time calling her “excellent wretch”.
alt 1: Specifically, “wretch” can also refer to an unfortunate person possibly referring to Desdemona’s character as the tragic heroine. Desdemona is defined as ‘ill-fated’ (Greek origin) further suggesting her innocence in the midst of iago’s manipulation.
“Perdition” = state of eternal punishment in Christian theology. Further shows the chaotic side of Othello and his ability to be self-destructive while punishing Desdemona. His emotional inabilities force him into a state of despair due to his inability to control them and his fatal gullibility with Iago.
alt 1: his willingness to give his “soul” to “peridition” highlights the irrational state he is in. The soul was a sacred piece of the body in Shakespearian plays. “Eternal Jewel” (Macbeth)
Othello is speaking to himself, seemingly unaware that Iago can hear him. This moment thus pertinently represents the way Iago has successfully manipulated and weakened Othello without Othello realising.
AO3: This Is exemplary of the catastrophic effects cuckoldry has on men in both these characters and a Jacobean audience.
alt 1: It is widely speculated that Shakespeare based Othello on John Leo’s/Leo Africanus’ ‘A Geographical Histoire of Africa’. Leo was a black man raised in Barbary. He spoke about how he would “rather die than “put up any disgrace in the behalf of their women”
AO4: Links to the idea of a man having to “tame” his woman in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, and using her like a puppet. It was shameful to not be in control of your own wife In the Jacobean era.
AO5: links to the feminist criticism by Lisa Jardine that Desdemona is “too-independent” and her the “divided duty” she boldly “perceive[d]” in act 1 becomes her fatal flaw.
- arguably more focused on Othello’s own gullibility towards Iago and his weakness and hubris which was exploitable due to Iago’s diabolical intellect.
“This honest creature doubtless
Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds” (3.3)
themes: appearance vs reality, jealousy
AO2: Othello has asked that Emilia should keep an eye on Desdemona, and has urged Iago to report anything he sees back to him. As Iago leaves, Othello says to himself that Iago is honest and probably knows more than he is letting on. Once again, Othello has made an accurate observation without realising its true meaning. Iago does know more than he is letting on, though he deliberately conceals and misinterprets information in order to undermine Othello - a far cry from behaviour of an “honest creature”. Note that, although Othello thinks he is alone when he makes this statement, immediately afterward Iago returns. Depending on the production, Iago Is likely to be shown overhearing Othello, a fact that adds further dramatic irony to Othello’s words.
- Moreover, the e.clause in “, much more,” could indicate entrapment and that Othello is consumed by jealousy - Iago’s plan.
alt 1: could also suggest Othello’s dependence on Iago as a character to confide in. His counsel creates a distinct impression on Othello due to his gullibility
AO4: Lady Macbeth and Iago both drive the main character to kill. “live a coward in thine own esteem”
AO5: A.C Bradley (20th century critic): Iago has “supreme intellect” and this makes him dangerous
The tragedy comes in the fact that Othello is exceptionally “noble and trustful”
“This fellow of exceeding honesty.
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit.
Of human beings” (3.3)
theme: appearance vs reality
AO2: Iago returning briefly, has urged Othello not to think about the matter anymore for the moment, and entrust Iago himself to assess situation. Othello agrees, and with Iago gone again he repeats that Iago is exceedingly honest, with strong insight into how people behave. Once more, Othello’s impression of Iago contains elements of truth, yet it is fundamentally mistaken. It is correct that Iago has a “learned spirit of human dealings”, his keen understanding of human psychology is what allows him to manipulate others easily. Yet while Othello appears to think that Iago’s intellect makes him honest, in reality he is deceitful.
- Question of whether knowledge and ability make a person morally trustworthy is a central question in play. relates to debate about ethics + power that continues to this day. Both Othello and Iago are highly intelligent and skilled , and yet Iago understands a sphere of human behaviour that Othello does not; namely, people’s capacity to act as adeceitfully + pursue own interests. Although in many ways audience is encouraged to admire Othello’s goodness and faith in others, his misinterpretation of Iago is notably naïve, proving to be fatal. This dilemma provokes debate of who makes the better leader – Othello who is righteous but gullible, or Iago, whose evil and cynical views are arguably more accurate
AO3: Shakespeare chose Vencie because it is a city of wealth and reputation which characters like Othello and Cassio hold in high esteem. However it is also infamous for loose morals and sexual deviance. Othello’s inability to recognise Iago’s lies makes his status as an outsider more prominent.
AO4: Othello + Corionalanus = men larger than life who cannot survive in real world
AO5: 20th century critic A.C Bradley: “Iago’s supreme intellect makes him dangerous”
20th century critic F.R Levis: “Othello is deeply flawed”, “Othello gives in too quickly”
“Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof.” (3.3)
Themes: appearance vs reality, jealousy
Emilia has picked up Desdemona’s handkerchief, which Iago had requested she bring to him, and dutifully presented it to her husband. Iago takes the handkerchief with the plan of leaving it in Cassio’s room, when Othello suddenly enters in a frantic, enraged state, and demands that Iago show him “ocular proof” of Desdemona’s infidelity. The fact that Othello behaves aggressively and threateningly to Iago––whom he has multiple times praised as honest and righteous––shows that Othello has already been driven wild by jealousy and is no longer capable of making rational assessments of the situation. Perhaps because he is aware of this, he insists that Iago show him visual evidence of Desdemona’s supposed crime, implying Othello believes “ocular proof” is beyond doubt.
The fact that Iago is carrying the handkerchief during this interaction, however, reminds the audience that appearances can be just as misleading as rumors. Now that Iago has reduced Othello to a state of paranoid jealousy, it is easy for Iago to manipulate visual evidence to support his false claim that Desdemona is unfaithful. Othello’s trust in visual appearances reflects his mistaken trust of Iago––and both will soon bring about his downfall
- “Ocular” = refers to the visual side of the body. The idea that Othello needs visual evidence of her infidelity further highlights the superficial side to this relationship. Othello seems to be oblivious to the vocal promises of his wife and her purity. This could be Shakespeare’s method in showing the dangers of forging a relationship on weak, superficial foundations without truly communicating with each other on a more personal level.
AO4: Both Desdemona and Othello’s relationship and Hero and Claudio’s relationship are idealistic
comparing these to Benedick and Beatrice we can see it isn’t true love as this couple look past each others flaws to see the love beneath.
AO3: Handkerchiefs were important symbols of status. In the 15th century a Venetian was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after taking a lady’s handkerchief. Possession of a lady’s handkerchief was seen as proof of adultery.
AO5: “Othello is concerned with Desdemona’s sexuality because it goes against her “obedience” as a “woman” (20th century feminist - Stephen Greenblatt)
- “play shows that Elizabethan women were defined by “their sexual activity” - Valerie Traub)
“O thou weed
Who art so lovely fair, and smell’st so sweet,
That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst never been born”
(4.2)
Themes: misogyny
Othello weeps as he addresses Desdemona, who tells him she hopes she is not the reason why he is upset. However, Desdemona’s innocent behavior only further infuriates Othello, who believes she is deliberately deceiving him, and in this passage he calls her a “weed” and tells her he wishes she had never been born. Othello’s language here conveys the sexist stereotype that women’s attractive appearance and seductive capabilities were a dangerous trap designed to mislead and ruin innocent men. The sensual reaction caused by women’s beauty (“the sense aches at thee”) was thought to impair the wise and rational judgment men were supposed to naturally possess.
At the same time, this passage also reveals the impossible contradiction many women found themselves in. Society demanded that they be “lovely fair,” and held that a sweet, pure appearance reflected inner goodness and honesty. Yet the moment a woman’s honor was brought into question, her attractive appearance could be used as evidence of her
- “weed” = emphasises Othello’s shift from a valiant and glorifying tone in act 1 in “my fair warrior” to a misogynistic and resentful tone as the “weed” is an undesireable plant.
alt 1: a “weed” is generally a plant in the wrong place. Suggesting that Desdemona becomes a female character that is undesireable for the Elizabethan era. She is too-knowing and too independent.
- the e.clause around “smell’s so sweet” highlights Othello’s entrapment and him being too obsessive over his wife in the first instance. We can see this from “sweet” which is a rather addictive taste and rewarding for the brain, perhaps Othello’s love for her was simply the love of possession and that she was a prize of war.
alt 1: the sibilance in this line is exemplary of Othello’s transformation into the ‘green-eyed monster’ (3.3), as the ‘s’ sound gives a snake like appearance to his character.
alt 2: the ‘snake’ is symbolic of fertility, immortality. The fertility side could relate to the image of virility Iago depicts in calling Othello a ‘black ram’ and perhaps this barbaric side is what makes him chaotic. The immortal side of himself - his honour is now ruined this is shown in Cassio’s emotional line “I have lost the immortal part of myself’ when he gets drunk and is involved in an altercation.
“Put out the light, and then put out the light.
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me; but once put out thy light,
Thou cuning’st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relume. When I have plucked thy rose, I cannot give it vital growth again;
It must needs wither.”
(5.2)
Themes: jealousy, womanhood sexuality
Othello, holding a light, has entered the bedroom where Desdemona lies sleeping. Watching her, he remarks on the thoughts and actions blurs the distinction between appearance and reality, and obscures the evidence of what really happened.
,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely, but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drops tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinable gum. Set you down this.
And say besides that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog
And smote him—thus” (5.2)
Theme: prejudice, jealousy, manhood and honour
Explanation and Analysis
Thanks to Emilia, Othello has finally discovered Iago’s scheme, and after Iago kills Emilia, Othello stabs Iago, wounding him but not killing him. Lodovico, meanwhile, has told Othello that he must accompany him back to Venice and give up his position of general. In response, Othello delivers a speech in which he asks the other characters to describe him in the future as he is and not to exaggerate either his good or bad qualities. He admits that, due to being “perplexed in the extreme,” he threw away something more precious than anything else. At the end, he asks that they remember the time he killed a Turk with a sword, and parallels the act by stabbing himself.
Othello’s final speech is complex, and betrays Othello’s ambiguous judgment of himself and the situation. His request that he neither be overly praised or condemned after death suggests that he is frustrated by a lifetime of being judged according to racist stereotypes, in addition to the pressure of maintaining an honorable reputation. His use of the word “base” in the reference to the Judean who threw the pearl away shows that he blames his own misjudgment for having killed Desdemona. At the same time, however, he notes that he is not “easily jealous” by nature and thus emphasizes Iago’s role in misleading him.
Othello’s final words about killing the Turk indicate that he wishes to be remembered as a loyal Venetian soldier; by comparing that act to stabbing himself, he implies that his suicide is almost a kind of service to the state of Venice. This aligns with the narrative arc of classical tragedy, which dictates that once the tragic hero has died, a proper, stable hierarchy of power can be restored.
AO2: the simile, “Drops tears as fast as the Arabian trees”: the militaristic Othello, who has “done the state some service” (V.ii. 348), points to his predilection against weeping to prove the truth of the passion behind his current tears. Modern scholarly editions, typically gloss the reference as “myrrh”.
alt: it can be referenced as acacia, valued for its production of the Arabic gum. Both trees are aligned with the recurring motif of visuality. While early modern herbals and treatises on the eye note both myrrh and acacia’s value in medicine for eyes, the arabic gum is much more prominent in its healing properties for eye.
alt: the simile becomes a metaphor for how Othello’s eyes and phantasy, poisoned by Iago’s duplicity during the play, become purified and cured. Purging him of the private fantasies and phantasms that Iago shaped through the oral and the aural.
AO2: Just as Iago uses narrative to shape and manipulate Othello’s perception of Desdemona and of objects related to her like the handkerchief, Othello attempts to shape perception through narrative. He begins by conjuring Venice’s previous image of him within their Phantasies, making present for them his prior service to the state and the “parts,” “title,” and “perfect soul” that, he claimed, had “manifest[ed him] rightly” (I.ii. 31-32) during the inquest about his marriage. Othello stirs such images up in the witnesses’ minds only to dismiss them as no longer reflecting his social person and public image.
It is at this point that Othello makes the two references with which I opened this post. Even if Othello strives to control the codified narrative, he moves from desiring something that he hopes accurately depicts the events and circumstances to a slippery series of fictions and metaphors.
AO2: Having lost the “reputation” and social standing he previously so rigorously defended and guarded, it can no longer overpower the shaping of his image resulting from his murderous actions. Since his prior standing no longer commands the narrative of his current state, Othello shifts towards narrative shaping of others’ perceptions. Having been schooled by Iago in the ways orality shapes the perception of people and objects, Othello uses the shifting ground of spoken language to shape the eventual codified narrative of his person and actions. As we have already seen by this point, perception never innocently represents reality and the witnesses’ “malice” might encourage fault-magnifying phantasies. Preferring the seeming purity and stability of written language, Othello hopes to use ephemeral orality to shape the codified account.[ii] Wanting them to report the “truth” of his situation and character, he hopes to avoid additions or extenuated perceptions, but he also imagines that his current words and actions will become codified in a “letter.” This “letter,” he hopes, will not be tainted by the phantasies of his auditors which might taint the relation with malice, allowing others to see him as he supposedly is.
AO4: In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet stabs her self at the end, while Romeo drinks poison subverting traditional patriarchy. Conversely, here Othello kills Desdemona and then stabs himself in, what can be seen as, an attempt to regain his manhood and honour or great sorrow in the loss of his wife and his anagnorisis.
AO3: The act of suicide was a paradoxical issue. On the one hand, it carried the medieval associations of shame and despair, yet, on the other hand, it was seen as noble and a courageous act in the growing Renaissance tradition of secular, gentlemanly honour.
AO3: While stressing the importance of an uncorrupted narrative, Othello moves towards metaphor and fiction-making to shape other’s perceptions of his character and actions. In one simile he deploys, Othello cryptically describes his weeping eye peculiarly and pointedly as “Arabian trees” that drop “medicinable gum.” The Norton Shakespeare, following nearly all of the modern editions I know of, glosses this as a reference to myrrh, and no other editions, to my knowledge, seriously consider a second possibility. While the “Arabian trees” which drop “medicinable gum” might be myrrh, there is evidence that Othello refers, not to myrrh, but to what early modern herbals call the acacia or Aegyptian Thorne.
In an early gloss of Othello’s line that mentions Gum Arabic, Sir John Charles Bucknill’s 1860 The Medical Knowledge of Shakespeare, dismisses the possibility, saying, “Othello compares the tears, which flow in his dread remorse, to the gum of Arabia ; probably not gum Arabic, but myrrh is meant” (Bucknill 274). Bucknill does not explain why he discounts the possibility that “medicinable gum” might refer to acacia and its gummi arabicum, but late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century editions of Shakespeare often cite him as an authority and leave it at that.[iii] Most twentieth-century editions that I know of do not even propose that one read “Arabian trees” and their “medicinable gum” as acacia and its gummi arabicum.
AO5: T.S Elliot (20th century): Othello is deeply flawed
- Eliot said that Othello’s final speech was a “terrible exposure of human weakness”
- The final speech was weak because it was full of “an attitude of self-dramatization”, Othello is too aware of the audience and the other characters = less realistic
- Othello tries to escape reality at the end, doesn’t face up to what he’s done.
- Othello grieves himself more than he grieves Desdemona “and is thinking about himself”
- Frances Dolan (New Historicist): Othello is a “domestic tyrant who murders his wife on spurious grounds”
