OTHELLO ACT 1 SCENE 3 Flashcards
Summary
- Brabantio accuses Othello before the Duke
- Othello defends himself and the Duke allows the marriage
- Duke commissions Othello to lead Venetian forces in Cyprus
Themes
- Honour
- Love
- Marriage
Importance
- Displays depth of O + D’s love
- Intro to Desdemona
- Reinforces Othello’s honour
- Iago starting to reveal his plan
Relevance of Duke as a character
- represents authority, judgement and power
“Tis a pageant to keep us in false gaze.”
- Irony- they’re talking about Turkish invasion in Cyprus but this could also foreshadow Iago’s treachery
“Valiant Othello”
- Contradicts Brabantio
- Valiant: Brave- he has respect from the whole society
- Re-establishes Othello’s status
“Most potent, grave and reverend signiors.”
- Triplet- respectful and winning them over with rhetoric- clever boy
“Rude am I in my speech…”
- This section is in iambic pentameter
- Irony- he is speaking incredibly well and respectfully- making people reflect on their internal bias
What rhetorical question could be Othello (Shakesy) challenging prejudices?
- “she, in spite of nature… To fall in love with what she fear’d to look on?”
- challenging their prejudice that white women should be “afraid.”
What two quotes display equality in Othello and Desdemona’s marriage?
- "”Send for the lady to the Sagittary.” and “How i did thrive in this fair lady’s love and she in mine.”
-“Send for the lady to the Sagittary.” : Giving his wife a voice in a society that often had women playing the role of serving the husband
Personification used when Othello is telling the story of how Desdemona and him fell in love
“She’d come again, and with a greedy ear.” : impressed and enamoured
Where could there be signs of internalised racism with Othello’s monologue about the story of his life?
“The cannibals that each other eat… men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders.”
Hyperbole and metaphor when talking about Desdemona loving O’s stories
“She gave me for my pains a world of sighs”
you get a sense they’re perfect for each other- she matches his energy
“Twas….. twas …… …….”
“Twas Pitiful, twas wondrous pitiful”
Repetition emphasises how much they sympathised with each other
“She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d/And I lov’d her that she did pity them.” Why is the iambic pentameter used here relevant?
PERFECT BALANCE- MEANT TO BE
Desdemona challenging her father
- “I do percieve here a divided duty”
- Patriarchal view: father owns daughter until she’s married
- She’s being perf daughter
Why is the Duke speaking in rhyming couplets significant?
Portrays him as a man of dignity and honour- measured
Dramatic irony about Iago
“My ancient: A man he is of honesty and trust.” - Signs that Othello isnt a good judge of character
Light and Dark imagery
- “Your son-in-law- is far more fair than black.” - juxtaposition - saying he is more “innocent” then “sinful”
What is the dramatic significance of Brabantio’s warning to Othello?
“She has decieved her father and may thee”- this foreshadows the angle that Iago is going to exploit Othello for with his plan
Roderigo being comedic
“I will incontinently drown myself”- melodramatic
Further evidence of Iago being a malcontent villain
“Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.” - saying it up to us to create our own destinies
Why is Iago angry at Othello and wants revenge
“‘twixt my sheets/He’s done my office.” - he’s cuckolded him
Iago’s terrifying justification for his revenge
“I know not if’t be true.” but he will believe it anyway to further his plan- he will find any reason to justify that
