OTHELLO ACT 2 SCENE 1 Flashcards
Summary
- Storm at sea: Turkish ships scattered but Cassio arrives safely in Cyprus
- He is followed by Iago, Desdemona and Othello
- Iago is determined to ruin Othello and Desdemona’s happiness
Themes
- Respect
- Deception
- Jealousy
Importance
- Introduction to setting of Cyprus
- Big fat soliloquy
“the valiant of this warlike isle”
CASSIO SPEAKING
Key description of Cyprus - we are far away from the civilised society of Venice
4 Quotations that demonstrate Cassio’s respect and admiration for Desdemona
- “He hath achiev’d a maid/That paragons description and wild fame”
- “The divine Desdemona”
- “our great captain’s captain”
- “The riches of the ship”
“would she give you so much of her lips/As of her tongue she oft bestows on me.”
- Very sexist and dehumanising
- Says she talks too much- gender expectations of 1600s
“You’ve little cause to say so.” - why is this relevant to Emilia’s character?
Shows she isnt afraid to fight back against her husband and defy him- shows she will be a non-conformist of these gender roles her husband is trying to put onto her
Metaphor/similie that signifies how quickly Iago can change
“[Aside]… With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio.”
What is interesting about the way Othello greets Desdemona when he reaches shore
“O my fair warrior.”
- fair: reference to her skin earlier
- warrior: he sees everything through a lens of violence and war- foreshadowing
How does Shakespeare set up Othello’s downfall in this scene?
- “If it were now to die/’Twere now to be most happy.” - he is at his happiest- can only go downhill from here (also foreshadows death)
Where in Iago’s soliloquy does he prove his amorality
“The Moor… Is of a constant, loving, noble nature.” - he is aware of Othello’s virtue and wants to use it against him
Personification in Iago’s soliloquy
“diet my revenge”- makes his hatred seem unstoppable and devoted to his revenge
Juxtaposition in Iago’s soliloquy
- “Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me/For making him egregiously an ass” - displays Iago’s pride and enjoyment in evil
