Othello Revision Flashcards
Context of Shakespeare and Othello
> Shakespeare was influenced by the Renaissance movement which took place during the 14th and 17th century. This was an artistic and intellectual rebirth which challenged old traditions.
> He portrayed Othello, an ethnic minority, as a noble and civilised hero whilst making Iago, a white man, immoral and destructive
> The play reflects the social concerns of the time. Racial stereotypes in Elizabethan England presented moors as violent savages. This can be seen in Literature throughout time. For example, in Titus Andronicus (Aaron)
> Around 1590 he left his family behind and travelled to London to work as an actor and playwright.
> Public and critical acclaim quickly followed, and Shakespeare eventually became the most popular playwright in England and part-owner of the Globe Theatre.
> His career bridged the reigns of Elizabeth I (ruled 1558–1603) and James I (ruled 1603–1625), and he was a favourite of both monarchs.
> In 1565, Giambattista Giraldi writes the Hecatommithi. This is Shakespeare’s source for Othello.
> Shakespeare writes Othello between 1602-4.
> First performed in 1604
> Othello was set in Venice and Cyprus. The military events in the play are based on Historical fact.
> Elizabethan dramatists often used Halianate settings for plays about secret affairs and revenge. This is because foreign courts were stereotyped as being full of villainy, sexual perversion and decadence.
Neoclassicist - Rymer “A Short View of Tragedy”
> Rymer argued that the play was unrealistic. He thought the play was ridiculous and improbable. For example, he thought that the handkerchief wouldn’t have caused such jealousy.
> Rymer questioned whether Shakespeare’s characters were convincing. He thought that Othello wouldn’t have been allowed to be a general or to marry a woman Desdemona’s race and class
> Iago’s actions were unexplainable. He stated that “never in tragedy, nor in comedy… was there was a soldier of his character”.
> He thought there was no instructive moral or poetic justice because Othello wasn’t punished, so the ending is ‘barbarous’
Neoclassicist - Johnson
Johnson disagreed with Rymer’s views.
> He defended the characters as being as realistic, arguing that
- the play demonstrates Shakespeare’s understanding of human nature
- he was impressed by the “fiery openness of Othello”, “the cool malignity of Iago” and the “soft simplicity of Desdemona”
> As a Neoclassicist, he looked closely at the play’s moral.
- Johnson argued that the lesson was “not to make an equal match” and to “not to yield too readily to suspicion”
Romanticist - Coleridge
Romanticism was an intellectual movement in the late 18th century which focused on beauty, the individual and the encouragement of people to value their emotions.
> Coleridge argued that Othello didn’t “kill Desdemona in jealousy” but was forced upon him by “the almost superhuman art of Iago”
- He also stated that any man would act the same way with the same evidence from someone like Iago who Othello fully trusted.
20th Century Critic - Bradley
> Bradley thought Othello was very ambiguous. He was sympathetic towards Othello and thought he was “exceptionally noble and trustful” whose downfall is caused by Iago’s pure evil.
> He denied that Othello was quick to jealousy due to him being “disturbed” by Iago’s accusations
> Argued that Othello never falls from nobility completely, the audience still feels “love and pity” towards the end of the play.
> He believes Iago is motivated by pride and in need to prove his “power and superiority”
- argues that Iago wanted to exercise his supreme intellect.
20th Century Critic - T.S Elliot
T.S Elliot disagreed with Bradley
> in 1927 he wrote that he has never read a more “terrible exposure of human weaknesses” than Othello’s last speech, Act 5, Scene 2
- he saw this speech as evidence that Othello is anything but noble and argued that he spends the final scene “endeavouring to escape reality”
> He believed that Othello was trying to delude himself, and in that he managed to fool the audience and other characters into thinking that he was noble.
Arthur M. Eastman
> he argues that nothing that is in Iago is absent from Othello, though there is much in Othello of which Iago could only dream of having.
> The jealousy we see in both characters very obvious, however, it is presented in different ways.
- Iago shows it in a subtle, manipulative way.
- Othello shows it in a hostile, degrading way.
Settings
> Venice is seen as a civilised, lawful place. It’s associated with power, commerce and wealth.
> Cyprus is described as isolated. It has associations with hostility and conflict - Cassio calls Cyprus “this warlike isle”.
- Even after the Turkish Fleet have been defeated, there are lots of ‘conflicts’ on the island.
> The move from ‘civilised’, Christian Venice to warlike, wild Cyprus removes the characters from their normal environment, creating disorder and isolation.
> Gradually our attention becomes fixed on a single bedroom, creating a feeling of claustrophobia that is unique in Shakespeare’s tragedies.
- The outer world becomes insignificant as Othello becomes obsessed and jealous. The use of Venice as a location is significant.
- At the end of the 16th century, dramatists began to use Italy as a suitable location for revenge tragedies. The Italian were thought to be worldly and Venice, in particular, was associated with everything that was culturally sophisticated. It was a location that suggested power, order and wealth.
> The sense of claustrophobia is heightened by the fact that there is not real sub-plot in Othello.
The length of the Scenes
> The construction of scenes is extremely effective in Othello.
> Long scenes of painful discussions or confrontation are punctuated by short scenes or moments of violence - verbal and physical.
- Act 3, Scene 3 is a good example of how Shakespeare structures a scene for maximum theatrical impact.
It is the longest scene in the play, and painful to watch. Iago takes full advantage of the awkwardness that already exists between the married couple.
The time-scale of Othello
> The theory of a double-time scheme in Othello dates from the middle of the 19th century. There can be no doubt that there are inconsistencies in the way time is presented in Othello.
It appears that the disintegration of Othello’s mind and marriage occurs extremely fast and Iago recognises that he must move quickly if his plots are to remain concealed; at the same time the characters make statements that suggest time is moving quite slowly.
- A long duration of time: Weeks
> Desdemona is murdered within a few weeks of arriving in Cyprus which makes the action seem more realistic.
> Bianca complains to Cassio that he has stayed away from her for a week. “What! Keep a week away? Seven days and nights?” - A short duration of time: 3 days
> This time frame is intense and would mean that Desdemona is murdered within a few days arriving in Cyprus. This means that Iago manages to drive Othello to murderous jealousy very quickly.
Form: Tragedy
> Greek tragedy is based on conflict and depicts the downfall of high-ranking characters, who make fatal errors of judgement (hamartia) because of their overweening ambition and pride (hubris).
> They are destroyed swiftly by the disastrous consequences of their errors.
> Othello fits into the classical mould in many ways. Othello is a high-ranking general and is descended from a line of kings. Many believe that he suffers from hubris.
> It is possibly arguable that there is a sense of inevitability about Othello’s downfall from the moment he arrives in Cyprus and declares he feels ‘too much joy’
> Emilia performs some of the functions of a Greek chorus when she comments on Othello’s folly.
> In Shakespearean tragedies it explores the nature of good and evil, the disintegration of families and the breakdown of law and order within states/countries.
- In Othello, Shakespeare pits good (Othello) against evil (Iago) and we watch as the tragic hero’s new family unit is destroyed against the backdrop of the Turkish conflict.
- Shakespeare makes effective use of the theatrical conventions of his own age. By the time Shakespeare came to write Othello, it was usual to present tragedies in 5 acts, with a climax or turning point.
F.R. Leavis (1963)
> Accepts Othello is a tragic hero but he does not believe that Othello learns anything in the course of the play.
> He claims that Othello realises his folly but there is no ‘tragic self-discovery’. As a results Othello is now seen as ‘tragically pathetic’.
Language in Othello
> Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists used language to establish and build dramatic atmosphere, to define time, place and character.
> In Othello, language is not simply the medium by which the drama is conveyed; in this play language is action.
> Othello ‘falls’ because he believes Iago, whose every utterance is deceptive. Through language, Iago imposes his will on the hero and creates opposition within Othello’s marriage.
> When Othello is taken in by false words, tragedy is the result. This play shows the audience the power of words. We watch the characters construct their own and others’ identities through language, and exert power either by speaking, remaining silent or silencing others.
> From Act 3 onwards Othello and Desdemona struggle to understand one another’s language. The break-up of their marital harmony is conveyed through the disruption in the lines, and Othello’s measured calm gives way to verbal bullying.
> Language is the source of Iago’s power, but his characteristic idiom is different from Othello’s. It is full of colloquialisms and oaths, befitting a cynical soldier.
We quickly notice that the villain slips between prose and verse, adapting his style to suit his different audiences and purposes. The fast-moving prose of his exchanges with Roderigo conveys Iago’s crude nature.
Iago’s use of soliloquies reinforces his power. Iago speaks his soliloquies first, drawing the audience in as he outlines his intentions
Theme: Jealousy / Conflict
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock / The meat it feeds on”
> Iago refers to the idea of jealousy and directs his accusation to Othello. Iago allows these powerful ideas to come together in Othello’s mind so that when he finally mentions the possibility of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, Othello already believes it is plausible.
> Iago’s use imagery to perfectly encapsulate the effects of jealousy, as the audience, will witness in the coming scenes (foreshadowing)
> “doth mock / The meat it feeds on” suggesting that if Othello gives into jealousy, it will eventually destroy him. Prophetically, this is precisely what happens.
> Shakespeare uses the monster as a metaphor is ironic. The ironic thing about it is the fact that Iago’s advice for Othello is its soundness. He gives sound advice, yet goes against it.
Context:
> The notion that jealousy is green-eyed is probably older than Shakespeare, although Shakespeare is our earliest authority in print. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia refers to “green-eyed jealousy” (Act 3, scene 2), > Shakespeare coins the more intense phrase “green-eyed monster.”
> Renaissance Englishmen often paired colours with emotions or personal qualities: both green and yellow are emblematic of jealousy, and green is also emblematic of envy.
Act 1: Iago - Prejudice/Jealousy/Conflict
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe”
> Shakespeare uses Religious symbolism
> In other words, an uncastrated black sheep is having sex with a white lamb.
> Lamb is a symbol of renewal. It should be sacrificed to assure someone’s salvation. Also, it symbolises innocence.
> Iago says this phrase in such a way that it makes the audience think if Iago and Brabantio view Othello’s love for Desdemona as a crime.
> Possible connotation could be by the “black ram” having sex with “white ewe” the lamb is becoming ‘contaminated’ with the sins the black ram holds and contains.
Critic: Horney’s Theory
> is a psychoanalytic social theory assumes that social and cultural conditions, especially during childhood, have a powerful effect on later personality.
> Iago’s arrogant-vindictive personality and his strong desire to seek revenge could be due having trouble with coping and handling certain psycho-social environmental stressors when he was in his childhood.
Theme: Love / Power
Before Desdemona’s murder, Othello speaks of the peace and beauty of death. He speaks of Desdemona’s skin as being “smooth as monumental alabaster”.
> This refers to Desdemona as though she were stone monument suggesting his desire to make her still and everlasting, with no more needs and desires.
> Stone statues are unchanging objects that remain beautiful for centuries without requiring food or desiring other men.
Critic: Psychoanalytical view
> In Freud’s view, murdering others is an outward projection of an unconscious desire to die.
> So Othello himself wanted to die, but in projecting his self-hatred to Desdemona. Also, projected his death instinct.
Act 2: Othello - Love / Power
“The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue the profit’s yet to come ‘tween me and you”
> Shakespeare displays sex in positive terms - as a fruit to enjoy and that it profits the both man and woman.
> The use of the financial metaphors could make us feel uncomfortable because Othello makes it seem as if marriage is something akin to purchase. Makes the audience feel that Othello views Desdemona as a possession which is very different to the romantic love she shows him.
Critics:
> Some critics argue that the couple never has sex.
> Other critics argue that they do in fact have sex, which may have led Othello to feel as though he contaminated his wife’s sexual and racial purity.
> After he sleeps with her, she suddenly becomes a ‘whore’ in his mind which explains why Othello quickly believed that she’s been unfaithful.
Act 5: Othello - Love / Conflict / Power
After murdering Desdemona, Othello shows remorse and devastation
“O Desdemona! Dead Desdemona! Dead!”
> Being faced with the stress of unjustly murdering the one he loves he afterwards executes justice upon himself.
> Short sentences convey more power in Othello’s pain. The continuous short sentences make the piece sound childish which could reflect Othello’s mental state. He was not thinking in a logical state.
Critic: Freudian Philosophy
> When one is faced with stress, they can find relief in regressing to a previous psychological time. This reflects the short sentences he uses, he’s mentally regressing to childhood structure of sentences.
> By committing suicide, Othello is regressing to a previous psychological time before he was born because the stress of the murder causes him to desire the need to regress to a time where he felt safe and secure.
> Readers and critics of Othello have responded in many different ways to the protagonist. One popular view is that Othello disintegrates psychologically and morally throughout the play and that his disintegration can be followed in his changing speech style. For example, he uses more oaths in the second-half of the play.
> Caryl Phillips believes Othello to be fundamental ‘an impulsive and insecure man’, a vulnerable human being who reacts under pressure.
> Other critics even praise Othello for committing suicide, reading it not as a mark of weakness but as a sign of a Stoic hero.
Theme: Power
In Act 1, Scene 1 the location is significant. It is night time and the two levels of the stage used (Brabantio at the window, Iago and Roderigo concealed in the darkness of the street below) signifies disruption and confusion. Brabantio’s physical security (his house) is threatened as well as his peace of mind.
When Brabantio first appears we assume he has the role of the angry patriarch. We know he is powerful because he speaks of ‘my spirit and my place’ and his property. When he says ‘my daughter is not for thee’ to Roderigo we know that Brabantio looks upon Desdemona as a possession. This gives the audience the impression that Brabantio thinks Desdemona has been robbed from him.
Theme: Love
Othello says he fears chaos: “perdition catch my soul/ but I do love thee! And when I love thee not/ Chaos is come again”
- Perdition means “Hell.” So he is saying that he will go to hell if he does not love her or if he ever stops loving her.
- “Chaos” will return if this happens, meaning that the whole world will fall apart, back to the way it was before God created it (the creation story in Genesis uses the word “chaos” for what there was before God started creating).
> However, Othello’s declaration of love is tinged with irony and prophecy. His statement that when he no longer is in love with her, “chaos is come again” is sadly true. This si the couple;s last moment of true happiness as Othello’s jealousy will indeed put his mind and both their lives in chaos.
- This shows the audience that Othello cannot master his powerful romantic and erotic feelings.
> Coleridge says that Othello struggles not to love Desdemona. He claims that Othello is not driven by jealousy, but by ‘moral indignation and regret’ that Desdemona’s virtue has been destroyed.
> William Hazlitt suggests Othello has “blood of the most inflammable kind”
Theme: Love/Power
“But here’s my husband: And so much duty as my mother showed/To you… I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord”
> Desdemona’s words seek to emphasise similarity: “And so much duty as my mother showed / To you.” Desdemona attempts to make Brabantio recognise that her love for Othello outweighs any act of disobedience on her part towards her father.
> She is pleading with him to recall what it was like to be young and in love. She is encouraging him to recall the love he had for her mother, and to see Othello as the suitor he had once been himself, rather than the figure Iago wants him to see.
> When Desdemona refers to Othello as “the Moor” with her final words here, she is not emphasising his ethnicity but his identity as the man to whom she is most loyal – “my lord”, “my husband”. One might expect that the way in which the performer playing Desdemona would utter the words “the Moor” would sound quite different to the way the same words are spoken by Iago.
Theme: Appearance vs Reality / Jealousy / Conflict
“I am not what I am”
> The contradiction of this statement clearly establishes Iago’s duplicity early in the drama; how he appears throughout the play is very different from the reality of his beliefs and motives.
> This quote establishes the demonic nature of his character - that his outward appearance is merely to conceal his true self.
> This scene (act 1, scene 1) is interesting because it displays Iago to trust and confide in Roderigo whilst discussing Cassio’s appointment as Othello’s Lieutenant over Iago.
Critic: Horney’s Theory
> is a psychoanalytic social theory assumes that social and cultural conditions, especially during childhood, have a powerful effect on later personality.
> Iago’s arrogant-vindictive personality and his strong desire to seek revenge could be due having trouble with coping and handling certain psycho-social environmental stressors when he was in his childhood.
Theme: Appearance / Conflict
“My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly”
> The audience is introduced to Othello for the first time and he presents himself as a man of honour and dignity. Othello demands to be respected for his background and his past deeds.
> Othello is proud of the services he has provided for Venetian state and believes that he will be judged on their merits.
> His word choice exudes self-confidence, referring to his “parts”, “title” and “perfect soul”
> Ultimately this demonstrates a flaw in Othello’s character, an arrogance and belief that men are judged, and can be judged on their actions and reputation
> The repetition of “my” adds conviction and emphasises Othello’s plead and desperation.
- However, this could be misconstrued by the audience as arrogance or cockiness.
theme: love / conflict / prejudice
“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee”
> This is a prophetic but ironic warning by Brabantio. He warns Othello to be aware that Desdemona may not be as virtuous as she appears on the surface.
> Ironically, Brabantio refers to Othello using his “eyes to see” which is how Othello judges people and situations. However, at the time he judges Desdemona, he is so twisted by Iago’s lies that he is unable to see the truth about either character.
> The fact that Brabantio refers to Othello as “Moor” displays to the audience that he has no respect towards him nor wants to.
