Tragic aspects act 2 Flashcards
Foul revenge
Iago, in his “director” role, seems to directly address the audience. He explains how he will use “reality,” Cassio taking Desdemona’s hand, to spin an illusion—that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. “ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” (2.1)
Iago describes how he will stage yet another scene and control how the other characters will interpret it, much as a playwright does with every scene he or she writes.
“She’s framed as fruitful as the free elements”
“she shall undo her credit with the moor” (2.3)
Tragic villainy
In his plotting, Iago lies to everyone, all the time. Here he gets Roderigo to dislike Cassio by making Roderigo jealous of Cassio’s chances with Desdemona. Notice that Iago’s description of Cassio is actually a good description of himself.
“a knave very voluble” (2.1)
Iago continues to orchestrate complicated sets of doubling-crossings in order to promote the illusions that will help him with his plan. He is a master at making someone look bad while seemingly trying to defend that person. “He is a soldier fit to stand by Caesar”
“I fear, the trust Othello puts in him” (2.3)
As usual, Iago pretends that he does not want to say what he is about to say, which makes what he is saying seem even more authentic. Because the audience knows that he’s lying, though, his tactics are clear to us, but not to the any of the other characters. In this way, Iago makes the audience complicit in his lies, and audience almost comes to root for his success
prejudice/misjudgement
Iago expounds the prejudices against women and female sexuality that he will later use to manipulate Othello. “Sir would she give you so much of her lips as of her tongue that she oft bestows upon me You would have enough” “you rise to play and go to sleep to work”
hubris
Othello views himself as a “noble and valiant general” (2.1). Othello’s self-possession is based on the idea that he is a worthy general and a necessity for Venice. Yet the storm that destroys the Turks is perhaps a sign that he isn’t needed anymore.
Cassio, insisting that he is not drunk when he clearly is, seeks to maintain his honour or dignity via an illusion about himself. At the same time, at a trivial level, he also starts to speak untruths as a result of Iago’s manipulations
“you must not think then that I am drunk” (2.3)
Cassio sees his reputation, his honour, as what makes him human. Without it, he sees himself as a beast, using the kind of animal imagery that other racist characters had used only to describe Othello. Meanwhile, Iago moves his plot into its second phase: to twist two noble traits—Cassio’s desire to regain his honour and Desdemona’s generosity—to provoke Othello’s doubt of Desdemona and sexual jealousy of Cassio
“What remains is bestial” (2.3)
treatment of women
Iago tries to convince Cassio to actually take a shot at seducing Desdemona by alluding to the idea that demure women are probably just hiding their inner whore. Cassio, like Othello, takes people at face value.
“she is indeed perfection” (Cassio 2.3)
Iago presents his misogynistic views about women
