Tragic Hero + Love - Othello Flashcards
Act 1, Scene 3
‘rude I am in my speech’
-characterised as humble, he is evidently a skilled orator
Act 1, Scene 3
‘i will a round unvarnished tale deliver’
-METAPHOR exemplifying his honesty, a complete FOIL to Iago, Othello carries no deception and only presents the raw truth, trusted reputation
Act 1, Scene 3
‘my life upon her faith’
-willing to give up his life for her, holds all of his truth with Desdemona
Act 1, Scene 3
‘honest Iago’
-IRONIC EPIPHET
Act 2, Scene 1
‘Oh my fair warrior’ (to Desdemona)
-characterises the nature of their relationship as a complete opposition to that of Iago and Emilia’s, Othello and Desdemona’s connection appears genuine, loving and light hearted with a possible sense of naivety which foreshadows how the pair are unaware of the threat to their love, indicated by Othello’s casual tone TRAGIC
-love and conflict being intertwined - affectionate towards his ‘warrior’
Act 2, Scene 1
‘If it were now to die, twere now to be most happy’
-FATALISTIC moment illustrating how Othello is aware of his mortality
-Othello feels entirely fulfilled and content with Desdemona, link to the tragic themes of death
-suggests that the trajectory of their relationship is intertwined with death
Act 2, Scene 1
‘My soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate’
-free will and self fulfilling prophecy
-Othello is very aware of how perfect this moment is, and that their relationship is fated to decline as the best moments have already been lived
-Othello ALLUDING to his destiny being FATED yet he doesn’t know the reality of what is to come, aware of his mortality
Act 3, Scene 3
‘If thou dost slander her and torture me’
-makes Othello’s love appear genuine, but tragically the agency is being shifted onto Iago to prove it to Othello ‘make me see it’ so Iago will corrupt Othello’s perception
Act 3, Scene 3
[HE KNEELS]
-STAGE DIRECTIONS of both Iago and Othello kneeling almost appears like a psuedo-marriage ceremony which JUXTAPOSES Othello and Desdemona’s union where there is such equality and balance, here it is extremely unbalanced with Iago assuming the patriarchal role of a dominant figure
Act 3, Scene 3
‘she had eyes and chose me’
‘I do not think but Desdemona’s honest’
-Othello’s faith in Desdemona, evokes PATHOS
Act 3, Scene 3
‘What dost thou think’
-DRAMATIC IRONY + HAMARTIA of Othello seeking advice and an insight from Iago, his susceptibility will lead to his tragic downfall
Act 4, Scene 1
‘nose, ears and lips’
-TRIADIC STRUCTURE using CORPOREAL IMAGERY listing her body parts to comes across as innocent
-tormented by the idea of Desdemona’s intimacy with Cassio
-fragmented speech contrasts with his eloquence in his speech at the senate in Act 1
Act 4, Scene 1
‘handkerchief!’
-REPETITION of EXCLAMATORY MINOR SENTENCES indicates Othello’s state of mind being overwhelmed
-handkerchief as a PROP acts as a CATALYST of doubt and downfall of Othello’s relationship, Iago has invested so much power into it, the handkerchief is now corrupting the mind of Othello
Act 4, Scene 1
[FALLS INTO A TRANCE]
-visual representation of Othello’s loss of control and demise
Act 4, Scene 1
‘by heaven, that should be my handkerchief’
-Othello has fallen into Iago’s trap
Act 4, Scene 1
LODOVICO: ‘I am deciev’d in him’
-DECEPTION as Othello’s once professional and well respected reputation has been entirely tarnished at the hands of Iago’s deception as he is being a silent orchestrator of the tragedy and Othello TRAGICALLY fails to realise → characterises him as some what of a TRAGIC VICTIM
Act 4, Scene 1
‘where I have garnered up my heart where i must live or bear my life’
-Othello is internally CONFLICTED between his actual love of Desdemona vs what Iago has told him (his duty to avenge Desdemona in death)
-the pain is intensified as it is directly wounding his heart causing catastrophe
-links to Act 3, Scene 3 ‘when i love thee not chaos is come again’
-his heart is a SYMBOL of his love for Desdemona → his love and mortality are intertwined and dependent on each other (without love he is incapable of living)
-perhaps Shakespeare wants us to feel sympathetic for Othello, he has been turned to NIHILISM and given up at life
Act 4, Scene 1
‘O! O! O!’
EPIZEUXIS shows how Othello is coming to a sudden realisation of Desdemona’s innocence due to Emilia, seems like a genuine reaction, potentially evokes PATHOS
