Last Updated on July 22, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. It is a masculine world, isolated and contained; Desdemona is at the mercy of the men around her. In this Venetian crisis, with the Turkish fleet now bearing down on the island of Cyprus, a possession of Venice, Othello’s services are necessary. ‘Othello’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ were both written by Shakespeare between the 1590’s and the 1600’s; both were plays to excite and please the audience of the Elizabethan era with the theme of love and conflict. Word Count: 564. The location emphasizes the distance from their familiar world. Key dramatic vocabulary used and potential exam style question at the end of the power point. Othello relieves Cassio of his duties after hearing Iago's "reluctant" testimony. Verse And Prose. On stage, Blacks were often stereotyped as villains; Shakespeare himself had employed this figure in Aaron in Titus Andronicus. Furthermore, in "long time" Othello's decline appears less sudden and absurd, thereby preserving the audience's sympathy with the proud and noble Moor. After his superior leaves and shorn of his guard command, Cassio laments to Iago, "O, I have lost my reputation! Thus in Othello, the respectable Lodovico explains the desperate events which have just taken place: Myself will straight aboard, and to the state. Word Count: 596. In general, Iago speaks in blank verse, except when he is lying, arguing or persuading others to follow his treacherous advice. In Othello Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists used language to establish and build dramatic atmosphere, to define time, place and character. At the very end of Act II in one of several soliloquies in which Iago reveals his villainy to the audience, Othello's "ancient" says: Iago, the agency of human evil, is able to twist the distinction between what something is and what it appears to be, and it is this deception that stands at the bottom of Othello's tragic tale. A term used of speech rhythms in blank verse; an iambic rhythm is an unstressed, or weak, beat followed by a stressed, or strong, beat. Shakespeare's presentation of a Black man as the hero of this tragedy has provoked much comment. (Note: The play Richard II is the one exception to this rule—it's the only Shakespeare play written entirely in verse.). In Othello, why does Iago want to destroy Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio—despite the fact that he already got Cassio fired. (II.iii.253-255). In Act I after hearing of his daughter's intention to abide by her "betrayal" of him, Brabantio warns Othello: "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see; / She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee" (I.iii.292-293). To this, the proven hero of Venice replies, "My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, / Shall manifest me rightly" (I.ii.31-32). Iago shows his evil nature towards Roderigo through his use of demeaning animal imagery. Duke’s council chamber. For centuries, readers have noted that the play has a dual time scheme: "short" time, in which the action on stage is an unbroken sequence of events taking place over the course of a very few days; and "long" time, in which characters' statements and other indications suggest that a much greater period of time has passed. How does Shakespeare use language and dramatic techniques to present love in ‘Othello’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’? ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Conclusion From start to finish, Othello changes character in several ways.The comparison between his initial and final traits have vast contrast, as he went through a complete transformation. Verse and prose in Othello; Language and social status in Othello; Language and character; Language and structure; Othello: Characterisation. Iago dismisses Othello and Desdemona’s relationship as nothing but lust and refers to them as ‘the … Governor’s castle within whose soldiers’ quarters, orchard, and halls the remainder of the play unfolds. Iago is not the only character who exhorts Othello to "look" at Desdemona. Another significant aspect of Othello, one related to the jealousy theme, is Shakespeare's manipulation of time in the play. Roderigo derides Othello too as ‘the thick-lips’ (1.1.66), while Brabantio, in his public confrontation with Othello, finds it inconceivable that his daughter should desire to ‘Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom / Of such a thing … His love for her still makes this an unbearably difficult task. Language and structure Language in Othello. In response to her purported betrayal, Othello re-imagines his sense In Shakespeare's England, Blacks were considered exotic rarities. But Othello is not capable of paternal authority, for his insecurities as a racially-distinct outsider conspire with Iago's plans to generate behavior that is both bestial and childish. Conversely, Othello is at his most secure in Acts I and II, when he defends and then consummates his marriage. Deception in Othello Here Iago suggests scenes for Othello to envision, such as finding Desdemona and Cassio in an embrace or in bed together, and then leaves their evident meaning open for Othello to discover, thereby fanning the flames of murderous jealousy. There is no rhythm or meter in the line. The theme of honor and reputation intertwines with those of perception and trust. At the same time, it makes their doubts seem more plausible: if days or weeks have passed, there has indeed been time for repeated trysts between Desdemona and Cassio. Later, this same ability to separate different degrees and kinds of affection will make Desdemona seek, without hesitation, to help Cassio, thereby fueling Othello’s jealousy. Prose. Modern Shakespeare critics have naturally focused on the racial implications of a Black Othello coming into conjugal union with a White Desdemona. Verse. One could say that at this moment Othello's language goes as far as language can go before it becomes music, whereas his language disintegrates into noise in his later epileptic babbling. Pairs of lines which rhyme with each other. “Strangle her in her bed,” says Iago. In the midst of the play's "corruption scene" (Act III, Scene 3), Iago says to Othello … In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, Othello battles with the trials of his marriage and jealously the same way he learned to battle growing up, in the form of a war. Othello was written some time between 1600 and 1605. While their love is certainly passionate, Desdemona is above all a pure and chaste heroine; it is these qualities that attract the Moor to her, and they are, in fact, the same attributes that fathers tend to cherish and protect in their daughters. It is most often through Iago that this gap is highlighted within the play's text. 'Othello's virtue and valour ultimatelymake him admirable.' Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. Othello is a brave and competent soldier of advanced years and Moorish background in the service of the Venetian Republic. This citadel is the spot where civility and barbarity merge. At first, the Duke sides with Desdemona's biological father; but upon learning that Othello is the object of Brabantio's complaint, he shifts his judicial viewpoint significantly, calling the Moor "our own proper son." Although the Turks have now drowned, Cyprus is a barren military outpost, a citadel, lacking many of the comforts of Venice. In essence, the patriarchal figure of the Duke allows Othello to "adopt" Desdemona. Word Count: 1298. Thus, while rejecting stereotypes in his depiction of Othello, Shakespeare also presents characters who attack the hero's color and use his race to isolate and destroy him. One idea that may help is to remember that his plays are written in two forms: prose and verse. It was first performed in court, but not published until 1622. The dialogue is full of legalistic language as if Othello has tired her, found her guilty and is now sentencing her. Though "blood" as it is used to de scribe Desdemona's betrayal is the source of unbearable psychic dissonance for Othello, blood in the sense of "bloodshed" is also the solution to that problem. A prime example of Iago's ability to use Othello's visual perceptions against him takes place in the exchange between Iago and Othello at the start of Act IV. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for COVID-19 relief—Join Now! To what extent do you agree with this view? I achieved an A star in AQA A Level English Literature - I have put together all of my Othello revision notes, which cover every assessment objective and will secure you top marks in the exam! Discuss the importance of race in Othello. The following activity focuses on Othello’s speeches from the beginning and end of the play, allowing students the opportunity to explore changes in his character and language. Othello was written some time between 1600 and 1605. Activity 1. Thus, for example, a close reading reveals that all the events from his arrival on Cyprus to Othello's death take place in less than two days. The title character of Othello is supremely concerned with the reputation that he has earned as a man of military adventures and victories for the sake of his adopted homeland. Othello is … However, several characters display racist attitudes and clearly designate Othello as Black; this discrimination is most notable in Iago, who not only expresses his own racism but plays on the prejudices of others in his schemes against Othello. The central plot of this tragedy pivots upon Othello's loss of trust in Desdemona (and to a lesser extent, Cassio), and the irony of his misplaced trust in Iago. Cyprus citadel. Indeed, even after Emilia accuses her own husband of treachery, Othello is unable to accept her charge: "My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago" (V.ii.155). It provides the setting for the last four acts of the play and, symbolically, represents the edge of the civilized world; beyond is the Ottoman Empire, the enemy infidels. They were commonly feared as dangerous, threatening figures, sexually unrestrained and primitive. *Venice. It is the "ocular proof" of the mislaid handkerchief that seals Desdemona's doom and Othello's own demise. You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself a loser" (II.iii.259-262). Othello, like Shakespeare's other plays, is written in a combination of verse (poetry) and prose (how we talk every day). In this exchange, Iago avers: "Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. Here the arch-villain is referring to Cassio, but the irony is plain enough, as Iago has already disclosed to Roderigo in the opening scene of this tragedy: "I am not what I am" (I.i.65). The room brings together the sexual possessiveness of Othello, Desdemona’s innocence, and Iago’s passion for destruction. ill. 338) and to his sleeping well in ignorance of the supposed trysts between his wife and Cassio, as well as Bianca's chastisement of Cassio for keeping "a week away … seven days and nights … eight score eight hours" (III. / Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA / DESDEMONA / Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do / All my abilities in thy behalf. Readers will also learn about literary elements of the poem such as imagery, language, and form. What reason does Iago give for his hatred of Othello? In the second act he forms his plans and sets up his revenge, so that in Act III he is able to ‘triumph’ over Othello. Both Roderigo and Bianca are torn by jealousy: he desires Desdemona and she yearns for Cassio. iv. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. This also allowed the audience to start to let go of their emotional engagement with the drama and prepare for the humdrum daily life of London. / EMILIA / Good Have You Not Read of Some Such Thing? The garden of the castle. 173-74), reflect a longer passage of time. The text is a rich tapestry of plot, character, poetry, and theme – elements which come together to form one of the Bard's most engaging tragedies. But when it comes to the corruption of Othello, Iago has a much different opinion about the value of one's good name. Word Count: 1298. • Act IV, scene i, the scene in which Othello is hidden listening to Cassio talk to Iago about Bank, but Othello thinks he is talking about Desdemona. But it also represents a place in which the truth is revealed, where Venice, in the person of Lodovico, brings civility once more, and where Othello can feel remorse. Shakespeare's analysis of the nature of jealousy is not limited only to the character of Othello, however. 11Perhaps the most influential close reading of the language of Othello remains William Empson's 1951 essay "Honest in Othello." constitutive forms of bodily damage. Reading Othello often feels like reading a lengthy poem, and that's because Shakespeare's characters often speak in verse. In the midst of the play's "corruption scene" (Act III, Scene 3), Iago says to Othello that "men should be what they seem" (III.iii.127). In Othello, Shakespeare forms the villainous character, Iago through his complex language. From the opening scene, Iago uses language to manipulate others and disguise his true intentions. / To his conveyance I assign my wife" (I.iii.284-285). The isolation of the island from the civilized world contributes to the absolutism of the play. With his presentation of the proud, virtuous soldier Othello, Shakespeare defies many of these stereotypes. More importantly, Iago displays numerous symptoms of jealousy. This outdoor setting, dark and noisy, creates a feeling of unrest and tension. When Othello talks about his past, it is easy to see the experience he has had in wars. Self contained lesson … What literary device, if any, is used in the play Othello? Sex and Sexual Stories in Othello, Iago's Alter Ego: Race as Projection in Othello, That's She That Was Myself: Not-So-Famous Last Words and Some Ends of Othello, The Adaptation of a Shakespearean Genre: Othello and Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Theatricality and Textuality: The Example of Othello, Voice Potential: Language and Symbolic Capital in Othello. Shakespeare’s Othello (Shakespeare, 1604) is a tragedy that unfolds based on the actions and language of one character: Iago. Before introducing this activity, download and copy the worksheet, "Zounds, sir, you're robbed," available here as a .pdf file. Reacting to Iago's intimations about Desdemona, Othello warns that Iago must be sure that he can prove Desdemona to be a whore, commanding his ancient to "Give me ocular proof" (III.iii.360). Othello ‘falls’ because he believes a man whose every utterance Is deceptive. Here we also observe that it is the father of the city, the Duke of Venice, who ultimately decides the dispute between Othello and Brabantio. In the play's second act, Iago tells Othello that Brabantio "prated, / And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms / Against your honor" (I.ii.6-8). In such passages he uses prose, reinforcing the idea that prose is the language associated with low moral behaviour, and helping the audience to recognise and reject the character who is speaking. SCENE III. Although various forms of jealousy are displayed by these characters, they are all based on unreasonable fears and lead to equally irrational behavior. Awe-inspiring room to which Othello is summoned before the Duke and the special session of Senate. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!" Iago also uses an extended metaphor to try and trick the ignorant Roderigo and (unknowingly to … By contrast, Othello's references to Desdemona's "stolen hours of lust" (III. Othello (/ oʊ ˈ θ ɛ l oʊ /) is a character in Shakespeare's Othello (c. 1601–1604). Venetian ships plied the seas from the Adriatic through the Mediterranean, trading wool, furs, leather, and glass. Othello feels that he has to kill Desdemona but he doesn’t really want to do it. Although alien to Venetian culture as a Moor, Othello has previously proven his worth to the state and he defends himself from Brabantio’s charges persuasively. In Act II, Scene 3, Othello says to the drunk and disorderly Cassio. Northeast Italian seaport on the Adriatic that is the setting of the three scenes of the play’s first act. Othello is a play primarily concerned with language’s ability to conceal the truth, and the play’s style reflects the duality of speech. In Othello and Hamlet there are many forms of corruption and evil carried out by the characters. The world of Shakespeare and the Metaphysical poets 1540-1660, The world of Victorian writers 1837 - 1901, Romantic poets, selected poems: context links, Thomas Hardy, selected poems: context links, Text specific further reading and resources, 1564 - 1582: William Shakespeare's Stratford Beginnings, 1582 - 1592: William Shakespeare's Marriage, Parenthood and Early Occupation, 1592 - 1594: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 1, 1594 - 1611: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 2, 1594 - 1611: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 3, 1611 - 1616: William Shakespeare - Back to Stratford. Gradually Othello overcomes his squeamishness and as he becomes more determined so his language becomes more violent. Congruent with this motif, the subject of trust, its loss and its misplacement, is clearly a salient theme in Othello. Log in here. In fact, actors and critics for centuries insisted that this noble "Moor" was an Arab rather than an African. Othello’s Speeches (2015) The activity can be found on pages 6 and 7 and takes approximately 20 minutes. At a distance, Othello sees the encounter between Cassio and Bianca and his handkerchief pass between them; he is then convinced of the falseness of Desdemona. As a result, the plot is linear, yet the play manages to maintain a multidimensional effect. This worksheet will be used by student groups to complete an analysis of Iago's language in the first scene of the play. Into this solemn chamber peopled with the powerful hierarchy of Venice, Desdemona appears to declare her love for Othello, which convinces the Duke to support the marriage and enlist Othello in the war against the Turk. • Act III, scene iii, the second part of the scene in which Iago begins to poison Othello's view of Desdemona. The tempest-tossed, Venetian seafarers reach safety. For Othello, everything remains uncertain and unsettled until he can make a connection to the physical. The character's origin is traced to the tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio.There, he is simply referred to as the Moor. *Cyprus. It is, in fact, remarkable how fully the Moor gives himself over to the trust of his ancient. However, he must defend himself first from the accusations of Brabantio, who claims that he has stolen Desdemona by witchcraft. Leaving this dimension of their relationship aside, there is also a vast difference in age between Othello and Desdemona; indeed, the Moor is perhaps of the same age as his bride's father, Brabantio. There, Iago is free to advance his plans for Othello’s destruction, first by making Cassio drunk, leading to his dismissal, and then by using lies and insinuations to increase Othello’s jealousy. Shakespeare uses the language of the characters to achieve this multifaceted quality. In seeking to rouse Brabantio against Othello, Iago alarms him by saying that "even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe" (I.i.88-89). In Act III he struggles to resist the jealousy that threatens to overpower his reason, succumbing to it in Act IV. After Brabantio's departure from the Duke's court, Othello tells the Duke of Iago, "A man he is of honesty and trust. The setting of Desdemona’s murder in her citadel bedchamber is cruelly appropriate. This causes Othello to become extremely jealous and his language there on becomes barbaric. The second act of Othello opens at an open place near the quay of a Cyprus seaport. I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. His bitterness at being passed over for promotion and his suspicions that his wife has had an affair with Othello prompt his desire for revenge and give rise to his malicious schemes. Throughout the play, Othello consistently identifies himself with the state as the basis of his own personal authority and, in this capacity, acts like a father. Ruled by a duke and a senate, Venice was an autonomous, powerful republic at this time, with a flourishing commercial economy. Remember to include in your answer relevantcomment on Shakespeare's dramatic methods. In Othello prose is less common than verse. Consistent with this theme, much is made in Othello of perception, of looking, of seeing. Othello's suspicions regarding Desdemona's fidelity provoke him to rage and violence, and the collapse of his pride and nobility is swift. At one point he says “I will chop her into messes – cuckold me!” and in his next utterance he becomes very lucid because he knows exactly what might stop him doing what he thinks should be done, “Get me some poison, Iago – this night. absolute desire to link non-physical language with physical evidence. Last Updated on July 22, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. Before Brabantio’s house, Iago and Roderigo call out with shouts of alarm and obscene insinuations about his daughter Desdemona, which escalate almost into a brawl, until Othello appears to calm the fray. Last Updated on July 22, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. This extension of time may reflect the irrational quality of Othello's and Bianca's jealousy, by which their fears cause them to exaggerate. Spoken thought, in the play, has all the power of action; speaking about an event will make that event become reality for those who hear - it will affect reality as if that event had taken place. When Iago tells Roderigo “I am not what I am,” (I.i) he is actually showing the audience just how duplicitous he is. This affluent Renaissance city was greatly admired by Elizabethans, and utilized by William Shakespeare in his earlier play The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596-1597). This compression of time heightens the sense of reckless passion and the extreme rapidity of Othello's fall. The language of Othello. Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists used language to establish and build dramatic atmosphere, to define time, place and character. Othello – Language, Form and Structure Nature – In the play the characters frequently refer to themselves and others as beasts and animals . Othello ‘falls’ because he believes a man whose every utterance is deceptive. But in Othello, language is not simply the medium by which the drama is conveyed: in this play language is action. Othello. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, racism is certainly featured throughout the play. a way for students to analyse Iago's growing influence on Othello in Act 3 Scene 3 of the play with a close look at language, structure and form. In tragedies, the couplet might offer a moral comment on the preceding action, as with. This is the place in the drama when Othello finally starts to internalize the lies and deceit that Iago has been spreading against Desdemona. Important island trading post in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and a Venetian possession from 1489 to 1571. But in Othello, language is not simply the medium by which the drama is conveyed: in this play language is action. In Shakespeare's "Othello," themes are essential to the working of the play. Again in the corruption scene, Iago directs Othello, "Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio" and then adds again "look to't" (III.iii.197,200). Last Updated on July 22, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. It is everyday language. Perhaps the predominant impression created by Othello is that of the terrible destructiveness of jealousy. Playing upon Othello’s sense of alienation, he suggests that Desdemona’s choice of him was unnatural and thus temporary. The Power of Language in Othello In Othello, Shakespeare explores the relationship between words and events. Right before stabbing himself to death, Othello says to Lodovico, Gratiano and Cassio: To the end, Othello is concerned with how he appears in the eyes of others, with his name, and with the reputation that it bears and the authority that it carries. Already a member? William Shakespeare took ideas from Giraldi Cinthio’s Hecca Tommithi – an Italian collection of 100 stories which were popular at the time, and studied by many playwrights and scholars.The play is about love, jealousy, deceit, racism and lies, and is one of … Even Othello‟s understanding of doubt is expressed as that which has a physical weight, something to be hung upon the similarly strange physical form of Iago‟s probation. It is a rising metre. Copyright © crossref-it.info 2021 - All rights reserved, For dramas played on an open stage, with no closing curtain to signify a change of location or time, it was common Elizabethan practice to signify the end of a scene by using a, Inevitably, the final rhyming couplet of the play’s last scene carried more dramatic weight. Alternatively, the final couplet served to ‘tie up’ the events which had just taken place on stage and re-establish the continuity of ‘normal’ life. The theme surfaces in other contexts. At that stage, Iago elaborates on the meaning of this seeming paradox: Via Iago's interwoven schemes, the demise of Othello is propelled by the disparity between appearances, on the one hand, and underlying reality, on the other. Act I, scene 1, lines 86–91, 108–112 In-Class acting and discussion of Othello. The question of whether reputation, or how others see us, is meaningless or supremely important need not be answered for us to understand what Shakespeare says conclusively about "honor," "name," or "renown": that it can be used against us by a skillful practitioner of the practical black arts like Iago. In the play, Iago cynically describes Venice as a place of moneybags, treachery, and promiscuity, and insinuates that a Black man can never be other than an outsider. The speed and intensity of these changes in the hero have led some critics to question whether Iago's insinuations actually cause Othello's doubts or merely unleash his pre-existing fears. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question.