1603-most%20tightly%20constructed%20tragedy%20no%20sub%20plots,%20no%20comedy,%20no%20extraneous%20characters-focus%20is%20on%20the%20tragedy%20alone.

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1603-most tightly constructed tragedyno sub
plots, no comedy, no extraneous characters-focus
is on the tragedy alone.
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Shakespearean Tragedy

• Same as Aristotle but more violence, more complex
  plots/conflicts, personal
• A story of exceptional calamity leading to the
  death of a man in high estate, mainly from the
  actions of the hero and of those around him/her.
• abnormal conditions of the mind
• supernatural
• chance/accident-handkerchief
• conflicts-outward and internal
• death

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A.C. Bradleys Definition of Tragedy (Shakespeare)

• One or two characters
• leads to death of hero
• depicts the troubled part of heros life
• hero is of high degree
• suffering and calamity are exceptional,
  unexpected and contrasted with previous happiness
  and glory
• suffering and calamity extend beyond the hero to
  all involved to create a scene of woe (catharsis)

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Other Definitions of Tragedy

• Outward finite existence vs. inward infinite
  aspirations
• division of man-not good vs. bad, but good vs.
  good
• unfolding of the destiny or doom
• human freedom
• vision of future vs. shocking disaster

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Life and Times of Shakespeare

• Queen Elizabeth succeeded by James I
• English Renaissance in full bloom-Arts and
  Sciences flourished
• Shakespeare was known for his revelation of
  character, language, and philosophy--his ability
  to explore the complexities and paradoxes
  inherent in all of us.
• Othellos source was Giraldi Cinthios Tale of
  the Moor
• Belief in peoples responsibility for actions
  and circumstances

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Language used in Othello

• Iago uses more prose than Othello- (I.iii,313-19
  Tis in ourselves that we...)- Parallel,
  antithesis, symmetry reflect Iagos calm and
  calculated manipulation.
• Iago uses verse in II. 1. 145-8 with same
  syntactic control and style.
• Metaphor/Imagery-II.1. 124-5277-8
• Iagos speech habitually degrades human
  activities to the level of the doings of
  despicable animals-spider, dog, beasts of burden,
  horse, ram, beast with two backs.

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Issues in Othello

• Trust
• Friendship
• Reputation
• envy
• love
• jealousy
• justice
• Racism
• Appearance v. Reality

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Imagery

• Darkness- chaos, disorder, Othello as outsider
  and a object of suspicion, death, gradual
  corruption
• Animal and demonic
• white and light
• sea
• witchcraft
• drugs and poisons
• sex
• music

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Rich Opposites

• Hating Iago-loving Desdemona-noble, confiding,
  tender Othello
• Pure Desdemona/Practical Emilia/Sensual Bianca
• Loyal Cassio-Treacherous Iago-foolish Rod
• Opposites in language reflect themes devil/angel
  V.ii. 129-130 and water/fire V.ii. 133-40
  calm/storm reason/madness black/white
  untamed/civilized foreign/familiar
  Christian/witchcraft

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Setting-Venice and Cypressmoor-black African
that invaded and settled in Spain/outsider to
high societyVenice-city, govt., reason, law and
manners-ex. Brabantios passions examined
rationally by the senate.Cypress-barbarism,
riotous, wild, passions run free, no reasons,
fragile.
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Settings-Polarities of Reason and Passion

• Venice-Duke and Reason in control/safe/Christendom
  /order/justice/truth is protected by other
  leaders
• Cyprus-Othellos passions take over/exposed to
  attack/Turkish land/riot/revenge/murder/falsehood/
  no clues to determine truth/Desdemona separated
  from family and friends to help
• see III, iii, 203-205 228-238 262-267

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Iago, Othello, Desdemona-major characters

• Desdemona and Emilia are foils-Des. Is pure,
  innocent and faithful/Emilia is sexually aware,
  cynical, politcally aware.
• Othello and Desdemona have a pure and unsullied
  love, not lust. In contrast, Roderigo, Iago,
  Emilia and Bianca convey love as a base physical
  act, not an intellectual or spiritual union (see
  imagery).

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Othellos Character

• He is not as strong or as good a man as he thinks
  he is
• He is not a careful observer of human nature
• Act 1-Self-confident, open, enthusiastic because
  of his position of respect (ln.450-8)
• Act 3 sc. 3- jealousy rears its head and brings
  him agony as he takes on Iagos language (I,
  31-36ii, 207-214IV,ii, 58-62)
• Act 5- he has been overcome and blinded and feels
  justified in killing his wife (language is proud,
  rational, calm)

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Othello-warrior and respected as a war man, not
comfortable with his place in Venice so his
language is simple and precise not
flowery-EVERYMANHe trusts, loves, acts with
absolute commitment without hesitation, he must
save Desdemona from hurting others and
dishonoring her name.
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Othello as a Child

• Immature control and understanding of emotions
• doubts his age, race, inexperience in anything
  other than the military
• purity to standards of decency, adherence to
  duty, depth of love make him innocent and great
• his flaw is one who loved not wiselytoo well
• Trust and confides in the wrong person and
  doesnt know himself like Iago does

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I.iii-he woos Desdemona by talking of what he
knows best-war and adventure-she lovd me for
the dangers I had passd, and I lovd her that
she did pity them. He loves her empathy for him.
She loves his adventure and experience.
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Greatest asset (and possibly his downfall) is
his sense of justice and his willingness to act
on it without personal bias.II.3-Cassio, I love
thee, but never more be officer of mine.-Slow
to anger but his anger is ferocioushuman
weaknessprime and ordinary
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3.3- he curses his wedding dayhe doubts before
he really sees proof-but he must act because he
is a warrior and just.4-2 Othellos downfall,
speech is changed from simple and direct and
dignified to fractured fragmented, wildly
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5.2- he must kill her not because he doesnt love
her but because of justice and her danger to
other menCandle,rose, light, tree
imageryrepeats his act of justice with Cassio
because he is conflicted with virtue and justice
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like Oedipus, he must not escape his punishment
for what he has donespeak of me as I amof one
that loved not wisely but too well-final
words-hes done the state some service, dont
make excuses for me, he has self awareness of
his love his pearl, but he wasnt wise.
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He brings the same justice on himself that he
does on Cassio and Desdemona. He treats himself
as an enemy , a Turk. He is own judge, jury and
executioner.His language and syntax is returned.
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Noble-yesReversal of fortune-yesRecognize his
consequences-yesCartharsis-yesHe achieves
triumph and defeat but his flaw is that he is
Great of Heart and enacts for us what lies
beneath our own lives.

• -

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Contrasted with Roderigo who is common not tragic
but both are parallel.Uncommon dignity in
uncommon suffering HOW DOES OTHELLO MEASURE UP
AS A TRAGIC FIGURE?
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Desdemona- captains captain generals general

• The marriage of an older man and a younger girl
  was traditionally material for farce, but she
  loves him from beginning until her death. She
  never wavers.
• Her love is like a mother for a child.
• She represents one half of Othellos nature which
  is his love for himself, Iago is the other half
  and the play is a war of the two forces.
• The 1st half is a celebration, the 2nd half is
  one of torment and decomposition.

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Desdemona- strong and outspokenGoes against
society by marrying Othello the foreiegner, the
Moor.I.iii-where does your loyalty/duty lie?
half the wooerequal to Othellonaïve-doesnt
know when to stop
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III.iii-attempts to reconcile Cassio and
OthelloIII.4-pleads Cassios case again4.1-
Othello slaps her, she remains dignified4.2-
Othello berates her never stoops down to his
level
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5.2- Othello comes to kill her, she defends her
honordecency, virtue, strength and charity-I
nevershe dies because Othello is weak not her.
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5.2 ln 47- handkerchief actually clears her
nameDesdemona. Calls her his lord and absolves
himbut Emilia and Cassio explain the
handkerchief-opposite of what we think, it
doesnt provide evidence for her guilt but for
her innocence-too late like Creon
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Iagos Character

• Resourceful/creative/cunning/ambitious
• student of human nature who preys on weaknesses
  and desires
• Plants the idea, others repeat it, he reinforces
  (Act III sc. 3 20-28 90-92121-23 167-172
  204-206 281-2- Othello calm but the
  tempest/chaos is coming!
• begins a leading statement that is completed by
  others
• uses words that have multiple interpretations-lie
  
• never makes the damning statement-honest?

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Othellos temptation- from rational (mannered) to
mad (bestial)-animal/hell imagery

• Attracting attn III,iii,35-42 III,iii,103-142
• Allurement III,iii,157-189190-206207-228244-25
  3
• Rationalization III,iii, 260-71274-93,295-30434
  6-89399-409410-440447-65
• Acceptance III,iii, 467-95
• Why does Iago do it? He directs/Othello thinks
  and draws the conclusions.
• Iago always talks more than Othello. Why?

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Iagos Character

• Energetic
• insightful
• witty
• Clever/improvisation
• egotistic- doesnt believe in anyone or anything
  but himself, never doubts
• Roderigo he underestimates his wifes devotion
  and brains, and fate must bring order to world.

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Iago hates Othello for passing him over and a
possible affair with his wife, but there is never
any evidence for this 1.3 I hate the moor-
no equal in all of Shakespeares villians-evil
characterized 1.1-I am not what I am
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2.1-soliloquy-even wife for wife, jealousy make
the moor love me, thank methis is exactly what
Iago does to Othello to madness
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2.3-Divinity of hell, like devils that appear
to be angels-gets Cassio to drink and wound
Montanopour pestilence into Othellos ear turn
her Desdemonas virtue into pitchall
characters have weaknesses and our responsible
for their actions Iago is the catalyst, the
tempter.
35
3.3-by heaven Ill know your thoughtsgreen eyed
monsterIago has handkerchief .
36
How does the handkefchief get to Cassio? 1. Des.
drops it.2. Emilia picks it up 3. Iago takes it.
4. Iago plants it in Cassios room 5.cassio finds
it there. 6.Othello is convinced already.Iago
gives no reason for doing this, never speaks
again.
37
Morality play?Des. and Iago are the 2 angels,
impulses, universalsdramas containing characters
who represent abstract conceptspresented the
struggle between good and evilpresented a moral
lesson
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Iago a viper-looks at feet but finds no hoof?
just a manDESCRIBE THE WAY IN WHICH OTHELLOS
STRUGGLE MIRRORS THAT OF A MORALITY PLAY.
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Secondary CharactersCassiomore experienced in
venetian society not the military 1.inot aware
of his weaknesses esp. drink 2.3
40
Emilia-honest but her virtue can be
bought4.3-lie about affair
41
Roderigo- Othellos parallelgives money to Iago
to get Desdemona Iagos pawn