OTHELLO

1
OTHELLO

• Act I Notes

2
In Medias Res

• Latin phrase meaning into the middle of things
• Therefore, the conversation is lacking concrete
  meaning
• Relationship to the text?

3
Relationships
Desdemona
Roderigo
Othello
Brabantio
Iago
Cassio
4
Relationships

• Othello is the central figure in each
  relationship
• Virtually every character is connected

5
Make-up of the Relationships

• Personal
• Political
• Professional
• Religious
• Ethnic

6
Relationships

• Over-determined
• Filled with many layers of meaning

7
Recurring Imagery

• Animal Imagery
• Body Part Imagery

8
Animal Imagery

• Often in reference to Othello and sex
• Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ Is
  tupping your white ewe(I.i.87-88)
• Racism?
• Images suggest Othello is not human

9
Body Part ImageryPerception versus Expression

• Perception
• Eyes
• Ears
• Nose

• Expression
• Mouth
• Tongue
• Hands

10
Body Part ImageryInterior versus Exterior

• Interior
• Heart
• Soul

• Exterior
• Hands
• Nose
• Lips

11
Purpose of Body Part Imagery

• I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For daws
  to peck at(I.i.63-64)
• The interior becomes vulnerable when it is placed
  on the exterior.

12
Other Recurring ImageryBlood

• Violence
• Lust
• Blood Line
• Instinct

13
Other Recurring ImageryExperience Imagery

• ..Mere prattle without practice(I.i.25)
• Which is more effectivespeech or action?

14
Iago

• Vice-like
• Devil in morality plays

15
Iago

• First major speechAct 1, scene 1, lines 8-32
  40-64
• Discussion of the soul
• interior versus exterior
• Iago relates the soul to selfishness (i.e..
  Fundamentally, the soul is evil)

16
Fundamental Nature of HumanityJohn Locke

• 1632-1704
• Our preferences are invariably determined by the
  desire to seek pleasure and avoid pain (Essay
  II, vii 3)

17
Fundamental Nature of HumanityJean Jacques
Rousseau

• 1712-1778
• Writings fall into two groups
• Emile
• Of the Social Contract

18
Fundamental Nature of HumanityJean Jacques
Rousseau

• Emile
• Nature is inherently good
• Civilization is the great corrupter
• Feeling rather than reason is the proper guide to
  life

• Of the Social Contract
• Considered to be his greatest work
• Logically argues that the just state and morality
  itself arise from the exercise of our rational
  powers

19
Fundamental Nature of HumanityThomas Hobbes

• 1588-1679
• http//www.philosophypages.com/hy/3x.htmmech
• Absolute authority of the King is derived from
  the will of the people
• Social peace can only come from an absolute
  submission to the will of a King

20
Iago

• Heart versus Soul
• Heart is vulnerable
• Soul is not vulnerable

21
Iago

• Iago seems to be proud of himself but hints he
  would like to be someone else
• a sense of fear is presented
• ..I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For daws
  to peck at(I.i.63-64)
• If he opens up, he will be devoured
• I am not what I am.(I.i.64)
• Makes sense (I am not who you think I am or I am
  not what I appear to be)
• Makes no sense (if taken literally)

22
Difference Between Iago and Othello

• Othello, on the other hand, says I am who I am
• Let him do his spite./ My services which I have
  done the signory/ Shall out-tongue his
  complaints(I.ii.17-19)
• My parts, my title, and my perfect soul/ Shall
  manifest me rightly(I.ii.31-32)

23
Difference Between Iago and Othello

• Perfect soul
• In its original Latin, the word perfect meant
  put through no cracks.
• Extremismif a small crack appears, then
  perfection is spoiled and therefore that which
  was once perfect has now crumbled.

24
More Differences Between Iago and Othello

• Iago focuses on the interior, or soul
• working for yourself shows the most soul
• (I.i.43-54)

25
More Differences Between Iago and Othello

• Othello focuses on the exterior, or deeds.
• Let him do his spite./ My services which I have
  done the signory/ Shall out-tongue his
  complaints(I.ii.17-19)

26
The Duke and Racism

• Your son-in-law is far more fair than black
  (I.iii.290)
• Racism?
• Fairgood?
• Blackevil?

27
Dramatic Irony

• We know Iago is not honest

28
Cyclical Nature of the Text

• Opening act begins and ends the same way
• Iago explaining the events to Roderigo
• Happens quite frequently
• Iago often ends acts re-explaining what has
  happened

29
Iago and Humanism vs. Animalism

• Control
• Garden Image (I.iii.319-332)
• It is merely a lust of the blood and a
  permission of the will. Come, be a man!
  (I.iii.334-335)
• Functions as a conceit

30
Iago and Humanism vs. Animalism

• Control
• We (by weeding, planting, etc.) must take control
  of ourselves
• Therefore, Iago has a distrust of nature.
• If we do not take control, it will run wild.

31
Iago and Humanism vs. Animalism

• Controlling Others
• servant/master relationship
• two types of servants

32
Two Types of Servants

• (I.i.43-47)
• the servant who only lives to serve the master
  will one day be disposed of when he becomes
  useless to the master
• this type of servant is not selfish and therefore
  will suffer because of his lack of selfishness

• (I.i.47-54)
• This type of servant gives the false appearance
  of selflessness
• In reality, this servant is focusing completely
  on self
• Therefore, he gets something out of the
  relationship

33
Two Types of Servants

• Lining Cloaks
• Versus
• Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

34
Self-Control

• Reason versus Blood
• Or the antagonist inside you
• Which side is Iago on?
• He says he is on reason but that is not always
  true.
• Iago must work against something inside of him
• Iagos reason versus Iagos blood
• Where does his motivation lie? Reason or blood?

35
Control

• On both sides (controlling others and
  self-control) something inside must be protected.
• Insecurity
• The more want for control the more lack of it?

36
Birth Imagery

• the womb of time (I.iii.367-368)
• it is engendered (I.iii.395)
• monstrous birth (I.iii.396)

37
Birth Imagery

• The metaphor for the creation of Iagos villainy
  is birth.
• Villainy is a natural process
• Therefore, according to Iago, villainy is natural.

38
Iagos View of Desdemona

• She is a typical woman (from his perspective)
• She must change for youth when she is sated
  with his body, she will find the error of her
  choice (I.iii.348-350)
• It is against her nature to be with Othello
• It cannot be long that Desdemona should continue
  her love to the Moor (I.iii.341-342)

39
Iagos Motive

• I hate the MoorAnd it is thought abroad, that
  'twixt my sheetsHe has done my office I know
  not if't be trueBut I, for mere suspicion in
  that kind,Will do as if for surety.
  (I.iii.378-382)

40
Iagos Motive

• Possible motive Othello has slept with Iagos
  wife, Emelia
• Yet Iago admits he does not know if it is true
• He will still assume it is a surety.
• Because of his flippant assumption, does this
  motive lack validity?

41
Iagos Motive

• Most significant aspect of the quotation
• Notice the grammar I hate the Moor
• Functions as an independent clause
• It can stand on its owndoes not require anything
  else to be grammatically correct
• It comes first in the sentence
• Therefore, hate has priority over betrayal.