Othello

1
Othello

• Character
• Othello

2
Act 2 scene 1

• Othello seems happy.
• Choose a quote from II.i.176-186
• He thinks that our wars are done.

3
Act 2 Scene 3

• Iago has incited a fight between Cassio and
  Roderigo
• In Act 1 he calmly denounces violence Keep up
  your bright swords
• Here he reacts angrily
• He compares them to Turks and Ottomites
• And feels Christian shame at their behaviour
• The move to Cyprus has changed Othello

4

• He demands explanation Give me answer to it
  (180)
• But the explanation makes him furious
• My blood begins my safer guides to rule (189)
• He thinks he may but lift this arm a threat
  of possible violence

5
Othello

• Character Development

6
First Act

• What is Othello like?
• Does he have any faults or weaknesses?

7
Act 2 Scene 1

• Show how in love he is with Desdemona when he is
  reunited with her
• My fair warrior!
• Comment on this
• He feels extremely happy, ironically saying If
  it were now to die, Twere to be most happy

8
Act 2 Scene 3

• Othello again shows his trust of Iago Iago is
  most honest
• He wants to protect Desdemona from the ugly,
  violent brawl Alls well now, sweeting come
  away to bed (2.3.236)

9
Act 3 Scene 3 Key Scene

• Iago says when Cassio leaves Desdemona Ha! I
  like not that.
• (3.3.35) Here he starts putting his plan into
  action.
• Othello is still kind and gentle with Desdemona
  (3.3.56). When he agrees to speak to Cassio The
  sooner, sweet, for you
• Desdemona shows her compassion and kindness in
  trying to get Cassio reinstated Tell me,
  Othello. I wonder in my soul.

10

• He seems busy and preoccupied with his
  responsibilities leave me but a little to
  myself.
• Calls Desdemona Excellent wretch!
  affectionately.
• when I love thee not
• Chaos is come again
• This shows that without Desdemona he is unhappy.
  D seems to have saved him from a life of trauma
  and turmoil.
• Iago withholds enough to intrigue and frustrate
  Othello Why of thy thought, Iago?Is he not
  honest?

11
(3.3.107-116)

• a monster in his thought
• Too hideous to be shown
• Jealousy a monster
• There is painful dramatic irony in Othello saying
  I know thourt full of love and honesty.
• Iago avoiding a direct answer is compared to how
  a false disloyal knave would avoid telling the
  truth.

12

• He gathers himself and says that he will not be
  plagued by jealousy as it is against his
  character Ill see before I doubt when I
  doubt, proveAway at once with love or jealousy!
  (192-194)
• Iago tells him to keep an eye on Desdemona
• But Othello says that he will stay calm and this
  will bother him Not a jot

13
Othellos soliloquy (260-279)

• He compares Desdemona to a haggard - a wild
  hawk. If he cannot train her or control her he
  will let her go.
• He wonders if a problem is Happly for I am
  black
• This is the first time he has doubted himself
  because of his race
• Or age I am declind into the vale of years
• He simply states Shes gone, I am abusd , and
  my relief Must be to loathe her
• His imagery is ugly and crude saying he would
  rather be a toad and live upon the vapour of a
  dungeon than a married man.
• He repeats the idea of a plague

14

• He is disregarding his public duties as his
  guests wait for him
• He is snappy and abrupt with D.
• Next time we see him his language has
  deteriorated ha, ha, false to me!
• He says that Iagos information hast set me on
  the rack - a torture instrument
• Now he speaks of her in a crude way, saying he
  would rather all of the soldiers had slept with
  her as long as he did not know I had been happy
  if the general camphad tasted her sweet body So
  nothing I had known

15

• Shakespeare uses repetition of Farewell to show
  that he is saying goodbye to happiness and
  contentment. (346-357)
• But he focuses on losing his occupation and
  talks in military image. It seems that he does
  not have the vocabulary to express his emotions.
• Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore -
  he threatens Iago.
• I think my wife be honest, and think she is not
• I think that thou art just, and think thou art
  not
• Paradox expresses the chaos in his mind

16

• Othellos rage makes him violent Ill tear
  her all to pieces!
• When Iago says that he has seen Cassio with the
  handkerchief Othello swears revenge
• He wants all his love to disappear to heaven
  (441-451)
• And in its place calls Arise, black vengeance,
  from thy hollow cell!
• Analyse this image

17

• Noticeably He kneels. The power relationship
  has changed between Iago and Othello.
• He promotes Iago and tells him he wants him to
  kill Cassio.
• Othello exclaims O blood, blood, blood!
• O compares his mind to the Black Sea and his
  bloody thoughts to an icy current

18
Act 3 Scene 4
19

• Desdemona my noble Moor is true of mind and
  made of no such baseness as jealous creatures
  are
• Accusations This hand is moist (32)
• heres a young and sweating devil
• Othellos language is full of double meanings
• liberal heart - generous and free, immoral
• Contrast with the first Act
• Her hand is frank - honest, revealing

20

• Othello talks of how precious the handkerchief
  is. It was a gift from his mother. He seems to
  be slipping into superstition, talking of a
  charmer ,spirits and magic (52-64)
• Look at the exchange in lines 71-81. How does
  Shakespeare convey the conflict between Desdemona
  and Othello?

21
Act 4 Scene 1
22

• Iago plays another role. He tries to dissuade
  Othello from overreacting
• Othello O it comes oer my memory, as doth
  the raven oer the infected house
• The raven is a symbol of death and disease
• Foreshadowing
• Look at Othellos speech in lines 35-43. How
  does Shakespeare use language to portray his
  state of mind?
• Stage direction He falls in a trance
• Othello is physically affected by his emotions

23

• Iago plays another role. He tries to dissuade
  Othello from overreacting
• Othello O it comes oer my memory, as doth
  the raven oer the infected house
• The raven is a symbol of death and disease
• Foreshadowing
• Look at Othellos speech in lines 35-43. How
  does Shakespeare use language to portray his
  state of mind?
• Stage direction He falls in a trance
• Othello is physically affected by his emotions

24

• Iago fools Othello by talking to Cassio about a
  prostitute he visits called Bianca
• Look at Othellos speeches in lines 168-210
  (p96-8) How does he talk about Desdemona?
• Othello is now completely in Iagos hands -
  agreeing to suffocate her in her contaminated
  bed
• Othello is completely unreasonable with
  Desdemona, striking her and shouting at her
• Notably Desdemona responds without anger sweet
  Othello, I have not deservd this

25

• Lodovico says that this would not be believed in
  Venice
• Look at Othellos speech in lines 250-261.
• The word turn has a double meaning
• His sentences are broken up with pauses
• Repetition is now used to show the obsessions in
  his mind and to allow him to explore words
  double meanings obedient, weep

26
Act 4 Scene 2
27

• Othello refuses to believe what Emilia tells him.
• This is a subtle whore
• Desdemona seems concerned about Othello when she
  would be justified in being angry Why do you
  weep?
• Othello confronts Desdemona, using a series of
  images to describe how he feels his love has been
  ruined.
• Desdemona is as honest as summer flies in the
  shambles slaughterhouse
• O wishes thou hadst neer been born

28
Act 5 Scene 2
29

• Othellos soliloquy
• It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul
• He uses it as if he cannot even name adultery.
• His speech reminds the audience that she looks
  white but is also innocent that whiter skin of
  hers than snow and smooth as monumental
  alabaster
• Othello is calling on darkness - Put out the
  light - again, literally and metaphorically
• Desdemona repeatedly begs for her life
• But Othello smothers her, angrily calling her
  strumpet
• Emilia still cannot persuade him of Ds innocence
• When Iago is accuse of lying all Othello can say
  is O! O! O!

30

• When Othello finally realises what Iago has done
  he tries to attack him and wishes Iago could be
  punished by God Are there no stones in heaven
  but what serves for the thunder?
• He feels hopeless and no longer trusts human
  justice
• He is restrained and then seems too weak to
  attack Iago I am not valiant either.
• He is completely broken and says Let it go all.
  Nothing matters to him any more bravery,
  honesty, honour, respect

31

• He goes to Desdemonas dead body.
• He now accepts her chastity. Notice this line
  is much shorter than the standard iambic
  pentameter (274)
• He calls her a cursed, cursed slave.
• Othello imagines his punishment in hell Whip
  me, ye devilsBlow me about in winds! Roast me
  in sulphur!
• Again he descends into a series of painful howls
  O Desdemon! Dead Desdemon! Dead! O! O!

32

• He recovers slightly to justify his actions
• For naught did I in hate, but all in honour
• He says of Iago that demi-devilhath ensnared
  my soul and body
• Then returns to pained exclamations O villain!,
  O fool, fool, fool!
• In his final speech he reminds people that I
  have done the state some service

33

• He recovers slightly to justify his actions
• For naught did I in hate, but all in honour
• He says of Iago that demi-devilhath ensnared
  my soul and body
• Then returns to pained exclamations O villain!,
  O fool, fool, fool!
• In his final speech he reminds people that I
  have done the state some service

34

• He recovers slightly to justify his actions
• For naught did I in hate, but all in honour
• He says of Iago that demi-devilhath ensnared
  my soul and body
• Then returns to pained exclamations O villain!,
  O fool, fool, fool!
• In his final speech he reminds people that I
  have done the state some service

35

• Othello asks that when people tell the story
  Speak of me as I am
• Othello says that he is one that loved not
  wisely, but too well
• He threw a pearl away
• Othellos final long speech is as eloquent as
  those in Act 1 Scene 3. He regains respect and
  seeks to influence how people will think of him

36

• He gives a reminder of his service for Venice and
  then kills himself.
• His final lines are addressed to Desdemona and he
  shows her one last act of tenderness to die
  upon a kiss
• At the end Lodovico and Gratiano take pity on him
  and Cassio says he was great of heart