Othello

A2 Love Through The Ages Wider Reading

Othello 

William Shakespeare - 1603

Othello is a Jacobean tragic love story of power and vulnerability set in the foreign lands of Cyprus and Venice. It follows the fated love of Othello and Desdemona who are ruthlessly manipulated by Iago, the machiavellian character after revenge and power. Othello is a successful military general of moorish, arabian origin who marries Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of Venetian Senator Brabantio, against her father's will. Othello is undermined frequently by his weaknesses - he is overtly conscious of the fact he is perceived as racially inferior by Brabantio and Iago plays this weakness to his advantage - milking it of every last drop. 

Venice is a city of prosperity, riches but also of promiscuous women - this is ironic as Desdemona's origins foreshadow her future accusations and make them all the more believable to Othello (hence Othello insults Desdemona in the final scene as "the whore of Venice"). Cyprus is said to be the island of venus, the goddess of love, it's also isolated from civilisation and rigid structure of social order of Venice. Instead, military order takes its place which is confusing and misleading for its characters, particularly Othello. It allows Iago free reign to execute his plans. It is also all the more convoluting in Othello's actions in marriage “Either from Venice or some unhatch’d practise/ made demonstable here in Cyprus to him,/ Hath puddled his clear spirit”- Cyprus and the male dominated military setting is jarring with the loving, feminine relationship Othello has with Desdemona. Othello is confused with how to act towards her, torn between the harsh logical male dominance of the Cypriot setting and his love and in the end its the passion of the deadly kind that gets the better of him. 

Othello is so easily manipulated by Iago who is fated as one of the darkest villains of literature. "Honest Iago" is frequently spoken by Othello, first at line 290 in act, tragically  and ironically foreshadowing his deception. This presents Othello as an unknowing victim being deceived by Iago utterly unknowingly and although Othello at the end is a murderer, the audience still upholds him as a hero, a tragic hero. And it is Iago, who throughout the play does not lay one finger on another character, who is the devil. Iago takes away Othello's control and dominance leaving him unsure of himself and easy prey to his calculated revenge “What dost thou say, Iago?”(3.3.92) “Why dost thou ask?”(3.3.95) “Why of thy thought Iago?”(3.3.97) “Discern’st thou aught in that? Is he not honest?”. 

In military structure, trust and honestly are things essential to the military way of life. And Othello, not knowing any other way having based his entire life around advancing militarily, falls an easy victim to this. It is inconceivable to him that his fellow comrades be anything but loyal and honest. "I put the moor// At least to jealousy so strong// that judgement cannot cure" Iago uses this weakness too as a tool to play out his own wishes. He works the characters like pieces on a chess board; like soldiers in the war, Iago is the high command.

“Handkerchief! – Confessions – handkerchief”

Sea Metaphors	Animal Imagery	Devil/Hell Imagery	Monsters	Sex
“She that in wisdom was never so frail//To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail” Iago 2.1.152 “And out of her goodness make the net// That shall emesh them all” Iago 2.3.325	“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” Iago 1.1.90  “You'll have your// daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your//nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans.” Iago 1.1.112-115” “He’ll be as full of quarrel and offence// As my young mistress’ dog” Iago  2.3.43 “As one would beat his offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion: sue to him again and he’s yours” Iago “If the earth could teem with woman’s tears// Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.// Out of my sight!” Othello 4.1.235 “Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys// As salt as wolves in pride” Iago 3.3.404	“O devil, devil!” Othello 4.1.234 “All my fond love thus do I now to heave; ‘Tis gone.// Arise, black vengence, from thy hollow cell!” Othello 3.3.446-448 “Her name that was as fresh// As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black// As mine own face” Othello 3.3.387-389 “Naked in bed, Iago, and mean not harm?// It is hypocrisy against the devil// They that mean virtuously and yet do so,// The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven” Othello 2.1.5 “Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!// When devils will teir blackest sins put on” Iago 316.2.3 “You, mistress, /That have the office opposite to Saint Peter/ And keep the gate of hell!” Othello (4.2.95)	“But jealous for they’re jealous. ‘Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself” Emilia 3.4.155 “Heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind” Desdemona 3.4.157 “As if there were some monster in his thought// Too hideous to be shown” 3.3.108 “O beware, my lord, of jealousy:// It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock// The meat it feeds on.” Iago 3.3.166-168	“She repeals him for her body’s lust” Iago 2.3.324 “making the beast with two backs” Iago 1.1.116