Motif
Iago’s syntax/ structure in speech.
- Unfinished utterances THROUGHOUT PLAY.
- “If I give my wife a handkerchief-“/ “lie -“
- Makes Othello BELIEVE what he is saying.
- **Questioning **
- “did you see the handkerchief?”/“dist thou not mark that? “ (I speaking to O abour conversation with Cassio) pg. 96.
Othello describing how he feels about Cassio and D’s “affair.”
- “doth the raven over the infected house.” pg.90
- Motif: poisoning, disease imagery.
- Raven: bird of ill omen thought to perch over house of those with plague.
Motif
Sexual imagery.
- “with her, on her what you will.” pg. 90 (Iago.)
- ## “nose ears and lips” (Othello.) pg. 91. Surrogate for sexual imagery ie. “nose”, “lips” (Othello imagining the affair.) OR could be them whispering/ kissing?
Motif
Othello broken syntax.
- “Handkerchief- confessions-handkerchief!”
- “O, a thousand, thousand times” pg. 96
- Exclamatories: “Fire and brimstone!”/ “goats and monkeys!”
- Repetition/ “O!” phrases throughout!! Overwhelmed emotions.
- Hyphenated: unfinished utterances.
- Juxtaposes initial linguistic skill.
Stage directions exemplifying appearance vs reality.
- Othello “falls in a trance.”~Iago able to show true self to audience.
- Othello angry ASIDES when hears convo between Cassio/ Iago (thinks ref. to Desdemona.)
Iago ref. to his evil plan.
- “medicine” –> contrasts “poison” his mind used before. No boundaries between good/ evil.
- ”
“Have we Turned Turks?”
Othello’s savagery.
- “foams at mouth” (Iago described Othello “in trance.”)
- “I will tear her into pieces”/ “I will chop her into messes.”
- Animalstic imagery.
- Stage directions: “He strikes her” (desdemona.)
Motif: masculinity
Iago challenging Othello masculinity.
- “nothing of a man.” pg. 92
- “be a man.” pg. 92
Iago describing Cassio’s sin.
- ” scorns that dwell in every region of his face” pg. 92. Advocating falling for appearances.
In some versions of Othello, when Iago speaks to Cassio of Bianca/ Othello thinks it’s D, what is done in staging to make this compelling?
- Whisper Bianca’s name so Othello doesn’t hear.
- Physically position Othello behind the shadows, overhearing conversation.
Iago masogynistic lang to women.
- Calls Bianca: “housewife selling her desires.” pg. 93
- Calls D “whore” pg. 96.
Example of Othello aside when hearing Cassio/ Iago conversation.
- “Do you triumpth Roman?” pg. 94.
- Ref. to days of Roman Empire when virtuous Roman generals celebrated by dragging enemies behind chariots.
- Cassio = virtuous general carrying out evil deeds.
Cassio language towards Bianca. Sig?
- “I marry her? What! A customer!” (customer = whore.) pg. 94
- “fitchew” (creature noted for spec. smell when sexually aroused.) pg. 95.
- Contrasts language towards D.
- Respect to women depends on wealth/ social status.
Motif
Othello’s anger VS sweet phrases used to describe D?
- Anger: “My heart is turned to stone”/ “hang her” pg. 96.
- “Hang her” (done in public) –> ruin public image.
-** Sweet:** “gentle”/ “fine woman, fair woman, sweet woman”/ “sing the savageness out of bear.”
- Repetition of “woman”, linguistic skill wavers.
- “Bear”: animalstic imagery throughout.
- Hyphenated: incomplete sentences, shows his mental battle.
- Intermingling of Iago’s planted thoughts/ Othello’s original thoughts.
Quote links to “Our Captain’s Captain.”
- “She might lie by an emporers’ side and command him tasks.” pg. 96.
- Hyperbole. Othello NOT emporer but D’s beauty holds power.
Context of “my heart turned to stone” (Othello quote) pg. 96.
- Biblical allusion to “John” ~ referring to tyrannical ruler.
- “his heart is as hard as stone.”
Significance of “trumpet sounds within.”
- Reminder of Othello’s past high ranks that he destroys by killing Desdemona.
Desdemona obedience.
- “Upon my knees”/ “here I kneel.” (used throughout)
- “What is your pleasure?” after O “strikes her.”
- Responds to “Out of my sight!” WITH “I will not stay to offend you.”
- “preserve this vessel for my Lord” (her body –> biblical reference.)
- “not the world’s vanity” would make her cheat
Appearance vs reality
- “every drop she falls would prove a crocodile” pg. 100.
- “O well-painted passion” (Othello describing D’s love for him.) pg. 101.
- Othello imperative to D: “let me see your eyes” –> falling for appearances!
- Iago: “I mean purpose, courage and valour” –> Dramatic irony.
Emilia descriptions of D.
- “honest.”
- “forsook so many noble macthes, her father, her country to be called whore?”
Emilia loyalty to D
- ## “lay down my soul at stake” for D. Foreshadows Emilia death.
Othello confronting D.
- Exclamatories: “Out of my sight!”
- “thou art false as hell”: heaven vs hell motif.
- Prostitute language: “strumpet”/ “whore” –> strumpet = prostitute.
D clueless naiievty?
- “To whom, my lord? with whom?” Constant questioning –> doesn’t understand accusations.
- “Women do abuse their husbands in such gross kind.” Naiive. All of Venice like this!!
Tears motif
- “weep.”
- “every drop she falls would prove a crocodile”
- Iago says to D: “do not weep, do not weep!” Appearance vs reality.
- In D’s “song of willow” (pg. 113): “salt tears fell and softened the stones” –> D’s tears softening O’s “heart turned to stone.”
