iago, act 1 scene 1, beginning: ‘Even now…’
‘Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.’
- barbaric imagery
- undertone of racism, referring to Othello as an ‘old black ram’ is degrading
- compared to ‘white ewe’ which is described as being more gentle
- such phrasing and social norms helps him convince Brabantio, devious nature
roderigo, act 1 scene 1, beginning: ‘What a…’
‘What a full fortune does the thick lips owe’
- Roderigo’s prejudice
- talking about Othello in an incredibly derogatory way
- likely due to his lust for Desdemona, which fuels his dislike for Othello
- fits into racist Elizabethan views
iago, act 1 scene 1, beginning: ‘I am…’
‘I am not what I am.’
- paradoxical language
- associated with witchcraft, something believed to be very prevalent in Elizabethan England
- people feared witchcraft and the occult, further fear established in contemporary audience
- modern audience still feel unsettled, due to his two-faced deceptive nature
othello, act 1 scene 3, beginning: ‘She loved…’
‘She loved me for the dangers I had passed / I loved her that she did pity them’
- example of true romantic love as opposed to courtly love
- the two aren’t marrying for convenience which was standard of the era, they truly love eachother
- the mirroring of ‘She loved me’ and ‘I loved her’ between the two lines implies equality in their relationship
- their love starts as one which is quite atypical of the Elizabethan era, untainted by social norms, however such purity is bound to fall
desdemona, act 1 scene 3, beginning: ‘I do…’
‘I do perceive here a divided duty.’
- unsure of what to do
- decision on whether or not she wishes to go with Othello or refuse and stay with her father
- initially presented as having autonomy, but slightly naive, foreshadows her downfall
iago, act 1 scene 3, beginning: ‘Our bodies…’
‘Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners’
- gardening imagery, blossoming, potentially natural
- power dynamic, we rule our own bodies with our own wills and can command them to whatever whims we desire
- highlights Iago’s constant incessant need for power
brabantio, act 1 scene 3, beginning: ‘She has…’
‘She has deceived her father, and may thee.’
- link to race and foreshadowing
- further reference to Othello’s skin colour, her marrying a black man has betrayed what her father stood for
- to a xenophobic/racist Elizabethan audience this would already lead to some questioning about Desdemona’s motives and ideals
- ‘and may thee’ foreshadows Othello’s distrust in her
othello, act 2 scene 1, beginning: ‘O my…’
‘O my soul’s joy’
- underline the true love Othello feels towards Desdemona at the start
- his ‘soul’s joy’ deepens the feelings that he has exhibited towards her
- it’s not just emotional, she benefits how he feels in a much more deep and spiritual way
- Shakespearean tragedy structure, must rise before he must fall
cassio, act 2 scene 1, beginning ‘Tis my…’
'’Tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy.’
- exemplifies how prideful Cassio is
- ‘breeding’ implies that he was always this way from birth, destined to be noble
- declarative tone, as if factual, however foreshadows his downfall (reputation)
iago, act 2 scene 3, beginning: ‘And out…’
‘And out of her own goodness make the net / That shall enmesh them all’
- further highlights Iago’s deceptive nature
- he warps ‘goodness’ to his own whims, using it to fuel his selfish and cruel desires
- imagery of a net, as if the others will be prisoners to his whims, further god-like imagery as he manipulates them like puppets
- foreshadows his manipulation of Desdemona’s own goodness to cause Othello’s fall
cassio, act 2 scene 3, beginning: ‘Reputation, reputation…’
‘Reputation, reputation, reputation! O I have lost my reputation’
- tragedy + Iago’s cruelty
- ‘Reputation’ x3: underscores the importance to him, yet it has been stripped of him as collateral damage
- almost as if he has nothing left to live for, he would be remembered for his reputation yet Iago has stripped it
- Iago’s willingness to not only ruin those who are completely innocent, further cruelty
othello, act 3 scene 3, beginning: ‘And when…’
‘And when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again’
- properly foreshadows Othello’s declining love for Desdemona
- pivotal point in the play, marks the beginning of Othello’s descent
- his hamartia combined with Iago’s manipulative will shall lead to chaos
iago, act 3 scene 3, beginning ‘A…’
‘A good wench! Give it to me.’
- Iago and Emilia’s relationship is typical for the era
- Iago is in control and disrespectful towards his wife, viewing himself as superior and her as a mere tool he uses
- comments on gender stereotypes, women disrespected but Iago couldn’t do what he does without her
iago, act 3 scene 3, beginning: ‘O beware…’
‘O beware, my lord, of jealousy: it is the green eyed monster…’
- feigning support, but ironic
- warning Othello of his own hamartia effectively while he secretly enables it and pushes it
- personifies jealousy as a monster, reflects how Iago may actually ‘be the monster’
- manipulation + harmartia
othello, act 3 scene 3, beginning: ‘O curse…’
‘O curse of marriage / that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites’
- Othello’s changing attitudes toward Desdemona
- used to see her as an equal, now hates the fact she has autonomy and cannot be controlled as it threatens his status
- brings into question of whether he’s more concerned about the cheating or how people perceive him as a man
othello, act 3 scene 3, beginning: ‘Her name…’
‘Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage is now begrimed and black as mine own face’
- reference to roman Goddess Diana
- her name used to be beautiful and comforting to him, now it is stained by how he perceives her
- potential race connotations of ‘begrimed’ and ‘black,’ link to racism
othello, act 4 scene 1, beginning: ‘I’ll chop…’
‘I’ll chop her into messes.’
- VERY violent imagery
- the once noble Othello is now animalistic and ruthless, he is becoming the ‘moor’
- overwhelmed by jealousy, he has fallen due to his tragic flaw
iago, act 4 scene 1, beginning: ‘Work on…’
‘Work on, my medicine, work!’
- allusion to the supernatural and witchcraft
- further highlights Iago’s deceptiveness, portrays himself as a trustworthy companion but is closer in likeness to that of a devil
- something feared by Elizabethan society, strikes fear into contemporary audience
othello, act 4 scene 2, beginning: ‘I took…’
‘I took you for that cunning whøre of Venice / that married with Othello.’
- entitlement and disgust exemplified
- ‘cunning whore’ is incredibly degrading and portrays Desdemona as a tactful villain, when in reality the quality of ‘cunning’ is more applicable to Iago
- ‘with Othello’ referring to himself in third person could be seen as barbaric and improper language or entitlement
- Othello truly has fallen
desdemona, act 4 scene 2, beginning: ‘His unkindness…’
‘His unkindness may defeat my life / But never taint my love.’
- highlights the goodness and innocence of Desdemona
- she still loves him regardless of what he’s become, she is devoted but she is also blinded by the image of the old Othello she used to know
roderigo, act 5 scene 1, beginning: ‘O…’
‘O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!’
- betrayal of Roderigo, he became too blindingly trusting
- yearned for Desdemona so hard and was ultimately exploited, small anagoronisis
bianca, act 5 scene 1, beginning: ‘O my…’
‘O my dear Cassio! My sweet Cassio! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio! Alas, he faints!’
- Bianca truly does care for Cassio
- repetition of his name symbolises her panic at seeing him injured, which is quite tragic considering he does not reciprocate those feelings
- marginalised voice who ends up suffering as collateral damage
othello, act 5 scene 1, beginning: ‘Yet she…’
‘Yet she must die, else she betray more men.’
- Othello trying to justify his actions
- still wants to be seen as noble, heroic and a ‘good man,’ trying to reason why he’s going to kill her through unlikely scenarios
- also barbarianism, he could have her imprisoned but decides to take her out himself, he has fallen from the man he used to be
othello, act 5 scene 2, beginning: ‘That whiter…’
‘That whiter skin of hers than snow, and smooth as monumental alabaster.’
- potential race connotations which also highlight the purity of Desdemona
- white symbolising purity, innocence, Othello is still entranced by her beauty despite his hatred for her
- objectification of women and potential comments on white supremacism
