Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE
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Transcript of Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE
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Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE
Critical Focus on Act 5, Scene 1
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Entry point through the form and choice of speech of characters
All human speech reveals states of mind; focus on diction, and imagery;]]]
And a character is just as capable of seducing and misleading an audience as s/he is of seducing and misleading another character;
Asides and Soliloquies involve a character talking to the audience; some sort of relationship is thus established between audience and charac
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Essay
‘Othello is powerless, and Iago the real enemy.’
Discuss the presentation of the character of Othello in the light of this statement, and relate your discussion to the theme of the individual and society more generally.
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The interplay between what society expects and individual freedom;
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Prefacing remarks regarding recent ‘Reading Literature’ exam paper
Recall Section B, 2 (a) essay question Re- Shakespeare delights in human
inconsistencies… Careful reading of question? What sense can be attached to the
playwright “delights”…? Context? Plot Structure? Dramatically?
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Othello examination essay question
Show how the playwright delights in human inconsistencieswhich contribute tothe major themes of the play.
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Inconsistency?
Changeable; contrary; fluctuating; shifting incompatible; inconsonant; inconstant; unstable; unsteady; unsuitable Vacillating; variable; varying;
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Playwright (Shakespeare) delights
How can I, or anyone tell? Good test of De Bono style lateral thinking Who gets the best lines? The best
speeches? The most memorable and impacting role? All of which must be considered in context E.g. The socio-cultural context of the world of
the play
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Interesting ironic & ironising reversals
Who does not like to reverse, turn round or undermine our anticipations / expectations?
It can be very pleasure giving; evident in this play? Popular and common cultural stereotypes of Africans
(Venetian expectations of Othello?) Promiscuous; Polygamous; uncouth; no concept of
love and fidelity; of romantic feelings? Deficient in standards of cultivated expression Incapable of self-discipline; easy-going; too relaxed
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Re- Iago
No sense of honesty; trustworthiness; loyalty, fairness; justice?
Barbaric? Iago, the real barbarian of the play Ironic contrasts in Iago’s character Iago as rough in his speech; acts uncultured; Iago as the one who obviously thinks and
speaks a great deal about lust; about women
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Iago (in contrast with Othello)
Iago as the one who has no real religious (Christian), or moral values; who only really cares about himself; worships himself alone
Iago as the one who cannot be trusted; as the dark, diabolical prince of darkness; of dishonesty; of deception; of discrimination, of destruction
Iago as the real black devil; dark savage The barbarian; one ready to expunge even the good; the
innocent; the well-meaning; the virtuous ; Roderigo: O damned Iago! O inhuman dog! p223
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Noteworthy words of IAGO
‘To gross the clasps of a lascivious Moor’
‘Though I do hate him as I hate hell pains’ ‘It is merely a lust of the blood’
‘The Moor is of a free and open nature, // That thinks men honest
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Iago: [from Act 2 Scene 1]
‘Her eye must be fed. And what delight shall she have to look at the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour, sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all of which the Moor is defective in.’
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And yet?Iago, the intellectual, the philosopher?
Iago, just another ordinary soldier? Rank? Recall and Note: an ancient / an ensign Thus, he is an officer of the lowest
commissioned rank in the military chain of command
But— No typical soldier is IAGO
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Recall Iago expounding on Free Will in Act 1, Scene 3:
’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Ourare our gardens, to the which our wills aregardeners….either to have it sterile withidleness or manured with industry, why thepower and corrigible authority of this lies in ourwills…We have reason to cool our ragingmotions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts…
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‘Delight’ proportionate to the degree and quantity of human inconsistencies
Shakespeare very greatly, and very frequently takes immense pleasure in not only reminding, but in showing his audience they cannot rely on cultural or sexual stereotypes
Indeed, the WHITE IAGOs of this world not only may well be, but more often than not really are the darkest, most diabolical villains of all
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We can sense Shakespeare’s delight
For IAGO in the play Othello (and his fellow IAGOs in the real everyday world)
They have turned the act of evil into fine art They are able to practice being evil with
others thinking and believing they are good ‘Good Iago’; Honest Iago; Brave Iago ‘That one may smile, and smile, and be
villain’ [Echoing famous words in ‘Hamlet’]
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Act 5,Scene 1Iago’s Malice—The Final Stage
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The Tragic Downfall of OthelloTragedy / Tragic Drama
For the Tragic Hero, there is always a fall arising from flaw in his character;
Situation changes from well-being to misfortune Tragic hero need not be unusually virtuous or
just; yet potentially, a noble person; but he should be someone whose misfortunes
are brought about by some error of judgment on his part
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This error of judgment arises from some flaw in his character; some human weakness;
It is essential that to some extent he contributes to his own downfall
And then by suffering as a result, he acquires self-knowledge, and so purges his faults / wrongdoings
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How does Othello fulfill the role of Tragic Hero? Think critically!
Where does the problem lie in Othello? Flaw? Does the high regard with which he is held in Venice cause him to believe in his own power and become convinced of his own merit?Is he too proud? Too unrealistic?Does his preoccupation with military duty and war render him unfit to conceive of any other way of life besides militaristic affairs?
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Is he incapable of seeing marriage as a partnership?
Is he overly credulous? Is his tragic flaw jealousy? Is he overly concerned with his reputation? Is he inherently vindictive and violent?
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Note the Atmosphere on stage
The scene is set in darkness Lodovico: ’Tis heavy night. p221 The action and busy movement of this scene
contrasts with the quiet passivity of previous ‘Willow’ scene i.e. Scene 3, of Act 4
Noise, confusion, rapid movement, And murder Begins with conspiratorial whispering; and ends with
a brutal murder
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Dramatic purpose of Act 5 Scene 1
To present a scene full of action To give the audience a last look at Roderigo To put into action Iago’s plot to have both
Roderigo, and Cassio killed To keep Othello before the mind of the
audience (appears only briefly in this scene) To prepare the audience for the downfall of
Iago; indeed, to show his first ever set-back
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Dramatic Techniques
Copia Verborum / Copia; also Enumeration Antithesis; Parallelism Foreshadowing Imagery; Symbolism Irony: dramatic irony, when the audience knows
something that one or more than one of the characters do not;
verbal irony, when someone says something and means another;
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Poetic Language / Poetic Drama
Heightened poetic language
Rhyme Patterned sounds to highlight and reinforce
meaning and message;
Compulsive Rhythms
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Copia Verborum / CopiaWarriors in Wars of Words
Abundance of words, for verbal fencing; Use of lengthy speeches, Othello and Iago Used as a rhetorical device / technique; Employing a large army of skillfully chosen and well
arranged words to pack a powerful series of effectively delivered punches or hammer strikes to drive your point home; to sink your point into those with seemingly thick, impenetrable skulls, so that they get and accept your message, your point of view
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Characters’ Diction / Speech Style
Characters’ choice and use of Saxon words: Plain, simple, short, monosyllabic words;
Characters’ choice and use ofLatinated words: Formal, complex, long, polysyllabic words
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Noticing words that are frequently repeated; word patterns
Note characters’ choice and use of simple, short words used quite frequently, and with increasing dramatic significance?
‘honest’; ‘honesty’; ‘honour’; ‘honourable’; ‘good’; ‘true’; ‘truly’;
‘dishonest’; ‘villain’; ‘villainy’; ‘knave’; ‘slave’; ‘dog’; ‘devil’; ‘gross’
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Diction / word choice, and literary-critical significance
Entry point through word choice / language;
Consider how the choice of these words reflects on the character using them; And what they reveal about his or her attitude to the character spoken about;Notice there is also an element of irony in the use of these words;
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Characters’ Diction
You should also notice how often characters refer or appeal to such words as‘heaven’ or ‘hell’; and are concerned about the ‘soul’;The frequency of this simple vocabulary makes it clear how much the play is concerned with…?With human values, and divine values Dramatic effects;
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Scene takes place in darkness made apparent to audience through hints—
Cassio: O help, ho! Light! A surgeon! Lodovico: Two or three groan. It is a heavy
night. Gratiano: Here’s one comes in his shirt, with
light and weapons. Iago: Kill men i’th’dark? Where be these
bloody thieves?
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Enter Iago & Roderigo
Iago to Roderigo: Here, stand behind this bulk: straight willhe come. // Wear thy good rapier bare, and putit home, // Quick, quick; fear nothing: I’ll be atthy elbow. // It makes us or mars us; think onthat, // And fix most firm thy resolution.
Here we see a firm and determined IAGO
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Then enters Cassio followed by a flurry of violent action
After the wounding of Roderigo and Cassio when all is increasing confusion in darkness
Othello makes a brief appearance Comes on stage at a point whereby he becomes
indirectly a party to a treacherous and cowardly attack on Cassio
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Diction? What words critically stand out in Othello’s praise of Iago?
And Othello on hearing the victim, Cassio, cry in pain Othello remarks:’Tis he! O brave Iago, honest and just,That hast such noble sense of thy friend’swrong, // Thou TEACHEST me.
Note significance of Othello’s diction
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Re Othello, and dramatic effects
Change? (Tragic downfall of Othello) From noble Moor to base Moor;
Surely nothing shows more clearly the present debasement of his once honourable and noble character
Than at this point [in 5.1] when Othello does become a party to this treacherous and cowardly attack on Cassio
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Note Othello’s diction, and dramatic effects
And note the critically significant words here: “brave”, “honest”, “just”, “noble” Indicating symptoms of a now perverted and
debased mind Where good values have been transformed
into bad; Where evil now seems right
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DRAMATIC EFFECT?
And what the audience comes to painfully realize on hearing Othello say:
Thou teachest meThe shocking, evil, tragic truth
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And IRONY? Ironic effects
Othello’s interpretation of character and event is the source of much irony
His reference to Iago’s honesty and justice is exploited many times in the play
In the light of what we know of Iago’s part in this particular enterprise
‘O brave Iago’ is another instance of deception
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And thus marks Othello yet again as a victim of irony
Is Iago really that brave? We notice Iago lurks in the background Ordering Roderigo instead to make the
attempt on Cassio’s life Only when Roderigo fails does Iago step in
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After which we next hear Othello say—
‘Strumpet, I come!Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, areblotted;Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood bespotted.’
[Exit Othello]
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Othello regrets what he has set out to do; He conjures up an image of killing Desdemona
in her bed, but this mental image of the outspread blood blotted bedsheets begins to call to his mind the handkerchief;
The bed in his mind is stained with lust, echoing Desdemona’s infidelities with Cassio
And will be spotted with the blood of lust
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Exit Othello
So the Moor leaves the stage with an indication that Desdemona will be the next to suffer
It is also ironic he should take Iago’s ‘brave’ activity as an incitement to act against Desdemona
However the impending tragedy is delayed for a short period of time; (Dramatic Effect?)
Creating further suspense; As the uproar spreads with the comments made by
Lodovico, and also Gratiano Iago’s stabbing of Roderigo, and entry of Bianca
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Iago the ever ready master of improvisation
Iago ever ready to seize every opportunity Fastens upon Bianca as a possible scapegoat
for what has happened Thereby reaching a further height of hypocrisy
when as Iago says:
Look you, pale mistress?Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
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And Iago continues…
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.Behold her well; I pray you look upon her.Do you see, gentlemen? Nay, guiltiness willspeakThough tongues were out of use.
Rhetorical effectiveness? Convincingness? This is villainy supreme…
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And re Iago
After Iago cunningly concealed himself while Roderigo on orders did the dirty work
(Looks and sounds familiar to the audience?) Iago then emerges to play up the role of brave
and helpful citizen And pretending to be shocked beyond measure
by the villainies of others And even winning the admiration of Lodovico
who finds Iago a very valiant fellow
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Lodovico on Iago
Gratiano: This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it.
Lodovico: The same indeed, a very valiant fellow.
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To be noted: Iago and ironic humour **
In Iago’s question to Cassio:O my lieutenant, what villains have done this?Dramatic Effects?There is surely a touch of ironic humour hereAudience members can imagine the satisfaction the use of the word ‘lieutenant’ must give Iago in this context.
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Re- Motivation of Iago’s evil towards Cassio?
One of the most suggestive (sub-textual) clues to Iago’s motivation to do evil?
is perhaps to be found in Iago’s characterization of Cassio at the beginning of this scene [p219]
Iago cannot tolerate Cassio’s continued existence because as we note him say:
‘He hath a daily beauty in his life // That makes me ugly’
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Iago
The contemplation of beauty, grace, happiness or nobility,
In Othello, or Cassio or Desdemona destroys Iago’s peace of mind He therefore feels compelled to undermine or
eradicate or destroy such virtues Whenever, wherever in whomever he finds
them
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Significant echoes of crucial events in earlier scenes in Act 5, Scene 1?
Othello’s few moments at the scene of Cassio’s injury take the mind of the audience back to Othello’s intervention—
To what earlier scene in the play?
The Brawl Scene; Act 2, Scene 2 The brawl that led to Cassio’s dismissal;
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(Cont)Antithesis of earlier later scenes
In that earlier scene Othello was A majestic, authoritative figure
Lording it over everybody and everything around him by virtue of his mere presence
‘Hold, for you lives!’
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Cont.
But now Othello pauses like a thief in the night, degraded to that of a mere conspirator
We observe Othello’s onstage actions; (sub-textual implications?)
Othello remains concealed from view while he relishes Iago’s treacherous attempt on Cassio’s life
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Cont.
Even the noble, sonorous music of his early grand speeches is no longer in evidence
His few lines addressed to Cassio referring to and foretelling Desdemona’s fate:
‘Minion, your dear lies dead’
Are strident and melodramatic
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To conclude this segment re- echoing of earlier scenes
We observe Emilia declare her outrage upon hearing Bianca’s claim to be as ‘honest’ as herself. ‘O fie upon thee, strumpet!’
But audience will recall an earlier scene when Desdemona made a similar claim but was also not believed. What scene?
The Brothel Scene Act 4, Scene 2 Othello: ‘Are you not a strumpet?’ p191
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Up to this Act, fortune favoured Iago Accidents and coincidences had always worked
in his favour; However— Had not anticipated Cassio would be wearing a
coat of mail armour; Recall Cassio’s words: ‘That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, // But
that my coat is better than thou think’st // I will make proof of thine.’
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Furthermore Iago had not anticipated either that Lodovico and Gratiano
Would come upon the scene when they did And thereby prevent him being able to be at
Roderigo’s elbow to add his sword Their untimely entrance prevented him from
being able to kill Cassio
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Note Iago’s concluding [ASIDE]
This is the night That either makes me, or fordoes me quite
Prompting the audience to think back to Iago’s initial words to Roderigo (now dead) at the beginning of this scene:
It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
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Antithesis: word against word;scene against scene; and characters
One word or phrase set against another Note: Shakespeare thinks antithetically; It’s the way his sentences over and over find their
shape Antithetical words and phrases; Note what words are set against each other; Earlier scenes and later scenes; earlier words and later
words And point up their critical significance