Act Act Act Act Act

Transcription

1 Contents Introduction Background... vi Shakespeare s Life... vi How the Single Text Shakespeare Question is Marked... vi Time and Place in Othello... viii Essential Scenes in Othello... ix Characters... x Text Act Act Act Act Act Analysis of Key Scenes Act 1, Scene Act 1, Scene Act 2, Scene Act 3, Scene Act 5, Scene Character Study Othello Iago Desdemona

2 Cassio Roderigo Emilia Brabantio Bianca Shakespeare s Themes Jealousy Race Male Female Relationships Style Irony Imagery Sample Essays Sample Essay Sample Essay Sample Essay Sample Essay End Notes The Critics Othello on Screen Leaving Certificate Questions Literary Terms Shakespeare s text and line numbers Over the years, Shakespeare s plays have been printed in different formats. Most popular versions nearly always have some modernised spelling and punctuation. Line numbers may also differ slightly, depending on particular editions.

3 C haracter Study Othello First Impressions THE PLAY S PROTAGONIST is an unusual tragic hero. Othello is a combination of contradictions. In the beginning, he is proud, patient and self-confident, but once he falls victim to his passions, he behaves in a most inhuman manner. From the outset, there are tensions underlying Othello s twin roles as dutiful soldier and loving husband. Our initial impression of Othello s character comes from his enemies, Iago and Roderigo, who depict him in a completely hostile way. Throughout the opening scenes, their obvious hatred and prejudice suggest that because he is a North African, Othello is viewed as a black man in a white world, a cultural and racial outsider. Iago describes him as an old black ram and the lascivious Moor, a boastful figure who has used witchcraft to seduce Desdemona, Brabantio s daughter. When he first appears, however, this negative impression is immediately contradicted. Responding to his irate father-in-law, Othello is self-controlled and diplomatic: Good signor, you shall more command with years/than with your weapons. Audiences are already likely to feel a certain amount of sympathy for Othello because of the offensive way others treat him. We do not even hear his actual name until well into Act 1, Scene 3, when the Duke of Venice acknowledges his military abilities and leadership. Valiant Othello is clearly a trusted servant of the Venetian state. In public, even his enemies pretend to respect him since he holds such an important position as general of Venice s armies. Othello has other character traits. Iago s insightful comment that The Moor is of a free and open nature is both a strength and a weakness. Othello is undoubtedly a fearless soldier and an able general. His knowledge comes from the battlefield, where he has spent most of his days. As a result, he is used to military life and the need to act quickly and decisively. As the leader of the Venetian troops, he is indispensable to the defence of territories controlled by Venice. For this reason, he is sent to fight the Turks and protect Cyprus. Othello himself is proud of his military reputation. But since he has spent so much of his life on the battlefield, he is unfamiliar with Venetian society and the wickedness that can sometimes exist in human nature. 166 Shakespeare Focus: Othello

4 Although Othello claims that he is rude and inarticulate in his own use of language ( little blessed with the soft phrase of peace ), his seemingly rehearsed explanation about winning his fair lady s love is polished and persuasive. Is this false modesty? Does it suggest that Othello is really tying to impress? We can only wonder about his egotism and whether it shows an underlying insecurity. Audiences will also question Othello s understanding of romantic love. He says that Desdemona loved him for the dangers he had experienced and that he in turn loved her because she did pity them. Throughout the play s opening scenes, Shakespeare has intentionally created an aura of romance and mystery around the dark Moor, and Othello s poetic expression and thoughts strengthen this image. But although Othello first inspires confidence in his character, the question of his elopement causes unease. The circumstances surrounding his secret marriage to Desdemona are never explained, but it is Othello who is initially blamed for the deception. Once again, the fact that the couple have flaunted civilised Venetian behaviour raises questions about both their characters. Whether he is using Desdemona to flatter his own ego or is simply infatuated with her, Othello s intense feelings are undeniable. In response to Brabantio s ominous warning ( She has deceived her father, and may thee ), Othello confidently proclaims his trust in his wife My life upon her faith! as he leaves the care of Desdemona to honest Iago. Othello s Development At the start of Act 2, Othello has triumphed over tremendous obstacles: cultural prejudice, Brabantio s hostility and the threat of the Turkish fleet. When he and his wife are reunited in Cyprus, Othello can hardly express his happiness ( it is too much of joy ). But less than two days later, the marriage is utterly destroyed, and with it the lovers themselves. The fact that Othello is unable to control his powerful emotions is ominous. Critics have argued that the hero s tragic downfall results primarily from his failure as a husband. From Act 3, Scene 3 onwards, Othello s suffering is intense. Over and over again, he struggles with raging anger, confusion and jealousy. He is acutely aware of the precarious nature of success and happiness. But I do love thee!/and when I love thee not,/chaos is come again. These are the words of someone who fears uncertainty and believes himself to have been rescued from it by true love. Increasingly tortured by doubts about Desdemona, he is easily manipulated by his demi-devil ensign. It is important to remember that Iago is so exceptionally plausible and cunning that he is able to deceive many others as well as Othello. Iago s chilling influence is evident in Othello s language, which echoes the imagery of his ensign as the play progresses. Throughout the second half of the drama, Othello s noble character is transformed for the worse as he becomes ever more ensnared by Iago. Why Othello should trust his Character Study 167

5 ensign more than his own wife has always intrigued audiences. That his enormous pride has been hurt is certain Othello s occupation s gone. The Moor s cruel behaviour is crude and irrational. Yet his obsession with honour and Desdemona s apparent unfaithfulness might suggest that he is an idealistic character. Central to Othello s demise is an overwhelming desire for revenge that brings together his crucial roles as soldier and husband. Tragically, his misplaced insistence on honour can be seen as both his redemption and downfall. Final View Othello remains a complex and enigmatic figure who continues to divide opinion. We are left considering the extent to which he is a vulnerable victim or a pompous villain. He describes himself as an honourable murderer. His numerous dying claims infuriate and fascinate: one that loved not wisely but too well. Othello s assertion that he was not easily jealous must leave many people asking if he ever really knew himself. However, it is possible to feel some sympathy for the Moor although we can never condone his actions. In his final moments, he appears to be almost entirely self-centred and concerned with his reputation. Is he essentially narcissistic and self-dramatising? It is characteristic that Othello judges himself before carrying out his own execution and dying alongside his love. The Moor s killing could be seen as an attempt to regain his honourable military identity. Whether his suicide is an act of redemption or an effort to restore his reputation is open to debate. Some critics view Othello s violent death as a cowardly escape from taking responsibility for his actions. For others, his decision to die no way but this is an acceptance of his inevitable fate as a wretched hero. On the surface, of course, Iago is the undeniable architect of Othello s downfall. Yet it could be argued that it is the tension between Othello s experience as an outsider adapting to a foreign culture and his own personal trauma that makes him a truly tragic figure. At any rate, the protagonist s story forces audiences to consider the nature of his character flaws as well as his difficulty in acknowledging his own destructiveness. In the end, fate is cruel to Othello. But in his final speeches, there are some glimpses of the protagonist s former greatness: his military achievements, loyalty to Venice, the intensity of his love and his terrible realisation that, by killing Desdemona, he has destroyed the best in himself. Key Characteristics of Othello Othello: one not easily jealous Honourable, dignified, calm Jealous, paranoid, violent, uncontrolled Accomplished, heroic, idealistic Insecure, naive, foolish, tragic Arrogant, self-obsessed, egotistical 168 Shakespeare Focus: Othello