Othello Study

Style: Tragedy
Other Shakespearean tragedies: Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth (true tragedies)
Interesting facts: Othello is the only domestic tragedy making it much more personal, Iago is referred to as "honest" 52 times, Iago also has more lines than the title character, Venetian generals were always foreigners as they would have no mutinous desire for power.
Mood: Suspenseful, ironical, tragic

Iago's Deceptions throughout the play:

• Telling Roderigo Desdemona loves him and will soon be his.
• Half-joking that Cassio and Desdemona are a little too friendly
• Getting Cassio drunk and getting Roderigo to fight with him
• Telling Roderigo Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair
• Telling Othello he may be cuckolded.
• Advises Desdemona to speak on Cassio's behalf
• Putting Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's room
• Manipulating Othello into hearing a conversation where Cassio talks of a woman - assumed to be Desdemona
• Telling Roderigo that Desdemona will be his if he kills Cassio
• Stabs Roderigo
• Wounds Cassio
• Kills Emilia
  

Iago's Motivation:

• Jealousy of Cassio. Cassio is a "daily beauty" and a little too friendly with women, especially Emilia. Iago says in his second soliloquy that he "fear[s] Cassio with my nightcap too". Iago is not good-looking.
• Angry at Othello because he didn't get the lieutenant promotion. It went to a "one Michael Cassio" who "never set squadron in a field" when it should have gone to Iago in his opinion due to the fact that he has "seen the proof at Cyprus"
• He suspects that Othello "hath leapt into [his] seat" and slept with Emilia. His fear of being proven a cuckold leads him to plot revenge without much proof at all. Other mention of this is in his first soliloquy saying "and it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets/He has done my office"
• Believes that Othello is inferior to him. Othello is a "black Moor" with "thick lips" referred to by Iago in derogatory animalistic terms.
• Iago's own insecurities about himself. It is suggested by his jealousy of Cassio in both position and looks that Iago is not good-looking or youthful. His only weapon is his intelligence. Who wants a cunning man when there is a friendly and good-looking one available? This could be Iago attempting to eliminate the reasons for his insecurity by eliminating those who provoke it. Remember, everything is relative and relatively he would undoubtedly feel undeservedly inferior. No one believes that they themselves are evil.
  

Regardless, Iago is determined to right the things that have been wronged against him. When one's wants are put out of balance or are discarded, they look to right the wrong against them. Shakespeare applies this logic to Iago in the extreme. Iago is bent on revenge and will do anything to get it.

However Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous description of Iago counters all of the above. He claims that it is merely the "motive-hunting of a motiveless Malignity". This means simply that the above reasons for his deceptions are not reasons at all, but rationalisations. Coleridge defines "motive" quite differently to what we do now (we define it as the emotions and desires fueling our actions). He defines Iago's supposed motives to be a "keen sense of his intellectual superiority" and also his "love of exerting power".

Iago's Language:
Towards Othello - Derogatory and animalistic. References to him as a "black ram" combines both black and white and animal imagery. Othello's affair with Desdemona is described as having "your daughter covered with a/Barbary horse, you'll have your nephews neigh". This is Iago telling Brabantio how disgusting it is for a "fair maiden" like Desdemona marrying an old black general. By comparing Othello to an animal he's belittling him as an inadequate copy of a Venetian. Iago plays on Othello's difference in appearance, plays on Othello's own insecurity. This boosts Iago's self-image, confidence and esteem in order to balance out his "love of exerting power" from a lower position as Coleridge says.

Repetition of "honest" - referred to 52 times. Only refers to himself as honest in irony, everyone else (save the audience) doesn't believe him. This is where the real irony lies. Shakespeare recycles his Twelfth Night line and transfers the same tone and irony to Viola to Iago and says "I am not what I am".

Chauvinist attitude toward women - most prominent in the beginning of the second act as he insults Desdemona saying that "if she be black and thereto have a wit/she'll find a white that shall her blackness fit". Here is a pun as white can be substituted with wight (a man). He also says that women only "rise to play and go to bed to work". Reflective of this attitude is his treatment of Desdemona as merely a function of his dastardly plan to get Othello. "The first casualty in war is innocence" meaning Desdemona who has done nothing wrong is sacrificed in Iago's battle for power and revenge.

Play Review - Othello, the Moor of Venice

Title:Othello, the Moor of Venice
Playwright: William Shakespeare
First Performance: 1603
Important Characters: Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Cassio, Emilia, Roderigo
Main Themes: Insecurity makes one susceptible to others and can lead to his downfall; jealousy is a chief motive behind horrendous acts; loss of something precious leads to actions that will replace/balance/counteract it; holding on too tightly to one's honour will lead to his demise; isolation from consequence and society can lead to the loss of reason and rationality; order is not established in disorder, the law of man cannot overrule the law of nature.
Critical quotations:Othello is an "exceptional calamity" - A.C. Bradley, Othello is "the most romantic of Shakespeare's heroes" - A.C. Bradley, "the nature of the Moor is noble... but his blood is of the most inflameable kind" - William Hazlitt

Summary:
The first act begins with Roderigo and Iago discussing both Desdemona (whom Roderigo has a creepy crush on) and Othello's recent act to promote Cassio to lieutenant, a man who in Iago's words "a Florentine...that never set a squadron in the field". He is completely inadequate for lieutenant in Iago's opinion, who has "seen the proof at Cyprus" and is an experienced soldier. Iago tells Roderigo his 'love' Desdemona is already married secretly to Othello. Roderigo goes to see Brabantio (D's father) and they tell him this news, that "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe". Brabantio is furious that a "black Moor" is now his son in law and goes to the council to sort out the matter. Scene 3 begins with this and is quickly dismissed at Othello's tale of how it was D that fell in love with him for his tragic stories and he loved her "that she pitied them". War with the "Ottomans" over Venitian port Cyprus, a barren island where one "can barely descry a sail" the conditions are so foul, is in the air. Othello is to be general of the Venitian soldiers sent to fight these Turks. It is decided that his newlywed wife with accompany him. She leaves her family behind for her husband. Iago's soliloquy finishes the act with his dastardly plan to both ruin Cassio and Othello. He will make Othello think that Cassio and D are having an affair in order to make him usurp Cassio and have Othello revealed as a cuckold (Iago thinks he has been cuckolded himself as he says that Othello "hath leapt into his seat" and slept with his wife Emilia)

Act two is our introduction to the isle of Cyprus and conditions are not good. This is where we begin to see the different uncouth environment in comparison to Venice's state and order. Desdemona arrives on the island safely along with other main characters (Cassio, Iago and Emilia). A bit of sexual innuendo follows with Iago making misogynist statements that women "rise to play and go to bed to work". Othello then arrives safely, Desdemona is relieved and a happy lover's embrace follows. After all but Iago and Roderigo exit, Iago fuels Roderigo's jealous anger that D is now married to Othello and reveals part of his plan. He tells Roderigo to get Cassio drunk and then have a fight with him. Roderigo does so, knowing full well that Cassio has "very unhappy brains for drinking". Despite that Cassio gets drunk and angry when Iago starts a brawl. Othello comes out to see his lieutenant fighting and gets so mad he strips him of his position. Ashamed and sobering up, Cassio begs Iago for advice. Iago slyly tells him to appeal to Desdemona for help.

Act three: Cassio hires musicians to play outside Othello's window in apology. Othello angrily sends them away. Emilia convinces Desdemona to hear Cassio and Iago organises to lead Othello away for a while so they may talk in private. He pleads his case to her and she vows she would "rather die than give [his] cause away". Unfortunately this is a telling piece of foreshadowing here. D openly admits her talking to Cassio and pleads with Othello to reinstate him. He reluctantly agrees. after D exits Iago starts to sow seeds of doubt in Othello's mind. Plays on his racial insecurities and Othello begins to wonder why he got married at all. Iago leaves and Othello sees the logic in Iago's suggestion: his age, lack of social skills and race are all against him. He comes back to find Desdemona there with dinner and he refuses to believe she is an adulterer and claims that if he "love thee not/chaos is come again". When he complains of a headache she attempts to bind his head with a handkerchief, however he brushes it away. It lies undisturbed by both on the ground. Emilia picks up the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. He then incorporates it into his scheme.

Othello is deeply troubled about Iago's words to him and demands proof of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. Iago then tells Othello that Cassio and Desdemona have shared a bed "as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys" tormenting the newlywed general. Othello contemplates suicide at first for the shame of it. Iago then drops the bomb saying that he's seen Cassio wiping his beard with a handkerchief with strawberries on it... Othello's gift to Desdemona. Now Othello is insanely jealous and wants to "hear [Iago] say/ that Cassio's not alive". Iago agrees to this.

Desdemona (not hearing any of the previous) calls for Cassio in order to tell him she thinks Othello will reinstate him. She asks Emilia what has happened to her handkerchief. Othello then enters enquiring after the same after guilt tripping her that "to lose or give't away were such perdition as nothing else could match". She cannot produce it and so Othello is convinced she is having an affair.

Act four: Iago is bolder with Othello and claims he has seen Cassio and Desdemona in bed together. Keeps coming back to the handkerchief. Iago gloats as Othello has a seizure of sorts (shock?). When Othello stirs Iago instructs him to hide whilst Cassio and him talk about Desdemona to prove he is sleeping with her. Iago does so, but instead of talking about D, he asks after Cassio's love interest Bianca in a low voice and Cassio responds loudly. Once Cassio holds up the handkerchief and asks Bianca to copy the pattern, she takes offense as it is undoubtedly "some token from a newer friend". Shortly after Lodovico of Venice arrives to inspect Othello's work in Cyprus. Desdemona enters and tells him of his strange behavior toward her. They both enter and give Othello a letter from the senate instructing that Cassio should be made governor. This is the opposite of what both men thought, Cassio even saying he would "shape [Othello] for a governor". Othello is mad and Desdemona's pleasure at this is worse. He slaps her with a single exclamation of "devil!" causing a shock throughout the company and besmirches Othello's reputation. She is sent away to her bedchamber where she tells Emilia she thinks something bad will happen.

Act 5: Anything that can go wrong goes wrong. Roderigo and Iago plan to kill Cassio, fuelling Roderigo's anger by saying that C is D's new love interest. It fails however and Roderigo is killed. The scene changes to Desdemona's bedchamber. Othello is determined that "she must die, else she'll betray more men". After a brief struggle, Desdemona is killed. Emilia enters and sees the near-dead woman to hear her last words that "nobody" "hath done this deed" but her own self. She alerts everyone, they enter and the plot comes out that she was innocent and Iago is evil. Emilia figures this out but is then murdered by her husband. Othello is dumbstruck and heartbroken. He then kills himself next to Desdemona asking that he be remembered as "one who loved not wisely, but too well". Iago struggles but is caught by Cassio and taken away for torture or questioning. Lodovico concludes saying that he will tell this "heavy act with a heavy heart". Exeunt.

Play Review - Twelfth Night

Title: Twelfth Night
Playwright: William Shakespeare
First Performance: circa 1600/1
Important characters:Viola, Sebastian, Countess Olivia, Duke Orsino, Malvolio, Feste, Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Mary (or Maria).
Good Critical Quotes: Twelfth Night "makes us laugh at the follies of mankind, not despise them" - William Hazlitt.

Summary: Twins "both born in an hour" are shipwrecked on the shore of an enemy land Illyria. The girl Viola believes her brother "is in Elysium" (Heaven, drowned) and must make her own way in the world. She insists that the captain "conceal me what I am" and call her Cesario so she may work for the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. She "[has] heard [her] father name him" and recalls him being apparantly very handsome indeed. His love however is for Countess Olivia, whose brother and father's recent deaths have put her in mourning. Viola is then sent to woo her on Orsino's behalf. However, Olivia "feels this youth's perfections" and falls in love with Cesario-Viola. But Viola has already discovered she has feelings for Orsino.

Meanwhile, Sebastian (Viola's twin brother) has in fact survived thanks to the help of Antonio and is on the other side of Illyria. He ventures out to find work for the Duke, heartbroken that he has lost his dear sister.

And in another area, mischief is afoot when Feste returns to the "good Madonna" Olivia in order to entertain her and her uncle Toby Belch. He, Toby, Maria and Sir Andrew hatch a plan to trick manservant Malvolio, a man who thinks that "all who look on him, love him". They put in his way some "obscure epistles of love" supposedly from the lady Olivia to fool him into dressing as a madman. He shocks Olivia and is consequently sent to the madhouse (temporarily) by Feste and Sir Toby. Sir Andrew (a suitor for Olivia) finds out that Olivia loves Viola and resolves to fight him. They almost fight since one is a coward and the other a woman, Viola then escapes

Sebastian arrives at Countess Olivia's to find that he is being attacked by Sir Andrew and Toby and being called Cesario. Consequently he beats them up. Olivia sees him do this, professes her love for him (mistaking him for Viola/Cesario) and thinking it a dream, one he asks to "still let me sleep!" and marries Olivia on the spot. Sebastian leaves and Viola arrives with Duke Orsino. Confusion breaks out as Olivia believes that Viola is still Sebastian. Sebastian arrives again not a moment too soon and finds a mirror image of himself. The twins are reunited at last. The Duke realises he loves Viola and asks her to "give me thy hand"

Background: The Twelfth Night was a day of feasting in Elizabethan era when people would dress above or below their stations, the social classes would be turned upside down and a great celebration was to be had in light of Christmas and the New Year. This play would have been performed as a form of entertainment at this time.

Symbols and motifs:
Disguise The Twelfth Night is constantly weaving through this idea of disguise and people not revealing who they truly are. Olivia at first hides behind a black veil of mourning. After hearing first that she "hath a heart of that fine frame" and has no desire to love him, it is interesting that she avoid it by publicly saying that she will "abjure the sight of men". Hiding from Orsino's love in public mourning rather than refusing him outright. He and Olivia never meet till the last act, he woos her through others. Impersonal.

Viola is possibly the most obviously disguised. Being unable to work as a woman, she must disguise herself as a man "for such disguise...shall become the form of my intent". This direct reference is to both avoid the law, going against Elizabethan expectations of women's roles and also deceiving others. Here it is for her protection, but as her feelings for Orsino become apparent, the intimacy she shares with him, she conceals herself to maintain that friendship.

This all relates back to the issue over whether or not deception is necessary or excusable. It's only the woman who conceal themselves too, very anti-feminist. In contrast to this though, Viola does in fact think to and act on the idea of disguising herself as a man. She is a stronger female character than other Shakespearean plays. However, the need to lie to others for her own self-preservation is society vs conscience. Something to think about.

Puns:
Puns are a strong recurrence in Shakespeare's comedies, it's a way of playing with language in an entertaining way that tricks the audience or reader. Olivia asks Viola "are you a comedian?" (term for actor) to which Viola answers "I am not that I play" referring to both the character Viola and also to the actor, being a boy dressed as a woman disguising herself as a man. Feste says "if this were played upon a stage now/I should condemn it as improbable fiction" yet there it stands, an improbable fiction on a stage. Feste and Viola talk of Feste's profession. With Viola asking whether he is a churchman, seeing as he lives "by the church". However, Feste answers: " I do live by the church; for I do live at my house and my house doth stand by the church.". Creating humour and puns. Reflects the topsy turvy nature of the Twelfth Night and its ability to twist and play with anything game. The social class of people and the class/manipulation of language. Also representative of the ability to manipulate meaning and others. Relates back to the idea that all is not what it seems.

Opposites:
The play Twelfth Night is riddled with opposites, paradoxes and puns. From characterisation (Malvolio's attitude being far above his station and making him out to be "a kind of puritan", noble Sir Andrew being shown the fool, see the "Mistress Mary Accost" incident), Viola dressing as a boy, and a woman being head of the household (Olivia's family has all died, leaving her to be in charge). Feste - the fool, is probably the chief source of paradox in this play. A clown and a fool, he turns out to be the wittiest fool in the play, tricking "Madonna" Olivia and holding more wisdom and clever observation than anyone else. The topsy turvey nature of the holiday this play is named from is echoed in the play's characters and circumstances. Reflective of a woman being in power and a revolutionary way of thinking being born and nurtured in England.

Music:
"If music be the food of love, play on" is the first and one of the most famous lines of The Twelfth Night, tying food and music to the art of love. Dresses up love to be a magical and musical thing, striven for by all. But in the reality of the play, love is a messy hotch botch of people loving the ones they shouldn't or not knowing what love is at all. Shakespeare shows us that there is no art of loving at all, just falling in and out of it and finding the person that fits you most completely. The songs of Feste are truly expressive of the hope of love "your true love's coming/that sing both high and low". "That piece of song" that "did relieve my passion much" do not put fire to his love and we all know his infatuation with Olivia is simply that. Music may be the food of love, but it is not love itself, which deludes many. "Write loyal cantons on condemned love/and sing them loud even in the dead of the night" - Viola.

Readings:
Feminist - Due probably to the fact that a woman was in power, there can be allusions to this in the character of Countess Olivia. She is left as the head of her household, as Sir Toby would be too drunk to form a coherent order. Viola is the central character, making it a refreshing contrast to others in Shakespeare's repertoire. But this is in fact a comedy, where nothing is as it would be in reality. This is in light of the twisted upside down day that was the feasting of the Twelfth Night. Therefore, Shakespeare is making a backhanded stand for women. Yes he is in fact writing a female as the main character, but in a play where nothing is like reality. The need for both female characters to hide their true feelings and wishes behind a "veiled walk" and manly pretenses shows their inability to be freely independent. In the end both women marry to suitable husbands and in a classic comedy, everybody lives for the most part, happily ever after. The fact here suggesting that women cannot be happy without men was commonly thought in Shakespeare's time, however, he gives women more freedom in fiction than would have been given in reality.

Nature of Shakespearean Comedy:

• Happy endings, usually with a marriage of unmarried characters
• Separation and re-unification
• Struggle of old adversaries to overcome their difficulties. Usually represented by young people
• Mistaken identities
• Clever servant
• Lots of puns
• One main plot, with lots of little side stories

These are very evident in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and others such as Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Two problem plays that fit in with this particular "formula" but also have elements of tragedy within them are All's Well that Ends Well and Measure for Measure. However, The Merchant of Venice could also been seen similarly to these too.

Good Describing Words

Used to describe tone:

lyrical, poignant (affecting or moving), ambivalent (mixed feelings), nostalgic, pedantic, verbose (wordy), concise, ironic - ironical, complementary

melancholic, morose, thoughtful, pensive, suggestive

sarcastic, derogatory, distasteful, euphemistic.

whimsical - light-hearted, capricious - erratic - mercurial, playful, fanciful, flippant,