The Tragedy of Othello: Analysis and Insights

1. Act 1 Scene 3

2. The beginning of the scene makes clear that Venice is in danger of attack from the Turks • The senator and Duke call Othello “valiant” • Brabantio comes across as hysterical. Again he talks of “some dram conjur’d” • B says that she could not “fall in love with what she fear’d to look on” • Again Othello acts humbly and respectfully (76-77) and he tells them it is “true” he has taken Desdemona

3. Desdemona’s Love • Desdemona fell in love with Othello while listening to him talk about battles and travels • Desdemona often cried when Othello described “some distressful stroke That my youth suffer’d” • Othello summarises their love: • “she lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d And I lov’d her that she did pity them. This is the only witchcraft I have us’d”

4. Othello • O claims that ”Rude am I in my speech” • Yet his power over words made Desdemona love him • His honest words persuade the Duke he is worthy of Desdemona • With D’s help he also persuades Brabantio • The Duke states: “of virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black” • Here the appearance is used metaphorically. Fair = virtuous. Black = evil.

5. Analysis • Reread Othello’s speech, lines 127-169 • Find rhetorical techniques which Othello uses • What type of sentence structure does he use? • What punctuation marks do you notice? • Interested, intrigued, impressed

6. Love • Desdemona wants to be with Othello even though it means travel, hardship and potentially danger • Othello vows to look after her but also shows the respect that he has for her • He will take her “to be free and bounteous to her mind” • Desdemona says that she “saw Othello’s visage in his mind, / And to his honours and his valiant parts / Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate” (I.iii. 250–252). • she has the power to see him for what he is in a way that even Othello himself cannot

7. Othello’s judgement • At the moment where Othello has impressed the audience Shakespeare shows that he has a misplaced trust in Iago: • “A man he is of honesty and trust” • “Honest Iago” • Dramatic Irony • Brabantio warns O that “She has deceived her father and may thee” • O swears “My life upon her faith!”

8. Iago • Notice here Iago speaks to Roderigo in prose (307+) – makes him seem low in social status and morals • Iago shows he does not believe in love: • “It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will” • Iago says repeatedly “I hate the Moor” • And says he wants “revenge”

9. Iago’s soliloquy • This is a speech where one character speaks directly to the audience • Soliloquies are normally granted to heroes • He says he is using Roderigo for “sport and profit”- he enjoys it and benefits from it • “I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets He has done my office” • Words – “abuse Othello’s ear” • He will take advantage of O’s character: “The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so And will as tenderly be led by the nose As asses are” (I.iii.390-393)

10. Writing • Choose a play in which the dramatist’s use of contrast between two characters is important to your understanding of one of them. • Discuss how your understanding of this character is strengthened by the contrast

11. Othello’s fatal flaw • Othello shows here that he has a very trusting character. • He trusts the Duke • And the authorities • His wife • And Iago • However, the trust he has in Iago is misplace • Characters in tragedy have a fatal flaw which leads to their downfall – this may be Othello’s