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Act 1 Scene 3. 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”
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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
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”
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.
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
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
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!”
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”
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)
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
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