Character List

Othello A Moor, and an officer in the Venetian military. He falls in love with, and marries, the delicate Desdemona, though he is middle-aged, and she is still young. Othello is bold, a good warrior, and a decent person overall however, he is undone by !ealousy and pride, his two main failings. Although Othello is very elo"uent, he believes his manners and words are both rough. Desdemona Othello#s wife, a young Venetian woman of high birth and good breeding. Desdemona is almost overly virtuous, which causes her to feel that she must defend $assio, and spea% in a public sphere when necessary. &he is stronger than Othello believes her to be, and is not the private, withdrawn, mee% woman he would ideally li%e her to be. Cassio Othello#s lieutenant, though he has little field e'perience. $assio is a smooth-tal%ing, very courteous Venetian courtier, the opposite of Othello in many respects, which is why Othello admires him, oddly enough. Othello is led to believe that $assio has had an affair with Desdemona, though $assio has only honorable intentions toward Desdemona. Iago Othello#s ensign, and passed over for the lieutenant position in favor of $assio. (ago is young and treacherous he is a villain from the start, and though he cites his hurt pride over the lost promotion and Othello#s alleged infidelity with (ago#s wife )milia as being reasons for his actions, he is without reasons. He is immoral, but very perceptive, %een, and able to manipulate people into falling for the traps he sets without them being aware. Emilia (ago#s wife, and Desdemona#s handmaiden. &he is entrusted with bringing people into Desdemona#s presence, staying with her at all times, etc. )milia has no idea what her husband (ago is up to, nor of his dar%er "ualities. &he remains loyal to Desdemona above all others, although she unwittingly plays a %ey part in (ago#s treachery. Brabantio Desdemona#s father, a senator and renowned citi*en of Venice. He is not at all pleased by Desdemona#s union, and warns Othello that as Desdemona betrayed her father, she may betray her husband too. Roderigo +usts after Desdemona, which (ago is of course aware of. (ago uses him to ruin $assio#s reputation, and in his other schemes. (ago promises ,oderigo that he shall have Desdemona#s love in return for his help ,oderigo actually receives nothing but a disgraced death. Duke of Venice ,uler of the city, and Othello#s superior. He allows Othello and Desdemona to stay together despite her father#s protests, and also sends Othello off to $yprus to battle the Moors.

Senators Other authority figures of Venice, and men of reason and order they also support Othello and Desdemona#s union, and Othello answers to them and the Du%e in matters of war. Bianca A courtesan who $assio visits fre"uently $assio as%s her to ma%e a copy of Desdemona#s hand%erchief, and the fact that the hand%erchief is found in her place further incriminates $assio. &he is the only female in the play whom $assio shows less than full respect to, probably because she is a prostitute. Montano, o!ernor of C"#rus

-ronounces !udgment on (ago at the end of the play, comments on the situation, and helps to wrap the play up. He is the main law and order figure of $yprus, and serves as damage control after Othello dies, and (ago is proven unfit. Lodo!ico and ratiano

.wo Venetian nobles, both of some relation to Desdemona both play their biggest part after Desdemona has died, and must ta%e the news of the tragedy bac% to Venice as officials of that city.

Ma$or %hemes
&##earance !s' realit" )specially relevant to the issue of (ago#s character for although he is called /honest/ by almost everyone in the play, he is treacherous, deceitful, and manipulative. Also applies to Desdemona, as Othello believes that she is deceitful and impure, although she is really blameless and innocent. Race ,ace is an e'tremely important theme it has a great amount of influence on how people regard Othello0for those who distrust blac% people merely on loo%s never li%e Othello, li%e (ago. ,ace also determines how Othello perceives himself as a rough outsider, though he is nothing of the sort. Othello#s race sets him apart, and ma%es him very selfconscious it ma%es him wor% hard and loo% carefully after his reputation, so he is regarded as e"ual to the white people that surround him. (ride )specially important with regards to Othello Othello is defensively proud of himself and his achievements, and especially proud of the honorable appearance he presents. .he allegations of Desdemona#s affair hurt his pride even more than they inflame his vanity and !ealousy he wants to appear powerful, accomplished, and moral at every possible instance, and when this is almost denied to him, his wounded pride becomes especially powerful. Magic 1sually has something to do with Othello#s heritage. Othello is charged with using magic to woo Desdemona, merely because he is blac%, and therefore, /pagan./ 2et, Othello

does have real magic, in the words he uses and the stories he tells. Magic also reappears when Desdemona#s hand%erchief cannot be found Othello has too much trust in the symbolism and charm of the hand%erchief, which is why the ob!ect is so significant to him. Order !s' chaos As Othello begins to abandon reason and language, chaos ta%es over. His world begins to be ruled by chaotic emotions and very shady allegations, with order pushed to one side. .his chaos rushes him into tragedy, and once Othello has sun% into it, he is unable to stop his fate from ta%ing him over. Self)kno*ledge Othello#s lac% of self-%nowledge ma%es him easy prey for (ago. Once (ago inflames Othello#s !ealousy and gets the dar%er aspects of Othello#s nature into action, there is nothing Othello can do to stop it, since he cannot even admit that he has these dar%er traits. +onest" Although the word /honest/ is usually used in an ironic way throughout the te't, most characters in the play go through a crisis of learning who and who not to trust. Most of them, unfortunately, trust in (ago#s honesty this leads to the downfall of many characters, as this trust in (ago#s /honesty/ became a crucial contributor to their undoing. Misre#resentation .his also allows (ago to gain trust and manipulate other people misrepresentation means that (ago is able to appear to be /honest,/ in order to deceive and misdirect people. Othello also misrepresents himself, as being simple and plain-spo%en this is not for deceptive effect, but also is used to present an image of himself which is not e'actly the truth. ood !s' E!il .hough there is much gray area between these two, (ago#s battle against Othello and $assio certainly counts as an embodiment of this theme. (ago and his evil battle to corrupt and turn the flawed natures of other characters, and he does succeed to some e'tent. 3y the end of the play, neither has won, as Desdemona and )milia are both dead, and (ago revealed and punished.

&ct I &ct I, scene i, Summar",

Othello begins in the city of Venice, at night ,oderigo is having a discussion with (ago, who is bitter at being passed up as Othello#s lieutenant. .hough (ago had greater practice in battle and in military matters, $assio, a man of strategy but of little e'perience, was named lieutenant by Othello. (ago says that he only serves Othello to further himself, and ma%es shows of his allegiance only for his own gain he is playing false, and admits that his nature is not at all what it seems. (ago is aware that the

daughter of 3rabantio, a Venetian nobleman of some stature, has run off with Othello, the blac% warrior of the Moors. Desdemona is 3rabantio#s daughter, and 3rabantio, and many others, %now nothing of this coupling (ago decides to enlist ,oderigo, who lusts after Desdemona, and awa%en 3rabantio with screams that his daughter is gone. At first, 3rabantio dismisses these cries in the dar% but when he reali*es his daughter is not there, he gives the news some credence. ,oderigo is the one spea%ing most to 3rabantio, but (ago is there too, hidden, yelling unsavory things about Othello and his intentions toward Desdemona. 3rabantio panics, and calls for people to try and find his daughter (ago leaves, not wanting anyone to find out that he betrayed his own leader, and 3rabantio begins to search for his daughter.

&nal"sis,
.he relationship between ,oderigo and (ago is obviously somewhat close, as ,oderigo shows in his first statement. (ago /hast had 4,oderigo#s5 purse as if the strings were thine,/ he tells (ago the metaphor shows how much trust ,oderigo has in (ago, and also how he uses (ago as a confidante 6(.i.7-89. Does (ago share the same %ind of feeling: As far as ,oderigo %nows, (ago is his friend but appearance is one thing and reality another, as (ago soon will tell. (ago tells several truths about himself to ,oderigo he even trusts ,oderigo with the %nowledge that (ago serves Othello, but only to further himself. How ironic that after (ago#s lengthy confession of duplicity, ,oderigo still does not suspect him of doublecrossing or manipulation. (ago seems to do a great deal of character analysis and e'position for the audience here, he divulges his purpose in serving Othello, and the %ind of man he is. Appearance vs. reality is a crucial theme in (ago#s story throughout the play, he enacts a series of roles, from advisor to confidante, and appears to be helping people though he is only acting out of his twisted self-interest. /.hese fellows/ that flatter for their own purposes /have some soul,/ (ago says there is a double irony in this statement that (ago passes off as a truth 6;<9. -eople who act one way and are another are duplicitous, and scarcely deserve the credit that (ago is trying to give them. Also, (ago, though he is one of those fellows, seems to have no soul he never repents, never lets up with his schemes, and never seems to tire of the damaging whatever he is able to. /(n following 4Othello5 ( follow but myself,/ (ago also professes this is a parado' in terms, but is revealing of (ago#s purposes in serving Othello. His language is also revealing of his dar% character he uses the clich= /( will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ to convey how his heart is false, and his shows of emotion are also falsified 6><9. 3ut, he turns this clich= into something more dar% and fierce, when he adds the image of the birds tearing at this heart already, he has foreshadowed the great deceptions that he will engineer, and the sinister "ualities that ma%e up his core. .he %ey to (ago#s character is in the line /( am not what ( am/ ,oderigo should ta%e this as a warning, but fails to. )verything which (ago presents himself as is a false show even here, he pretends to be less evil than he truly is, though this first scene represents the pea% of (ago#s honesty about himself with another character. (ago is parallel to another character, ,ichard (((, in his self-awareness about his villainous character, and in his also parallel lac% of remorse and use of false representations of himself. Already, the racial issues and themes which are at the core of Othello#s story and position are beginning to surface. ?hen ,oderigo refers to Othello, he calls him /the thic% lips/ the synecdoche, singling out one prominent characteristic that highlights Othello#s foreignness and blac% heritage, displays a racial distrust of Othello based on his color. ,oderigo and (ago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to

Othello racism is a pervasive theme within the wor%, spreading misconceptions and lies about Othello by tying him to incorrect stereotypes about his race. Another element that surfaces repeatedly in the play is the use of animal imagery /an old blac% ram is tupping your white ewe,/ (ago yells to 3rabantio from the street 6@@-A9. .he use of animal imagery is used in many places in the play to convey immorality, almost bestial desire, and illicit passion, as it does in this instance. (ago also compares Othello to a /3arbary horse/ coupling with Desdemona, and uses animal imagery to reinforce a lustful picture of Othello, before this scene is through. (ago#s statement is doubly potent, since it not only condemns Othello for his alleged lust, but also plays on 3rabantio#s misgivings about Othello#s color, and outsider status. .he !u'taposition of blac% and white, in connection with the animal imagery, is meant to ma%e this image very repellent, and to inflame 3rabantio to anger and action. (ago especially mentions the devil many times in the te't, the first time here in the first scene. He means to ma%e Othello sound li%e a devil, with his lust, indiscretion, and strangeness to Venice the irony is that (ago is so "uic% to ma%e others out to be evil, when it is he who is the center of blac%ness and foul deeds in the play. .he devil often ta%es disguises, !ust as (ago does he is as close to a devil as there is in this play, though, again embodying the theme of appearance vs. reality, he is the one who loo%s least guilty. (mportant to this scene is the fact that it is held in dar%ness li%e the beginning of Hamlet, things are unsteady and eerie, and a certain disorder rules over the proceedings. ?ith 3rabantio#s call for light, there is a corresponding call for some %ind of order dar%ness vs. light and order vs. disorder are important !u'tapositions within the play, and as themes they highlight the status of situations li%e this one. .his theme will appear again at the end, as the play returns to dar%ness, and also to chaos the two seem ine'tricably lin%ed in the body of the play, and always battle with one another.

&ct I, scene ii, Summar",

(ago has now !oined Othello, and has told Othello about ,oderigo#s betrayal of the news of his marriage to 3rabantio#s daughter. He tells Othello that 3rabantio is upset, and will probably try to tear Desdemona from him. $assio comes at last, as do ,oderigo and 3rabantio (ago threatens ,oderigo with violence, again ma%ing a false show of his loyalty to Othello. 3rabantio is very angry, swearing that Othello must have bewitched his daughter, and that the state will not decide for him in this case. Othello says that the Du%e must hear him, and decide in his favor, or else all is far from right in Venice.

&nal"sis,
(ago continues his deliberate misrepresentation, swearing to Othello that he could have %illed ,oderigo for what he did. (ago, however, is a very s%illed actor he is able to successfully present a contrary appearance, and get away with it. (ronically, (ago alludes to Banus, the two-faced god, in his conversation with Othello. &ince (ago himself is twofaced, in a duplicitous way, Banus seems to be a fitting figure for (ago to invo%e. (ago#s duplicity is again e'hibited in this scene as his tone swings from friendly to bac%biting as soon as Othello steps away, and then he goes bac% to his original friendliness when Othello returns. ?hereas (ago acted supportive of Othello#s marriage to Desdemona, when $assio enters, he uses a rather uncomplimentary metaphor to tell what Othello has done. /He tonight hath boarded a land-carrac%,/ (ago tells $assio his

diction and choice of metaphor ma%e Othello into some %ind of pirate, stealing Desdemona#s love, and reduces Desdemona into a mere pri*e to be ta%en. 3ut, this tone is carefully calculated (ago will soon want $assio to thin% of Desdemona as an ob!ect to be ta%en, and to believe Othello to be less honorable than he is. Othello#s pride first becomes visible here he is e'ceptionally proud of his achievements and his public stature, and pride is an overarching theme of Othello#s story. He is also proud of Desdemona#s affection for him, which leads him to overstate the bond between them he would not give her up /for the seas# worth,/ he says, certainly a noble sentiment 6l. 7@9. Othello is very confident in his worth, and in the respect he commands if the leaders of the city decide to deny a worthy man li%e him his marriage to Desdemona, then he believes /bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be./ .his statement of parado' betrays Othello#s faith in the state and in the Du%e#s regard for him hopefully, neither will fail him. Again, the issue of race comes to the fore, as 3rabantio confronts Othello about his marriage to Desdemona. Desdemona never would have /run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of a thing such as thou,/ 3rabantio says 6l. CD-79. 3rabantio assumes that Desdemona must have been /enchanted/ to marry Othello merely because Othello is blac% 3rabantio ignores all of Othello#s good "ualities, and gives into his racist feelings. Magic is another recurrent theme, and here is lin%ed to stereotypes of African peoples as %nowing the blac% arts of magic, of being pagans, and of being lusty the theme of magic does not always play into the theme of race within the play, though here there is an interesting relation of the two due to racial stereotyping. At the time &ha%espeare was writing, there were in fact free blac%s in )ngland, with some art of the period depicting blac% peoples. However, racism was even more pronounced in &ha%espeare#s )ngland than it is in Othello a character li%e Othello could not have risen to such ran%s in )ngland at the time, which means that &ha%espeare#s play is much more progressive than the time in which it was written. Othello even manages to avoid stereotype more effectively than another &ha%espearean character li%e &hyloc%, who represents anti-&emitic views of the Bewish people stereotypes are lin%ed to Othello by other characters, but he manages to evade them through his nobility and individuality.

&ct I, scene iii, Summar",

Military conflict is challenging the Venetian stronghold of $yprus there are reports that .ur%ish ships are heading toward the island, which means some defense will be necessary. 3rabantio and Othello enter the assembled Venetian leaders, who are discussing this military matter, and 3rabantio announces his grievance against Othello for marrying his daughter. Othello addresses the company, admitting that he did marry Desdemona, but wooed her with stories, and did her no wrongs. Desdemona comes to spea%, and she confirms Othello#s words 3rabantio#s grievance is denied, and Desdemona will indeed stay with Othello. However, Othello is called away to $yprus, to help with the conflict there he begs that Desdemona be able to go with him, since they have been married for so little time. Othello and Desdemona win their appeal, and Desdemona is to stay with (ago, until she can come to $yprus and meet Othello there. ,oderigo is upset that Desdemona and Othello#s union was allowed to stand, since he lusts after Desdemona. 3ut (ago assures him that the match will not last long, and at any time, Desdemona could come rushing to him. (ago wants to brea% up the couple, using ,oderigo as his pawn, out of malice and his wic%ed ability to do so.

&nal"sis,
3rabantio again accuses Othello of bewitching his daughter, and airs his racism-based views. He is not against the match because of any incompatibility of the couple he thin%s that nature has made some mista%e, because of the mi'ed race of the couple. His metaphor of his grief as a flood, that /engluts and swallows other sorrows, and is still itself,/ means that he feels very strongly on this issue. His strong ob!ection foreshadows a confrontation between him and his daughter and, if Desdemona does choose to stay with Othello, it seems li%ely that she will ris% her father#s love. Othello#s appointment to $yprus mar%s the true beginning of his tragedy for, when he is away from Venice, which is a place of familiarity, order, and law, he will be much more vulnerable to (ago#s vicious attac%s on his love and !ealousy. .his battle between order and chaos is a theme running throughout the play, and as Othello sin%s deeper into distrust of Desdemona and is more consumed by his !ealousy, chaos increases and threatens to devour him. .he Du%e#s words of advice to the couple also mar% the beginning of their tragic story the Du%e#s words foretell trouble between the couple if they do not let grievances go, which ends up being a reason for Othello#s fall. Also, the change of the verse into couplets signals the importance of the advice being offered. .he words of the Du%e, and 3rabantio#s words that follow, are set off from the rest of the te't and emphasi*ed by this techni"ue the reader is notified, through the couplet rhyme, which hasn#t appeared before in the te't, that these are words that must be mar%ed. Although Othello pretends to be poorly spo%en, the only magic that he possesses is in his power of language. His language shows his pride in his achievements, and also allows him to ma%e himself into a %ind of hero. Othello portrays himself as a tested, honorable warrior, and indeed is such. However, this view of himself will prove troublesome when he is hard pressed to recogni*e his !ealousy and his lust his inability to reconcile himself with these two aspects of his personality means that his comeuppance is almost certain. Othello#s lac% of self-%nowledge means that he will be unable to stop himself once (ago begins to ignite his !ealousy, and set into motion the less palatable aspects of Othello#s personality, which he himself cannot recogni*e. Othello#s speech before the assembly shows what he believes Desdemona#s love to be he thin%s that Desdemona#s affection is a form of hero-worship, and she loves him for the stories he tells, and the things he has done. He believes it is his allusions to strange peoples and places, li%e the /Anthropophagi,/ that fascinate her, and this youthful fascination forms the semi-solid core of her affections. (ndeed, his powers of language successfully win the Du%e over, and soften 3rabantio#s disapproval. +ight and dar% are again !u'taposed in the Du%e#s declaration to 3rabantio, that /if virtue no delighted beauty lac%E your son-in-law is far more fair than blac%./ 3lac% is associated with sin, evil, and dar%ness these negative things are also associated to blac% people, merely because of the color of their s%in. .he Du%e#s statement is ironic, since Othello is blac%, but truthful, because his soul is good and light. +ightEwhiteEfairness all convey innocence, goodness, etc. any symbol that is white has these "ualities. .he !u'taposition of blac% and white, light and dar% shows up again and again in the play, as the colors become symbolic within the story. /Our bodies are our gardens,/ (ago tells ,oderigo his speech recalls Hamlet#s first solilo"uy, though with a more %ind appraisal of human nature. (ago is a very good !udge of human nature, and easily able to manipulate people in ways that will benefit him most but, this cleverness also means that he is a source of wisdom in the play, no matter how wic%edly he chooses to use this %nowledge. (ago#s metaphor is particularly

applicable to many in this play, himself e'cluded characters li%e Othello, ,oderigo, and $assio do have vices that they allow to grow in themselves, but they also have aspects of themselves which balance these vices out. (ago#s %nowledge of this allows him to do away with this balance and set chaos into motion, which leads to tragedy. Here, (ago#s purpose becomes plain he sees that Othello and Desdemona#s marriage is less than solid, and see%s to use his powers to brea% this marriage apart. (ago is again /honest/ about his intent, but only to a person whose involvement will help him greatly. .he words /honest/ and /honesty/ appear repeatedly in the play, and are usually used by (ago, or in reference to him ironically, (ago is the only person in the play whom Othello trusts to !udge who is and is not honest, and the only one whose integrity is not "uestioned until it is too late. Honesty becomes an important "uestion, and theme, in the story characters repeatedly as% themselves who is honest, who can be trusted, and (ago indeed plays on their honesty to ma%e them believe falsely. .he word /honest/ is often used in an ironic conte't, or indicates that someone or something cannot be trusted, if they are given this title. 1nder (ago#s influence, honesty becomes a difficult liability, and speeds the downfall of many good characters.

&ct II &ct II, scene i, Summar",

A terrible storm has struc% $yprus, !ust as the .ur%s were about to approach. .his might mean that the .ur%ish attac% will not happen but it also bodes badly for Othello#s ship. A messenger enters, and confirms that the .ur%ish fleet was bro%en apart by the storm, and that $assio has arrived, though Othello is still at sea. .hey spot a ship coming forth but (ago, Desdemona, and )milia are on it, not Othello. $assio greets them all, especially praising Desdemona somehow, (ago and Desdemona enter into an argument about what women are, and (ago shows how little praise he believes women deserve. Othello arrives at last, and is very glad to see his wife arrived, much earlier than e'pected he and Desdemona ma%e public signs of their love, and then depart. (ago spea%s to ,oderigo, convincing him that Desdemona will stray from Othello, as she has already done with $assio. He convinces ,oderigo to attac% $assio that night, as he plans to visit mischief on both Othello and $assio.

&nal"sis,
&torms are always of greater significance in &ha%espeare here, the storm is a symbol of unrest, and of discord to come. .he storm mar%s the end of the peaceful part of the play, and is an act of fate though it is doubtful that the storm will be as significant in the plot as the storm at the beginning of .he .empest, it is a signal that (ago#s mischief is about to begin. &ha%espeare#s characters that comment on the storm are mariners, alluding to 1rsa Minor and stars used for navigation this is a testament to &ha%espeare#s incredible ability to form credible language for a great diversity and range of characters. Bust as every character has their own manner of speech and e'pression, $assio has a very polished, courtly way of spea%ing, especially of ladies. He describes Desdemona as one who /e'cels the "uir%s of bla*oning pens/ he calls her /divine Desdemona,/ but at

the same time, wishes Othello much !oy of her. As (ago finds out later, he has no love for her, though much respect so it is with much irony that $assio is charged as being Desdemona#s lover, when he is perhaps the only male figure in the play who has no feelings of passion for her. (t is $assio#s courtly manner that ma%es him Othello#s lieutenant for Othello sees $assio as a model Venetian, all poise and polish, which is something Othello wants to be, but thin%s he is not. Othello#s insecurities mean that $assio is promoted over (ago, but also lead Othello to hold $assio at a distance. .hough (ago is married, he does not have as favorable an impression of women as $assio does. ?omen are /wildcats in your %itchens, saints in your in!uries, devils being offended/ he even declares that they /rise to play, and go to bed to wor%/ 6DFA-D89. (ago#s perception of women as deceptive, dominating, and lusty colors the way he portrays both )milia and Desdemona both are good women, Desdemona e'ceedingly so, yet he is able to convince other men that they are anything but what they are. /My invention comes from my pate as birdlime does from frie*e,/ (ago says, though his analogy misrepresents his "uic% wit and subtle intelligence. (ago misrepresents himself throughout the play as honest, faithful, good-hearted, and here, as both foolish and !ocular. Misrepresentation is a theme which misleads many characters, and allows (ago, and Othello to some e'tent, to appear as other than what they are. 3ut even as he minces words with Desdemona, he is observing her and $assio, and plotting how to ma%e a fictional affair between them loo% convincing. /?ith as little a web as this ( will ensnare as great a fly as $assio,/ he says indeed, the simile spea%s truly of his intent, and of his true powers of /invention/. /(#ll set down the pegs that ma%e this music,/ he says of Desdemona and Othello#s harmonious union, another metaphor betraying his villainy. Misrepresentation is a theme that surfaces often through (ago#s villainy already, he ma%es Desdemona seem li%e a fic%le, lusty woman, which he will soon try to convince Othello of as well. (ago#s speech also plays on Othello#s insecurities perfectly he spea%s of Othello#s age, race, and manners as reasons why Desdemona will grow tired of him, which are also reaons why Othello fears he might lose her. (ago is also a master of temptation, another theme in the story he is able to figure out e'actly what people want, and then drive them to it. 1se of language, a ma!or theme in the story, is also a point on which (ago is notable. He is able to persuade ,oderigo of $assio and Desdemona#s attachment, by painting an innocent gesture as a sign of familiarity yet, all the power that is in his words is in their interpretation, for (ago is also able to say everything and nothing at once, depending on the inclination of the hearer. .hough (ago seems grieved by $assio#s promotion over him, this does not seem to be his main, or only, motive. (ago mentions the promotion to ,oderigo, to convince him that he hates Othello but (ago also cites his suspicions that )milia and Othello have had an affair as another reason for his enmity. 3ut, at the same time, (ago is not a man to be consumed with se'ual !ealousy though rumors about his wife may hurt his pride, they seem but an e'cuse for the misery he is about to cause. (ago#s motives could be all of these reasons and more, or they could be none indeed, &ha%espeare leaves the root of (ago#s malignancy une'plained, while showing the fruits of his evil in full.

&ct II, scene ii, Summar",

Othello#s herald enters, to proclaim that the .ur%s are not going to attac%, all should be !oyful, and Othello is celebrating the happiness of his recent marriage.

&ct II, scene iii, Summar",

(ago and $assio are on the watch together (ago gets $assio to drin% a bit, %nowing that he cannot hold his li"uor at all. (ago also tries to get $assio#s feelings about Desdemona, and ma%e her seem tempting to him but his intentions are innocent and friendly, so this approach fails. $assio leaves for a bit, and (ago says that he intends to get $assio drun%, that will hopefully cause a "uarrel between $assio and ,oderigo, who has been stirred up against $assio. (ago wants to see $assio discredited through this, so that he might ta%e $assio#s place. Montano and others come, and (ago entertains them with small tal% and song soon, $assio is drun%, and ,oderigo has approached. $assio fights offstage with ,oderigo, and comes forth, chasing him Montano tries to hinder $assio, but $assio !ust ends up in!uring him. All the noise wa%es Othello, who comes down to figure out what has happened. Montano tells what he %nows of it all, and (ago fills in the rest0ma%ing sure to fictionali*e his part in it all too. $assio is stripped of his ran%, and all leave $assio and (ago alone. $assio laments that he has lost his reputation, which is very dear to him. (ago tries to convince him that a reputation means little and, if he tal%s to Desdemona, maybe he can get her to vouch for him with Othello. .his will help (ago get the impression across that Desdemona and $assio are together, which will ma%e Othello very angry if it wor%s. (ago then gives a solilo"uy about %nowing that Desdemona will spea% for $assio, and that he will be able to turn that against them both.

&nal"sis,
/Honest/ emerges as a %ey word in this scene it is a term laden with irony, and a constant reminder of the dramatic irony inherent in (ago#s dealings. Gone of the characters in the play have any idea of (ago#s plans and evil intentions Othello and $assio are especially innocent of this %nowledge. 2et, the audience %nows e'actly what (ago is up to, and is able to see his deceptions for what they are (ago#s words interest the audience because of how much dramatic irony they are laden with, and curiosity to find out whether $assio and Othello will come to %now as much as the audience does about (ago#s deviance. .he word /honest/ draws attention to how (ago#s machinations are hidden from the characters onstage, and shows how he promotes an incorrect impression of himself in order to gain power over people. ?hen Othello addresses his wife before a crowd of other people in this scene, his words are all of a financial nature. .he words /purchase/ and /profit/ ma%e it seem li%e Othello is trying to ma%e his diction suitable for the crowd listening to him, and his tone is also less personal and more declarative. Othello#s self-consciousness is apparent in these words to Desdemona, and self-consciousness is a theme that has much to do with how Othello regards himself, and his marriage. (t seems in situations li%e this one that Othello is more interested in %eeping up appearances than in showing love for his wife indeed, he does love her, but he seems unable to allow his love to inhabit a private, personal sphere, apart from his public life and image. (ago begins his attempt to corrupt $assio in this act, starting out by trying to get him to admit to impure thoughts about Desdemona. He spea%s of Desdemona as being /sport for Bove,/ and /full of game/ his depiction of Desdemona rings false, as does his attempt to insinuate lust into $assio#s mind. (ago#s tone is highly suggestive, with regards to trying to get $assio to believe these suggestions that (ago is ma%ing but the irony is that, once again, someone is blind to (ago#s attempted machinations.

(ago and $assio are !u'taposed in this scene, to bring out $assio#s flawed honor and courtliness, and (ago#s manipulativeness and deceptiveness. $assio stands in especially sharp contrast to (ago when (ago spea%s lustfully of Desdemona $assio is full of honor when it comes to women, and the ideals of a courtier as well. /He#s a soldier fit to stand by $aesar,/ (ago says, the allusion to $aesar betraying the fact that he %nows $assio#s true "uality. However, (ago stri%es gold when he figures out $assio#s wea%ness for drin% it is this flaw that ma%es $assio finally seem human, and tarnishes his golden, polished image. /He#ll be as full of "uarrel and offense as my young mistress# dog,/ (ago notes his metaphor shows that he %nows how li"uor can separate even the best man from himself, and do great damage to his reputation. /His vice Htis to his virtue an e"uino', one as long as th# other,/ (ago states (ago#s metaphor again reinforces his perceptiveness, and the lightEdar% imagery in the metaphor continue a motif present throughout the play. (ago, much more than anyone else in the play, is always aware of what his status and his chances are he is more than sharp enough to %now when his plans are going to wor%, and when he needs to change his approach. /(f conse"uence do but approve my dreamE my boat sails freely, both with wind and stream/ (ago#s metaphoric language usually confirms his perceptiveness, and his reasonable confidence. -erceptiveness is yet another theme in the play it helps (ago to do all of his dirty deeds, yet condemns Othello and $assio when they cannot muster up enough of it to see that (ago is up to no good. Gote (ago#s homage to /sweet )ngland/ in his song of this act though this play does not ta%e place in )ngland, and features no )nglish characters, &ha%espeare throws this in to amuse his audience. He does the same in plays li%e Hamlet, in which a little nod to )ngland is thrown in for comic effect, and as an audience pleaser. (ago %nows that Othello ignores flaws in people li%e $assio, which is part of his motivation in getting $assio drun%, and involved in an argument. (ago wants Othello to %now that $assio is not the perfect soldier Othello believes him to be, while still convincing Othello that (ago himself is /honest/ and worthy of trust. Othello is trusting and unaware, whereas (ago is super-perceptive, yet another contrast between the two men. ?hen Othello brea%s up the "uarrel, he as%s, /are we turned .ur%s/: .he allusion to the .ur%s conveys a sense of disorder and that an enemy is present, although Othello misses the point with this comparison. Othello thin%s that enemies are forthcoming, and declare themselves openly, li%e the .ur%s do he e'pects everyone to have the same honor in declaring sides and engaging in battle. However, this isn#t war that Othello is in, and that is his mista%e in !udgment things are not as clear-cut in personal battles and politics, as evidenced by (ago#s duplicity. Othello considers all the men who are there in $yprus to be friends, since they are allied on the same side in battle this is another e'ample of Othello#s confusion between the wordly and the personal spheres, a theme which plays in much of his story. (ago is again able to successfully misrepresent himself this time, he pretends that he is there merely to settle the "uarrel, when he is the engineer behind the whole affair. (ago is again able to manufacture an appearance that trumps reality0yet another e'ample of the appearance vs. reality theme at wor%. .hough his account of the "uarrel and how he came to it is doctored and deceptive, yet he is able to get away with it. Again, no one thin%s to "uestion the very man who is responsible for what has gone wrong among the Venetians, which is a heavy irony indeed. After $assio#s flaws have been shown to Othello, $assio mourns the demise of his /reputation/ above all else. ,eputation is a theme in the boo% that obviously holds some

resonance for $assio but (ago also %nows the importance of reputation, which is why he ma%es sure that people see him as /honest/ before anything. /,eputation is a most idle and false imposition,/ (ago says but this statement is meant as false consolation to $assio, and is filled with great irony. ,eputation is always of concern when individuals are involved, and is no less important in $yprus than it is in Venice. $assio is so grieved that his reputation has been hurt that he sees fit to find a villain in all that has happened /invisible spirit of wineIlet us call thee devil,/ he swears. (ronically, $assio misses the identity of the real devil in this situation, (ago. /Devil/ becomes a %ey word in this play, as people try to see% out what is poisoning everyone and everything on the island, though they are not able to trace it to the source until the very end of the play. Jood vs. evil is a ma!or theme in the play, though there is a great deal of gray area though (ago is the villain, everyone else has some blemish of their natures which ma%es them easily corruptible, and not entirely deserving of the label /good/. .he rest of (ago#s plan at last falls into place after his discussion with $assio. /( will turn her virtue into pitch,/ he says of Desdemona, hear%ening bac% to the lightE dar% imagery earlier in the act. He will /out of her own goodness ma%e the net that shall enmesh them all/ it is ironic that (ago will turn virtue into destruction, but he %nows much of the people he is dealing with, and is manipulative and perceptive enough to pull it off. Once again, (ago closes the act with a speech addressed to the audience although Othello is the title character, and his dilemma is central to the play, (ago is even more central to the events of the play, and the reactions of the characters.

&ct III &ct III, scene i, Summar",

.he third act begins with a little bit of comic relief a clown is mincing words with a few musicians, then has a little wordplay with $assio, who bids the clown to go and see if Desdemona will spea% with him. (ago enters, and $assio tells him that he means to spea% to Desdemona, so that she may clear things up with Othello. )milia comes out, and bids $assio to come in and spea% with Desdemona about his tarnished reputation.

&nal"sis,
Othello is unli%e other &ha%espearean dramas for two reasons first, the scarcity of comic relief, which only appears briefly at the beginning of this short scene. )ven Hamlet had -olonius and the gravedigger to lighten up certain scenes, but in Othello, there is no relief from the tragedy that is playing out. Also, there are no subplots running through Othello as there are in most &ha%espearean plays as a whole. 3oth of these differences ma%e Othello one of &ha%espeare#s most focused, intense tragedies. .he little bit of comic relief that is present here is reminiscent of Keste#s wit in .welfth Gight. As in .welfth Gight, there is a man entreating a servant to fetch someone hither but since the servant is a clown, there is a bit of frustration and word-play before anything is done. .he fool-figure receives money, then goes to do his bidding the situations are parallel, and it is a very usual set-up for comic relief. However, the clown from this play does not reappear he has less personality than Keste, if only because he gets !ust a brief appearance.

$assio seems to be one of the only /honest/ ones in the play he discloses his plans, his thoughts, and his concerns to (ago, omitting little or nothing. (t is therefore ironic that he refers to (ago as /honest/, since (ago is the complete opposite of everything $assio is. 3y this point, the %eyword /honest/ has become very tainted by its over-association with (ago it has no simple meaning anywhere in the play, and is definitely something to loo% out for.

&ct III, scene ii, Summar",

Othello gives (ago some letters that need to be delivered bac% to Venice, which (ago is in turn supposed to give to a ship#s pilot who is sailing bac% to Venice.

&ct III, scene iii, Summar",

Desdemona decides that she wants to advocate for $assio. &he tells )milia so, and that she believes $assio is a good person, and has been wronged in this case she pledges to do everything she can to persuade her husband to ta%e $assio bac%. $assio spea%s with her briefly, but leaves !ust as Othello enters because he does not wish for a confrontation. (ago sei*es on this opportunity to play on Othello#s insecurities, and ma%e $assio#s e'it seem guilty and incriminating. Othello then spea%s to Desdemona, and Desdemona e'presses her concern for $assio she is persistent in his suit, which Othello is not too pleased about. Othello says he will humor her, and the sub!ect is dropped for a while. (ago then plays on Othello#s insecurities about Desdemona, and gets Othello to believe, through insinuation, that there is something going on between Desdemona and $assio. Othello sei*es on this, and then (ago wor%s at building up his suspicions. &oon, Othello begins to doubt his wife, as (ago lets his insinuations gain the force of an accusation against her. Othello begins to voice his insecurities when it comes to Desdemona, and himself as well. Desdemona enters, and they have a brief conversation Othello admits that he is troubled, though he will not state the cause. Desdemona drops the hand%erchief that Othello gave her on their honeymoon )milia %new that her husband had wanted it for something, so she doesn#t feel too guilty about ta%ing it. )milia gives it to (ago, who decides to use the hand%erchief for his own devices. Othello re-enters, and tells (ago that he now doubts his wife Othello demands /ocular proof/ of Desdemona#s dishonesty, so (ago sets about ma%ing stories up about $assio tal%ing in his sleep, and says that $assio has the hand%erchief that Othello gave to Desdemona. (ago %nows how important this hand%erchief is to Othello it was his first gift to Desdemona, and was given to him by his mother. Othello is incensed to hear that Desdemona would give away something so valuable, and is persuaded by (ago#s insinuations and claims to believe that Desdemona is guilty. Othello then swears to have $assio dead, and to be revenged upon Desdemona for the non-e'istent affair.

&nal"sis,
/His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift,/ Desdemona says of Othello these parado'es highlight Desdemona#s determination to set things right. (ronically, it is this determination to /intermingle everything 4Othello5 does with $assio#s suit/ that fuels Othello#s !ealousy, which is the cause of her death. Had Desdemona not felt such a sense of !ustice or been good enough to advocate for a case in which she was not involved, she

might have survived. .hough it is very ironic, and a parado', Desdemona is undone by her own goodness, and her need to step into affairs on a public level, which Othello is uncomfortable with. (n this scene, (ago begins his machinations to ma%e it seem li%e $assio and Desdemona are having an affair. However, (ago refrains from saying very much /( cannot thin% it that he would steal away so guilty-li%e/ is the most incriminating thing he says about $assio. He ma%es Othello start to thin% uneasy thoughts by saying /( li%e not that/ about $assio#s e'it Othello immediately sei*es the bait, his !ealousy playing off of (ago#s calculated insinuations. Desdemona#s choice of words to describe $assio is unfortunate she calls him a /suitor,/ not meaning it in a romantic sense, although Othello could certainly ta%e it that way. Desdemona binds her reputation to $assio#s in an unfortunate way she says that if $assio is wrong, /( have no !udgment in an honest face/. Of course Desdemona means well, but she gambles too much on another person#s honor. (ago begins to echo Othello, which ma%es Othello even more uneasy. He as%s "uestions that are fundamentally related to the issues at hand, such as whether Desdemona and $assio have %nown each other for a while. (n Othello#s state, he believes (ago#s statements of nothing to be a real attempt to hide the truth about what is going on he does not reali*e that (ago#s statements are all feigned to ma%e Othello !ealous. /.hou echoest me, as if there was some monster in thy thought, too hideous to be shown/ Othello creates this simile based merely on (ago#s echoing and unrelated "uestions, showing how Othello begins to feed off the insinuations of (ago#s words. (ago says that he believes $assio is /honest/ yet again, this word sets Othello off, and (ago#s fa%e uncertainty in his tone ma%es Othello thin% that $assio lies. (ago then as%s /who has that breast so pure that some uncleanly apprehensions %eep leets and law days./ (n the conte't in which it is spo%en, Othello ta%es it to mean that $assio is flawed, which is true but notice how (ago says no names, and doesn#t e'plicitly apply the statement to any one person. (ago#s fa%ery reaches a pea% when he spea%s of how /good nameIis the immediate !ewel/ that people possess. Othello ta%es the statement to mean that (ago is protecting $assio#s good name by not telling Othello all but (ago is not strictly saying more than his statements suggest, and all the connections are done by Othello#s grasping mind. Bealousy, a ma!or theme, especially with regards to Othello, is soon addressed specifically by (ago. /(t is the green-eyed monster,/ (ago tells him, in that now-famous statement the /green-eyed monster/ becomes a symbol representing Othello#s dar% feelings, a specter lur%ing in his mind and beginning to steer his behavior. (ago#s speech is also deeply ironic, since it points out Othello#s flaws, and the root of his tragedy Othello has no idea of the significance of these statements, and so neglects to ta%e them to heart. Othello then begins to say that he believes his wife is virtuous, which means that (ago finally addresses her directly, and further misleads Othello. Othello is deeply insecure about his personal "ualities and his marriage, as insecurity becomes a theme that wea%ens his resolve not to doubt Desdemona. Othello uses his blac% s%in as a symbol for how poorly spo%en and unattractive he thin%s he is. All of his claims are very much beside the point his words are actually more comple' and beautiful than those spo%en by any other character in the play. Othello doubts that Desdemona could love him, because of his misconception of himself as being uncouth, poorly spo%en, and old and because he begins to believe that Desdemona cannot love him, he starts to believe her guilty of infidelity. .he leap is great, but it is all a product of Othello#s own insecurities and his incorrect conception of himself, another theme of the

play. How Othello sees himself directly influences how he views Desdemona#s love, though there should be a disconnection between these two things. Othello begins to use the blac%E white imagery found throughout the play, to e'press his grief and rage at Desdemona#s alleged treachery. /My name, that was as fresh as Dian#s visage, is now begrimed and blac% as mine own face,/ Othello says. Although the allegations against Desdemona are personally hurtful to him, Othello focuses more on the public ramifications, rather than the private there is great irony in this concern, since this rumored betrayal is a private one, and also since Othello#s name is highly regarded, because nothing has really happened. (ago#s /proofs/ also rely on the animal imagery which has run throughout the play he ma%es Desdemona and $assio seem li%e lustful lovers, by describing them as /prime as goats, as hot as mon%eys/ 6<FF9. .his comparison is calculated, since (ago %nows that thin%ing of Desdemona as lusting after another man disturbs Othello greatly. .he hand%erchief, the most crucial symbol and ob!ect in the play, first appears here. .he hand%erchief, to Desdemona, symboli*es Othello#s love, since it was his first gift to her. Othello thin%s that the hand%erchief, "uite literally, is Desdemona#s love and when she has lost it, that must clearly mean that she does not love him any longer. .he hand%erchief also becomes a symbol of Desdemona#s alleged betrayal Othello ta%es it as the /ocular proof/ of her dishonesty, which is a grave mista%e. /-roof/ is a %ey word in this scene Othello demands that (ago prove Desdemona unfaithful by actually seeing evidence of her guilt. 3ut (ago, ever clever and persuasive, manages to wor% around this completely he plays off of Othello#s !ealousy, telling him stories that damn $assio and mention the hand%erchief, which ma%e Othello angry and distract him from the fact that he has seen no proofs at all. Othello trusts (ago#s words to convey proof, and is thwarted by (ago#s dishonesty yet, Othello only reali*es later that he has been tric%ed and has seen no proof, when it is too late for him to ta%e his actions bac%. (ago subverts Othello#s wish for /ocular proof/ by ma%ing it seem painful and impossible to achieve they would have to catch Desdemona and $assio actually being unfaithful, which Othello cannot bear to imagine. &o, instead, (ago offers up other /proof,/ thus clearing him of the impossible charge of /ocular proof/ /if imputation and strong circumstances which lead directly to the door of truth will give you satisfaction, you might have Ht,/ he tells Othello 6<F8-;9. Gaturally, Othello, already in doubt of his wife#s honor, falls into this rhetorical trap (ago is now free to condemn Desdemona through suspicion, with only the smallest bit of /ocular/ evidence. .his act represents the beginning of Othello#s giving up language until this point in the play, Othello has spo%en with beautiful images, convincing rhetoric, and used his language to e'press the elo"uence and beauty in his soul. Krom this point forward, notice how Othello#s use of imagery and story become less and less fre"uent, and how he begins to rely upon (ago for speech and e'planation. Othello is reduced by (ago and his own !ealousy to single lines of speech, monosyllabic utterings of /OL/ and the li%e. And !ust as language is the power with which Othello was able to woo Desdemona, his loss of it is a resignation of this power which attracted her to him. Othello suspects his wife#s language, and $assio#s as well he is distracted from suspicion of (ago, even though it is (ago#s language which has ta%en away Othello#s ability to spea% because of overwhelming grief and !ealousy. Othello begins to lose his power over himself, and over others, when he loses his beautiful language and this resignation mar%s a huge shift in the balance of power between Othello and (ago, as (ago becomes more dominant in the relationship, and begins to steer Othello.

(ago#s assumption of Othello#s image-filled powers of language, and the beginning of his dominance, is shown by the story he tells of $assio tal%ing in his sleep. He describes in detail $assio#s actions, ma%ing them all too vivid for Othello to dismiss indeed, they are so vivid that Othello forgets that they are merely words, and sei*es them as true evidence against Desdemona. Othello#s language, from this point on, is bent by anger he has his last bit of elo"uence in this act, and then in Act (V, cedes his powers and his language to (ago, as (ago drives the events toward their conclusion. (n the battle between order and chaos, chaos seems to be winning out. Othello abandons his reason in !udging (ago#s /proofs,/ and his abandonment of language also mar%s a descent into chaos. Although it is a chaos controlled by (ago, still, order and reason are on the losing side raging emotions and speculations begin to rule Othello#s fate, as he comes closer and closer to his tragic end.

&ct III, scene i!, Summar",

Desdemona as%s the clown where $assio is the clown goes off to fetch him. Desdemona is loo%ing everywhere for the hand%erchief, very sorry to have lost it she %nows that her losing it will upset Othello greatly, although she claims he is not so !ealous that he will thin% ill of the loss. Othello enters, and as%s for Desdemona#s hand%erchief she admits that she does not have it, and then Othello tells her of its significance and alleged magical powers. Desdemona does not li%e Othello#s tone he seems obsessed with this ob!ect, and Desdemona is so frightened by him that she wishes she had nothing to do with it. &he interrupts Othello#s in"uiry by bringing up $assio#s attempt to get bac% into Othello#s favor Othello becomes angry, and storms out. Desdemona and )milia both note that Othello is much changed he is un%ind and seems !ealous, and they are suspicious of the change in him. $assio then enters, with (ago he laments that his suit is not successful, and that Othello does not seem li%ely to ta%e him bac%. Desdemona is sorry for this, since she %nows that $assio is a man of worth she tells $assio and (ago that Othello has been acting strange, and is upset, and (ago goes to loo% for him, feigning concern. )milia thin%s that Othello#s change has something to do with Desdemona, or Othello#s !ealous nature they still cannot fathom what has happened, and e'it, leaving $assio. 3ianca comes in, and $assio as%s her to copy the hand%erchief that he found in his room it is Desdemona#s hand%erchief, though $assio has no idea. He claims he does not love her, and gets angry at her for allegedly suspecting that the hand%erchief is a gift of another woman. 3ut, 3ianca is not disturbed, and leaves with the hand%erchief.

&nal"sis,
Othello#s words in this scene often have a double meaning, seeming normal, but also accusing Desdemona of unfaithfulness. ?hen he is describing Desdemona#s hand, he says it is /moist/ and /hot/ this is an allusion to a belief of the time, that when someone#s hand felt /moist/ and /hot,/ it was a sign of a lustful nature. He says she is of a /liberal heart/ this could mean a generous heart, but could also be indicating Desdemona#s supposed licentiousness. /Here#s a young and sweating devil here, who constantly rebels,/ Othello says the metaphor spea%s badly of Desdemona, and betrays his distrust of her. 2et, in the ne't breath, he says, /tis a good hand/ the !u'taposition of the two statements shows that Othello is trying hard not to betray his disappointment in Desdemona, but his difficulty also at %eeping this in. He is deeply disturbed, and seems to be "uestioning and e'amining her to prove that she really is the harlot he

believes her to be however, he is so bent upon proving her guilty, that he does not consider that these tests mean nothing, or perhaps even e'onerate her. Here, Othello finally elaborates upon the hand%erchief#s importance for Desdemona. &he reali*es finally how symbolic and important it is to Othello she becomes upset, and finally wishes that she had not been given such a meaningful thing. /.here#s magic in the web of it,/ Othello says he language is full of mystical, dar% images, li%e the dye coming from virgins# hearts, that are beautiful, but yet upsetting. Othello reveals that he believes the hand%erchief to literally symboli*e Desdemona#s affection the irony is that although the hand%erchief is lost, Desdemona still loves him. .he theme of appearance vs. reality appears again for although Desdemona appears to be merely covering up her sins, which further angers him, in reality she is completely pure and blameless. Also, the theme of magic is reintroduced with the hand%erchief, a /magic/ ob!ect. 3ut here, Othello actually believes in the magic of the ob!ect, to his and Desdemona#s detriment. Although Othello claimed ignorance and disregard for magic when 3rabantio accused him of witchcraft, here he ta%es the opposite position the hand%erchief, though it embodies no actual magic, has a magic- li%e hold over Othello. He believes fervently in the hand%erchief, and seems to be enchanted by the to%en. /?hy do you spea% so startlingly and rash:/ Desdemona as%s Othello. His tone is accusatory, tinged with bitterness, at times very biting. Othello#s behavior, and Desdemona#s sudden distrust of it, foreshadows Othello#s violent rage at the end of the play. Desdemona, especially, %nows that something is gravely wrong, though she can do nothing to help Othello, and assuage his anger. /&ome unhatched practice, made demonstrable here in $yprus to him, hath puddled his clear spirit,/ Desdemona says. &he is very perceptive and )milia is even more so, for she %nows that though Desdemona has given Othello no cause to act toward her as he does, that if he is !ealous-natured, he needs little cause, and will not be convinced otherwise. $assio#s behavior toward 3ianca is in sharp contrast to the courtly politeness he shows Desdemona and )milia. .his is because of 3ianca#s station as a courtesan such women were not accorded the same respect as ladies, although 3ianca proves to be as perceptive as )milia and Desdemona, and even more realistic about matters of love. .he change in $assio#s tone and behavior around 3ianca betray a cultural bias of the time toward women of certain stations indeed, his behavior would not have been thought mean at the time, because of 3ianca#s lowly status.

&ct IV &ct IV, scene i, Summar",

Othello is trying, even after swearing that Desdemona was unfaithful, not to condemn her too harshly. He is tal%ing with (ago about the hand%erchief still, and its significance in being found but, soon, (ago whips Othello into an even greater fury through mere insinuation, and Othello ta%es the bait. Othello falls into a trance of rage, and (ago decides to hammer home his false ideas about his wife. (ago calls $assio in, while Othello hides (ago spea%s to $assio of 3ianca, but Othello, in his disturbed state, believes that $assio is tal%ing of Desdemona, which is the last /proof/ he needs before declaring his wife guilty. 3ianca comes in, and gives the hand%erchief bac% to $assio, since she swears she will have nothing to do with it.

Othello is incensed by $assio, still believing that he was spea%ing of Desdemona, rather than 3ianca. Gow, Othello is resolved to %ill Desdemona himself, and charges (ago with murdering $assio. +udovico, a noble Venetian whom Desdemona %nows, has recently landed Desdemona and Othello welcome him there. 3ut, when Desdemona mentions $assio, Othello becomes very angry and slaps her in front of everyone she rushes off, very upset. +udovico especially is shoc%ed at this change in Othello, and has no idea how such a noble man could act so cruelly.

&nal"sis,
(ago continues his insinuations when spea%ing to Othello he provides more /proofs/ that are anything but ocular, though Othello has calmed, and seems more troubled and less angry. (n the last act Othello was trying to act as Desdemona#s defender, and (ago was the accuser ironically, they seem to have switched places here, and (ago seems to be defending Desdemona, all while producing more /evidence/ to condemn her. .he hand%erchief, however, is as important a symbol as ever /it comes o#er my memory as a raven doth over an infected house,/ Othello says. .he metaphor highlights how crucial this ob!ect is to him, as Othello burdens that single ob!ect with more and more significance. Othello, again, is prime to suggestion notice how (ago merely says /lie,/ and Othello ta%es that word to mean /lie with her,/ further condemning both $assio and his wife. (t is a parado' that (ago is supposed to be the persuader, though Othello seems, in instances such as this one, to be persuading himself, of things (ago has not even said. Gote the contrast between Othello#s language as he falls into a trance, and Othello#s language in any previous part of the play, including Act (((. He spea%s in single, disconnected words0/hand%erchief0confession0hand%erchief,/ or /Goses, ears, and lips/0that completely belie his ability to spea% coherently and elegantly, as Othello has shown, especially in Act ( with 3rabantio. .he lac% of connection in his language parallels his descent into emotional and logical chaos as he becomes more upset, without a true cause, he falls farther and farther from himself, and the order which typically rules him. Again, the theme of order vs. chaos comes into play. Othello#s trance also mar%s his descent into the savage ironically, he becomes the passion-stirred, wic%ed pagan that others had accused him of being, merely because of his s%in color. (ago notes that Othello /brea%s out into savage madness/ in this fit indeed, the primal seems to be ta%ing over the more civili*ed aspects of Othello. Othello refers to himself as a /horned man,/ ashamed of this descent yet it has settled upon him, and he will struggle in vain to regain his dignity. (ago continues to become the master of Othello#s perception (ago tells Othello to observe $assio closely and /mar% the fleers, the gibes, the notable scorns/ that he shows toward Othello. Othello, observing with this in mind, sees everything $assio says as an affront to him and Desdemona, though $assio#s tone is not moc%ing, and he is spea%ing of another woman as well. Othello#s imaginative powers now turn against him whereas, before he used his imagination to con!ure up potent stories and vivid language, here he uses it to imagine Desdemona#s infidelity, and $assio#s treachery, neither of which are true. 3ut, unfortunately for Othello, 3ianca coming by and giving Desdemona#s hand%erchief bac% to $assio seems to confirm all of his suspicions. .hough things are not as they seem in this instance, still, Othello#s mista%en beliefs are only supported by this confrontation. /O, the world hath not a sweeter creature,/ Othello declares of Desdemona yet, against his reason and better nature, he decides that she shall not live for what she has supposedly done. .here is great irony in this scene, as Othello declares that Desdemona is of a soft and %ind nature, yet condemns her for being lustful and immoral. Gote

Othello#s reticent tone, even when he is condemning Desdemona to death although chaos and !ealousy have triumphed over reason, still there is a part of him that %nows Desdemona is good, and does not want to condemn her. ?hen Othello stri%es Desdemona, he shows the severity of his change. Bust her mention of $assio sends him into an unreasonable rage every little thing he regards with suspicion, even if he has no cause. Although one of his greatest fears regarding Desdemona#s alleged infidelity was that it would blac%en his name and reputation, the irony is that Othello is doing that himself in stri%ing Othello and being unreasonably cruel, he besmirches his own good name. &avagery is ta%ing over his civility, as he continues to become the cruel, !ealous, passion-spurred /savage/ that 3rabantio accused him of being. He is beginning to become a stereotype by his own doing, as he falls farther and farther from himself.

&ct IV, scene ii, Summar",

Othello "uestions )milia about Desdemona#s guilt, or the chance she has had an affair with $assio. )milia admits to having seen nothing, though Othello does not believe her. )milia swears that she has seen and heard all that has gone on between $assio and Desdemona, and that Desdemona is pure and true. Othello believes that )milia is in on all this too he accuses Desdemona, and her insistence that she is innocent only infuriates him further. Othello leaves, and Desdemona and )milia try to figure out what has happened to Othello, and what they can do Desdemona feels especially helpless, and )milia is very angry. )milia thin%s that someone has manipulated Othello into accusing Desdemona, and has poisoned his mind however, (ago is there to dispel this opinion, so that )milia does not in"uire further into her theory. 1pon leaving the women, (ago comes across ,oderigo he is not pleased with how (ago has handled things, and %nows that although (ago is promising him Desdemona#s favor, he has done nothing to indicate that he has wor%ed to achieve this. (ago "uiets him by ma%ing him believe that if he %ills $assio, then he will win Desdemona ,oderigo decides to go along with it, but (ago is coming dangerously close to being revealed.

&nal"sis,
Othello still swears, after spea%ing with )milia, that Desdemona is /a subtle whore/ the irony is that Othello ta%es Desdemona#s piety and goodness as proof of the corruption lying beneath the surface, when these traits are as straightforward as possible. His words still condemn Desdemona, and )milia too )milia is a /bawd,/ and the mistress of the whorehouse of which Desdemona is a part. Othello believes that Desdemona#s denial is a sign of her deep-seated betrayal but it is really a function of her honesty, and she has committed no wrongs. Othello then launches into a scathing condemnation of Desdemona his tone is bitter and angry, although Desdemona cannot figure what he is tal%ing about. /( too% you for that cunning whore of Venice that married Othello,/ Othello tells Desdemona. .his statement shows Othello at his most unfair and vindictive, but it also shows his distrust of Venice, and its very subtle, highly mannered people. Venice is a place of hidden deceits and carefully crafted appearances, somewhere that Othello has never truly been comfortable and now, Othello is ta%ing his grievances as an outsider out on Desdemona. Othello is finally condemning his outsider status, even though it was a source of his pride and a defining theme of his rise to power.

Desdemona#s order to )milia to put her wedding sheets on her bed seems peculiar but it is a reminder to Othello of her purity, and of their union. &ome critics argue that there is no time in the play for Desdemona and Othello to have consummated their marriage if so, the wedding sheets are as white as Desdemona, both pure and untouched still. )milia, ever perceptive, %nows that someone has done this to Othello she believes that /some cogging, co*ening slave, to get some office, have not devised this slander,/ which is, of course, the truth 6D8D9. (t is ironic that )milia thin%s of this, and condemns the man who must be manipulating Othello, since the one who has devised this whole thing is her own husband, (ago. (ago, of course, is there to hush this suspicion, but still, )milia and Desdemona %now that something is awry, but do not %now what to do about it. ,oderigo, at last, is the one to accuse (ago of treachery he has discovered the truth, that (ago#s /words and performances are no %in together./ (ago does his best to deny this, and convinces ,oderigo to %ill $assio in order to win Desdemona still, ,oderigo#s accusation means that either (ago will be revealed by ,oderigo if ,oderigo is not satisfied, or that ,oderigo will have to die so that (ago#s plans will go through. &ince Othello is a tragedy, however, this confrontation foreshadows ,oderigo#s death by one of (ago#s devices.

&ct IV, scene iii, Summar",

Othello tells Desdemona to go to bed, and dismiss )milia )milia regrets Desdemona#s marriage, although Desdemona cannot say that she does not love Othello. Desdemona %nows that she will die soon she sings a song of sadness and resignation, and decides to give herself to her fate. Desdemona as%s )milia whether she would commit adultery to win her husband the world. )milia, the more practical one, thin%s that it is not too big a price for a small act Desdemona is too good, and too devout, to say that she would do so.

&nal"sis,
Desdemona %nows of her impending death, but she is too good and too devout to do anything about it. .he /?illow &ong/ and her tale of her mother#s maid also foreshadow Desdemona#s death yet her resignation is still strange. &he has resigned herself to her fate, and is not trying to fight it she seems li%e a totally different woman than the one who stood up to her father and the Venetian nobles in defense of Othello. Desdemona, although she is good, is suddenly depicted as being mee% this sudden shift in her character is strange, and the source is un%nown. Desdemona is almost too good to live indeed, had she admitted some fault or some sin to Othello, it would have shattered his view that she was merely pretending to be good, in order to hide her treachery. Her character is parallel to that of Ophelia both are good, virtuous, obedient, but both are sub!ected to tragic fates because of their own innocence. Desdemona#s fate is unfair and unearned, yet she is the martyr of the play, the tragic female heroine who ends up being sacrificed to satisfy the fates. )milia pronounces what seems li%e a theme of the play, up until this point /let husbands %now, their wives have sense li%e themIthey see, and smell, and have their palates both for sweet and sour, !ust as their husbands have/ 6A>-AA9. (ndeed, this is one of the reasons why Othello is so angry at Desdemona the thought that she could have desire in her, !ust as he does, bewilders him and angers him too. .hat she could have opinions and ideas independent of his own, especially about $assio and his rightful place, also

upset him. Othello is good at heart, but he cannot reconcile himself with the idea that Desdemona might be as human and as independent as he is, although the sudden shift of characteri*ation in this scene belies this somewhat.

&ct V &ct V, scene i, Summar",

(ago has ,oderigo poised and ready to pounce on $assio, and %ill him if either of them is %illed, it is to (ago#s benefit, although he would li%e to have both of them disposed of, so that his devices might not be discovered. ,oderigo and $assio fight, and both are in!ured Othello hears the scuffle, is pleased, and then leaves to finish off Desdemona. (ago enters, pretending that he %nows nothing of the scuffle Jratiano and +udovico also stumble upon the scene, having no idea what has happened. ,oderigo is still alive, so (ago feigns a "uarrel, and finishes him off. 3ianca comes by, and sees $assio wounded (ago ma%es some remar% to implicate her $assio is carried away, and ,oderigo is already dead. )milia also comes in, and pins more blame on 3ianca she has done nothing, but (ago has some "uic% wor% to do if he is to e'onerate himself in this mess.

&nal"sis,
Here, again, (ago addresses the audience directly about his intentions, and his actions (ago is only truly honest with the audience, and hides something from each of the players. .his creates an undercurrent of dramatic irony throughout the play, since the audience %nows all of his plans, and individual characters %now nothing, li%e Othello, or only a small portion of it, li%e ,oderigo. (ago#s tendency to disclose himself to the audience gives him a connection to the audience that Othello does not have although Othello is the title character of the play, (ago has more lines and more interaction with the audience as well. (t is Othello#s tragedy that is the focus of the play, but (ago succeeds in stealing the show he is one of those peculiar villains, li%e ,ichard (((, who is more compelling, comple', and sometimes more interesting than any of the protagonists in the play. Here, (ago again proves himself a consummate actor. .his scene again brings up the theme of appearance vs. reality for though (ago claims to %now nothing of this battle, and be merely discovering it, he is the mastermind of the entire situation. (ago is many selves in this act he is friend and advisor to ,oderigo, then betrayer and murderer of ,oderigo, consoler of $assio, and the lead officer in this crisis. He uses misrepresentation to fill each of these roles as best he can, and not let the others %now of his true plans and character.

&ct V, scene ii, Summar",

Othello enters Desdemona#s room while she is asleep and though she is beautiful, and appears innocent, he still is determined to %ill her. He !ustifies this with images, metaphors, and ideas of her rebirth after death, and though his rage is softened, he is still much mista%en about her. Desdemona awa%ens, and he tells her to repent of any sins before she dies she believes there is nothing she can do to stop him from %illing her, and continues to assert her innocence. Othello tells her that he found her hand%erchief with $assio, though Desdemona insists it must not be true she pleads with Othello not to %ill her right then, but he begins to smother her. )milia %noc%s, curious

about what is going on Othello lets her in, but tries to conceal Desdemona, who he thin%s is already dead. )milia brings the news of ,oderigo#s death, and $assio#s wounding. )milia soon finds out that Desdemona is nearly dead, by Othello#s hand Desdemona spea%s her last words, and then )milia pounces on Othello for committing this horrible crime. Othello is not convinced of his folly until (ago confesses his part, and $assio spea%s of the use of the hand%erchief then, Othello is overcome with grief. (ago stabs )milia for telling all about his plots, and then )milia dies the Venetian nobles reveal that 3rabantio, Desdemona#s father, is dead, and so cannot be grieved by this tragedy now. Othello stabs (ago when he is brought bac% in Othello then tells all present to remember him how he is, and %ills himself. $assio becomes temporary leader of the troops at $yprus, and +odovico and Jratiano are supposed to carry the news of the tragedy bac% to Venice. (ago is ta%en into custody, and his crimes will be !udged bac% in Venice.

&nal"sis,
Othello#s farewell to Desdemona is a return to his former elo"uence, though it is also a farewell to his own peace and his life. .hough he believes Desdemona#s soul to be blac%, he can only focus on her whiteness he pledges not to mar /that whiter s%in of hers than snow,/ although he is determined to ta%e her life. .he metaphor highlights Desdemona#s innocence, as does comparing her to a /light/ to be put out. .here is irony in Othello#s references to Desdemona here he describes her with words that suggest her brightness and innocence, yet he is determined to condemn and %ill her. &he is also /the rose/ to Othello, another beautiful, innocent image to relate her with. Othello#s allusion to -rometheus e'plains his wish to put out Desdemona#s light in order to restore her former innocence even when the act of murder is drawing near, Othello seems intent upon dwelling in beautiful images and poetic metaphors to hide the ugliness and wrongness of his deed. And where before Othello felt only hatred and anger, now he is forced to feel his love, along with his mista%en determination to see Desdemona die. Here, Desdemona learns too late of the trap that was set for her with the hand%erchief this symbol of her love has come bac% to condemn her, !ust as all her protestations of her love and devotion for Othello do not soften his resolve to %ill her. Othello refers to the belief of the time, that to die with all one#s sins repented of meant that the soul was saved for heaven that he as%s Desdemona if she has prayed, and urges her to do so if she hasn#t, shows a strange %ind of mercy built into Othello#s determination to have her %illed. 3ut Othello ta%es Desdemona#s cries for mercy, and her remorse at $assio#s misfortune, as proof of her indiscretion although his rage is tempered, he is still set on having her dead. Othello#s reaction after smothering Desdemona shows an even greater rift between his resolve and his emotion. He does not want to admit that Desdemona is dead he spea%s to her, ponders her stillness, and seems very hysterical. He is also grieved by this action /methin%s it should be now a huge eclipse of sun and moon,/ he says, referring bac% to the lightEdar% imagery of the play to communicate how unsettled and unhinged he feels. Desdemona#s last words are especially cryptic when as%ed who %illed her, she remar%s, /nobody, ( myselfIcommend me to my %ind lord./ .his could be seen as a %ind of condemnation of Othello for %illing her but, ta%ing into account her resigned behavior before her death, she might be trying to absolve her husband of blame with her last breath, or trying to e'press her love for the one who has %illed her. (f this is so, it certainly does not sit well with her line, /falsely, falsely murdered,/ which seems to refer both to Desdemona#s death, as to )milia#s mention of the death of ,oderigo and wounding of $assio.

Othello#s reaction upon Desdemona#s death is a mi'ture of shoc%, hysterics, and anger still, he is very conflicted at this act he has committed. .he greatest irony of the play is that it is only after %illing Desdemona that Othello learns the truth about her he finds out that she was blameless, and that (ago was manipulating him into believing otherwise. &till, even after the murder is e'posed, Othello cannot let go of the idea that Desdemona really did cheat on him but his fi'ation on the hand%erchief is ended when )milia reveals how the to%en was used to ma%e him believe in the affair. )milia#s fate is parallel to Desdemona#s although she was more realistic than Desdemona, she too was betrayed by her husband, had a good sense of perception, but yet died through other#s wrongs. Desdemona might be a more central figure in the play, but )milia is the conscience she ma%es Othelo finally feel remorse for his act, and undoes some of the damage that (ago#s allegations wrea%ed, which not even Desdemona was able to allay. )milia %nows, almost as well as her husband, how human nature wor%s she %nows of husbands# !ealousies, of how men believe women are less human, of how people are naturally prone to folly. &he is the sole voice of reason in the play, the only besides Desdemona who is uncorrupted by (ago#s manipulations. At last, Othello#s grief comes to its fruition, as his reason and speech are finally fully restored. /,oast me in sulfurL ?ash me in steep-down gulfs of molten fireL/ Othello laments, the images of pain and torment reflecting the feelings which are coming over him. He !u'taposes heaven and hell to e'plain his despair, and the virtue he %nows again that Desdemona did possess. 3ut though Othello has some sense again, he still wounds (ago this act seems to be done as a distraction of his pain, and ma%es Othello#s character seem even more deeply flawed. Othello insists that he is an /honorable murderer/ but (ago was surely %illed out of anger, and Desdemona out of !ealousy and offended pride. Othello is driven to %ill out of his own shortcomings and although his beautiful language and his remorse at the end of this scene ma%e him seem noble again, yet Othello still denies the flaws in himself that have led him to this end. (ago was definitely the catalyst for Desdemona#s death and Othello#s !ealous rages but the seeds of !ealousy and suspicion were already inherent in Othello, though not yet grown. (t certainly ma%es the resolution of the play more neat to believe that Othello is returned to his nobility but, since he still denies the deep wrong he has committed, and his own part in this dirty act, he cannot be fully redeemed or forgiven. Of course, all threads are wrapped up in this last scene of the play letters are produced that e'pose (ago#s part in these unfortunate events, even though these letters have not been mentioned or shown earlier in the play. $assio seems to have been %ept alive merely to testify about his part in this whole debacle and +odovico and Jratiano are conveniently there as witnesses of the Venetian state, with Montano representing the law and order of $yprus. Although the plot is brought to its conclusion in this last scene, there are still "uestions and issues to consider, especially in Othello#s last speech. Othello has always been concerned with his reputation and public image this was one of his reasons for %illing Desdemona. His last speech reveals that he is still fi'ated on this cause /spea% of me as ( am,/ he tells them, yet there is great irony in this statement, since he goes on to misrepresent himself and his motives. He says that he is /not easily !ealous,/ although it is apparent from (ago#s first insinuations that he is very !ealous and possessive of his wife. He also says he is one who /drops tears as fast as the Arabian trees their med#cinable gum/ however, Othello found it difficult to be sorry for %illing his wife, until he found out that his motives were wrong. .his last speech is filled with heroic language he reduces his foul, treacherous murder to /4throwing5 a pearl away richer than all his tribe,/ which is a beautiful metaphor, but hardly does !ustice to the brutality and cruelty of Othello#s behavior. Othello tries to die with honor and some reputation

intact but his speech shows that his preoccupation with his image is still %eeping him from the truth, as is his penchant for storytelling. &till, Othello is uni"uely human, li%e Hamlet his flaws and follies ma%e him a compelling tragic figure, and his more noble aspects also ma%e him sympathetic. Although (ago steals most of the spotlight during the play, in the end, the tragedy is Othello#s it is his pain, folly, and misfortune which reverberate, and ma%e this drama so compelling and so telling of human nature.

1. Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. In following him I follow but myself; Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so for my pe uliar end. !or when my outward a tion doth demonstrate "he native a t and figure of my heart In ompliment e#tern, $tis not long after But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve !or daws to pe % at. I am not what I am. &I.i.'()*'+ In this early spee h, Iago e#plains his ta ti s to ,oderigo. He follows -thello not out of .love/ or .duty,/ but be ause he feels he an e#ploit and dupe his master, thereby revenging himself upon the man he suspe ts of having slept with his wife. Iago finds that people who are what they seem are foolish. "he day he de ides to demonstrate outwardly what he feels inwardly, Iago e#plains, will be the day he ma%es himself most vulnerable0 .I will wear my heart upon my sleeve 1 !or daws to pe % at./ His impli ation, of ourse, is that su h a day will never ome. "his spee h e#emplifies Iago$s rypti and ellipti al manner of spea%ing. 2hrases su h as .Were I the Moor I would not be Iago/ and .I am not what I am/ hide as mu h as, if not more than, they reveal. Iago is ontinually playing a game of de eption, even with ,oderigo and the audien e. "he parado# or riddle that the spee h reates is emblemati of Iago$s power throughout the play0 his smallest senten es &."hin%, my lord3/ in III.iii.145+ or gestures &be %oning -thello loser in 6 t I7, s ene i+ open up whole worlds of interpretation. 8. My noble father, I do per eive here a divided duty. "o you I am bound for life and edu ation. My life and edu ation both do learn me How to respe t you. 9ou are the lord of my duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here$s my husband, 6nd so mu h duty as my mother showed "o you, preferring you before her father, :o mu h I hallenge that I may profess ;ue to the Moor my lord. &I.iii.1(5)1<<+ "hese words, whi h ;esdemona spea%s to her father before the 7enetian senate, are her first of the play. Her spee h shows her thoughtfulness, as she does not insist on her loyalty to -thello at the e#pense of respe t for her father, but rather a %nowledges that her duty is .divided./ Be ause ;esdemona is brave enough to stand up to her father and even partially reje ts him in publi , these words also establish for the audien e her ourage and her strength of onvi tion. =ater, this same ability to separate different degrees and %inds of affe tion will

ma%e ;esdemona see%, without hesitation, to help >assio, thereby fueling -thello$s jealousy. 6gain and again, ;esdemona spea%s learly and truthfully, but, tragi ally, -thello is poisoned by Iago$s onstant manipulation of language and emotions and is therefore blind to ;esdemona$s honesty. ?. Haply for I am bla %, 6nd have not those soft parts of onversation "hat hamberers have; or for I am de lined Into the vale of years@yet that$s not mu h@ :he$s gone. I am abused, and my relief Must be to loathe her. - urse of marriage, "hat we an all these deli ate reatures ours 6nd not their appetitesA I had rather be a toad 6nd live upon the vapor of a dungeon "han %eep a orner in the thing I love !or others$ uses. 9et $tis the plague of great ones; 2rerogatived are they less than the base. $"is destiny unshunnable, li%e death. &III.iii.8*()8(5+ When, in 6 t I, s ene iii, -thello says that he is .rude/ in spee h, he shows that he does not really believe his own laim by going on to deliver a lengthy and very onvin ing spee h about how he won ;esdemona over with his wonderful storytelling &I.iii.<1+. However, after Iago has raised -thello$s suspi ions about his wife$s fidelity, -thello seems to have at least partly begun to believe that he is inarti ulate and barbari , la %ing .those soft parts of onversation 1 "hat hamberers Bthose who avoid pra ti al labor and onfine their a tivities to the C hambers$ of ladiesD have./ "his is also the first time that -thello himself, and not Iago, alls negative attention to either his ra e or his age. His on lusion that ;esdemona is .gone/ shows how far Iago$s insinuations about >assio and ;esdemona have ta%en -thello0 in a matter of a mere 144 lines or so, he has progressed from belief in his onjugal happiness to belief in his abandonment. "he ugly imagery that follows this de laration of abandonment@-thello finds ;esdemona to be a mere . reature/ of .appetite/ and imagines himself as a .toad/ in a .dungeon/@ anti ipates his later spee h in 6 t I7, s ene ii, in whi h he ompares ;esdemona to a . istern for foul toads 1 "o %not and gender in,/ and says that she is as honest .as summer flies are in the shambles BslaughterhousesD, 1 "hat Eui %en even with blowing/ &I7.ii.*?)*F, *<)*5+. -thello$s omment, .$tis the plague of great ones,/ shows that the only potential omfort -thello finds in his moment of hopelessness is his su ess as a soldier, whi h proves that he is not .base./ He attempts to onsider his wife$s purported infidelity as an inevitable part of his being a great man, but his omfort is halfhearted and un onvin ing, and he on ludes by resigning himself to u %oldry as though it were .death./ F. I am glad I have found this nap%in. "his was her first remembran e from the Moor, My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it, but she so loves the to%en@ !or he onjured her she should ever %eep it@ "hat she reserves it evermore about her

"o %iss and tal% to. I$ll ha$ the wor% ta$en out, 6nd give$t Iago. What he will do with it, Heaven %nows, not I. I nothing, but to please his fantasy. &III.iii.85F)?4?+ "his spee h of Gmilia$s announ es the beginning of Othello$s .hand%er hief plot,/ a seemingly insignifi ant event@the dropping of a hand%er hief@that be omes the means by whi h -thello, ;esdemona, >assio, ,oderigo, Gmilia, and even Iago himself are ompletely undone. Before -thello lets the hand%er hief fall from his brow, we have neither heard of nor seen it. "he primary fun tion of Gmilia$s spee h is to e#plain the prop$s importan e0 as the first gift -thello gave ;esdemona, it represents their oldest and purest feelings for one another. While the fa t that Iago .hath a hundred times 1 Wooed me to steal it/ immediately tips off the audien e to the hand%er hief$s imminently prominent pla e in the tragi seEuen e of events, Gmilia seems entirely unsuspi ious. "o her, the hand%er hief is literally a trifle, .light as air,/ and this is perhaps why she remains silent about the hand%er hief$s whereabouts even when ;esdemona begins to suffer for its absen e. It is as though Gmilia annot, or refuses to, imagine that her husband would want the hand%er hief for any devious reason. Many riti s have found Gmilia$s silen e about the hand%er hief@and in fa t the entire hand%er hief plot @a great implausibility, and it is hard to disagree with this up to a point. 6t the same time, however, it serves as yet another instan e in whi h Iago has the e#traordinary power to ma%e those around him see only what they want to see, and thereby not suspe t what is obviously suspi ious. '. "hen must you spea% -f one that loved not wisely but too well, -f one not easily jealous but, being wrought, 2erple#ed in the e#treme; of one whose hand, =i%e the base Indian, threw a pearl away ,i her than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes, 6lbeit unused to the melting mood, ;rop tears as fast as the 6rabian trees "heir medi inable gum. :et you down this, 6nd say besides that in 6leppo on e, Where a malignant and a turbaned "ur% Beat a 7enetian and tradu ed the state, I too% by th$ throat the ir um ised dog 6nd smote him thus. &7.ii.?F1H?'F+ With these final words, -thello stabs himself in the hest. In this farewell spee h, -thello reaffirms his position as a figure who is simultaneously a part of and e# luded from 7enetian so iety. "he smooth eloEuen e of the spee h and its referen es to .6rabian trees,/ .6leppo,/ and a .malignant and a turbaned "ur%/ remind us of -thello$s long spee h in 6 t I, s ene iii, lines 18()1*<, and of the tales of adventure and war with whi h he wooed ;esdemona. Io longer inarti ulate with grief as he was when he ried, .- foolA foolA foolA,/ -thello seems to have almed himself and regained his dignity and, onseEuently, our respe t &7.ii.??8+. He reminds us on e again of his martial prowess, the Euality that made him famous in 7eni e. 6t the same time, however, by %illing himself as he is des ribing the %illing of a "ur%, -thello

identifies himself with those who pose a military@and, a ording to some, a psy hologi al@ threat to 7eni e, a %nowledging in the most powerful and awful way the fa t that he is and will remain very mu h an outsider. His sui ide is a %ind of martyrdom, a last a t of servi e to the state, as he %ills the only foe he has left to onEuer0 himself.
Quote #1 IAGO One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a attle !nows More than a s"inster; unless the oo!ish theoric, #herein the to$ed consuls can "ro"ose As masterl% as he& mere "rattle, without "ractise, Is all his soldiershi"' (ut he, sir, had the election& And I, of whom his e%es had seen the "roof At )hodes, at C%"rus and on other $rounds Christian and heathen, must e e*lee'd and calm'd (% de itor and creditor& this counter*caster, +e, in $ood time, must his lieutenant e ,-'-'./

+ere, Ia$o claims he hates Othello ecause Othello "assed him, Ia$o, over for a "romotion, $ivin$ 0one Michael Cassio0 the 1o as his militar% lieutenant instead' Ia$o claims he's far more qualified than Cassio, who lac!s Ia$o's e2"erience on the field of attle' Clearl%, Ia$o seems "rett% 1ealous' (ut is this the real reason Ia$o sets out to destro% Othello3 Or, is this merel% an e2cuse to $o after him3 In other words, does Ia$o sa% all of this in order to mani"ulate )oderi$o3 ,)oderi$o, as we soon learn, is com"letel% envious of Othello for marr%in$ 4esdemona'/

Quote #2 IAGO I hate the Moor& And it is thou$ht a road, that 'twi2t m% sheets +e has done m% office& I !now not if't e true; (ut I, for mere sus"icion in that !ind, #ill do as if for suret%' ,-'5'-./

Now this is interestin$' 6arlier, Ia$o said he hates Othello ecause 0the Moor0 "assed him over for a "romotion' 7et, here, Ia$o sa%s he hates Othello ecause he's heard a rumor that Othello has een hoo!in$ u" with Ia$o's wife, 6milia, 0twi2t 8Ia$o's9 sheets'0 Ia$o sa%s he doesn't e2actl% !now if the rumor's true, ut he's decided to $o ahead and ruin Othello's life an%wa%' :eems li!e Ia$o has listed a cou"le of incom"ati le motives for see!in$ to destro% Othello, wouldn't %ou sa%3 :o, we're 1ust not sure we can elieve that Ia$o's 1ealous of Othello's su""osed relationshi" with 6milia'

Quote #3 Cassio's a "ro"er man& let me see now& To $et his "lace and to "lume u" m% will In dou le !naver%**+ow, how3 ;et's see&** After some time, to a use Othello's ear That he is too familiar with his wife' +e hath a "erson and a smooth dis"ose To e sus"ected, framed to ma!e women false' The Moor is of a free and o"en nature, That thin!s men honest that ut seem to e so, And will as tenderl% e led % the nose As asses are' I have't' It is en$ender'd' +ell and ni$ht Must rin$ this monstrous irth to the world's li$ht' ,-'5'-./

A few lines earlier ,see a ove "assa$e/, Ia$o claimed that he sus"ects Othello has een slee"in$ with his wife, 6milia' +ere, Ia$o shares his "lot to destro% Othello with the audience < since Othello is so $ulli le, Ia$o will lead him 0 % the nose,0 ma!in$ Othello elieve that his, Othello's, wife is havin$ an affair with Cassio' Ia$o "lans to "lant the seeds of 1ealous% in Othello' #hat's interestin$ a out this "assa$e is the wa% Ia$o sees his evil "lan as a 0monstrous irth,0 a thin$ that he will rin$ to 0li$ht'0 #hat's u" with that3

Quote #4 IAGO O, eware, m% lord, of 1ealous%; It is the $reen*e%ed monster which doth moc! The meat it feeds on; ,5'5'-=/

Ia$o's "rett% $ood at mani"ulatin$ Othello, don't %ou thin!3 +ere, he "retends to warn Othello not to e a 1ealous man, "ointin$ out that 1ealous% ends u" destro%in$ the heart of the man who falls "re% to it'

Quote #5 OT+6;;O #h%, wh% is this3 Thin!'st thou I'ld ma!e a life of 1ealous%, To follow still the chan$es of the moon #ith fresh sus"icions3 No; to e once in dou t Is once to e resolved& e2chan$e me for a $oat, #hen I shall turn the usiness of m% soul To such e2sufflicate and lown surmises, Matchin$ th% inference' 'Tis not to ma!e me 1ealous To sa% m% wife is fair, feeds well, loves com"an%, Is free of s"eech, sin$s, "la%s and dances well;

#here virtue is, these are more virtuous& Nor from mine own wea! merits will I draw The smallest fear or dou t of her revolt; For she had e%es, and chose me' No, Ia$o; I'll see efore I dou t; when I dou t, "rove; And on the "roof, there is no more ut this,> Awa% at once with love or 1ealous%? ,5'5'5-/

+ere, Othello claims that he won't e destro%ed % 1ealous%' +e reasons that 4esdemona 0had e%es, and chose 8him90 des"ite, "resuma l%, the fact that he is lac!' (ut, then, Othello lets sli" that he ma% in fact e a it more 1ealous and sus"icious of his wife than he lets on < he sa%s he wants some 0"roof0 of 4esdemona's infidelit%' ;oo!s li!e Ia$o's master "lan ma% wor! out after all'

Quote #6 IAGO Trifles li$ht as air Are to the 1ealous confirmations stron$ As "roofs of hol% writ& this ma% do somethin$' ,5'5'55/

Ia$o reali@es that real "roof of 4esdemona's su""osed infidelit% is not necessar% ecause mere sus"icion is enou$h to feed Othello's 1ealous%' In the case of Othello, Ia$o will use the hand!erchief Othello $ave 4esdemona in order to convince Othello that 4esdemona's een cheatin$' ,)emem er, when 4esdemona dro""ed her hand!erchief % accident, 6milia "ic!ed it u" and $ave it to Ia$o' Ia$o sa%s he's $oin$ to dro" it for Cassio to find'/ 6ven thou$h the hand!erchief is a mere 0trifle, li$ht as air,0 once Othello sees it in another man's "ossession, he'll thin! he has solid "roof that 4esdemona is unfaithful' #hen Ia$o sa%s the hand!erchief will e 0as "roofs of hol% writ0 to Othello, he means that Othello will see the hand!erchief as the gospel truth that 4esdemona's a cheater'

Quote #7 IAGO The Moor alread% chan$es with m% "oison' 4an$erous conceits are, in their natures, "oisons' #hich at the first are scarce found to distaste, (ut with a little act u"on the lood' (urn li!e the mines of :ul"hur' I did sa% so& ;oo!, where he comes? Not "o""%, nor mandra$ora, Nor all the drows% s%ru"s of the world, :hall ever medicine thee to that sweet slee" #hich thou owedst %esterda%' ,5'5'55/

Ia$o reali@es the un elieva le "ower of 1ealous%' +ere, he claims that he has "oisoned Othello's mind % su$$estin$ 4esdemona ma% e u" to somethin$ nau$ht%' (ecause Ia$o has succeeded in ma!in$ Othello sus"icious, Othello will never, ever have a $ood ni$ht of slee" a$ain, not even if he used the est slee"in$ medicine in the world'

Quote #8 6MI;IA Ara% heaven it e state*matters, as %ou thin!, And no conce"tion nor no 1ealous to% Concernin$ %ou' 46:46MONA Alas the da%? I never $ave him cause' 6MI;IA (ut 1ealous souls will not e answer'd so; The% are not ever 1ealous for the cause, (ut 1ealous for the% are 1ealous& 'tis a monster (e$ot u"on itself, orn on itself' 46:46MONA +eaven !ee" that monster from Othello's mind? ,5'B'5/

6milia understands the nature of 1ealous%' +ere, she "oints out that 1ealous hus ands li!e Othello never reall% need an% cause to e 1ealous < the% 1ust are 1ealous' #hat's interestin$ a out this "assa$e is the wa% 6milia e2"lains that 1ealous% is li!e a 0monster C e$ot on itself, orn on itself'0 In other words, 1ealous% is $enerated out of nothin$ and multi"lies or re"roduces % feedin$ on itself' Com"are 6milia's descri"tion of 1ealous% to what Ia$o has to sa% a out rin$in$ his 0monstrous irth0 to li$ht in -'5'-., a ove'

Quote #9 46:46MONA #here should I lose that hand!erchief, 6milia3 6MI;IA I !now not, madam' 46:46MONA (elieve me, I had rather have lost m% "urse Full of crusadoes& and, ut m% no le Moor Is true of mind and made of no such aseness As 1ealous creatures are, it were enou$h To "ut him to ill thin!in$' 6MI;IA Is he not 1ealous3 46:46MONA #ho, he3 I thin! the sun where he was orn 4rew all such humours from him' ,5'B'D/

4esdemona is frantic when she discovers she's lost her hand!erchief, as it was a meanin$ful $ift from her hus and' #hat's interestin$ is that "oor 4esdemona has no idea how her hus and will react < she sa%s Othello isn't the 1ealous t%"e so there's no need to worr%' Accordin$ to her, Othello's 0true of mind0 and much too 0no le0 to stoo" to 0such aseness'0

Quote #10 OT+6;;O :"ea! of me as I am; nothin$ e2tenuate, Nor set down au$ht in malice& then must %ou s"ea! Of one that loved not wisel% ut too well; Of one not easil% 1ealous, ut ein$ wrou$ht Aer"le2'd in the e2treme,='.'5B-*5B=/

Othello e$s to e s"o!en of as a man so 0"er"le2'd0 that he didn't !now what he was doin$ when he accused 4esdemona of infidelit% and murdered her' +e doesn't want to e remem ered as a man who was 0easil% 1ealous'0 #h% is that3

Othello is the most famous literar% wor! that focuses on the dan$ers of 1ealous%' The "la% is a stud% of how 1ealous% can e fueled % mere circumstantial evidence and can destro% lives' ,In Othello, the hero succum s to 1ealous% when Ia$o convinces him that 4esdemona has een an unfaithful wife < in the end, Othello murders his wife and then !ills himself'/ It is interestin$ that Ia$o uses 1ealous% a$ainst Othello, %et 1ealous% is li!el% the source of Ia$o's hatred in the first "lace' In Othello, 1ealous% ta!es man% forms, from se2ual sus"icion to "rofessional com"etition, ut it is, in all cases, destructive'

Othello is one of the first lac! heroes in 6n$lish literature' A militar% $eneral, he has risen to a "osition of "ower and influence' At the same time, however, his status as a lac!*s!inned forei$ner in Eenice mar!s him as an outside and e2"oses him to some "rett% overt racism, es"eciall% % his wife's father, who elieves his dau$hter's interracial marria$e can onl% e the result of Othello's tric!er%' (ecause the "la% "ortra%s fears of misce$enation ,the intermi2in$ of races via marria$e andCor se2/, it's nearl% im"ossi le to tal! a out race in Othello without also discussin$ $ender and se2ualit%

Quote #1 IAGO 6ven now, now, ver% now, an old lac! ram Is tu""in$ %our white ewe' Arise, arise; Awa!e the snortin$ citi@ens with the ell, Or else the devil will ma!e a $randsire of %ou' Arise I sa%? ,-'-'F/

Ia$o uses racist slurs when he wa!ens (ra antio with the news that his dau$hter, 4esdemona ,a white Eenetian/, has elo"ed with Othello ,an older, lac! man/' #hen Ia$o sa%s an 0old lac! ram0 ,Othello/ is 0tu""in$0 ,slee"in$ with/ (ra antio's 0white ewe0 ,4esdemona/, he "la%s on 6li@a ethan notions that lac! men have an animal*li!e, h%"er*se2ualit%' This seems $eared at mani"ulatin$ (ra antio's fears of misce$enation ,when a cou"le 0mi2es races0 throu$h marria$e andCor se2/' +istor% :nac!& It's also im"ortant to note that, althou$h Othello is a Christian, Ia$o calls him 0the devil,0 "la%in$ on a si2teenth centur% idea that lac! men were evil and that the devil often too! the sha"e and form of a lac! man' Chec! out what )e$inald :cott had to sa% in his famous -=GB oo!, The Discovery of Witchcraft& 0(odin alloweth the divell the sha"e of a lac! moore, and as he saith, he used to a""ear to Mawd Cruse, Hate 4are%, and Ion +arviller'0 ,;ater, it's no sur"rise that (ra antio will accuse Othello of usin$ lac! ma$ic to woo 4esdemona'/

Quote #2 ()A(ANTIO this is Eenice; M% house is not a $ran$e' 8J9 IAGO (ecause we come to do %ou service and %ou thin! we are ruffians, %ou'll have %our dau$hter covered with a (ar ar% horse; %ou'll have %our ne"hews nei$h to %ou; %ou'll have coursers for cousins and $ennets for $ermans' 8J9 I am one, sir, that comes to tell %ou %our dau$hter and the Moor are now ma!in$ the east with two ac!s' %ou'll have %our dau$hter covered with a (ar ar% horse; %ou'll have %our ne"hews nei$h to %ou' ,-'-'D/

#e've seen how Ia$o uses animal ima$er% in his racist diatri e a$ainst Othello, which is $rounded in the idea that lac! men ,and women/ are inhuman' +ere, (ra antio o 1ects to Ia$o's middle*of*the*ni$ht assertions that 4esdemona has elo"ed % sa%in$ his house isn't a 0$ran$e0 ,a farm or a farmhouse/' Ia$o ta!es the o""ortunit% to "un on the term 0$ran$e,0 as he claims that 4esdemona is havin$ se2 with a 0 ar ar% horse0 and, as a result, (ra antio will have relatives that 0nei$h to him'0 4esdemona and Othello, he sa%s, are 0ma!in$ the east with two ac!s0 ,in other words, humping, li!e camels/' This isn't the first time Ia$o has im"lied that Othello's animal* li!e se2ualit% corru"ts 4esdemona' Com"are this to -'-'F a ove'

Quote #3 ()A(ANTIO :he, in s"ite of nature, Of %ears, of countr%, credit, ever% thin$, To fall in love with what she fear'd to loo! on? It is a 1ud$ment maim'd and most im"erfect That will confess "erfection so could err

A$ainst all rules of nature, ,-'5'K/

4esdemona's father ar$ues that her love for Othello is unnatural, since, accordin$ to him, 4esdemona would never fall for a lac! man who she 0fear'd to loo! on'0 Of course, (ra antio couldn't e more wron$ a out his dau$hter < 4esdemona is in love Othello' It seems that Ia$o has "la%ed (ra antio "erfectl%' Ia$o !new that (ra antio was racist and, as "revious "assa$es demonstrate, he used (ra antio's attitude toward the idea of a mi2ed marria$e in order to rile the man a$ainst Othello' (ra antio re"eatedl% insists that Othello must have 0enchanted0 4esdemona with 0foul charms0 and ma$ic s"ells' Otherwise, he insists, 4esdemona never would never have run 0to the soot% osom0 of Othello ,-'.'./'

Othello Theme of Gender

Gender relations are "rett% anta$onistic in Othello' Lnmarried women are re$arded as their fathers' "ro"ert% and the "la%'s two marria$es are mar!ed % male 1ealous% and cruelt% , oth wives are murdered % their own hus ands/' Most male characters in Othello assume that all Eenetian women are inherentl% "romiscuous, which e2"lains wh% female se2ualit% is a huge threat to men in the "la%' Othello is easil% convinced his wife is cheatin$ on him and feels emasculated and humiliated as a result' #e should also note that it's im"ossi le to discuss $ender and se2ualit% without considerin$ race < several characters in the "la%, includin$ Othello, elieve that lac! men se2uall% contaminate white women, which ma% "artiall% e2"lain wh% Othello sees his wife as soiled' :ee also our discussions of 0)ace0 and 0:e20 for more on this to"ic' Quote #3 M% stor% ein$ done, :he $ave me for m% "ains a world of si$hs& :he swore, in faith, twas stran$e, 'twas "assin$ stran$e, 'Twas "itiful, 'twas wondrous "itiful& :he wish'd she had not heard it, %et she wish'd That heaven had made her such a man& she than!'d me, And ade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should ut teach him how to tell m% stor%' And that would woo her' L"on this hint I s"a!e& :he loved me for the dan$ers I had "ass'd, And I loved her that she did "it% them' ,-'.'B/

+ere, Othello e2"lains that 4esdemona fell in love with him while listenin$ to his life stories < romantic tales of travel, adventure, and dan$er' #hen Othello recalls that 4esdemona said 0she wish'd that heaven had made her such a man,0 we can inter"ret the line in a cou"le of wa%s' On the one hand, it seems "rett% o vious that 4esdemona wishes heaven 0had made such a man0 for her to marry, es"eciall% $iven the fact that she su$$ests

that Othello's stories could 0woo0 her' At the same time, we can read the line to mean that 4esdemona wishes heaven had literall% made her a man ,instead of a woman/' 4esdemona's the !ind of $irl who craves action and adventure and she's not content to sit at home' Thin!, for e2am"le, of the fact that she'd rather $o to war ,-'5'./ ri$ht alon$ side Othello, who lovin$l% calls 4esdemona his 0fair warrior0 when she shows u" in C%"rus ,.'-'-/' (et %ou're wonderin$ what the hec! ha""ens to this old, adventurous $irl etween the time she married Othello and the time she rather "assivel% allows her hus and to stran$le her' Chec! out our 0Character Anal%sis0 of 4esdemona if %ou want to thin! a out this some more'

Othello Theme of Sex

:ha!es"eare's "la% e2"lores some common si2teenth centur% an2ieties a out misce$enation ,interracial se2 and marria$e/ % e2aminin$ the relationshi" etween a lac! man who marries a white woman, accuses her of ein$ unfaithful, and then stran$les her on her weddin$ sheets' In Othello, most male characters assume that women are inherentl% "romiscuous, which e2"lains wh% all three women characters in the "la% are accused of se2ual infidelit%' It also e2"lains, in "art, wh% it's "ossi le for Ia$o to so easil% mani"ulate Othello into elievin$ his wife is havin$ an affair' Othello is also nota le for its "ortra%al of homoerotic desire, which seems to e a factor in Ia$o's "lot to destro% Othello and 4esdemona'

Questions About Sex

-' .' 5' B' #h% does (ra antio o 1ect to 4esdemona's marria$e to Othello3 +ow does Ia$o descri e Othello's se2ual relationshi" with 4esdemona3 +ow does Ia$o's attitude a out race factor into his descri"tion of Othello and 4esdemona's lovema!in$3 Is there an% te2tual evidence of homoerotic desire in Othello3 #hat is the role of (ianca, a Eenetian courtesan and one of the "la%'s three female characters3 Quote #1 IAGO 6ven now, now, ver% now, an old lac! ram Is to""in$ %our white ewe' Arise, arise; Awa!e the snortin$ citi@ens with the ell, Or else the devil will ma!e a $randsire of %ou& J%ou'll have %our dau$hter covered with a (ar ar% horse; %ou'll have %our ne"hews nei$h to %ou ,-'-'/

In order to mani"ulate (ra antio's fears of misce$enation, Ia$o uses animal meta"hors to su$$est that 4esdemona is ein$ defiled % Othello' Chec! out 0)ace0 for more on this'

Quote #3 OT+6;;O Come, M% dear love The "urchase made, the fruits are to ensue& The "rofit's %et to come 'tween me and %ou' Good ni$ht' ,.'5'./

At this "oint in the "la%, Othello tal!s a out se2 in "ositive terms < as a fruit to en1o%, somethin$ that 0"rofits0 oth man and woman' ,On the other hand, we could sa% that Othello's tendenc% to use financial meta"hors < 0"urchase0 and 0"rofit0 < ma!e us a little uncomforta le' If marria$e is somethin$ a!in to a 0"urchase,0 that leaves the door wide o"en for viewin$ one's s"ouse as a "ossession' It's also im"ortant to note that it's "rett% clear that 4esdemona and Othello haven't %et consummated their marria$e since Othello sa%s $ood times in the sac! are 0%et to come'0 #hen Othello sa%s $ood ni$ht to his attendants here, it's o vious that he and 4esdemona are runnin$ off to have se2, finall%' (ut, shortl% thereafter, Othello and 4esdemona's evenin$ of fun is interru"ted when Cassio $ets drun! and $ets into a rawl, which Othello is called u"on to mediate' :o, we're not sure if Othello and 4esdemona ever $et a chance to do the deed' #h% does this matter3 #ell, some critics ar$ue that the cou"le never has se2' Other critics ar$ue that the% do hoo! u", which ma% leave Othello feelin$ as thou$h he has 0contaminated0 his wife's se2ual and racial "urit%' After Othello slee"s with his wife, she suddenl% ecomes a 0whore0 in Othello's mind' This, accordin$ to some, e2"lains wh% Othello is quic! to elieve that 4esdemona's $ot somethin$ $oin$ on the side with Cassio'

Quote #1 O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd m% dau$hter' ,-'.'./

#hen (ra antio confronts Othello for elo"in$ with 4esdemona ,without his "ermission/, he accuses his new son* in*law of ein$ a 0foul thief,0 as if 4esdemona is "iece of "ro"ert% that has een unlawfull% ta!en awa% from him' #e see this same attitude earlier in the "la% when Ia$o awa!ens (ra antio in the middle of the ni$ht "roclaimin$ loudl% 0Awa!e? what, ho, (ra antio? thieves? thieves? thieves? C ;oo! to %our house, %our dau$hter and %our a$s? C Thieves? thieves?0 ,-'-'D/' #hat's u" with that3 +istor% :nac!& It turns out that it's "rett% common in :ha!es"eare's "la%s ,and si2teenth*to*seventeenth*centur% 6n$land in $eneral/ for dau$hters to e considered their father's "ro"ert% < unmarried women are often "ortra%ed as somethin$ to e stolen, artered for andCor traded % men' In Taming of the Shrew, for e2am"le, when (a"tista Minola ar$ains with his dau$hter's suitor, he treats (ianca li!e a "ossession and even refers to himself as a 0merchant0 who is underta!in$ a ris!% usiness deal ,Taming of the Shrew, .'-'../'

Quote #2 4amn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her; For I'll refer me to all thin$s of sense, If she in chains of ma$ic were not ound, #hether a maid so tender, fair and ha""%, :o o""osite to marria$e that she shunned The wealth% curled darlin$s of our nation, #ould ever have, to incur a $eneral moc!, )un from her $uarda$e to the soot% osom Of such a thin$ as thou, to fear, not to deli$ht' Iud$e me the world, if 'tis not $ross in sense That thou hast "ractised on her with foul charms, A used her delicate %outh with dru$s or minerals

That wea!en motion& ,-'.'./

(ra antio insists that Othello must have 0enchanted0 4esdemona < wh% else, as!s (ra antio, would she run awa% from all the ,white/ eli$i le achelors in Eenice into the 0soot% osom0 of the 0Moor03 ,Arett% o no2ious, wouldn't %ou sa%3/ (ra antio's o 1ection to his dau$hter's marria$e to a lac! man $ives voice to fears of misce$enation ,when interracial cou"les marr%Chave se2, etc', resultin$ in 0mi2ed race0 children/'

Quote #3 IAGO I hate the Moor& And it is thou$ht a road, that 'twi2t m% sheets +e has done m% office& I !now not if't e true; (ut I, for mere sus"icion in that !ind, #ill do as if for suret%' ,-'5'-./

#e discuss this "assa$e in 0Iealous%,0 ut it's im"ortant to the theme of 0Marria$e0 as well' +ere, Ia$o su$$ests that his wife, 6milia, has cheated on him with Othello' Now, we !now this is com"letel% untrue' #hat we don't !now is whether or not Ia$o actuall% believes that Othello has sle"t with 6milia' As we !now, Ia$o lists multi"le ,and incom"ati le/ motives for see!in$ to destro% Othello ,elsewhere, he sa%s he hates Othello ecause he was "assed u" for a "romotion/, so it's entirel% "ossi le that Ia$o's the one who ma!es u" the rumor a out Othello and 6milia' On the other hand, most men in the "la% assume that all women are "romiscuous and unfaithful in $eneral, so it's not so sur"risin$ that Ia$o would elieve 6milia has een untrue'

Othello Theme of Marriage

:ha!es"eare's "ortra%al of marria$e is "rett% lea! in Othello' The "la% e$ins with a conflict etween 4esdemona's hus and and her father, who sees his dau$hter's elo"ement as a !ind of theft of his "ersonal "ro"ert%' The "la%'s two wives ,4esdemona and 6milia/ are oth unfairl% accused of infidelit%, and oth wives are murdered % their a usive hus ands' More famousl%, "erha"s, is the wa% :ha!es"eare e2amines si2teenth*centur% an2ieties a out interracial cou"lin$s < in Othello, the marria$e of a lac! man and a white woman allows :ha!es"eare to e2"lore attitudes a out race and $ender'

Othello Theme of Manipulation

Othello's villain, Ia$o, ma% e literature's most im"ressive master of dece"tion' Ia$o "lots with consummate so"histication, carefull% mani"ulatin$ Othello ,without an% real "roof/ into elievin$ that 4esdemona has een unfaithful' +is understandin$ of the human "s%che is "henomenal, as is his a ilit% to orchestrate a com"licated interweavin$ of "re*"lanned scenarios' Ia$o's dece"tion is "otent ecause of his "atience, his cleverness, and what seems to e his intrinsic love of ele$ant mani"ulation' Quote #1 Call u" her father, )ouse him& ma!e after him, "oison his deli$ht, Aroclaim him in the streets; incense her !insmen, And, thou$h he in a fertile climate dwell, Ala$ue him with flies& thou$h that his 1o% e 1o%, 7et throw such chan$es of ve2ation on't, As it ma% lose some colour' ,-'-'=/

7i!es' #hen Ia$o tal!s a out corru"tin$ (ra antio's o"inion of his fair dau$hter, 4esdemona, he uses the lan$ua$e of "oison and "la$ue, which seems "rett% a""ro"riate $iven the nature of Ia$o's mani"ulation' #hen Ia$o tattles on Othello and 4esdemona for elo"in$, he ca"itali@es on (ra antio's 2eno"ho ic attitude toward mi2ed race marria$es' +ere's what Ia$o sa%s to $et (ra antio riled u" a$ainst Othello& Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is topping your white ewe !rise, arise" !wake the snorting citi#ens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you$ !rise, I say ,-'-'F/ Chec! out 0)ace0 if %ou want to thin! a out the im"lications of this'

Quote #2 ()A(ANTIO O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd m% dau$hter3 4amn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her; For I'll refer me to all thin$s of sense, If she in chains of ma$ic were not ound, #hether a maid so tender, fair and ha""%, :o o""osite to marria$e that she shunned The wealth% curled darlin$s of our nation, #ould ever have, to incur a $eneral moc!, )un from her $uarda$e to the soot% osom Of such a thin$ as thou, to fear, not to deli$ht' Iud$e me the world, if 'tis not $ross in sense

That thou hast "ractised on her with foul charms, A used her delicate %outh with dru$s or minerals That wea!en motion& I'll have't dis"uted on; 'Tis "ro a le and "al"a le to thin!in$' I therefore a""rehend and do attach thee For an a user of the world, a "ractiser Of arts inhi ited and out of warrant' ,-'.'./

(ra antio ar$ues that Othello could not have trul% won 4esdemona's love < it had to e throu$h some !ind of tric!er% or mani"ulation' (ra antio couldn't e more wron$, of course'

Quote #3 (ut for m% s"ort and "rofit' I hate the Moor& And it is thou$ht a road, that 'twi2t m% sheets +e has done m% office& I !now not if't e true; (ut I, for mere sus"icion in that !ind, #ill do as if for suret%' ,-'5'-./

Ia$o cites multi"le and incom"ati le motives for wantin$ to destro% Othello' 6arlier, he said he hates Othello ecause 0the Moor0 "assed him over for a "romotion ut, here, he tells us he hates 0the Moor0 ecause he's heard a rumor that Othello has een hoo!in$ u" with Ia$o's wife, 6milia, 0twi2t 8Ia$o's9 sheets'0 It's 1ust not clear whether or not we, as an audience, can elieve an%thin$ Ia$o has to sa%'

Quote #5 ()A(ANTIO ;oo! to her, Moor, if thou hast e%es to see& :he has deceived her father, and ma% thee' ,-'5'-M/

(ra antio su$$ests that, ecause 4esdemona deceived her father when she elo"ed with Othello, 4esdemona will li!el% deceive her hus and' 4esdemona, as we !now, is com"letel% faithful to Othello' The "ro lem is that Othello seems to u% into the stereot%"e that unrul% dau$hters ma!e for unrul% and "romiscuous wives, which is "art of the reason wh% Ia$o is a le to mani"ulate him so easil%' ,;ater, in Act 5, :cene 5, when Ia$o echoes (ra antio's "oint, Othello a$rees'/ :ha!es"eare seems to e critiquin$ this unfair attitude toward women in the "la% < Othello's distrust in his wife leads to a terri le tra$ed% when he murders 4esdemona'

Quote #6 Eirtue? a fi$? 'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus' Our odies are our $ardens, to the which our wills are $ardeners& so that if we will "lant nettles, or sow lettuce, set h%sso" and weed u"

th%me, su""l% it with one $ender of her s, or distract it with man%, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industr%, wh%, the "ower and corri$i le authorit% of this lies in our wills' ,-'5'=/

#hen Ia$o ma!es an analo$% etween $ardenin$ and e2ercisin$ free will, we're reminded of the wa% that Ia$o is the ultimate master gardener, so to s"ea!' Aart of what ma!es him such a rilliant mani"ulator of Othello is his a ilit% to plant the seeds of dou t and 1ealous% in Othello's mind'

Quote #7 If I can fasten ut one cu" u"on him, #ith that which he hath drun! to*ni$ht alread%, +e'll e as full of quarrel and offence As m% %oun$ mistress' do$' ,.'5'F/

Ia$o schemes to $et Cassio drun! ecause he !nows Cassio, who is !ind of a mean drun!, will end u" $ettin$ into a fi$ht' #h%3 (ecause he wants Cassio ,a soldier/ to $et in trou le with Othello ,Cassio's ossC$eneral/ so that 4esdemona will tr% to intervene on Cassio's ehalf, which will ma!e Othello 1ealous and sus"icious' If this sounds overl% ela orate and unrealistic to %ou, %ou're not alone' ;iterar% critics often "oint out that much of Ia$o's "lottin$ is, well, "rett% im"lausi le'

Quote #8 IAGO +a? I li!e not that' OT+6;;O #hat dost thou sa%3 IAGO Nothin$, m% lord& or if**I !now not what' OT+6;;O #as not that Cassio "arted from m% wife3 IAGO Cassio, m% lord? No, sure, I cannot thin! it, That he would steal awa% so $uilt%*li!e, :eein$ %ou comin$' OT+6;;O I do elieve 'twas he' ,5'5'-/

Gosh' Ia$o is an evil $enius, don't %ou thin!3 After watchin$ 4esdemona and Cassio chit*chat from afar, Ia$o su$$ests that somethin$ nau$ht% is $oin$ on etween Cassio and Othello's wife' +e never comes ri$ht out and

sa%s, 0+e% Othello, loo! at %our wife flirt with Cassio,0 ut he implies there's somethin$ tawdr% ha""enin$ and then acts all innocent when Othello "resses the "oint'

Quote #9 OT+6;;O Get me some "oison, Ia$o; this ni$ht& I'll not e2"ostulate with her, lest her od% and eaut% un"rovide m% mind a$ain& this ni$ht, Ia$o' IAGO 4o it not with "oison, stran$le her in her ed, even the ed she hath contaminated' OT+6;;O Good, $ood& the 1ustice of it "leases& ver% $ood' ,B'-'5G/

#hoa' #e !now that Ia$o is out to destro% Othello, ut wh% is he so intent on destro%in$ Desdemona3 After convincin$ Othello that 4esdemona has een cheatin$, he mani"ulates Othello into stran$lin$ 4esdemona 0in her ed'0 #hat's u" with that3 More im"ortantl%, what's u" with Othello thin!in$ that !illin$ his wife in her ed is 01ust03 (% this "oint in the "la%, Othello's mind has een com"letel% war"ed'

Quote #1 4es"ise me, if I do not' Three $reat ones of the cit%, In "ersonal suit to ma!e me his lieutenant, Off*ca""'d to him& and, % the faith of man, I !now m% "rice, I am worth no worse a "lace& (ut he; as lovin$ his own "ride and "ur"oses, 6vades them, with a om ast circumstance +orri l% stuff'd with e"ithets of war; And, in conclusion, Nonsuits m% mediators; for, 'Certes,' sa%s he, 'I have alread% chose m% officer'' And what was he3 Forsooth, a $reat arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a attle !nows More than a s"inster; unless the oo!ish theoric, #herein the to$ed consuls can "ro"ose As masterl% as he& mere "rattle, without "ractise, Is all his soldiershi"' ,-'-'./

Ia$o claims that he hates Othello ecause Othello "assed him over for a "romotion and chose Michael Cassio as a lieutenant instead' Ia$o also sa%s that Cassio doesn't !now an% more a out warfare than a housewife or a s"inster does < he's never een on the attlefield and his !nowled$e of war is more 0 oo!ish0 than e2"eriential'

This "assa$e s"ea!s to the wa% warfare is considered a man's realm ,women didn't "artici"ate in attle/' It also raises the question of why Ia$o hates Othello so much < Othello's refusal to "romote Ia$o is 1ust one of several reasons Ia$o $ives for settin$ out to destro% the $eneral'

Quote #2 Thou$h I do hate him as I do hell*"ains' 7et, for necessit% of "resent life, I must show out a fla$ and si$n of love, #hich is indeed ut si$n' ,-'-'-./

After stirrin$ u" trou le for Othello with (ra antio, Ia$o sa%s he needs to $et lost ecause it wouldn't loo! ri$ht for him to e "resent when his $eneral is confronted % 4esdemona's father' For now, Ia$o sa%s he needs to "retend he loves Othello' #hat's interestin$ to us a out this "assa$e is the wa% Ia$o uses the lan$ua$e of war to descri e his relationshi" with Othello < he'll 0show out a fla$0 as a si$n of his lo%alt% ,!ind of li!e wavin$ a "eace si$n when %ou have ever% intention of attac!in$ %our enem%/' Althou$h Ia$o is an ensi$n ,the lowest ran! of commissioned officers/, he acts more li!e a rilliant $eneral as he wa$es "s%cholo$ical warfare a$ainst Othello throu$hout the "la%'

Quote #3 OT+6;;O The t%rant custom, most $rave senators, +ath made the flint% and steel couch of war M% thrice*driven ed of down& I do a$nise A natural and "rom"t alacrit% I find in hardness, and do underta!e These "resent wars a$ainst the Ottomites' Most hum l% therefore endin$ to %our state, I crave fit dis"osition for m% wife' 4ue reference of "lace and e2hi ition, #ith such accommodation and esort As levels with her reedin$' ,-'5'=/

#ithout hesitation, Othello "uts aside his new ride to dash off to the war, which seems to su$$est that he values his "osition in the militar% a ove his love' On the other hand, we could also "oint out how Othello $oes out of his wa% to ma!e sure his new wife will e ta!en care of while he's awa%'

Othello Theme of Warfare

:ince the "la%'s "rota$onist is a militar% $eneral, war is alwa%s hoverin$ in the ac!$round in Othello' (ut the onl% actual attle the "la% "romises is avoided, than!s to ad weather' The real attle$round of the "la%, it turns out, is the mind' Man% critics read Othello as an e2tended war alle$or%; it is "ossi le to see Ia$o's machinations as the strate$ic "lannin$ of a $eneral, individual victories as minor attles, and the three resultin$ deaths the casualties of

"s%cholo$ical com at' The "la% also dwells on the relationshi" etween masculine identit%, war, and se2ualit%'

Othello Theme of Hate

+atred is su""osed to have a cause, some concrete event or insult that ins"ires a lastin$ ra$e' (ut in Othello, the "la%'s villain is motivated % a hatred that seems to elude an% reasona le definition' Ia$o's hatred and his determination to destro% his oss, Othello, seems out of "ro"ortion with the reasons he $ives for it& an$er that Othello did not "romote him or 1ealous% that Othello mi$ht have sle"t with Ia$o's wife' Ia$o's loathin$ has een famousl% called a 0motiveless mali$nanc%0 that redefines our understandin$ of hatred, ma!in$ it seem a self*"ro"ellin$ "assion rather than the consequence of an% "articular action' Quote #1 IAGO Thou$h I do hate him as I do hell's "ains 7et for necessit% of "resent life, I must show out a fla$ and si$n of love, #hich is indeed ut si$n' ,-'-'-=.*-==/ IAGO I hate the Moor& And it is thou$ht a road, that 'twi2t m% sheets +e has done m% office& I !now not if't e true; (ut I, for mere sus"icion in that !ind, #ill do as if for suret%' ,-'5'5DF*5G5/

Ia$o sa%s his hatred of Othello is ased on 1ealous%'

Quote #2 IAGO Now, I do love her too; Not out of a solute lust, thou$h "eradventure I stand accountant for as $reat a sin, (ut "artl% led to diet m% reven$e, For that I do sus"ect the lust% Moor +ath lea"'d into m% seat; the thou$ht whereof 4oth, li!e a "oisonous mineral, $naw m% inwards; And nothin$ can or shall content m% soul Till I am even'd with him, wife for wife, Or failin$ so, %et that I "ut the Moor At least into a 1ealous% so stron$ That 1ud$ment cannot cure' #hich thin$ to do, If this "oor trash of Eenice, whom I trash For his quic! huntin$, stand the "uttin$ on,

I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hi", A use him to the Moor in the ran! $ar > For I fear Cassio with m% ni$ht*ca" too> ,.'-'.GM*.F-/

7et here, Ia$o's hatred is rooted in his sus"icion that Othello was slee"in$ with his wife'

Quote #3 MONTANO And 'tis $reat "it% that the no le Moor :hould ha@ard such a "lace as his own second #ith one of an in$raft infirmit%& It were an honest action to sa% :o to the Moor' IAGO Not I, for this fair island I do love Cassio well; and would do much To cure him of this evil>(ut, har!? what noise3 ,.'5'-.=*-5K/

Ia$o s"ea!s of lovin$ Cassio in the same terms he often s"ea!s of lovin$ Othello; we sus"ect, then, that he hates Cassio, as he also hates Othello'

Quote #4 OT+6;;O A%, let her rot, and "erish, and e damned to*ni$ht; for she shall not live& no, m% heart is turned to stone; I stri!e it, and it hurts m% hand' O, the world hath not a sweeter creature& she mi$ht lie % an em"eror's side and command him tas!s' ,B'-'-DB*-DG/

Ia$o transforms the "assion of Othello's love into hatred'

Quote #1 For sir, it is as sure as %ou are )oderi$o, #ere I the Moor, I would not e Ia$o' In followin$ him, I follow ut m%self' +eaven is m% 1ud$e, not I for love and dut%, (ut seemin$ so for m% "articular end' For when m% outward action doth demonstrate The native act and fi$ure of m% heart In com"lement e2tern, 'tis not lon$ after

(ut I will wear m% heart u"on m% sleeve For daws to "ec! at' I am not what I am' ,-'-'B/

Ia$o is all a out not revealin$ his true identit% or intentions to an%one' +ere, he tells )oderi$o that he'll never allow his 0outward action8s90 to show what's reall% $oin$ on inside of him ecause that would leave him vulnera le, !ind of li!e allowin$ irds ,0daws0/ to "ec! at his 0heart'0 #hen Ia$o sa%s 0I am not what I am,0 he cr%"ticall% su$$ests that he's not what he a""ears to e' This "hrase, we should "oint out, is an inversion of God's line, 0I am what I am0 ,62odus 5'-B/, which is in !ee"in$ with the "la%'s ali$nment of Ia$o with the devil'

Quote #2 It is too true an evil& $one she is; And what's to come of m% des"ised time Is nou$ht ut itterness' Now, )oderi$o, #here didst thou see her3 O unha""% $irl? #ith the Moor, sa%'st thou3 #ho would e a father? +ow didst thou !now 'twas she3 O she deceives me Aast thou$ht? #hat said she to %ou3 Get more ta"ers& )aise all m% !indred' Are the% married, thin! %ou3 8J9 O heaven? +ow $ot she out3 O treason of the lood? Fathers, from hence trust not %our dau$hters' minds (% what %ou see them act' ,-'-'-./

#hen (ra antio learns that 4esdemona has run off with Othello, he cries out, 0#ho would e a father?0 and wonders 0what's to come0 of himself' Clearl%, (ra antio feels as thou$h his identit% as a father and an authorit% fi$ure have een com"romised % 4esdemona's elo"ement, which he inter"rets as 0treason of the lood'0

Quote #3 OT+6;;O ;et him do his s"ite& M% services which I have done the si$nior% :hall out*ton$ue his com"laints' 'Tis %et to !now,> #hich, when I !now that oastin$ is an honour, I shall "romul$ate>I fetch m% life and ein$ From men of ro%al sie$e, and m% demerits Ma% s"ea! un onneted to as "roud a fortune As this that I have reach'd& for !now, Ia$o, (ut that I love the $entle 4esdemona, I would not m% unhoused free condition Aut into circumscri"tion and confine For the sea's worth' ,-'.'./

At this "oint in the "la%, Othello is so secure in his value to the state of Eenice that he sa%s he does not care if (ra antio slanders him' Othello !nows he's done nothin$ wron$ in marr%in$ 4esdemona and that the 4u!e will su""ort him, es"eciall% since Othello's a decorated war hero' #hat's interestin$ a out this "assa$e is how it reveals Othello's sense of himself as a militar% leader < his valua le 0services0 to the state of Eenice have made him an 0insider'0 At the same time, however, we !now that Othello is also an 0outsider0 < he's a forei$ner and his s!in is lac!, which leaves him vulnera le to racist attitudes ,li!e (ra antio's/ in Eenice'

Quote #5 ()A(ANTIO A maiden never old; Of s"irit so still and quiet, that her motion (lush'd at herself; and she, in s"ite of nature, Of %ears, of countr%, credit, ever% thin$, To fall in love with what she fear'd to loo! on? It is a 1ud$ment maim'd and most im"erfect That will confess "erfection so could err A$ainst all rules of nature, and must e driven To find out "ractises of cunnin$ hell, #h% this should e' I therefore vouch a$ain That with some mi2tures "owerful o'er the lood, Or with some dram con1ured to this effect, +e wrou$ht u"on her' ,-'5'K/

(ra antio doesn't seem to !now his dau$hter at all, es"eciall% when he claims she is 0never old0 and that she 0fear'd to loo! on0 Othello' As we !now, 4esdemona is old < she runs off with a man her father doesn't a""rove of and defends her actions when confronted % (ra antio and the Eenetian court'

Quote #6 OT+6;;O +er father loved me; oft invited me; :till question'd me the stor% of m% life, From %ear to %ear, the attles, sie$es, fortunes, That I have "assed' I ran it throu$h, even from m% o%ish da%s, To the ver% moment that he ade me tell it; #herein I s"a!e of most disastrous chances, Of movin$ accidents % flood and field Of hair* readth sca"es i' the imminent deadl% reach, Of ein$ ta!en % the insolent foe And sold to slaver%, of m% redem"tion thence And "ortance in m% travels' histor%& #herein of antres vast and deserts idle, )ou$h quarries, roc!s and hills whose heads touch heaven It was m% hint to s"ea!,>such was the "rocess; And of the Canni als that each other eat, The Anthro"o"ha$i and men whose heads

4o $row eneath their shoulders' This to hear #ould 4esdemona seriousl% incline& (ut still the house*affairs would draw her thence& #hich ever as she could with haste dis"atch, :he'ld come a$ain, and with a $reed% ear 4evour u" m% discourse& ,-'5'B/

Othello "resents himself as an e2otic, e2citin$ "erson who has travelled the world and seen 0Canni als,0 0Anthro"o"ha$i0 ,man eaters/, and 0men whose heads do $row eneath their shoulders'0 In his stories, Othello fashions himself into an adventurous and worldl% man and it's this "erson that 4esdemona fell in love with as she 0devour8ed9 u"0 Othello's stories with a 0$reed% ear'0 #e're also interested in what Othello's s"eech reveals a out his new father*in*law, (ra antio' Accordin$ to Othello, (ra antio 0loved0 him and 0oft invited0 Othello to tell stories a out himself' It wasn't until Othello married (ra antio's dau$hter that the old man's 2eno"ho ia came to li$ht'

Quote #7 M% no le father, I do "erceive here a divided dut%& To %ou I am ound for life and education; M% life and education oth do learn me +ow to res"ect %ou; %ou are the lord of dut%; I am hitherto %our dau$hter& ut here's m% hus and, And so much dut% as m% mother show'd To %ou, "referrin$ %ou efore her father, :o much I challen$e that I ma% "rofess 4ue to the Moor m% lord' ,-'5'-/

Althou$h 4esdemona feels torn etween her 0dut%0 to her father and her hus and ,!ind of li!e Cordelia in Act of %ing &ear/, she ultimatel% "rofesses her lo%alt% to her hus and' +ere, we can see that 4esdemona is tactful, res"ectful, and also "rett% inde"endent'

Quote #8 I saw Othello's visa$e in his mind, And to his honour and his valiant "arts 4id I m% soul and fortunes consecrate' :o that, dear lords, if I e left ehind, A moth of "eace, and he $o to the war, The rites for which I love him are ereft me, And I a heav% interim shall su""ort (% his dear a sence' ;et me $o with him' ,-'5'./

There are a cou"le of thin$s to notice a out this "assa$e' First, 4esdemona sa%s she fell in love with the wa% Othello sees himself, which, as we !now, is as a valiant war hero' :econd, we notice that 4esdemona's "rett% old' :he not onl% defends her ri$ht to marr% the man she loves ut also her ri$ht to en1o% Othello as a hus and, which includes ein$ with him when he leaves for C%"rus and sharin$ his ed' In other words, 4esdemona's not afraid to e2"ress her desire for her hus and'

Quote #9 IAGO Eirtue? a fi$? 'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus' Our odies are our $ardens, to the which our wills are $ardeners& so that if we will "lant nettles, or sow lettuce, set h%sso" and weed u" th%me, su""l% it with one $ender of her s, or distract it with man%, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industr%, wh%, the "ower and corri$i le authorit% of this lies in our wills' If the alance of our lives had not one scale of reason to "oise another of sensualit%, the lood and aseness of our natures would conduct us to most "re"osterous conclusions& ut we have reason to cool our ra$in$ motions, our carnal stin$s, our un itted lusts, whereof I ta!e this that %ou call love to e a sect or scion' ,-'5'=/

Ia$o elieves human ein$s have com"lete control over their actions and their emotions' Not onl% that, ut Ia$o is also a fi$ure who seems to have com"lete control over the actions and emotions of others, which we discuss in more detail in 0Mani"ulation'0

CA::IO )e"utation, re"utation, re"utation? O, I have lost m% re"utation? I have lost the immortal "art of m%self, and what remains is estial' M% re"utation, Ia$o, m% re"utation? ,.'5'.B/

After Cassio $ets into a drun!en rawl and loses his "osition as Othello's officer, he worries a out the loss of his 0re"utation,0 which is tied u" in his militar% service and his "u lic ehavior' Cassio feels that, without his 0re"utation0 as an u"standin$ soldier, he's nothin$ more than a 0 east'0

Quote #11 for whiles this honest fool Alies 4esdemona to re"air his fortunes And she for him "leads stron$l% to the Moor, I'll "our this "estilence into his ear, That she re"eals him for her od%'s lust;

And % how much she strives to do him $ood, :he shall undo her credit with the Moor' :o will I turn her virtue into "itch, And out of her own $oodness ma!e the net That shall enmesh them all' ,.'5'5-/

6arlier, we saw how Cassio sees his 0re"utation0 as ein$ the sum of his "u lic ehavior and his militar% service' +ere, we can see that 4esdemona's 0re"utation0 hin$es on her fidelit% to her hus and' #hen Ia$o sa%s he's $oin$ to ruin 4esdemona's 0credit with the Moor,0 he means he's $oin$ to tarnish her re"utation as a lo%al wife ,0turn her virtue into "itch0/'

Quote #12 OT+6;;O (% heaven, I'll !now th% thou$hts' IAGO 7ou cannot, if m% heart were in %our hand; Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in m% custod%' ,5'5'.G/

Ia$o em"hasi@es that his real thou$hts and feelin$s cannot e !nown % an%one>not Othello and not even the audience'

Othello Theme of Identity

In Othello, :ha!es"eare e2"lores factors that "la% an im"ortant role in the formations of one's identit% < race, $ender, social status, famil% relationshi"s, militar% service, etc' Othello is also concerned with how an individual's sense of identit% ,which can rea! down and e mani"ulated % others/ sha"es his or her actions'