Biography 

Journal

• What makes Othello a tragic figure? Is his tragedy self-inflicted or is it beyond his control? What is his tragic flaw?

• What reason does Iago give for seeking Othello's destruction? Does this seem an adequate or credible motive? 

• What ideas about love are expressed by Othello and Desdemona? What images of the sexual bond emerge in the speech and actions of Roderigo, Iago, and Emilia?  

About

• In 1603, Knolles published a history of The Turks that Shakespeare was very likely to have read.  
• A big discussion topic in the play is Othello's role as a Moor. 
• "General Othello" can be seen as a pun (General Ottoman)
• This is a play about slander, jealousy, and murder. 

Summary

Questions?

• Othello agonizes over what turns out to be an "empty fiction"...and "butchers innocence and strangles love"...what kind of "imitation of action" is that?
• Othello places all of his trust in Iago, his brother at arms in combat, but does not trust Desdemona, his wife. Why would he trust another man over his wife?  

• Why do you think Iago opens the play? Is there some irony in that? What is the effect of his opening the play? (is it that at the offset we receive a strong impression of the force which is to prove  fatal to the hero's happiness so that when we see Othello the shadow of fate is already resting upon him-AC Bradley)

• Iago doesn't begin to poison the mind of Othello until III iii.  Why is this?

• The biggest question of this play should be "why?" Othello asks:

Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil
Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?

(He says he "hates" Othello and gives two reasons: He made Cassio a LT. and suspects that Othello had an affair with Emilia)

But that isn't it...there's no sufficient reason given...he's just evil. 

• Bradley talks about the characters in Shakesperian tragedy being broken up into two groups...but in Othello, can Desdemona really be on Othello's side? She worships him, but he insults, strikes, and murders her...

• Desdemona is helplessly passive in the play. Even when verbally assaulted she does not retaliate.  Why is this? (her nature is to love absolutely and "infinitely sweet"-->Bradley)

• Her father says she "is a maiden never bold of spirit so still and quiet that her motion blushed at herself" is that true?

• Is the play climax the reunion with Desdemona in Cyprus? The play turns right afterwards and then everything falls apart

• Talk about the role of sexual jealousy. Especially given the extreme blunder of Othello in regards to it.  (Bradley-"shame and humiliation")

• "the most intense and ideal of human emotions"-->Is Othello's jealousy fit that standard set by Bradley?

• Who do we pity more? Othello or Desdemona? (Swineburne argues Othello, but we are more "distressed" for Desdemona-->Bradley)

• Why doesn't Othello kill Iago? Othello doesn't kill Iago because he takes ownership over the situation 

• Is there catharsis? 

• In V i Othello enters the bed chamber saying "it is the cause, it is the cause, my soul" and then "this sorrow's heavenly: it strikes where it doth love"...why do you think Othello HAS to kill Desdemona (Honor killing and "in love" --> Bradley)

• Why, when Emilia asks Desdemona "who hath done this deed?" does she reply:

Nobody: I Myself. Farewell.
Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! (another lie) 

• Desdemona is ok with being killed because she knows that she is she has done nothing wrong and will die a good Christian
• Othello has to die!  

Analysis

• Remember tragedy happens to someone who is "a higher person"...Othello is certainly grand, isn't he?

• Play breaks into three groups: Othello....Rodrigo + Iago....Desdemona + Emilia + Cassio 

• Notice how the play begins with Othello in the council chamber of the senate. It is clear from the beginning that he is no ordinary person, but a general. The conciousness of is "high person" never leaves him.

• The first big point of contention is the battle with the Turks. Othello saves Cyprus.

• The political situation is a means to an end. Cassio takes over, but it is clear only Othello can win, which is highly unlike other plays like Julius Ceaser and Macbeth.  

• Note battle scene, where Othello takes command of situation. With men, he will find out story and then decide. With Desdemona, he doesn't bother. 

• Othello makes a mistake a commoner would make.

• After III iii, Bradley argues that "the reader's heart and mind are held in a vice, experienceing the extremes of pity and fear, sympathy and repulsion" 

• Iago waits so long because he wants to build up Othello’s trust

• Social class does not play a large role in this play

• Othello insults, hits and accuses Desdemona and yet she does not retaliate which makes her a very strong character

• The climax is not until Othello kills Desdemona because after that the chaos is seized and everyone seems more at peace with things

• The climax could also be when he realizes that he could kill her for “not being faithful”

• Very intense emotions and it is terrifying how quickly Othello turns on Desdemona

• Othello would be more pitied because he is manipulated throughout the play, he also does not seem to have a sense of who he is, whereas Desdemona knows what to believe and who she is as a person

• Desdemona could be pitied more because it is almost as if she is an outsider because she is in the play but she is so passive that it seems as if she is not really there 

Characters

Othello

• Othello describes himself as:

one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplexed in the extreme

• A very "claustrophobic" character.

Iago

• The most Satanic character in literature 
• A "spiritual ally" of the Turks (II i 114) 
• Contrast with Christ-Like Desdemona...prideful, envious... 
• Bradley has said Iago's main fault is "excess of honesty" 
• Iago's wife is mentioned briefly and alluded to be of lower class (like a servant of Desdemona-->Bradley) What does this say about Iago? 

• Bradley: Iago is an "artist" not a man of action. His action is a plot.

• Iago as anarchist

• Iago works people like a puzzle... 

• Iago shows no love to Emilia

• Iago leads Rodrigo to believe that if Othello was gone Rodrigo would have a chance with Desdemona 

Desdemona

• Is rather Christ-Like
• Compassion, forgiveness, redemption 

• Othello takes Desdemona’s love for granted, because she is devoted to him so much that she lets him kill her in the end

• Desdemona is very loyal and Othello basically states that he loves her because she loves him

• He treats her as a trophy rather then a lover

• Othello shields Desdemona from the military situation, which is common for the man to leave work out of his personal life

• Rodrigo seems to be more in love with the idea of being with Desdemona rather then actually being with her

• The handkerchief symbolizes Desdemona’s faith to Othello which is why Othello thinks he is unfaithful but he does not take into account the many reasons someone else could have gotten it 

Symbolism

Turks

• "Turn Turk" (II ii 162)
• Erring Barbarian (I ii 354) 

Gender

Point of View

Irony

Ending

• At the end, before he dies, Othello is very determined as Hamlet is to not be misjudged by the world. His last speech begins:

•  Soft you; a word or two before you go.
•  I have done the state some service, and they know it. 
• Notice that Emilia is the only outwardly critical character of Othello ("as ignorant as dirt!") 

Relation To Ibsen's Play A Doll's House

• Both Othello and Helmer are masters of the public sphere. They are strong in masculine activities (capitalism, warfare), but utterly fail at domestic concerns.  

Adaptations

Wordle

Bibliography

• "William Shakespeare in Quarto: View 21 of Shakespeare's Plays Online." THE BRITISH LIBRARY - The World's Knowledge. Web. 13 June 2011. <http://www.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/homepage.html>. 

Previous Paper Topics

1. Is there catharsis in Othello? Yay or nay?  Write a paper that argues in favor of your hypothesis and against the opposing view. How does the presence or lack thereof catharsis affect how you close read? 
2. What is the role of lying in the plays? In these plays, you have a number of instances of literal lies (Iago and Nora being the biggest abusers) and also lies about gender performance in both plays. Write a paper that discuss the role of lying in one, or both, of the plays. How does lying, whether literal or not, affect the tragic aspects of the plays? 
3. Othello and Torvald are both masters of the public sphere. They are successful in militaristic capitalistic ventures, very masculine activities, but utterly fail on the domestic front. Why is this? Write a paper that discusses their failures and how the tragic aspects of the play enable their failure. 
4. One of the moral issues in both of these plays is the suicides. In class, we talked about whether Othello and/or Hedda's suicide is a means for them to reassert their independence. Is it? How do other relationships the characters have influence their own suicidal agency? I think there are two major approaches to this paper: First, discussing either Othello or Hedda on their own. Second, CONTRASTING Hedda and Othello. 
5. How do characters in these plays take control of their own lives? There are a variety of characters a student could take on either individually or in unison: Desdemona, Hedda, Othello, and....?
6. Why does Othello specifically kill Desdemona, but NOT Iago/Cassio/etc? Try to connect your hypothesis to one of the themes we have discussed this semester.
7. Write a paper where you close read the play and analyze the role of premeditation in Iago's actions. Iago's motivations seem to go beyond his lack of promotion.
8. You could also write the same paper about premeditation in regards to Othello or Hedda as well.  
9. Something we discussed a lot this week was the role of how personal influence can dictate the rise or downfall of a character. Write a paper where you close the text for how a character's (in class, we discussed Thea, Iago, and Desdemona's father specifically, but I am sure there are others) influence on another character influences their rise or fall.