100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO SCENE ESSAY - [Act I Scene II] CA$7.38   Add to cart

Summary

Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO SCENE ESSAY - [Act I Scene II]

 12 views  0 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution
  • Book

A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE OTHELLO SCENE ESSAY - [Act I Scene II] Received A* 24/25

Preview 1 out of 3  pages

  • Yes
  • October 30, 2023
  • 3
  • 2023/2024
  • Summary
avatar-seller
Specimen Othello – William Shakespeare Read
the extract below and then answer the
question. [Act I Scene II]
Specimen
Othello – William Shakespeare Read the extract below and then answer the question. Explore
the significance of this extract in relation to the tragedy of the play as a whole. Remember to
include in your answer relevant analysis of Shakespeareʼs dramatic methods. [25 marks]
Iagoʼs duplicity and place as the tragic villain already being revealed.
Characters blindness.
Othello talking about love with a sense of the end suggesting love is his hamartia.
Othelloʼs place as being high standing – tragic hero.
The extract comes from Act I Scene II immediately after Iago and Roderigo inform Brabantio of
Othelloʼs marriage to Desdemona. The scene begins with an immediate sense of the end as
Iago duplicitous nature is revealed with his derogatory and foul language used in the previous
scene being contrasted with the respectable way he speaks to Othello in the scene. The scene
is pivotal therefore as it marks a character already fooled by Iagoʼs deceptions and explores the
tragic themes of the tragic villain, the tragic heroes possible hamartiaʼs and love in Othello.
As the scene begins and Iagoʼs dialogue becomes unrecognisable shifting from inflammatory
vulgar terms such as “your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs”, to the
softer prose of “yet do I hold it very stuff o‘thʼ conscience”. Iagoʼs position as the plays tragic
villain becomes clear. His previous attempts to destroy Othelloʼs marriage as he informs
Brabantio are now juxtaposed with his ‘attemptsʼ to do good stating that Brabantio not he spoke
in “scurvy and provoking terms Against your honour”. He attempts to emotionally register with
Othello so that he is viewed as a friend helping his out by warning him. Through this
Shakespeare introduces a reoccurring pattern which continues throughout the play inducing
large amounts of dramatic irony. It is the characters always knowing less than the audience.
From the previous scene we have viewed Iagoʼs cunning manipulative villainy yet now see how
unaware the characters around him are. Although Iago is not the tragic hero of the play, he
receives more dialogue and more of an emotional connection with the audience than Othello, as
we become “complicit in Iagoʼs intention(s)”, Sean McEvoy. This scene therefore marks the
beginning of this demonstrating Iagoʼs place as the Machiavellian Malcontent tragic villain, an
‘scrupulous schemerʼ willing to lie, plot, and deceive to meet his ends, and further the
audiences involvement in this villainy which is contrasted with the characters lack of knowledge.
This introduces a theme which foreshadows the ending of the tragedy – the characters
blindness parallel to the audiences knowledge. In Ancient Greek epic tragedies, the hamartia of
‘myopiaʼ, the inability to see the truth was a common one. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex, Oedipusʼs

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ramiriam. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for CA$7.38. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

78462 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
CA$7.38
  • (0)
  Add to cart