Lecture notes
Othello Revision Cards
- Module
- Aspects of Tragedy
- Institution
- AQA
Some revision cards I made for Othello. You can print them out and cut them out like Q-cards.
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II Principe – Niccolo Machiavelli ‘Since love and fear can hardly exist together if we must choose betweenthem it is far safer to be feared than loved.’
More than 500 years after it was conceived ‘The Prince’ is still considered
one of the most important treatises on political power. A handbook for It’s cynical chapters have inspired Hitler and Stalin.
politicians, it advises that rulers should be amoral in order to serve their
own ambitions and overcome their enemies. It was written around 1515 Social Context
and published in 1532 five years after the death of Machiavelli. The book
was so influential that the authors name spawned the word ‘Machiavellian’ Elizabeth, the first motives for expulsion of Blackamoors from
meaning unscrupulous and cunning. Macchiavelli - a foreign policy envoy London.
for the regional state of Florence - wrote from experience. The main
Valerie Williamson.
premise of his book, a relatively short text comprising 26 chapters, is that
the well-being of the state is a priority, and the ruler is justified in using any
Blackamoor Jewel Elizabeth, 1st. Gift to Drake.
means to achieve the end we train others manipulating human weakness
but being consistent no matter what the cost. The book was also intended Did race discrimination by colour? Begin in England with Elizabeth, the first
as a blueprint for how Italy, weakened by internal fighting, could be use of Blackamoor as prisoner exchange currency after the filled Armada.
restored to a stronger position in Europe. In an attempt to ingratiate himself The presence of Africans in early modern England has remained a subject
with the ruling Medici family, Machiavelli dedicated his book to the young in its infant stage of studies, suggests drama historian Gustaf Ungere 2008.
Prince, Lorenzo De’ Medici. A copy was given to the Prince.
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As late as in 1980, as historians clung to the view. That there is no way of She described them as infidels and said they have been no understanding
establishing how many coloured persons have been taken to or settled of Christ and the Gospel. She authorised their deportation. Shakespeare
in early modern England. Some evidence is gradually emerging from black characters reveal racism in Elizabethan England.
historical research of Spanish documents to assist in this discussion.
First performance of Othello – 1604. Elizabeth reigned – 1533 – 1603
African black history in Elizabethan England.
Valiant – possessing courage or showing determination. Valorous,
One reason why the black population of London was difficult to intrepid, plucky, manful, bold, daring, audacious, mettlesome, unalarmed,
established. Many black servants were slaves, but some were freed men, unflinching
the majority from Guinea. But a few more were from North Africa. In
1596, Queen Elizabeth issued an open letter to the Lord Mayor of London Language of Othello – ‘The poetry and formal control of Othello’s language
announcing that ‘there are of late divers Blackamoors, brought into this make it as organised as a symphony: scholars rightly talk of the ‘Othello
realm of which kind of people there are already here, too many.’ And music’. In particular, this quality is signalled by the soaring language that
ordering that they be deported from the country. At the time, the letter had Othello, and Othello alone, is given to speak – in marked contrast, for
little effect, but Elizabeth’s skilled use of rhetoric may be considered to example, to Iago’s style which is witty, ironical, matter of fact and ruthless.’
have stirred a sense of racist differentiation. One week later, she reiterated
her good pleasure to have those kind of people sent out of the land.
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Othello of Iago’s malevolent character. This theme of appearance v reality
resonates throughout entire play.
Act 1 Scene 1
• Casio because he is a Lieutenant and hates Othello for not making him
• Unknown conversation. Extremely emotive opening with the use of the Lieutenant. Immediately, this introduces us to a character filled with
emotive language. Piques our interest - ‘Abor me’. hatred so that we know what the deictic reference refers to.
• Deictic lexis – keeps the audience in the dark and makes them want to • ‘Living his own pride and purpose’, ‘bombast circumstances’, - Iago
know what they are discussing. Find quotation. create a negative picture of Othello’s character. ‘horribly stuffed with
• Constant motif of deixis in first scene. epithets of war’ - negative metaphor to describe Othello’s character.
• Introduction of Othello – on line 33 as ‘Moorship’. Sarcastic derogatory • ‘A great arithmetician’, ‘a Florentine’ – Iago sees Cassio as a theorist
epithet given to Othello – even though he is Iago’s superior – sarcastic and unsuitable choice – the audience sees that he hates him. ‘Meer
coinage. prattle without practice’ – plosive alliteration makes it stand out.
Demeans Cassio.
• ‘to serve my turn upon him’ – Iago openly admits to wanting to kill
Othello. • Iago and Roderigo repeatedly used racist derogatory epithets like ‘thick-
lips’
• ‘I am not what I am’ – Iago warns not to trust him; a chilling,
monosyllabic emotive declarative that foreshadows the unfolding
5 6
• Roderigo is giving Iago some money for some reason but we don’t know • ‘a Barbary horse’, ‘nephew’s neigh to you’, – animal imagery,
why. Shows Iago is exploiting Roderigo at the outset of the play. ‘Who deliberately conjures a distasteful vignette.
hast had my purse as if the strings were thine should’st know of this’
• Iago is better and twisted and jealous. Creates an image far from reality.
• ‘Signor Brabantio’ – Brabantio is a man of high social status – father of
Desdemona. • Iago shouts sexual innuendo to a senator about his daughter and
Othello. He seems to have little regard for status. Iago says all this but
• ‘Rouse him, make after him’ – Iago issues imperatives to Roderigo leaves Brabantio in the dark about who he is. He stays in the shadows
which he follows. He is presented as a stooge. and lets Roderigo take the blame.
• ‘Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white • ‘My daughter is not for thee’ – Brabantio and Roderigo have a history,
ewe’ – Biblical imagery of sheep. White represents innocence. Christian Roderigo has previously tried to marry Desdemona but has been told he
allegory – Jesus was the lamb of God. Black associate with evil and the can’t and now needs to stop hanging around his house. Roderigo is a
Devil. Repetition of ‘now’ creates sense of urgency. dupe, paying Iago and not being allowed to marry Desdemona.
• ‘In simple and pure soul I came to you’ – appearance and reality – wants
to present the Iago that is protecting Desdemona – the reverse is true.
• ‘the devil’ – another epithet given to Othello by Iago – creates the image
of evil tainting goodness.
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, • Rodrigo has been paying Iago to bring him Desdemona, but now • After Brabantio exits on page 11 – Iago leaves to be with Othello, so he
he is angry that he didn’t tell him that Othello and Desdemona are seems loyal – he in entirely duplicitous – ‘It seems not wholesome to my
in a relationship. Iago must be trusted by Othello for him to have place to be produced, as if I stay I shall against the Moor.’
told him that his marrying Desdemona. Your goal cannot be trusted
(fundamentally disloyal to Othello). Deixis from the beginning of the • Iago perhaps seems analogous to Shakespeare’s Richard III with
play is now explained. Dramatic irony as we now know Othello believes regarding to his delighting in evil deeds. He overtly delights in his
Iago is loyal. Roderigo is a foil for Iago; he makes his cynicism more duplicitous nature, he feigns loyalty.
noticeable. Roderigo gives Brabantio his status as a senator, ‘most • ‘Though I do hate him as I do Hell’s pains’ – really hates him but ‘I must
grave Brabantio’ in antithetical juxtaposition to Iago. ‘S’blood’ – earlier. show out a play and sign of love’. He overtly emits his own duplicitous
Iago issues blasphemous exclamative. Difference highlights Iago’s nature. He uses an emotive metaphor to show his hatred for Othello.
cynicism.
• ‘cannot safely cast him; for he’s embarked with such loud reason to the
• Apt epithet – ‘profane wretch’ Cyprus wars’ – a very clever, subtle and dramatic device to remove the
• Iago is playing on Senior Brabantio’s stereotypical fears regarding a key character from Venice to Cyprus that represents the background of
‘black man’ – givens him the epithet ‘thief’. ‘a barbary horse’ – animal war (literal war mirrors the emotiomal war between the two characters)
like and voracious sexual appetite.
9 10
• ‘To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor’ and ‘hath made a gross • ‘marry, to – come Captain’ – ellipsis for Iago to keep a secret
revolt’ – uses the same adjectives to describe Othello and Desdemona’s
revolt. Repeated adjective ‘gross’ and epithet ‘extravagant and • ‘By Janus’ Iago swears by two-faced God. Even this oath reveals his
wheeling stranger’ reinforce the stereotypical an negative connotations duplicitous nature. ‘silver tongued Satan’ – link to Paradise lost – ‘Silver
surrounding the figure of the Moor as some sort of alien being who does tongued Satan’ in Milton’s poem.
not belong. Not naturally a member of Venetian high society. • Connotations of emotive adjective ‘Damned’ – hell-hound, a devil, sinner
• [Enter Brabantio in his nightgown’ – acts as a symbolic vignette. Clothes • Alliterative imperative – ‘hold your hands’ – reinforcing his calm dignified
reflect status and now Iago has power over Brabantio demeanour, emphatic, takes control of the situation – in contrast to
• ‘O unhappy girl’ ‘o she deceives me’ – repeated vocative article – Brabantio who hyperbolically suggests that Othello should go to prison.
shows heightened emotion. Shows the anguish of broken character of ‘To prison, till fit time’. The two characters are antithetically juxtaposed
Brabantio. He is suffering. with each other. Othello is completely secure in himself at the start.
• ‘Is there not charms’ – abstract noun - connotations of witchcraft – • ‘How? The Duke in council?’ Brabantio might claim allegiance with the
suggest Brabantio’s ingrained prejudice – thinks Othello’s race is linked metaphor, ‘brothers of the state’. His repeated questioning exposes his
to dark arts. Believes Othello uses dark magic to charm Desdemona – ignorance and the audience can see that Othello is much more valued.
does not believe that she would naturally fall for him. • ‘Valiant Othello’ – epithet reminiscent of Macbeth’s epithets. We see
• ‘apprehend her and the Moor’ dehumanises Othello and reflects prejudice Duke’s high regard for Othello.
11 12
• Brabantio is clearly distressed and calls Othello ‘the Moor’. He remains • ‘It is a judgement maimed and most important’ - emotive verb, with
entrenched in his discriminatory view of Othello. connotations of disfigurement and injury. It clearly encapsulates
Brabantio’s hatred for the relationship between Desdemona and Othello.
• ‘the bloody book of law. You shall yourself read in the bitter letter.’ The He seems to consider the relationship as unnatural and portrays Othello
Duke condemns Othello without knowing. as an animal. Modern audiences may have contempt for the character
• Brabantio’s pain shown through the vocative article ‘My daughter! O of Brabantio but others may argue that Shakespeare was mocking
my daughter!’ use of the possessive pronoun exposes the idea that he Brabantio’s racist views.
feels he has been robbed. Women belonged to their father’s. Patriarchal • Bathetic – ‘valiant Othello’ – then ‘I did not see you’ to Brabantio.
ideals have been undermined and he feels affronted by this. Antithetical, juxtaposition of the status of the two characters. The
• ‘By spells and medicine’ – repeated allegation. Believes Othello used senator’s reaction to Othello illustrates that he is important to him.
drugs and black magic to woo Desdemona. Whereas Brabantio seems to be overlooked. This is ironic because
earlier Brabantio had aligned himself with the Duke and labelled himself
• The meeting has become an impromptu court scene where Othello is with Duke as ‘brothers of the state’.
enabled to give his view of the events.
• ‘practises of cunning hell’ – consistent motif of Brabantio accusing
Othello of witchcraft.
• First senator refers to Othello as ‘Othello’ – respect shown
13 14
• ‘and let her speak of me before her father’ – Othello brings Desdemona • ‘I love Desdemona’ – poignant, simple declarative to show his sincere
into the traditionally male, controlling environment. ‘Let her have her feelings for her. No ulterior motive.
voice’ – contrasts with the end where he silences her. Gives his wife a
level of power uncommon of the time. Simple, monosyllabic statement • Wilson Knight – ‘the Othello music’ describes the poetic style of the play
– gives her the autonomy to speak for herself. Epithet for her – ‘this fair • ‘You were best go in’ – duplicitous
lady’ – he ‘thrives’ (emotive verb) in her love for him. this is important –
she allows him to grow in this unnatural habitat. • ‘my parts, my title, and my perfect soul’ – poetic language – verbose
and self-confident.
• ‘conduct them; you best know the place’ – highly ironic – as audience
knows Iago is plotting against Othello – Janus qualities. Othello’s trust is • Cassio – ‘the duke does greet you, general’ – absolute anithesis of
Iago misplaced and foreshadows his demise and gullibility. descriptions, a general needed by the Duke. His status is reflected in
this and his language antithetically juxtaposed – ‘wheeling stranger’. The
• The audience is set up for an Elizabethan caricature of a ‘Moor’, General has been ‘hotly called for’. – hyperbolic and in-demand. Reveal
as an alien being capable of witchcraft and theft. He is depicted as his importance to the Duke and to the state. Presented in contrast to
having charmed Desdemona and he goes against the traditions of the Brabantio’s view.
traditional Venetian society. The view we see of Othello is antithetically
juxtaposed with our expectations. • Brabantio repeatedly calls Othello ‘a thief’
• ‘wealthy curled darlings of our nation’ – Cassio – a wealthy, aristocratic
suitor.
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