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Jealousy in Othello
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A full, in-depth A* essay plan exploring the theme of Jealousy in Shakespeare's "Othello", for the Pearson Edexcel A-Level English Literature.
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By: evmckimm • 6 months ago
By: mischacarr1 • 5 months ago
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jealousyIntroduction –
o Main theme driving the plot through sexual jealousy and professional jealousy
o Jealousy presents Iago as possessing typically black traits and confirms black
gullibility
Iago’s professional jealousy of Cassio and Othello (shows black traits)
o “Tis the curve of service” – embittered, hyperbolic noun “curse” implies jealousy of C
and O (bound to them against his will, evoking pathos) - reference to strict Venetian
hierarchy which was also familiar to Elizabethans/Jacobean, some lower status
members of audience might have sympathized with this, frightening disturbing idea
for higher status member
o "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" , sinister tone, almost like a game, deceptive
and manipulative, cryptic, paradoxical, Iago is two-faced – represents 7 deadly sins
from Bible and black stereotypes e.g. “covetous” (Africanus) and “jealous” (Burton)
o "Mere prattle without practice is all his soldiership" - plosive alliteration puts
emphasis on the harshness of this critique, Cassio is a good talker but has little
experience, implying that he makes a poor soldier and doesn’t deserve to have been
promoted (shows black vices e.g. “egotism, pride and even arrogance” (Garner)
Iago’s sexual jealousy of Desdemona
o Constant and incessant mention of Othello and Desdemona’s sex life (“tupping your
white ewe”) Dollimore says it is “intensely voyeuristic”
o Interestingly, Roderigo is first to make racist remarks about Othello, and Iago joins
after (opportunist who has underlying motive for racism – sexual jealousy stemmed
from homoerotic, homosexual desires)
o Iago’s monologue fails to outline specific reasons for malignity towards Othello and
instead, use figurative and ambiguous language suggesting there’s a greater factor
contributing to malignity – homoerotic desires leading to sexual jealousy
o In Elizabethan era, although was frowned upon, many suspected Shakespeare to be
homosexual. Subtle suggestion of both a quasi-marriage or even potential
homosexual attraction between them could be his way of channelling his views on
homosexuality into his plays. However, he could not make this obvious as the
contemporary audience would be disapproving.
Roderigo’s sexual jealousy of Othello
o “By heaven, I would rather have been his hangman” - hyperbole exaggerates how
much he would hate serving Othello to the extent that he would rather kill him, oath
emphasises the seriousness of his words; oath shows intensity of Roderigo’s feelings
to religious 17th century audience, more significant for them than more secular
modern audience
o "to the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor" - adjective “gross” = something abhorrent
about Othello’s relationship with Desdemona; verb “clasps” = connotes that Othello
is trapping Desdemona against her will and is being excessively possessive; adjective
“lascivious” implies that Othello is lustful (sinful - one of seven deadly sins);
stereotype that Africans were particularly sexual, Burton, 1616 “southern men are
hot, lascivious and jealous”
o “It is silliness to live when to live is torment...we have a prescription to die when
death is our physician” - abstract noun “torment” = extreme mental anguish;
emphasising how he would rather die than be without the love of Desdemona, who is
now married to Othello; sense of helplessness; personification of death hints at its
power and ability to save him from his lovesickness; link to one stage of courtly love
which was to proclaim a desire to die if love unrequited, Roderigo is a courtly lover,
language that 17th century audience would have expected gentlemen to use
Iago uses jealousy to manipulate Othello
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