This is pivotal scene of the play Othello, depicting the unravelling of Iago’s web of lies. As Emelia discovers how Othello was tempted and deceived by Iago, we observe Othello transitioning to his denouement after his tragic downfall where his attempts of redemption follow.
Through the harsh, almost pitiful tone of voice, we have attempted to display Emilia’s shock turned hysteria after she the deception weaved into the entire situation as well as Othello’s agitation after Desdemona’s death settles in.
Also, the movement around the chair during the middle of the scene is indicative of the parley between Emilia and Othello, like the circling of predators that both have equal opportunity to do harm to each other. The short, often rapid sentences as well as those of jerky, sharp hand and body movements further contribute to the sense of urgency and agitation, foreshadowing the ultimate revealing of Iago’s deceptive nature to the other characters.
The notion of appearance vs. reality pertinent to Iago’s character is revealed as Emelia understands the truth of the situation in this scene. This is symbolised through Othello’s repetition of the word ‘honest’ where he demonstrates the amount of trust he placed in Iago. Emelia then reciprocates this with the repetition of ‘My husband’, evidencing her shock as she discovers the extent of Iago’s ‘pernicious soul’, a situation where everyone believes Iago, but only Emilia knows that he is not as he seems.
Moreover, the use of imagery and binary opposition presents a combination of contextual, plot and character issues such as heaven and hell, devil and angel and fire and water. The use of heaven and angel refers the importance of female chastity and purity during the Jacobean era. The simile ‘as false as water’ presents Othello’s opinion of Desdemona being
Race in Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago attacks Othello with extremely racist remarks and a thought provoking amount of animal references to dehumanize him and fuel the illusion that he is worthy of discrimination and persecution. Act I, Scene I of Othello by William Shakespeare, Roderigo, Iago, and Brabantio engage in conversation about the alleged love between Brabantio’s daughter, Desdemona, and Othello, the black Moor, alludes the degree to which race will become an important motif and…
Professor Hermosilla April 1st, 2014 IAGO the Villain A tragedy has been presented in another one of William Shakespeare's famous plays, "Othello". Othello is a very complex play. There are several characters in each scene that play great importance to the resolution. A particular character in the play named, Iago, can be described as one of Shakespeare's most villainous characters. For the reason that, Iago's motivation for his actions are immature. Iago does very well at persuading other people…
In the opening act of Othello, we are introduced to several different personalities and characteristics which is evident through the portrayals of the different characters. Two of the main characters in the play, Othello and Iago, embrace completely different characteristics and it comes this comes out in both of them. We understand immediately from the first scene in act one that Iago’s personality is a deceptive one and one that is very negative. He has evidently been affected by Othello’s decision…
relevant language and dramatic techniques. Shakespeare’s 'Othello' successfully explores the human nature aspect of love and of deception, through a contrast of a person’s outward and inward self. There is a difference between the Othello portrayed by Shakespeare (i.e. Shakespeare’s Othello) and the Othello portrayed by himself (i.e. Othello’s Othello). In a critical essay, Brain McFarlane explores these differences. A.C. Bradley viewed Othello as “not easily jealous and indeed one to which jealousy…
To what extent can Othello be considered a ‘tragic hero’? The extent of which Othello is a tragic hero has been open to much debate; the basis on which he is judged falls to Aristotle’s established view of the crucial elements that distinguish whether a person is truly tragic. According to Aristotle, a tragic protagonist is a nobleman or person from high status, who contributes to his own demise and illustrates a flaw or weakness in judgment. The tragic protagonist must make a fall from a high…
Albert Gerard describes the character of Othello as lacking in nobility and intellect of other Shakespearean tragic heroes. In Gerard’s view, Othello is presented as an “erring barbarian and credulous fool”. Paying particular attention to act III scene III, how do you respond to the presentation of Othello as a tragic hero. Word Count = 1,628 Aristotle - "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." Othello is widely referred to as a ‘tragic hero’ - According to Aristotle…
finished, make notes on all the quotes you could use to discuss the tragic hero and an explanation as to why this is significant. SCENE 1 Iago And Roderigo discuss Othello and Desdemona’s elopement They decide to wake up Desdemona’s Father and warn her with racist language that his daughter has left him to marry Othello Presentation Othello Iago Brabantio Roderigo Duke Hero not present in opening scene so all portrayals are based from what people think of him. These are negative…
How the concept of the Outsider is represented in Shakespeare’s Othello Shakespeare’s Othello clearly represents the concept of what an outsider is by comparing and contrasting the two main characters Desdemona and Iago. Through Shakespeare’s Othello the concept of being an outsider is questioning how society’s representation of an outsider is formed, why people become outsiders and the consequences of being an outsider. An outsider is a person who is not accepted by or who is isolated from society…
AP Literature and Composition Lanier Langdale Essay IV: Othello Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Othello is a tragic hero who falls through free moral choice when he is honestly deceived by Iago, a man who is outwardly good and inwardly bad. Othello is convinced to see marriage and women from Iago point of view, and Othello’s background and true love for Desdemona work against him, bringing his downfall. Othello is first introduced in the novel using specific diction. He is called “the moor” and “the thick-lips”…
Identity in Othello By: Rhonda Nelson LIT 319-X1511 Shakespeare Rhonda.nelson@snhu.edu 724-541-0415 The very important key thematic issue in William Shakespeare’s Othello would have to be Identity. The ambivalence and inconsistency in Othello’s awareness of his nature and identity in his effort of training and making himself into a unrelated culture whereas he seeks to integrate himself into mainstream Venetian society as a “Moor” eventually leads to his path of destruction. Phillip Butcher wrote…