act 3 scene 4 Flashcards
clown:
‘to tell you where he lodges is to tell you where i lie’
playing with words
several meaning - lie, sex, death
desdemona:
‘the would to god that i have never seen’t!’
feels guilty - wish it was never mentioned
othelllo thinks desdemona has admitted to having an affair with cassio
emilia:
‘is he not jealous?’
othello is jealous
how well can you know someone since you last spoke to them?
you don’t always know what your partner thinks
desdemona is naïve
othello:
‘o hardness to dissemble!’
aside - being secret
duplicitous
act 1 scene 2 - ‘i must be found’
‘hardness’ he means to set aside is his ‘hardness of heart’, a common shakespearean phrase for ill intent
marks the visible fracturing in the relationship between othello and desdemona.
when othello must turn to the audience for solidarity, it is clear his intimacy with his wife is shattered
othello:
‘this hand is moist, my lady’
four humours - too much passion = too much blood
convinced she’s having an affair with cassio
othello:
‘a liberal hand. the hearts of old gave hands; but our new heraldry is hands, not hearts’
sex before love - not faithful anymore
shakespeare develops a metaphorical duality: the heart and the hand
heart is the source of truth, whereas the hand is a tool which can either reveal the truth or deceive.
othello refers to the tradition of giving one’s hand as a promise of marriage. he then accuses desdemona of having given her hand without involving her heart
emilia:
‘tis not a year or two shows us a man. they are all but stomachs, and we all but food; to eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us. look you, cassio and my husband!
shakespeare uses emilia to give profound truths about gender and relationships
appreciate women until the lust wears off
voice of wisdom
sex/food - desire
the tragedy of women and demonstrates how they are mistreated in a patriarchal society.
iago:
‘can he be angry? i have seen the cannon when it hath blown its ranks into the air and like the devil from his very arm puffed his own brother - and is he angry?’
othello rarely gets angry
helps his plan
‘motivelss malignity’
desdemona:
‘i pray, talk me of cassio’
not reading the room
talks about cassio
anna jameson - desdemona’s weakness is her gentleness
desdemona:
‘either from venice or some unhatched practice made demonstrable here in cyprus to him, hath puddled his clear spirit’
desdemona is making excuses for othello - shows how loyal women were to their husbands
something has interfered - iago has
desdemona:
‘my lord is not my lord’
othello has changed
‘i am not what i am’
shakespeare is leading the audience to extinguish the true nature of characters in the play, mainly iago and othello.
cassio:
‘tis but a little way i can bring you, for i attend here; but i’ll see you soon’
embarassed by bianca
not the cassio we know
appearance vs reality
can’t trust men
