ACT TWO Flashcards
“It is a high-wrought …..;// I cannot ‘twixt the heaven and the main descry a ….l” -
“It is a high-wrought flood;// I cannot ‘twixt the heaven and the main descry a sail” - Act 2, Scene 1
-Gent. 1 to Montano in a seaport in Cyprus.
Point about the setting reflecting the tragedy and atmosphere.
-The water is so rough they can’t see any sails, metaphor for the evil in the atmosphere clouding any kind of hope for the play and for Othello. Creates a sense of inevitability for the tragedy of the play.
“A fuller blast ne’er shook our………..//If it hath ruffianed so upon the sea, what …. .. … when mountains melt on them, can hold the mortise?”
“A fuller blast ne’er shook our battlements//If it hath ruffianed so upon the sea, what ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them, can hold the mortise?” - Act 2, Scene 1
-Montano in seaport in Cyprus.
Again the setting reflects the tragedy. A big blast of wind has shaken the army’s defences, just how Iago has plans to break Othello’s strong outer shell and noble reputation-foreshadowing.
-The ship is made of wood and is therefore no match for the mountainous waves, once again reflects how Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is no match for the wrath of Iago.
“Sir, would she give you so much of her …. //as of her …… she oft bestows on me,//you’d have enough.”
“Sir, would she give you so much of her lips//as of her tongue she oft bestows on me,//you’d have enough. - Act 2, Scene 1
-Iago to Cassio about Emilia.
-Theme of Love and Relationships.
-Iago is clearly not happy in his relationship and suggests that Emilia does not fit his idea of a perfect wife. He insinuates she is too opinionated and speaks up too much, which does not fit the role of the subordinate wife that was dominant in the Elizabethan era.
(aside)”With as little a … as this I will ……. as great a … as Cassio”
(aside)”With as little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” - Act 2, Scene 1
-Iago aside.
-Theme of Jealousy.
-Iago is revealing that he is smart enough to use something so small to continue his plans. This further emphasises his villainy, but it could also be a way for the audience to find some likeable qualities in him? His intelligence make him admirable
“-loveliness in …… , sympathy in ….., manners and ……..; all which the moor is defective in”
“-loveliness in favour, sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all which the moor is defective in” - Act 2, Scene 1
-Iago to Roderigo.
-Theme of Jealousy, and Prejudice and Race.
-Iago talks to Roderigo about how Desdemona cannot possibly be in love with Othello because of all the gentlemanly qualities he lacks, therefore she must be in love with Cassio. Othello reveals his insecurities throughout the play, his age, and the same softness in speech other men have. These directly link to what Iago is criticising him on. Perhaps the Tragedy begins with Othello himself, as his own insecurities influence how other people see him-his awareness that he is an outsider allows others to treat him as one.
“But men are …: the best sometimes ……”
“But men are men: the best sometimes forget” - Act 2, Scene 3
-Iago to Othello
-Theme of Manhood and Honour.
-Iago telling Othello that no man is perfect and even the best man sometimes loses control and strikes out in rage. This foreshadows Othello’s future catharsis and peripeteia. As even he being the noble man he is, eventually falls from grace.
“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my ……….!//I have lost the immortal part of ……, and what remains is …….”
“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation!//I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial” - Act 2, Scene 3
-Cassio to Iago.
-Theme of Manhood and Honour.
-Cassio confiding in Iago about how humiliated he is that he has lost his reputation. This in itself is a subtle use of dramatic irony, as Iago caused the scene with Cassio being drunk. This once again creates Iago as a master manipulator, as he is able to direct the play and the events that occur, but also continue to play his role as ‘honest Iago’ whom other characters still choose to confide in.
-Emphasis is put on how important the idea of reputation is. These characters view it as the thing that makes them human, and without it they are reduced to something animalistic. More animal imagery.
