apperance v reality/ manipulation Flashcards
(11 cards)
‘Trimmed in forms of visages of duty/ keep yet their hearts attending on themselves’
Sets up the theme of appearance vs reality - while Iago seems to criticise others for this (the appearance), he seems to fit this definition as the play progresses (the reality)
‘I am not what I am’
Paradox - Iago plays with language to manipulate how he appears to others
‘Predition catch my soul/ but I do love thee; and when I love thee not/ chaos is come again’
‘Ineed?’
‘He echoes me, as if there were some monster in his thought/ to hideous to be shown’
Similie - Othello sees this ‘monster’ in Iago’s thought, yet is unable to see this to its full jealous, destructive extent - Iago has a monster in his mind, but only the audience is aware of this
‘I am your own forever’
While Iago gets what he desires, he continues with his destruction, emphasising his evil nature
‘[he] falls into a trance’
‘My medicine. Work!’
The peak of Othello’s deterioration and his overpowering jealousy
Metaphor - emphasises Iago’s evil nature
‘Speak of me as I am; nothinh extenuate/ nor set down aught in malice… speak of one that loved not wisely; but too well/ of one not easily jealous but, being wrought/ perplexed in the extreme’
This seems to be a reversion. back to the Othello we see at the beginning of the play, someone rational and authentic and now in his deat,h he wants to be remembered for his faults as a lesson to other men to not be easily misled
‘He prated/ and spoke such scurvy and provoking terms/ against your honour’
This again is where the audience is introduced to Iago’s duplicity, as his reference to male honour suggests he wants to protect Othello by telling him what has been said that may deface his name, yet his previous derogatory descriptions prove otherwise
‘I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest’
Iago’s deception ranges across the male characters in the play, as he seems to support the rules of a military brotherhood, while in reality, this is all part of his plan
‘This fellow’s of exceeding honesty, and knows all qualities with a learned spirit of human dealings’
Othello believes Iago is helping him and respects him yet Iago’s motives are the opposite to this
‘This is the night that either makes me, or forbodes me quite’
This is one of the moments of Iago’s self awareness and also puts the audience in a sense of danger as they are also in on the plan so they are not only worried for the fate of Othello and Desdemona but ironically also the fate of the villain, Iago
