Quotes and language analysis Flashcards
1
Q
Introduction quote of Iago’s manipulation of others
A
“plague him with flies” referencing getting Roderigo on board with being prejudice to Desdemona’s marriage to Othello
2
Q
Iago initially talking about Desdemona’s marriage
A
“gross clasps of a lascivious moor”
“wheeling stranger”
3
Q
Desdemonas marriage to Othello initially demonstrating rebellion against social order
A
“a knave of common hire, a gondolier”
4
Q
Brabantio objectifying Desdemona(possession)
A
“My daughter is not for thee”
“my spirit and my place”
5
Q
Brabantio’s role of angry patriarch being challenged
A
“robbed”-verb signifies an assault on Brabantio’s property
“what profane wretch art thou”-offended by Iago’s mode of address and his impudent words
6
Q
What can Roderigo be referred as?
A
“curled darling”
7
Q
Racism that Iago exhibits towards Othello
A
“Barbary horse” “the beast with two backs” “an old black ram “
8
Q
Contrasting language of Desdemona and Othello(talking about race)
A
“White ewe”
“black ram”
9
Q
What does Othello say when Iago tries to stir trouble by telling him of Brabantio’s words against him?
A
“Let him do his spite”
“i must be found”
He is ready to face the consequences of his actions
10
Q
coarse imagery used by Iago to describe the ‘sexual union’ of their marriage
A
“boarded a land carrack”-metaphor of piracy so he is degrading Othello
11
Q
Iago talking about Othello enchanting Desdemona
A
“a practiser/of arts exhibited”
“Foul charms” to bewitch Desdemona are “gross”
12
Q
How does Cassio respond to Iago’s crude joke “boarded a land carrack”
A
-He fails to understand it which suggests that he does not share Iago’s crude humour distancing himself from the villain at stage
-Ironic however, as Iago will cast Cassio in the role as seducer in the next scene.
13
Q
Othello first defence of his marriage to Desdemona
A
“i love the gentle Desdemona”
first sincere reference to love
“gentle”=pun both kind-hearted and of noble birth
14
Q
Othello’s military skill
A
“valiant”-repeated
15
Q
How does Iago view Desdemona’s femininity and refinement?
A
“supper subtle venetian”-pampered and delicate
this questions also the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as they are very different but Othello is convinced love and war can be combined
16
Q
Othello describing his love for Desdemona and visa versa
A
“loved me for the dangers that has passed/And i love that she did pity them”
Othello’s story telling powers seduced Desdemona while Othello is enchanted by empathetic response to history
17
Q
Desdemona and Othello’s deep sincerity of their love but also questioning of image and idea of each other
A
“saw Othello’s visage in his mind”
maybe idealistic
18
Q
How does Desdemona approach male authority
A
“i am hither to your daughter. But here’s my husband”
Desdemona accepts it but subverts it
She speaks assertively to her father
Also shows her transference of duty and obedience from her father to husband
19
Q
How does Iago alter his speech and what does this highlight?
A
-Speaks in fast moving prose when outwitting Roderigo suggesting he is thinking on his feet
-Returns to blank verse, demonstrating his ability to manipulate his style to suit his audience and purposes
20
Q
What does the storm foreshadow in act 2 scene 1?
A
-passions that will be unleashed in this new setting and we might see it as being related to Othello and his violent emotions
-Could also be Iago’s violence
-Also, disposes of the Turkish threat, which is no longer necessary to the plot
21
Q
What other purposes does the storm foreshadow?
A
-While it rages, the soldiers cannot see clearly what happens and are full of fear=mirroring of confusion in Act 1 scene 1
22
Q
What is ironic about Othello as a cyprus saviour?
A
-He will prove to be destructive as any temperest
23
Q
How has the storm metaphorically helped Iago?
A
-Arrives in Cyprus a week earlier than expected because the storm has helped his progress so ironically he will destroy Othello’s happiness
24
Q
Who is in charge of the new setting?
A
Iago lands before Othello, suggesting he will be in charge of the new setting
25
What does Iago confess but then redefine and why?
admits 'love' for her but then corrects it as feelings of 'lust' 'partly led to diet my revenge'
He wants Othello to suffer the same torment that rages inside of him
competitive racism-how did Desdemona choose a black soldier
26
Through what quote does Iago display his predatory nature?
"have our Michael Cassio on the hip"
27
Iago talking about cassio in Act 2
"web" to "ensnare as great a fly as Cassio"
imagery-Iago intends to use Cassio's gallantry and sophistication against him
28
How is Iago's villainy revealed at the end of the play?
Through Emilia which is ironic as Iago who can only stand a women who will"ne'er disclose her mind", is exposed as a villain When Emilia refuses to be quiet.
So, his misogyny and discussion of female faults ultimately works against him
29
What does "unknown fate" indicate?
Othello is hinting at an unknown tradgedy that awaits him
negativity creeps in and his next speech says that happiness "is too much joy"
30
How are love and war juxtaposed in Act 2 scene 2?
The heralds joyful proclamation makes a return to civil order
Ironic as in the next scene Iago will disrupt the peace and Cyprus will become the location of the drunken street fighting
War is mentioned before love in Heralds speech, a reversal of the previous scene where Othello greeted Desdemona before Montana
Reminder Cyprus is a dangerous place
31
What contrasting descriptions are used by Cassio and Iago when interrupting Othello and Desdemona's consummation?
Iago-"sport for jove" "full of game"
Cassio-"Fresh and delicate" "modest" "perfection"
ultimately foreshadows the choice Othello will have to make between love to his faithful wife or a whore
32
Othello's loss of control-turning point quotes
"never be more officer of mine"-swift dismissal
"ill make thee and example"
Othello's idiom is changing now including oaths -suggesting loss of control
33
Iago and Roderigo's relationship...
-structurally important as Iago's first victim
-Some ways Roderigo is played for comedy which is a contrast with Othello's tragic downfall however his actions are villainous-he wants to make Othello a cuckhold
-everything stage managed by Iago-when Iago dismisses him we see how insignificant he really is
"away i say,thou shalt know more hereafter:/nay get thee gone"
34
Imagery of poison...
"i'll pour this pestilence into his ear"
Uses poison to reflect his villainy
-This definite statement shows Iago has confidence in his powers of verbal persuasion
-The patterning (alliteration of P and sibilance of 's') adds emphasis and intensity to Iago's plan, heightening tension for the audience
35
Act three scene 2-How is irony presented...
while Othello is absorbed in Military matters ,his personal affairs are being steadily undermined
(assume Cassio will take this opportunity to speak to Desdemona thus falling into the trap that Iago has laid for him)
36
Iago initially drawing attention to Cassio's exit...
"I cannot think it/that he would steal away so guilty-like/seeing you"
'physical evidence'-Iago begins to interpret events for Othello which makes for tactile manipulation
37
How does Iago manipulate Othello into believing Cassio and Desdemona's alleged affair?
Iago says he is reluctant to speak because his thoughts are "vile and false" which leads Othello to think the worst and jump to false conclusions
38
When do we know Othello's thoughts have been successfully infected by Iago's manipulation?
"set on thy wife to observe"
Othello is no longer "well-tuned" with his wife, but with Iago
Iago even begins to proceed to control/command Othello increasing his power over the victim
39
quotes talking about Othello's supposed cuckoldry in comparison to his original security of his marriage
"Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on ?/behold her topped"-graphic and crude imagery said by Iago
Othello once believed "she has eyes and chose me"
The once confident husband now believes he is a cuckhold and has been deceived by his wife
40
Analysis of Othello when Desdemona pleads with him in relation to Cassio...
Desdemona blurs the boundaries between domestic and public life when she intercedes with Cassio, making Othello uncomfortable
Ironically, Othello does not want to hear his wife's words so may be beginning to see Desdemona as an enemy rather than an ally.
41
What does the ritual symbolise at the end of Act 3 scene 3?
Iago's false love has triumphed
They join together in "bloody business" of revenge
Horrible irony, Othello is now reunited with his enemy as we know from his words to Iago "I am bound to thee forever"
When they discuss the murder of Desdemona, the first battle in the war for Iago has been won
42
What does the handkerchief symbolise between Desdemona and Othello?
-Symbol of love and faithfulness
-Desdemona offers to bind Othello's aching head with it, showing wifely concern
-However, he will not be comforted and will not take it symbolising the beginning of his rejection towards her
43
what does the handkerchief symbolise in Iago's hands?
sinister object being a symbol of abuse and misuse of power
turns the proof into false proof of adultery
The love token now becomes a symbol of destruction
44
What does the structure in act 3 scene 3 signify?
Long scene but happens swiftly
The pace suits iago like his poison is working quickly and it creates a sense of claustrophobia
Dialogue structure-one to one dialogue between Othello and Iago
Iago comes to dominate speaking more words and has more turns
Iago and Othello begin to finish each others lines and Othello moves more towards him then to desdemona
Determines reputation is being ruined
45
Quote showing Othello resolution is now a weakness…
“No:to be once in doubt/is once to be resolved”
This decisiveness makes Iago evil work easier for himself.
46
Othello beginning to see things for extreme positions
She can only be a submissive wife or a ‘whore’
“She’s gone,I am abused
47
Why does Othello become vulnerable in act 3 scene 3?
He begins to internalise Iago’s negative view of black men which undermines his sense of self
Othello starts to consider differences between him and Desdemona as problematic
“Black…declined/into the vale of years”
The once confident lover, proud of his royal lineage,military career and finess as a husband is slowly being diminished
48
What does Othello curse in act 3 scene 3
“Death and damnation!O!”
49
Ferocious line about Desdemona
“I’ll tear her to pieces!”
50
How does Othello speak like a true villian of Jacobean revenge Tragedy?
“Furnish me with some swift means of death/for the fair devil”
51
Emilia quote showing men tiring of women
“Eat us hungerly and when they are full they belch us”
This image of committing suggests the danger that Desdemona is in; she will be eaten up and destroyed
52
What may he strawberries on the handkerchief symbolise?
Either Othello passion for Desdemona or Desdemona blood that will be spilt
52
How does Emilia describe Othellos jealousy ?
“A monster/begot upon itself,born on itself”
In succeeding scenes we see how true this is
53
What quote marks the beginning of Othellos interrogation of Desdemona?
“Give me your hand.This hand is moist, my lady”
Moistness is proof of her lechery
Palm reading can be linked to pagan ancestors revealing he is moving away from Christian values he adopted
Foreshows heroines fate-Othello uses his hand to smother Desdemona
54
Othello and Iago discussing Cassio and Desdemona deaths…
“How shall I murder him Iago”
Wants Cassio to endure an agonising death
“He will chop her into messes” or poison her
Iago suggests strangulation
Sign of madness that Othello accepts this suggestion as “justice”
55
Foreshadowing of Desdemona grace and dignity in death…
Passively “I will not stay to offend you”
(When Othello strikes her)
56
Iago deciding on Desdemonas murder showing how he is the master of events…
Best to strangle her in the bed she has “contaminated”
Horrible irony as he is the source of infection within the play
57
Analyse the quote “O, it comes o’er my memory/As dory the raven o’er the infectious house”
Plague reference=Iago still infecting Othello
Othello is passive=sentence structure suggests his mind is being acted upon and he is no longer in control
Croaking ravens=ill omen so imagery foreshadows the tragic outcome for Othello once his peace of mind is destroyed
58
In act 3 scene 4 what does the change in repetition of ‘jealousy’ to ‘anger’ symbolise?
Iago triumph is emphasised by his references to Othellos anger
Iago has the power to control the hero’s moods now
Othellos anger is a result of his growing jealousy
All jealousy seen can be traced back to Iagos jealousy of Othello and Cassio
59
How does Othello degrade himself ?
Speech style and imagery changes
Speeches full of disjointed sentence structures
Also uses prose later on signalling his debasement
Followed Iagos commands
“Fire and brimstone” he exclaims when he finds out Cassio is going to replace him as governor of Cyprus
All honour lost when he strikes Desdemona
60
Quote that shows that Othello and Desdemona no longer speak the same language...
"I understand a fury in your words/but not the words"
61
How does Desdemona become a figure of pathos and how is their horrible irony in her trial?
Desdemona kneels first to Othello, the man who will destroy her physically , and then to Iago, the man who had destroyed her reputation
62
Othello wondering how Desdemona who is so pure could commit such an act
“Lovely fair”
Being a “weed”
63
How does Othello now look in act 4 compared to Desdemona
“Grim as hell”
“Rose lipped cherubin”
64
What do the repeated words “whore” and “strumpet” used by Othello indicate ?
How far Othello is removed from the noble hero of the first two acts, even if he speaks poetically and with a measured tone at times
65
How does Othello rather weakly send Desdemona away?
“I cry you mercy then/ I took you for that cunning whore of Venice/that married with Othello”
Dramatises himself using the third person
It’s so painful to him that he has to distance himself from what he is saying helping him to justify his words and actions
66
How is Desdemona's humility and generosity shown within her trial?
She does not say that Othello is wrong to chide her, just that he could of done it "with gentle means"
"to win my lord again"
67
Quote emphasising Emilia role as defender of Desdemona?
"Remove your thought it doth abuse your bosom"
castigates Othello for believing Desdemona is false
Emilia's open defence prepares us for the role she will play in act 5 scene 2 when she reveals Othello's crime
Emilias disapproval reminds us of how far Othello has fallen
Ironically, Emilia does not realise Othello's thoughts have been abused-by Iago
68
What is Emilia's view of human relationships and approach to sin
pragmatic and a cynical view of relationships
suggests Adultery is a "strong vice"
however Emilia is a virtuous women because she says she could not commit adultery for the "a joint ring"
69
What was a ring a symbol of within a renaissance society?
Not just a symbol of marriage but of wife's chastity, reminding us of the double standards of Shakespeare's time when codes of sexual conduct for men and women were very different
70
Does Emilia take chastity seriously?
Seriously as her outrage at Othello's accusations show
important we see her as a virtuous women after she be Desdemona's defender after death.
Appropriate that a women accuses and condemns Desdemona's masculine abusers.
71
How does Emilia offer a realistic and rather pessimistic description of marriage?
-Strikes a chord with a modern audience used to gender equality
-Giving Emilia a powerful voice in this scene is dramatically significant becoming the voice of the audience and she will express the audiences horror in act V when Othello's crimes and Iago's lies are revealed
72
What are willow trees significant of?
Traditional symbols of lost or unrequited love
73
How is Desdemona full of foreboding ?(Act 4 scene 3)
She mentions winding sheets, her eyes itch, she is drawn to Barbary's melancholy song of death
Her lines often see fatalistic
74
The willow song and its significance...
Both Othello and Desdemona have been driven to tears
Both have wept unwittingly because of Iago's influence
So fitting that this quiet scene of sorrow, punctuated by the melancholy willow song, should come at this point
The willow song expresses the meaning of Desdemona's name(ill-starred) and foreshows her terrible fate
75
Meaning of Barbary...
Desdemona's mother had a maid called barbary, who died singing the willow song which 'expressed her fortune' There are clear parallels here with Desdemona
The words of the song clearly refer to accusations of unfaithfulness, reminding us of the heroines terrible predicament.
76
How is Desdemona different to the women in the song?
"the poor soul" sits weeping by the water. She is able to soften the stones in the "fresh streams"
Desdemona has been unable to soften Othello's hard heart with her tears.
We learn that the women in the song "murmured her moans" as she lay by the water
Desdemona will murmur and moan on her death bed as she lays lies dying
77
What does Roderigo death foreshow?
The violent death of Desdemona's failed suitor foreshows the death of much nobler victims in the final scene
78
What image does Iago use to describe Roderigo in the first scene of Act 5?
"a young squat" and when he is finished with Roderigo "he must die"
Presents Iago's ruthlessness and his lack of respect for human life preparing us for the brutality of Act 5
79
How does the first scene(act 5 scene 1) mirror two others?
The confusion and the mistaken identities remind us of the storm scene
The street brawling recalls the drunken fight between Cassio and Roderigo on the night of the wedding celebrations
On all three occasions, Iago got the result he wanted.
80
Quotes presenting the relationship between Iago and Othello's murder of Cassio and Desdemona...
He believes "brave...honest and just" Iago has killed Cassio. It is horrible that Othello has acted in direct response to the treacherous example he believes has been set by Iago
He is linking Othello's murder of Desdemona and Iago's cowardly wounding of Cassio
81
How does Othello's language also link him to treachery?
Othello speaks of blood, lust, blotches and stains.
82
How do Othello's violent words foreshadow his violent deeds?
He talks like a villain ,announcing his evil intentions in a dramatic way "strumpet, i come"
But Othello is not taking responsibility for his actions, claiming it is Desdemona's "unblest fate" that he is fulfilling. Othello's melodramatic speech style detracts from his heroism but also reminds us completely how our minds have been corrupted by Iago.
83
What does Othello's suicide indicate?
Both retribution and rehabilitation
Othello is destroying the Villain he has proved to be, while at the same time trying to resurrect his reputation
84
How does Emilia insult Othello in the last scene of the play?
"most filthy bargain"/As ignorant as dirt"
85
How do Emilia and Desdemona reputations change in their deaths
Enhanced when they die and in death they prove their honesty and loyalty
86
Quote showing Othello's use of justice and law language to justify the killing of Desdemona...
"it is the cause"
"deny each article"
87
How is Othello's death a poetic justice?
He kills himself with the sword he used to kill enemies of the venetian state, which is what Othello proved to be when he took the life of Desdemona.
88
Imagery of light and religion meaning in last scene?
Othello enters carrying a light, which ironically makes him seem like a priest officiating at a religious ritual.
He speaks about the "heavenly" sorrow he feels indicating that he is reluctant to begin the ceremony of death
"light" repeated several times as he prepares to kill her
The words he uses to describe her body can be linked to imagery of light as her paleness suggesting her innocent purity.
89
How does Othello still and try to preserve his reputation in the last scene?
When Desdemona awakes, Othello urges her to pray because he does not want to "kill thy unprepared spirit"
so, is still obsessing over his masculine reputation as he wants to be an "honourable murderer"
90
How does Othello confront his crime?
Religious imagery is used, but he no longer uses it to justify his actions
He instead invites God's punishment
91
Quote to highlight the torture Othello feels by what he has done...
"whip me ye devils,"/from the possession of this heavenly sight!"
He believes he deserves the torments of hell
92
What are Iago's final lines?
He is gloating and selfish "Demand me nothing What you know you know./From this time forth I will never speak word"
Iago's silence is as cruel as his poisonous words have been and in keeping with the villain's egotism.
93
Why does Othello link kissing and killing?
"I kissed thee ere I killed thee...killing myself, to die upon a kiss"
the link indicates that Othello cannot live without Desdemona
