Lecture 3 Othello the Moor of
Venice
Critical Focus on
Scenes 2 & 3 of Act 1
Exploration / Inquiry: Othello
Does Shakespeare present Iago
more as a villain or victim
in the opening of the play?
Discuss with close reference and
direct quotation. Remember to
present a persuasive argument.
Concerns / Issues;
Sources of conflict?
Individual and Society
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Gender; a woman of great beauty
Money matters; issues re material wealth;
The presence of an outsider;
ethnically and culturally different;
We cannot all be masters
Sources of conflict (cont)
Individual and Society
 Mixed marriage, and Miscegenation;
 Mother nature’s disproportionate distribution
of Intelligence and Stupidity; of Superior and
Inferior intellect; of the Strong and the Weak
 Grudges and Grievances
 Judgments and Decisions
 Temptations
Desdemona’s declaration of faithful
love for the Moor in Act 4, Scene 2
I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:
If e’er my will did trespass ’gainst his love,
Either in discourse of thought or actual deed;
Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense
Delighted them in any form;
Or that I do not yet, and ever did,
And ever will—though he do shake me off
To beggarly divorcement—love him dearly,
Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do
much,
And his unkindness may defeat my life,
But never taint my love. I cannot say ‘whore’;
It does abhor me now I speak the word;
To do the act that might the addition earn
Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me.
Dramatic purposes of Act 1 Scene 2
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To introduce and present the audience with a closeup picture of the Moor, Othello
To establish Othello’s position as a military leader
To shed more light on the character of Iago
To advance the movement of the play
To arouse excitement of a possible arrest
(suspense)
To continue the theme of Magic—the Black Arts,
as an Otherworldly contrast to Venetian Civilization
To link up with Scene 1
Close-up picture of Othello;
link to Individual and Society?
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Othello, a romantic figure & of royal lineage
Exceptionally conscious of his worth
Trusts in friendship; not given to suspicion
Has respect for age: ‘command with years’
No weakling; no wimp
Fearless: “Keep up your bright swords,
for the dew will rust them” 1.2.58
Othello as a military leader
in this scene
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Presented / portrayed to be an alert,
poised leader
Proud but not vainglorious
Convinced of his own integrity
And trusting the integrity of others
Single-minded and dedicated to duty
Note the Moor much different than
Iago’s representation of him in Scene 1
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His first long speech stresses that difference
‘Most potent, grave, and reverend signors’
His dignity, pride, self-confidence are shown
However we also learn that the Moor
became a husband with some regret
Only the strength of Desdemona’s love—
strong enough to make him want to give up
his bachelor freedom for marriage
Is this a subtle hint and foreshadowing of
future marital conflict?
Critical questions to ask oneself
re- Othello (as a Tragic Hero)
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What is your opinion of Othello
at this point in the play?
What may have brought about his ultimate downfall?
Is he simply a victim of the villainous schemes of
Iago?
Or is there apparent some serious defect of
character that made his downfall possible?
Such as being, too credulous?
Should he have been more cautious, more alert?
More light on IAGO a Supersubtle Venetian
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Note Iago’s pretended restraint in his diction;
Cleverly insists on the enormity of Roderigo’s
provocation: “prated, And Spoke such scurvy
and provoking terms Against your honour”
 Tries then another way to get Othello angry:
“He [Brabantio] will divorce you,
Or put upon you what restraint, and grievance
The Law, with all his might to enforce it on”
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Critical questions to ask re- Iago
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Is his sense of unrewarded merit
an important key to his attitude and action?
Is he a relatively decent man plunging for the
first time into wickedness?
Or do we already see evidence of a ‘sick’,
disturbed, neurotic man; a psychopath?
Sees people merely as objects to exploit?
Is he Satanic-like figure seeking absolute
mastery?
Contrasts in Act 1
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In scene 1, Iago seemed to be interested
only in his own material gain
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By Scene 3, Iago seems to be fixated on one
idea:
to avenge himself on the Moor.
Advancing the movement of the play
In Scene 1
 What dominated the dramatic action?
 Brabantio’s grief at the loss of his daughter
In Scene 2?
 Introduced is national strife and the invasion
of the Venetian colony of Cyprus;
 So the tempo of the scene at once increases
in speed.
Increase in tempo evident in;
Othello’s importance emphasized
Enter Cassio and Officers with torches;
 The Duke of Venice requires the appearance
of Othello “haste post haste” “even on the
instant”
 News from Cyprus “is a business of some
heat”
 “the galleys // Have sent a dozen sequent
messengers // This very night, at one
another’s heels.”
Othello’s Public Image
The government has been called to the
Council Chamber:
Cassio to Othello:
“many of the consuls, rais’d and met,
Are at the duke’s already”
 The request for Othello is emphasized again:
“you have been hotly call’d for”
“The senate sent about three several quests
To search you hot.”
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Approach of mob violence;
Concerns; Individual & Society?
‘Here comes another troop to seek for you.’
 More lights in the distance
 A torchlight procession in noisy hot pursuit
 Led by Brabantio and Roderigo
 And note Iago again is on the alert;
warning Othello:
 “general be advis’d // He comes to bad
intent”
Action
Swords are drawn
 And the followers on both sides prepare to
fight
Brabantio calls to his men to tackle the Moor
 “Down with him, thief”
 Clash of swords can be seen and heard
 Note Iago’s involvement in the struggle;
Othello’s reaction
Othello manages to remain calm and
controlled;
 Stays in command of the situation
 With an air of authority he orders both parties
to:
“keep up your bright swords”
 So the conflict has been averted
 But the excitement of it gives thrilling
dramatic value to this scene.
Theme of Magic; of Occult powers;
of Witchcraft; the Black Arts
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Shakespeare’s tragedies deal with things
greater than man
With otherworldly powers; with the dark
abysses of suffering
First and foremost Shakespeare is a poet
A gift for the imagination
In his true poetic imagination—he knows how
slender a hold man has on this life
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And how changeable are his quiet orderly
habits and his prosaic speech
At any moment by the operation of chance or
of fate
The quiet of our everyday normal lives may
be disturbed
And the world is given over once more to
forces beyond our control
Throughout Scenes 1 & 2 of Act 1
We get the feeling that fate, chance, charms
and witchcraft are at work
 Sc 1 Brabantio hears that Desdemona has
eloped. His first thought—how she got out?
 A horrible thought strikes him—charms,
witchcraft, are at work in his own home
“is there not charms” abusing “the property of
youth and maidhood”
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Theme of Charms / chains of magic
developed in Scene 2
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Brabantio accuses Othello of being “an
abuser of the world, a practiser // Of arts
inhibited, and out of warrant”
He cannot accept the possibility that she left
home of her own free will
And because of her love for Othello
This theme is weaved into the texture of the
drama almost unobtrusively
“hast practis’d on her with foul charms,
Abus’d her delicate youth, with drugs or
minerals,
That weakens motion.”
Othello Lecture
Dramatic purposes of Scene 3
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To create an atmosphere of war
Make more clear the stature of Othello
Introduce the character of Desdemona and
explain the nature of her relationship with
Othello;
Give us further glances at the characters of
Roderigo and Brabantio
To shed more light on Iago’s character
through the birth of his monstrous plan
Scene 3 of Act 1 - a key scene
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Venice, a bastion of European civilization
Threatened by a Turkish assault on her
outpost, Cyprus;
Brabantio, a very senior statesman, assumes
Othello must have used witchcraft to put an
evil spell on his daughter to win her love;
Othello on trial; defends his conduct before a
Senate inquiry committee;
Stature of Othello in Venice?
On stage movement; and Stage Directions
 As Othello makes his entrance in the
company of Brabantio, Cassio, Iago,
Roderigo, and Officers [p25]
 ‘Valiant Othello, we must straight away
employ you / Against the enemy Ottoman’
 We note the Duke makes it a point to greet
Othello before welcoming Brabantio;
 Dramatic effect?
Dramatic implications
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Reflects the uncertainty and disordered
atmosphere of the situation and even of the
council chamber itself
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It also subtly foreshadows the Duke’s
judgment in favour of Othello
when Brabantio accuses him of witchcraft
Scene 3 stresses Othello’s greatness
as a public figure [dramatic effects?]
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His adventurous background – has stirred
the whole Venetian state to admire him
But his public image of discipline and self-control –
makes the most appeal
(So far in the play), shows himself as cool-headed
and calmly decisive;
Note—calmly allows Brabantio to state his case
without interruption; listens as Brabantio accuses
him publicly of abusing, corrupting Desdemona
“by spells and medicines”
Othello’s subtlety
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In reply, Othello shows great diplomacy
Knows that to contradict Brabantio openly
would only arouse hostility and so he offers
to subtly explain the nature of this magic:
“she lov’d me for the dangers I had passed
And I loved her that she did pity them
This only is the witchcraft I have used”
Effects of Othello’s
Diplomatic Speech
[Internal effects]
Such diplomacy wins the sympathy of the Duke and
his senators
Note: Does not degrade (Senator) Brabantio for his
accusations;
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Shows he recognizes the legitimate right Brabantio
has as father of Desdemona
Wisely then states his own case clearly and directly
Some key points highlighted in
Othello’s defense speech
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Frequent and respected guest in Brabantio’s
household ‘Her father loved me, oft invited
me / Still questioned me the story of my life’
Describes openly and truthfully (?)
the events prior to his marriage
Narrated past life and adventures;
Claims only this romantic type background
won (charmed) Desdemona’s pity and love;
not any form of charms / or witchcraft
Othello’s Background;
A very different World 1.3.137-146
Of being taken by the insolent foe,
And sold to slavery, of my redemption thence,
And portance in my travels’ history;
Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle,
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch
heaven,
It was my hint to speak – such was the process;
And of the Cannibals that each other eat,
The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads
Do grow beneath their shoulders.
Magical Charms / Witchcraft
Othello in Act 3 Scene 4 p149
That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give,
She was a charmer, and could almost read
The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it,
’Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father
Entirely to her love; but if she lost it
Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye
Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies. She, dying gave it to me,
And bid me, when my fate would have me wive…
Language of Othello in this Scene
Language is in keeping with a man of stature
 It is exceptionally eloquent,
though he says he is rude of speech
“Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,
My very noble and approved good masters”
 the language of respect; elevated; poetic
 And in return wins respect for his point of
view [Internal Dramatic Effects]
 External dramatic effects?
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Syntactic Rhythms of Othello’s speech
at this stage of the play
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Othello speaks
in continuous, articulate and reasoned
structures
Very measured, steady, and controlled
As opposed to
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Fragmented, loose, emotional structures
Verdict of the Duke
‘I think this tale would win my daughter too.
Good Brabantio,
Take up this mangled matter at the best.’
(Make the best of this confused affair)
And later in the scene, Duke to Brabantio
 ‘And noble signor,
If virtue no delighted beauty lack,
Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.’
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Digression;
Othello in Act 4 Scene 1 p169
Note change in rhythmic movement of his speech:
‘Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her
when they belie her. Lie with her – Zounds,
that’s fulsome. Handkerchief – confessions –
handkerchief! To confess and be hanged for his
labour – first to be hanged, and then to confess, I
tremble at it.’
Dramatic Technique the Soliloquy
[Keep in mind] All speeches reveal states of
mind;
 Lengthy speech by a character alone
on stage, addressed directly to the audience;
 Involves a character talking to the audience
 Whereby character confesses / voices own
inner thoughts; (Effect?)
 Some sort of special relationship is thus
established between character and audience
Next- Iago’s evil plot is born;
More thorough revenge plan 45/47
I hate the Moor:
And it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets
He’s done my office.
He holds me well;
The better shall my purpose work on him.
Cassio is a proper man; let me see now;
To get his place, and to plume my will
In double knavery – How? How? Let’s see –
After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear
That he is too familiar with his wife.
Iago continues
“The Moor a free and open nature too,
That thinks men honest that seem to be so:
And will as tenderly be led by the nose…
As asses are.”
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Iago convinced of his insightful and superior
understanding of human nature;
Scene ending with Iago
Note use of powerful and arresting imagery:
“Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s
light”
 Ends with a forecast of doom to the idealistic
lovers
 And the destruction of an unsuspecting
couple
 Dramatic effects?
Do you find Iago puzzling?
Does Iago come across as an ordinary villain?
 Does he delight in evil because it is evil?
 Charles Lamb in his Elia Essays says he is
“a consummate villain entrapping a noble
nature into toils.”
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And William Hazlitt says there is a lack of motive
behind his dastardly behaviour.
Themes in Scenes,
notably Scene 3 of Act 1?
How does language and imagery present and develop
these themes throughout the play?
 Civilization and Barbarism
 Christianity and Heathenism
 Heaven and Hell
 Order and Chaos
 Magic; Witchcraft
 Love and Lust; Love and Hate
 Good versus Evil
 Appearance and Reality