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3 Othello Introduction Is it possible for a man to be more isolated for than a black man in white man's army? He is also Islamic at least by birth by birth Give him a white wife whose father disapproves Give him a warriors heart so that he trusts and loves absolutely Let him make a mistake and the tragedy unfolds 3

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5 Muslim 5

6 Lover Warrior/General 6

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8 Geography, significance of Venice is a symbol for order and Turkey is a symbol for barbarianism so Cyprus is inbetween It s an island amidst a raging sea, close to enemy Less reason here Only Othello can keep order, but he himself comes from savage origins 8

9 Main Characters Othello: Soldier from North Africa; Employed as a general by the city-state of Venice; Highly respected, but still an outsider because of his skin colour; Marries Desdemona 9

10 Conflicts, External Iago vs. Othello Iago hates Othello and plots to bring about his downfall Iago vs. Cassio Iago is jealous of Cassio, and works to ruin his reputation, as well as separate him from Othello s friendship 10

11 Character List Othello, the Moor army general, husband to Desdemona Desdemona, wife of Othello, and daughter of Brabantio Brabantio, a Venetian senator Iago, Othello s ensign or ancient (serves Othello, third in command) Cassio, Othello s lieutenant (2 nd in command) Emilia, wife of Iago Roderigo, a gentleman tricked by Iago Montano, governor of Cyprus Duke of Venice Lovidico and Gratiano (noble Venetians) 11

12 Elizabethan Theater Little to no props used Minimal scenery Rarely performed at night Lighting Female Parts played by teenaged boys Against the law for women to act Actors not respected One step above beggars 12

13 Globe Theater, cont. Pricing based on comfort 1 penny (week s wages for apprentice) 5 pence cushioned gallery seat Nobility generally had private performances at their homes 13

14 Stage Heavens Pictures of moon, stars, & zodiac painted on the underside of the canopy covering the stage Hell Under the stage Used for prop storage Trap door entrance to main stage 14

15 Shakespearean Language 15

16 ITERATIVE LANGUAGE Language characterized by repetition, recurrence, reiteration, or repetitiousness. Shakespeare uses repeated imagery in Othello to strengthen the dramatic movement Honest 16

17 Othello Scene Summaries and Analysis 17

18 OTHELLO WHAT HAPPENS IN ACT ONE VENICE: THE PLAY BEGINS WITH IAGO AND RODERIGO DISCUSSING OTHELLO. OTHELLO HAS JUST MARRIED DESDEMONA IN SECRET. RODERIGO AND IAGO INFORM DESDEMONA S FATHER, BRABANTIO, THAT HE HAS BEEN ROBBED OF HIS DAUGHTER. OTHELLO HAS PROMOTED CASSIO TO BE HIS LIEUTENANT, WHICH MAKES IAGO ANGRY AND JEALOUS BECAUSE HE WANTED THE JOB. RODERIGO AND IAGO PLAN TO GET REVENGE ON OTHELLO. RODERIGO IS IN LOVE WITH DESDEMONA AND WANTS TO MARRY HER; IAGO HATES OTHELLO. CASSIO COMES LOOKING FOR OTHELLO WITH NEWS OF WAR BETWEEN THE TURKS AND CYPRUS. BRABANTIO TAKES RODERIGO AND SOME OFFICERS TO ACCUSE OF PUTTING A SPELL ON DESDEMONA TO MAKE HER FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM. DESDEMONA SAYS HER LOYALTY IS NOW WITH OTHELLO, NOT HER FATHER. DESDEMONA WANTS TO GO TO CYPRUS WITH OTHELLO. IAGO HAS THE IDEA OF CONVINCING OTHELLO THAT CASSIO IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH DESDEMONA IN THE HOPE THAT OTHELLO WILL MAKE HIM LIEUTENANT INSTEAD. 18

19 Act i, scene i Setting: a street in Venice at night Roderigo is displeased with Iago because he did not come through on his part of the bargain; convince Desdemona s dad to allow him to marry her. Instead he finds out the Desdemona has defied her father and married a moor. Roderigo is now indignant that his money has been wasted. Iago tries to restore Roderigo s faith in him by telling him how much he hates Othello, for he has passed over Iago in promoting to lieutenant, by appointing Cassio instead. Now Iago wants revenge This when Roderigo wakes up Brabantio to tell him his daughter had eloped. 19

20 Act I Scene 1 Othello begins in the city of Venice, at night Roderigo is having a discussion with Iago, who is bitter at being passed up as Othello's lieutenant. Though Iago had greater practice in battle and in military matters, Cassio, a man of strategy but of little experience, was named lieutenant by Othello. Iago says that he only serves Othello to further himself, and makes shows of his allegiance only for his own gain He admits that his nature is not at all what it seems. Iago is aware that the daughter of Brabantio, Desdemona, has run off with Othello, the black warrior of the Moors. Brabantio knows nothing of this coupling Iago decides to enlist Roderigo, who lusts after Desdemona, and awaken Brabantio with screams that his daughter is gone. Watch movie scene 20

21 Act I Scene 1 At first, Brabantio dismisses these cries in the dark He realizes his daughter is not there, he gives the news some credence. Roderigo is the one speaking most to Brabantio, but Iago is there too, hidden, yelling unsavory things about Othello Brabantio panics, and calls for people to try and find his daughter Iago leaves, not wanting anyone to find out that he betrayed his own leader Brabantio begins to search for his daughter. 21

22 Analysis: Friendship The relationship between Roderigo and Iago is somewhat close Roderigo shows this in his first statement: Iago "hast had [Roderigo's] purse as if the strings were thine," he tells Iago (I.i.2-3) The metaphor shows how much trust Roderigo has in Iago, and also how he uses Iago as a confidante Does Iago share the same kind of feeling? As far as Roderigo knows, Iago is his friend Appearance is one thing and reality another, as Iago soon will tell. 22

23 Analysis: Trusting Appearance Iago tells several truths about himself to Roderigo He trusts Roderigo with the knowledge that he serves Othello, but only to further himself. How ironic that after Iago's lengthy confession of duplicity, Roderigo still does not suspect him of doublecrossing or manipulation. Iago seems to do a great deal of character analysis and exposition for the audience He divulges his purpose in serving Othello, and the kind of man he is. Appearance vs. Reality is a crucial theme in Iago's story He enacts a series of roles, from advisor to confidante He appears to be helping people though he is only acting out of his twisted self-interest. 23

24 Characters 24

25 IAGO What is Iago's motivation in ruining Othello's life? This question has puzzled readers and scholars for centuries. Iago is a fascinating, complex character who can't be analyzed in simple terms. Like many people you meet, Iago can be mysterious and baffling. Just when you think you understand him, he does or says something completely mystifying. Shakespeare was obviously fascinated by the man- he gave Iago more lines than any other character in his work- more than Hamlet, King Lear, or Othello. Here are some of the facts we know about Iago: 1.He is a 28-year-old 2.Venetian who is Othello's "ancient" or "ensign," a comparatively 3.low-ranked commissioned officer. He seems to have no history of dirty deeds; in fact, almost every character in the play calls him "honest." (The word is applied to Iago 15 times in the play.) 4. He's married to Emilia, a salty outspoken woman; they seem to tolerate each other. If theirs was a love match, we're never told, and it's difficult to guess. 25