Othello Act V Notes
Act V Scene 1 Read V.1.1144-1146 Iago has Roderigo poised and ready to pounce on Cassio, and kill him; if either of them is killed, it is to Iago's benefit Roderigo and Cassio fight, and both are injured Othello hears the scuffle, is pleased, and then leaves to finish off Desdemona. Iago enters, pretending that he knows nothing of the scuffle Roderigo is still alive, so Iago feigns a quarrel, and finishes him off. Cassio is carried away, and Roderigo is already dead. Emilia also comes in, and pins more blame on Bianca; she has done nothing, but Iago has some quick work to do if he is to exonerate himself in this mess. Watch movie scene
Analysis Iago addresses the audience directly about his intentions, and his actions Iago is only truly honest with the audience like Richard III This creates an undercurrent of dramatic irony throughout the play, since the audience knows all of his plans, and individual characters know little or nothing Although Othello is the title character of the play, Iago has more lines and more interaction with the audience as well. It is Othello's tragedy that is the focus of the play, but Iago succeeds in stealing the show he is more interesting than any of the protagonists in the play. Iago proves himself a consummate actor: appearance vs. reality Iago claims to know nothing of this battle Iago is many selves in this act he is friend and advisor to Roderigo betrayer and murderer of Roderigo consoler of Cassio the lead officer in this
Act V Scene 2 Read V.2.1146-1150 Othello enters Desdemona's room while she is asleep; and still is determined to kill her. He justifies this with images, metaphors, and ideas of her rebirth after death Desdemona awakens, and he tells her to repent of any sins before she dies Othello tells her that he found her handkerchief with Cassio, though Desdemona insists it must not be true She pleads with Othello not to kill her right then, but he begins to smother her. Emilia knocks, curious about what is going on Othello lets her in, but tries to conceal Desdemona, who he thinks is already dead. Emilia brings the news of Roderigo's death, and Cassio's wounding.
Act V Scene 2 Emilia soon finds out that Desdemona is nearly dead, by Othello's hand Desdemona speaks her last words, and then Emilia pounces on Othello for committing this horrible crime. Othello is not convinced of his folly until Iago confesses his part, and Cassio speaks of the use of the handkerchief Othello is overcome with grief. Iago stabs Emilia for telling all about his plots, and then Emilia dies Venetian nobles reveal that Brabantio, Desdemona's father, is dead, and so cannot be grieved by this tragedy now. Othello stabs Iago when he is brought back in Othello then tells all present to remember him how he is, and kills himself. Cassio becomes temporary leader of the troops at Cyprus Iago is taken into custody, and his crimes will be judged back in Venice. Watch movie scene
Analysis: Literary Terms Othello's farewell to Desdemona is a return to his former eloquence Though he believes Desdemona's soul to be black, he can only focus on her whiteness; he pledges not to mar "that whiter skin of hers than snow" The metaphor highlights Desdemona's innocence, as does comparing her to a "light" to be put out. There is irony in Othello's references to Desdemona here: he describes her with words that suggest her brightness and innocence he is determined to condemn and kill her. She is also "the rose" to Othello, another beautiful image Othello's allusion to Prometheus explains his wish to put out Desdemona's light in order to restore her former innocence. Before Othello felt only hatred and anger, now he is forced to feel his love, along with his mistaken determination to see Desdemona die.
Analysis: Lines Desdemona's last words are especially cryptic When asked who killed her, she remarks: "nobody, I myself commend me to my kind lord." This could be seen as a kind of condemnation of Othello for killing her She might be trying to absolve her husband of blame with her last breath If this is so, it certainly does not sit well with her line: "falsely, falsely murdered," which seems to refer both to Desdemona's death, as to Emilia's mention of the death of Roderigo and wounding of Cassio.
Analysis: Parallelism Emilia's fate is parallel to Desdemona's: She was more realistic than Desdemona She too was betrayed by her husband She died through other's wrongs. Desdemona might be a more central figure in the play, but Emilia is the conscience Emilia knows how human nature works She knows of husbands' jealousies, of how men believe women are less human, of how people are naturally prone to folly. She is the sole voice of reason in the play, the only besides Desdemona who is uncorrupted by Iago's manipulations.
Analysis: Oxymoron Othello insists that he is an "honorable murderer Iago was surely killed out of anger Desdemona out of jealousy and offended pride. Othello still denies the flaws in himself that have led him to this end. Iago was definitely the catalyst for Desdemona's death and Othello's jealous rages; but the seeds of jealousy and suspicion were already inherent in Othello It certainly makes the resolution of the play more neat to believe that Othello is returned to his nobility
Analysis: Conclusion Of course, all threads are wrapped up in this last scene of the play: Letters are produced that expose Iago's part in these unfortunate events These letters have not been mentioned or shown earlier in the play. Cassio seems to have been kept alive merely to testify about his part in this whole debacle
Tragedies Excite Shakespeare was as good a philosopher as he was a poet He understood the love of power and mischief and that these loves were natural to man Why are tragedies so interesting to people? Why do they read the newspaper and watch the news to hear about the latest Iago?
Characterization of Iago Great analyst Harold Goddard noted: Iago is always at war He is a moral pyromaniac setting fire to all reality He was passed up by Cassio because he cannot stop fighting Since Othello is thought of as the God of War, he is Iago s only god Othello is everything to Iago because war is everything
Characterization of Iago Iago rejects a Christian God in a way when he says: I am not what I am This is contradictory to St. Paul s I am what I am Iago sets about to destroy his god: Uses mastery of timing to plot using openings Employs a grand program of uncreation
Characterization of Iago Iago went unchanged during revisions of Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello between the Quarto and First Folio He speaks eight soliloquies and Othello only three
Theme of Marriage Marriage is a problem of grand proportions: Emila is a martyr Iago says: A fellow almost damend in a fair wife Othello and Desdemona never consummate their marriage This makes it easier for Iago Marriage is damnation
Tragedy Characteristics There is no conscience in Othello Shakespeare had a tragic obcession with the idea of a good name living on after the protagonist s death: Horatio to discuss Hamlet Cassio to tell of Othello Tragedies, literary or human, depend on imperfect knowledge Shakespeare came naturally to histories, comedies and romances, but tragedies took work The tragedies especially are not religious in any reguard No killer kills in the name of any god, ever War is the religion in Othello, Macbeth, Lear, and Romeo and Juliet (Tybalt)
Tragedy Characteristics Many critics rate Othello below Macbeth and Hamlet because: There is no extrinsic force operating Iago The evil is too pure There is no remorse shown Humans are too evil What do you think?
Characterization of Othello Even in his final suicide speech he does not achieve atonement Audience is more like Iago than Othello so he cannot be forgiven Othello does not have the power of expression of Hamlet or Macbeth: He is distinct, divided and flawed Has a Julius Caesar complex: Ambiguous Hard to tell when they are being arrogant or just stating facts Both refer to themselves in the third person
Characterization of Othello He is Iago s antitheses until he starts to come undone He should be a character in a romance, like Claudio or Benedick He is the wrong character in the right play Othello, analyst Brower believes, would have come apart from Desdemona without Iago Nothing in Othello is marriage material
Analyzing the Clowns The clowns scarcely come onto the stage and the play excludes all laughter Unlike the drunken porter in Macbeth The asp-bringer in Antony and Cleopatra
Tragic Flaw? It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,-- Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!-- It is the cause (V.ii.1-3)
What is it? What is the cause? Infidelity? Insanity? Sexuality? Love? Honor? Blood? Sin? Soul? Interior? Exterior?
Desdemona s Last Words OTHELLO: Think on thy sins. DESDEMONA: They are loves I bear to you. OTHELLO: Ay, and for that thou diest. (V.ii.40-41)
Desdemona s Last Words Othello admits that he is killing Desdemona for the love that she has for him Oedipal Complex Othello is playing the role of the father
Desdemona s Last Words (V.ii.118-126) DESDEMONA: A guiltless death I die. EMILIA: O, who hath done this deed? DESDEMONA: Nobody; I myself.
Desdemona s Last Words Who is responsible for Desdemona s death? Guiltless versus Guilty Guiltless Innocent because of loyalty? Guilty Desdemona has gotten herself into a quandary Doppelganger
Othello s Death Speech (V.ii.260-282) (V.ii.338-356) Do we believe his speech? Emphasis on his service to the state Gives him the justification to make a final speech
Othello s Death Speech Honor honorable murderer that loved not wisely but too well Switching between 1 st and 3 rd Person Oedipal Complex One point of view is the father One point of view is the husband
Iago s Last Words Demand me nothing: what you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word. (V.ii.303-304)
Iago s Last Words Notice the absence of a couplet Suggests a lack of closure We will never know exactly why Iago did what he did
Sources of Othello Shakespeare s source is Cinthio but he changed a few things: Iago is Shakespeare s own invention Cinthio s Ensign is Iago s basis but: Ensign falls in love with Desdemona She shuns him in favor of Othello Ensign blames it all on Cassio Ensign beats Desdemona to death The characters were flat, not round, and the shock and inwardness of a rejected solider is absent