lecture 10 othello the moor of venice

59
Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE Critical Focus on Act 5, Scene 1

Upload: julie

Post on 11-Feb-2016

53 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE. Critical Focus on Act 5, Scene 1. Entry point through the form and choice of speech of characters. All human speech reveals states of mind; focus on diction, and imagery;]]] - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Critical Focus on Act 5, Scene 1

Page 2: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Entry point through the form and choice of speech of characters

All human speech reveals states of mind; focus on diction, and imagery;]]]

And a character is just as capable of seducing and misleading an audience as s/he is of seducing and misleading another character;

Asides and Soliloquies involve a character talking to the audience; some sort of relationship is thus established between audience and charac

Page 3: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Essay

‘Othello is powerless, and Iago the real enemy.’

Discuss the presentation of the character of Othello in the light of this statement, and relate your discussion to the theme of the individual and society more generally.

Page 4: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

The interplay between what society expects and individual freedom;

Page 5: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Prefacing remarks regarding recent ‘Reading Literature’ exam paper

Recall Section B, 2 (a) essay question Re- Shakespeare delights in human

inconsistencies… Careful reading of question? What sense can be attached to the

playwright “delights”…? Context? Plot Structure? Dramatically?

Page 6: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Othello examination essay question

Show how the playwright delights in human inconsistencieswhich contribute tothe major themes of the play.

Page 7: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Inconsistency?

Changeable; contrary; fluctuating; shifting incompatible; inconsonant; inconstant; unstable; unsteady; unsuitable Vacillating; variable; varying;

Page 8: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Playwright (Shakespeare) delights

How can I, or anyone tell? Good test of De Bono style lateral thinking Who gets the best lines? The best

speeches? The most memorable and impacting role? All of which must be considered in context E.g. The socio-cultural context of the world of

the play

Page 9: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Interesting ironic & ironising reversals

Who does not like to reverse, turn round or undermine our anticipations / expectations?

It can be very pleasure giving; evident in this play? Popular and common cultural stereotypes of Africans

(Venetian expectations of Othello?) Promiscuous; Polygamous; uncouth; no concept of

love and fidelity; of romantic feelings? Deficient in standards of cultivated expression Incapable of self-discipline; easy-going; too relaxed

Page 10: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Re- Iago

No sense of honesty; trustworthiness; loyalty, fairness; justice?

Barbaric? Iago, the real barbarian of the play Ironic contrasts in Iago’s character Iago as rough in his speech; acts uncultured; Iago as the one who obviously thinks and

speaks a great deal about lust; about women

Page 11: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Iago (in contrast with Othello)

Iago as the one who has no real religious (Christian), or moral values; who only really cares about himself; worships himself alone

Iago as the one who cannot be trusted; as the dark, diabolical prince of darkness; of dishonesty; of deception; of discrimination, of destruction

Iago as the real black devil; dark savage The barbarian; one ready to expunge even the good; the

innocent; the well-meaning; the virtuous ; Roderigo: O damned Iago! O inhuman dog! p223

Page 12: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Noteworthy words of IAGO

‘To gross the clasps of a lascivious Moor’

‘Though I do hate him as I hate hell pains’ ‘It is merely a lust of the blood’

‘The Moor is of a free and open nature, // That thinks men honest

Page 13: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Iago: [from Act 2 Scene 1]

‘Her eye must be fed. And what delight shall she have to look at the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour, sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all of which the Moor is defective in.’

Page 14: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

And yet?Iago, the intellectual, the philosopher?

Iago, just another ordinary soldier? Rank? Recall and Note: an ancient / an ensign Thus, he is an officer of the lowest

commissioned rank in the military chain of command

But— No typical soldier is IAGO

Page 15: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Recall Iago expounding on Free Will in Act 1, Scene 3:

’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Ourare our gardens, to the which our wills aregardeners….either to have it sterile withidleness or manured with industry, why thepower and corrigible authority of this lies in ourwills…We have reason to cool our ragingmotions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts…

Page 16: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

‘Delight’ proportionate to the degree and quantity of human inconsistencies

Shakespeare very greatly, and very frequently takes immense pleasure in not only reminding, but in showing his audience they cannot rely on cultural or sexual stereotypes

Indeed, the WHITE IAGOs of this world not only may well be, but more often than not really are the darkest, most diabolical villains of all

Page 17: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

We can sense Shakespeare’s delight

For IAGO in the play Othello (and his fellow IAGOs in the real everyday world)

They have turned the act of evil into fine art They are able to practice being evil with

others thinking and believing they are good ‘Good Iago’; Honest Iago; Brave Iago ‘That one may smile, and smile, and be

villain’ [Echoing famous words in ‘Hamlet’]

Page 18: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Act 5,Scene 1Iago’s Malice—The Final Stage

Page 19: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

The Tragic Downfall of OthelloTragedy / Tragic Drama

For the Tragic Hero, there is always a fall arising from flaw in his character;

Situation changes from well-being to misfortune Tragic hero need not be unusually virtuous or

just; yet potentially, a noble person; but he should be someone whose misfortunes

are brought about by some error of judgment on his part

Page 20: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

This error of judgment arises from some flaw in his character; some human weakness;

It is essential that to some extent he contributes to his own downfall

And then by suffering as a result, he acquires self-knowledge, and so purges his faults / wrongdoings

Page 21: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

How does Othello fulfill the role of Tragic Hero? Think critically!

Where does the problem lie in Othello? Flaw? Does the high regard with which he is held in Venice cause him to believe in his own power and become convinced of his own merit?Is he too proud? Too unrealistic?Does his preoccupation with military duty and war render him unfit to conceive of any other way of life besides militaristic affairs?

Page 22: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Is he incapable of seeing marriage as a partnership?

Is he overly credulous? Is his tragic flaw jealousy? Is he overly concerned with his reputation? Is he inherently vindictive and violent?

Page 23: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Note the Atmosphere on stage

The scene is set in darkness Lodovico: ’Tis heavy night. p221 The action and busy movement of this scene

contrasts with the quiet passivity of previous ‘Willow’ scene i.e. Scene 3, of Act 4

Noise, confusion, rapid movement, And murder Begins with conspiratorial whispering; and ends with

a brutal murder

Page 24: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Dramatic purpose of Act 5 Scene 1

To present a scene full of action To give the audience a last look at Roderigo To put into action Iago’s plot to have both

Roderigo, and Cassio killed To keep Othello before the mind of the

audience (appears only briefly in this scene) To prepare the audience for the downfall of

Iago; indeed, to show his first ever set-back

Page 25: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Dramatic Techniques

Copia Verborum / Copia; also Enumeration Antithesis; Parallelism Foreshadowing Imagery; Symbolism Irony: dramatic irony, when the audience knows

something that one or more than one of the characters do not;

verbal irony, when someone says something and means another;

Page 26: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Poetic Language / Poetic Drama

Heightened poetic language

Rhyme Patterned sounds to highlight and reinforce

meaning and message;

Compulsive Rhythms

Page 27: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Copia Verborum / CopiaWarriors in Wars of Words

Abundance of words, for verbal fencing; Use of lengthy speeches, Othello and Iago Used as a rhetorical device / technique; Employing a large army of skillfully chosen and well

arranged words to pack a powerful series of effectively delivered punches or hammer strikes to drive your point home; to sink your point into those with seemingly thick, impenetrable skulls, so that they get and accept your message, your point of view

Page 28: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Characters’ Diction / Speech Style

Characters’ choice and use of Saxon words: Plain, simple, short, monosyllabic words;

Characters’ choice and use ofLatinated words: Formal, complex, long, polysyllabic words

Page 29: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Noticing words that are frequently repeated; word patterns

Note characters’ choice and use of simple, short words used quite frequently, and with increasing dramatic significance?

‘honest’; ‘honesty’; ‘honour’; ‘honourable’; ‘good’; ‘true’; ‘truly’;

‘dishonest’; ‘villain’; ‘villainy’; ‘knave’; ‘slave’; ‘dog’; ‘devil’; ‘gross’

Page 30: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Diction / word choice, and literary-critical significance

Entry point through word choice / language;

Consider how the choice of these words reflects on the character using them; And what they reveal about his or her attitude to the character spoken about;Notice there is also an element of irony in the use of these words;

Page 31: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Characters’ Diction

You should also notice how often characters refer or appeal to such words as‘heaven’ or ‘hell’; and are concerned about the ‘soul’;The frequency of this simple vocabulary makes it clear how much the play is concerned with…?With human values, and divine values Dramatic effects;

Page 32: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Scene takes place in darkness made apparent to audience through hints—

Cassio: O help, ho! Light! A surgeon! Lodovico: Two or three groan. It is a heavy

night. Gratiano: Here’s one comes in his shirt, with

light and weapons. Iago: Kill men i’th’dark? Where be these

bloody thieves?

Page 33: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Enter Iago & Roderigo

Iago to Roderigo: Here, stand behind this bulk: straight willhe come. // Wear thy good rapier bare, and putit home, // Quick, quick; fear nothing: I’ll be atthy elbow. // It makes us or mars us; think onthat, // And fix most firm thy resolution.

Here we see a firm and determined IAGO

Page 34: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Then enters Cassio followed by a flurry of violent action

After the wounding of Roderigo and Cassio when all is increasing confusion in darkness

Othello makes a brief appearance Comes on stage at a point whereby he becomes

indirectly a party to a treacherous and cowardly attack on Cassio

Page 35: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Diction? What words critically stand out in Othello’s praise of Iago?

And Othello on hearing the victim, Cassio, cry in pain Othello remarks:’Tis he! O brave Iago, honest and just,That hast such noble sense of thy friend’swrong, // Thou TEACHEST me.

Note significance of Othello’s diction

Page 36: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Re Othello, and dramatic effects

Change? (Tragic downfall of Othello) From noble Moor to base Moor;

Surely nothing shows more clearly the present debasement of his once honourable and noble character

Than at this point [in 5.1] when Othello does become a party to this treacherous and cowardly attack on Cassio

Page 37: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Note Othello’s diction, and dramatic effects

And note the critically significant words here: “brave”, “honest”, “just”, “noble” Indicating symptoms of a now perverted and

debased mind Where good values have been transformed

into bad; Where evil now seems right

Page 38: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

DRAMATIC EFFECT?

And what the audience comes to painfully realize on hearing Othello say:

Thou teachest meThe shocking, evil, tragic truth

Page 39: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

And IRONY? Ironic effects

Othello’s interpretation of character and event is the source of much irony

His reference to Iago’s honesty and justice is exploited many times in the play

In the light of what we know of Iago’s part in this particular enterprise

‘O brave Iago’ is another instance of deception

Page 40: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

And thus marks Othello yet again as a victim of irony

Is Iago really that brave? We notice Iago lurks in the background Ordering Roderigo instead to make the

attempt on Cassio’s life Only when Roderigo fails does Iago step in

Page 41: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

After which we next hear Othello say—

‘Strumpet, I come!Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, areblotted;Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood bespotted.’

[Exit Othello]

Page 42: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Othello regrets what he has set out to do; He conjures up an image of killing Desdemona

in her bed, but this mental image of the outspread blood blotted bedsheets begins to call to his mind the handkerchief;

The bed in his mind is stained with lust, echoing Desdemona’s infidelities with Cassio

And will be spotted with the blood of lust

Page 43: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Exit Othello

So the Moor leaves the stage with an indication that Desdemona will be the next to suffer

It is also ironic he should take Iago’s ‘brave’ activity as an incitement to act against Desdemona

However the impending tragedy is delayed for a short period of time; (Dramatic Effect?)

Creating further suspense; As the uproar spreads with the comments made by

Lodovico, and also Gratiano Iago’s stabbing of Roderigo, and entry of Bianca

Page 44: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Iago the ever ready master of improvisation

Iago ever ready to seize every opportunity Fastens upon Bianca as a possible scapegoat

for what has happened Thereby reaching a further height of hypocrisy

when as Iago says:

Look you, pale mistress?Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?

Page 45: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

And Iago continues…

Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.Behold her well; I pray you look upon her.Do you see, gentlemen? Nay, guiltiness willspeakThough tongues were out of use.

Rhetorical effectiveness? Convincingness? This is villainy supreme…

Page 46: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

And re Iago

After Iago cunningly concealed himself while Roderigo on orders did the dirty work

(Looks and sounds familiar to the audience?) Iago then emerges to play up the role of brave

and helpful citizen And pretending to be shocked beyond measure

by the villainies of others And even winning the admiration of Lodovico

who finds Iago a very valiant fellow

Page 47: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Lodovico on Iago

Gratiano: This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it.

Lodovico: The same indeed, a very valiant fellow.

Page 48: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

To be noted: Iago and ironic humour **

In Iago’s question to Cassio:O my lieutenant, what villains have done this?Dramatic Effects?There is surely a touch of ironic humour hereAudience members can imagine the satisfaction the use of the word ‘lieutenant’ must give Iago in this context.

Page 49: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Re- Motivation of Iago’s evil towards Cassio?

One of the most suggestive (sub-textual) clues to Iago’s motivation to do evil?

is perhaps to be found in Iago’s characterization of Cassio at the beginning of this scene [p219]

Iago cannot tolerate Cassio’s continued existence because as we note him say:

‘He hath a daily beauty in his life // That makes me ugly’

Page 50: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Iago

The contemplation of beauty, grace, happiness or nobility,

In Othello, or Cassio or Desdemona destroys Iago’s peace of mind He therefore feels compelled to undermine or

eradicate or destroy such virtues Whenever, wherever in whomever he finds

them

Page 51: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Significant echoes of crucial events in earlier scenes in Act 5, Scene 1?

Othello’s few moments at the scene of Cassio’s injury take the mind of the audience back to Othello’s intervention—

To what earlier scene in the play?

The Brawl Scene; Act 2, Scene 2 The brawl that led to Cassio’s dismissal;

Page 52: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

(Cont)Antithesis of earlier later scenes

In that earlier scene Othello was A majestic, authoritative figure

Lording it over everybody and everything around him by virtue of his mere presence

‘Hold, for you lives!’

Page 53: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Cont.

But now Othello pauses like a thief in the night, degraded to that of a mere conspirator

We observe Othello’s onstage actions; (sub-textual implications?)

Othello remains concealed from view while he relishes Iago’s treacherous attempt on Cassio’s life

Page 54: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Cont.

Even the noble, sonorous music of his early grand speeches is no longer in evidence

His few lines addressed to Cassio referring to and foretelling Desdemona’s fate:

‘Minion, your dear lies dead’

Are strident and melodramatic

Page 55: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

To conclude this segment re- echoing of earlier scenes

We observe Emilia declare her outrage upon hearing Bianca’s claim to be as ‘honest’ as herself. ‘O fie upon thee, strumpet!’

But audience will recall an earlier scene when Desdemona made a similar claim but was also not believed. What scene?

The Brothel Scene Act 4, Scene 2 Othello: ‘Are you not a strumpet?’ p191

Page 56: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Up to this Act, fortune favoured Iago Accidents and coincidences had always worked

in his favour; However— Had not anticipated Cassio would be wearing a

coat of mail armour; Recall Cassio’s words: ‘That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, // But

that my coat is better than thou think’st // I will make proof of thine.’

Page 57: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Furthermore Iago had not anticipated either that Lodovico and Gratiano

Would come upon the scene when they did And thereby prevent him being able to be at

Roderigo’s elbow to add his sword Their untimely entrance prevented him from

being able to kill Cassio

Page 58: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Note Iago’s concluding [ASIDE]

This is the night That either makes me, or fordoes me quite

Prompting the audience to think back to Iago’s initial words to Roderigo (now dead) at the beginning of this scene:

It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,

Page 59: Lecture 10 OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE

Antithesis: word against word;scene against scene; and characters

One word or phrase set against another Note: Shakespeare thinks antithetically; It’s the way his sentences over and over find their

shape Antithetical words and phrases; Note what words are set against each other; Earlier scenes and later scenes; earlier words and later

words And point up their critical significance