Riassunti letteratura inglese: Shakespeare - Othello

OTHELLO

It has been written in 1603. It was written very short from Hamlet. It is based on an Italian story. It did not exist an English version at that time. The question is: did Shakespeare read the Italian version? Probably he did.

Othello is a black soldier living in Venice. There were blacks in England in Elizabethan time. Is he total black or brown (light black)? Probably he is sub-Saharan (there are some references in the play). In Shakespeare time there were few blacks, they were very often slaves under the Spanish, and when the English captured Spanish ships, they also captured the blacks, who were generally treated well in London. At the same time, there was a visit to London from the ambassador of Morocco. They were often called "Moors". There had been some debates about whether Othello must be a Moor only or as a black Moor. Anyway, the reference of his "thick-lips" reminds of his sub-Saharan origins. What is really important in this play is that a black man.

Othello has reached a very high position in the Venetian army, he's a man of great military ability but also a man of great linguistic ability. Othello is known as a general and he has great power, he married a girl named Desdemona. Iago is the one who carries the flag in a battle, but he is an officer. Rodrigo wants Desdemona and he wants to enjoy her.

The play begins with a dialogue between Rodrigo and Iago. Iago is Othello's friend (actually, he pretends to be his friend).

In this play Shakespeare is interested in the malleability of signs. The main sign in this play is the handkerchief (sign-interpretation-knowledge). Iago hates, but he does not have acceptable reasons to hate (like Hamlet and Brutus). Iago is negative, he wants to destroy people without a reason. He enjoys destroying Othello and Desdemona. Iago is considered the medieval figure of the devil or the bad angel. Directly from the "morality plays" of English ecclesiastic dramas, with a good angel and a back-angel.

Very often the bad angel is a humorous character, just like Iago.

PLOT

The main themes are jealousy, betrayal, racism, and revenge.

The story is set in Venice and Cyprus.

Othello the Moor is a noble black general in the Venetian army. He has secretly married a beautiful woman called Desdemona.

Desdemona is the daughter of the senator Brabantio. Her father, when he finds out, gets very angry and disowns her, using with her vulgar words also.

Othello and Desdemona leave for a war, but they travel in 2 different boats.

Othello's ensign, Iago secretly feels jealousy towards him, partly because another soldier (Cassio) has been promoted instead of him, and also because he suspects that Othello had a relation with his wife. So, he wants to revenge planting suspicions in Othello's mind that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him with Cassius: he manages to procure a handkerchief from Desdemona which was given to her by Othello. He plants it on Cassius's lodging, so that Othello see it.

Madden

by jealousy, Othello orders Iago to murder Cassius, and then he strangles Desdemona. But her innocence is immediately revealed and Iago's treason too.

In a fit of big remorse, Othello kills himself.

Iago: "I am not what I am" APPEARANCE differs from REALITY -> "An old black ram is tapping your white ewe" OBSCENE OXIMORO -> Othello is Christian. Othello's story: a story within a story -> He always repeats "story", "history", "hear", "ear", "heard".

Fair / black

The marriage between Othello and Desdemona has not been consummated yet. Iago: O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!

Desdemona: My lord is not my lord"

Emilia's speech is similar to

Shylock's speech. Enter Othello (DARK) with a light (LIGHT). - Othello makes his final speech as if it was a narration. then he stabs himselfnarration assimilated physically. ENSIGN, Iago is the SIGN. Othello's help is needed in the matter of the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Othello explains that he seduced Desdemona not by witchcraft but with the stories of his adventures in travelling on war. Iago suggests Roderigo to lead Cassio into disgrace by starting a fight with Cassius that evening. So Iago gets Cassius drunk and then sends Roderigo to start a fight. Othello arrives and asks who began the fight, Iago answered that it was Cassius. Othello strips Cassius of his rank of Lieutenant. Desdemona is sympathetic to Cassius's request and promises that she will do everything she can to convince Othello to forgive him. Desdemona and Othello go to dinner and a handkerchief falls from Desdemona's hand. Emilia picks up the handkerchief, giving it to Iago (who hasalways wanted to steal it).
Iago pants it in Cassius’s room as “evidence” of his relationship with Desdemona. When Othello demands “ocular proof”, Iago says that he has seen Cassius “wipe his beard” with Desdemona’s handkerchief (the most precious gift Othello ever gave her).
Through Iago machinations, Othello becomes so consumed by jealousy that he falls into a trance and has a fit of epilepsy. Once Othello recovers, Iago tells him about the meeting he has planned with Cassius. He says Othello to hide nearly and watch. Iago asks Cassius some information about Bianca, causing Cassius’s laughing.
Bianca enters with Desdemona’s handkerchief, reprimanding Cassius for making her copy out the embroidery of a token given by another woman. That night Othello accuses Desdemona too be a whore. She asserts her innocence.…
When Emilia enters and sees Othello lying in the bed, she asks Othello what happened, and Othello tells her he has killed.

Her for her infidelity. Montano, Graziano and Iago enter the room. Emilia realizes what Iago has done, and Iago attempts to silence Emilia. Once Emilia tells Othello that she had found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago, Othello begins to weep. Iago kills Emilia and tries to run, but he's caught. Othello wounds Iago. Othello makes a speech about how he would like to be remembered, then he stabs him. Da pag. 95 analisi delle scene chiave! They are going to kill Desdemona and Cassio. Bianca is Cassio's mistress. Act IV (...friend Cassio/my most Cassio and Bianca approach as they are only friends fair Bianca). She's the image of light and dark at the same time. We see Cassio as a lover for the first time + conception of the time in Shakespeare in Cassio's speech (time has passed because the two lovers have been separated). Jealous. Repeat the word in different contexts and motiveless. Jealousy circulates among the characters. Iago gives Desdemona's handkerchief to

Bianca. Othello's echoing Iago (Iago echoed Othello before). Split between public image and private image: public and private honourable but they do not correspond each other; they show they are honourable, but they have any quality of the interior man. lie

Shakespeare's joke of playing with in Othello's speech: Shakespeare is conscious of his linguistic abilities; language is fragmented. There's complete collapse of the man we will saw later on and full command of his language.

Iago: he repeats he knows who he is and, basically, he is saying that most men are cuckold!

Othello: standing at the back spying the conversation between Iago and Cassio.

Like in Hamlet and in Much Ado About Nothing, the character is just watching, and he'll understand. It's very common in Shakespeare's plays.

Later, they will be watching the play and finding an interpretation for it (everything is subjected to interpretation).

This is Iago's story. housewife:

Iago will be talking

about Bianca (and he describes her as an ancient colloquial term of prostitute) but Othello thinks he's referring to Desdemona. Cassio's gesture is interpreted as Desdemona's reference: Cassio knows Othello will interpret in a certain way and he knows how he should react, influenced by jealousy. Iago speaks loudly to be heard by Othello + Othello comments what they say by himself, even with insults. Customer: another reference to Bianca's profession. Othello speaks to himself and sometimes he speaks loudly to be almost heard by Cassio, while he tells the story. Did you note...? Did you perceive...? in Hamlet becomes in Othello (by Iago). Cassio is treating the women, Desdemona and Bianca, in exactly the same way, as prostitutes. Beauty in Desdemona is determinate to kill her. Othello wants to kill Desdemona with a poison but Iago does not agree and suggests to strangle her. It would be better and proper to kill Desdemona in the bed she has contaminated. Atonement: at

one.bring somethingDevil! + he does not want to see her anymore + Vulgar and sexual references(mistress, turn and go on) pretending she’s a prostitute + bestial references.Othello’s speaking to Lodovico but in fact he’s addressing to her.He’s that he is/ what he might be…: always the same deontological question (Iam what I am = a cuckold) and Iago cannot tell Lodovico the situationEmilia’s speaking of Iago and Othello thinks she refers to Cassio and his wifebawd whore)Emilia: Othello says she’s a / Desdemona: he says she’s aOthello pretends also that Desdemona is the whore and Emilia the womanwho does transactions.Upon my knees: indirect stage directions + she does not understand what’sgoing on.Othello: talk about Desdemona betrayal and making references to the idea ofbeing scorn by others because of that. There’s the need to endure and survivewhat people say: it is not simply a question of honour. He can’t overpass

The fact that she has betrayed him, because he really loves her! [he makes a beautiful description of what love is... but it is the wrong context and situation] black weed... Desdemona: but there is a contradiction: she's morally black but outside she's fair (black inside and fair externally). weed (in Hamlet) refers to random and uncontrolled sexuality. Very nasty words and speaking in order to shut up. Desdemona affirms she has never betrayed him and she is exhausted of discussing with him. Emilia is worried about what happened between Desdemona and Othello and prays Iago to help her. She describes her husband and Iago starts getting angry because of the relationship between Emilia and Othello.