OTHELLO: Act 1 Notes

Dramatis Personae

Duke of Venice

Othello: Moor, married to Desdoma

Iago: Solider in Othellos army

Cassio: Lieutenant in Othellos army

Desdemona: Othellos wife

Emilia: Iagos wife

Rodreigo: Solider, love Desdemona

Act I Scene 1 Read I.1.113-114

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.

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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.

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.

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.

Analysis: Metaphors and Paradox

"These fellows" that flatter for their own purposes "have some soul," Iago says

There is a double irony in this statement that Iago passes off as a truth

People who act one way and are another are duplicitous, and scarcely deserve the credit that Iago is trying to give them.

Iago, though he is one of those fellows, seems to have no soul

He never repents, never lets up with his schemes, and never seems to tire of damaging whatever he is able to.

"In following [Othello] I follow but myself," Iago also professes

This is a paradox in terms, but is revealing of Iago's purposes in serving Othello.

His language is revealing of his dark character;

He uses the clich "I will wear my heart upon my sleeve" to convey how his heart is false, and his shows of emotion are also falsified

He turns this clich into something more dark and fierce, when he adds the image of the birds tearing at this heart

He has foreshadowed the great deceptions that he will engineer, and the sinister qualities that make up his core.

Analysis: Parallels

The key to Iago's character is in the line "I am not what I am

Roderigo should take this as a warning, but fails to.

Everything which Iago presents himself as is a false show

This first scene represents the peak of Iago's honesty about himself with another character.

Iago is parallel to another character, Richard III, in his self-awareness about his villainous character

He is parallel in lack of remorse and use of false representations of himself.

Analysis: Racism

Racial issues and themes which are at the core of Othello's story and position are beginning to surface.

When Roderigo refers to Othello, he calls him "the thick lips

This singles out one prominent characteristic of Othello's foreignness and black heritage

It displays a racial distrust of Othello based on his color.

Roderigo and Iago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to Othello

Racism is a pervasive theme within the work, spreading misconceptions and lies about Othello by tying him to incorrect stereotypes.

Analysis: Juxtaposition

Another element that surfaces repeatedly in the play is the use of animal imagery; "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe," Iago yells to Brabantio

The use of animal imagery is used in many places in the play to convey immorality and illicit passion, as it does in this instance.

Iago also compares Othello to a "Barbary horse" coupling with Desdemona, and uses animal imagery to reinforce a lustful picture of Othello

Iago's statement is doubly potent, since it not only condemns Othello for his alleged lust, but also plays on Brabantio's misgivings about Othello's color

The juxtaposition of black and white, in connection with the animal imagery, is meant to make this image very repellent, and to inflame Brabantio to anger and action.

Analysis: Devils

Iago especially mentions the devil many times in the text

The first time here in the first scene to make Othello sound like a devil with:

lust

indiscretion

strangeness

The irony is that Iago is so quick to make others out to be evil

The devil often takes disguises, just as Iago does embodying the theme of appearance vs. reality

He is the one who looks least guilty.

Analysis: Imagery and Setting

Important to this scene is the fact that it is held in

darkness

Like the beginning of Hamlet, things are

unsteady and eerie, and disorder rules.

With Brabantio's call for light, there is a

corresponding call for some kind of order:

darkness vs. light

order vs. disorder

Both important juxtapositions within the play

they highlight the status of situations

These themes will appear again at the end, as

the play returns to darkness, and chaos

Act I Scene 2

Read I.2.1115-1116

Iago has now joined Othello, and has told Othello about Roderigo's betrayal of the news of his marriage.

He tells Othello that Brabantio is upset, and will probably try to tear Desdemona from him.

Cassio comes at last, as do Roderigo and Brabantio

Iago threatens Roderigo with violence, again making a false show of his loyalty to Othello.

Brabantio swears that Othello must have bewitched his daughter, and that the state will not decide for him in this case.

Othello says that the Duke must hear him, and decide in his favor, or all is far from right in Venice.

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Analysis: Janus

Iago continues his deliberate misrepresentation:

Swearing to Othello that he could have killed

Roderigo for what he did.

Iago is a very skilled actor:

He is able to successfully present a contrary

appearance

Ironically, Iago alludes to Janus, the two-faced

god, in his conversation with Othello.

Since Iago himself is two-faced Janus seems to

be a fitting figure for Iago to invoke.

Analysis

Iago's duplicity is again exhibited in this scene as his tone swings:

friendly to backbiting as soon as Othello steps away

back to his original friendliness when Othello returns.

Iago acted supportive of Othello's marriage to Desdemona

Cassio enters and uses a rather uncomplimentary metaphor to tell what Othello has done:

"He tonight hath boarded a land-carrack"

Iago tells Cassio:

His diction and choice of metaphor make Othello into some kind of pirate

stealing Desdemona's love

Cassio reduces Desdemona into a mere prize to be taken.

Iago will soon want Cassio to think of Desdemona as an object to be taken, and to believe Othello to be less honorable than he is.

Analysis: Pride

Othello's pride first becomes visible here

He is exceptionally proud of his achievements and his public stature

Pride is a huge theme of Othello's story.

He is proud of Desdemona's affection for him

He would not give her up "for the seas' worth," he says (l. 28).

Othello is very confident in his worth, and in the respect he commands

If the leaders of the city decide to deny a worthy man like him his marriage to Desdemona, then he believes:

"bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be."

This statement of paradox betrays Othello's faith in the state and in the Duke's regard for him; hopefully, neither will fail him.

Analysis: Racism and Magic

The issue of race comes to the forefront, as Brabantio confronts Othello about his marriage to Desdemona.

Desdemona never would have "run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of a thing such as thou," Brabantio says (l. 71-2).

Brabantio assumes that Desdemona must have been "enchanted" to marry Othello merely because Othello is black

Brabantio ignores all of Othello's good qualities, and gives into his racist feelings.

Magic is another recurrent theme, and here is linked to stereotypes of African peoples as:

knowing the black arts of magic

being pagans

being lusty

The theme of magic does not always play into the theme of race within the play

Analysis: Stereotypes and History

At the time Shakespeare was writing, there were in fact free blacks in England

However, racism was even more pronounced in Shakespeare's England than it is in Othello

A character like Othello could not have risen to such ranks in England at the time

Shakespeare's play is much more progressive than the time in which it was written.

Othello even manages to avoid stereotype more effectively than another Shakespearean character like Shylock

Stereotypes are linked to Othello by other characters, but he manages to evade them through his nobility and individuality.

Act I Scene 3

Military conflict is challenging the Venetian stronghold of Cyprus

There are reports that Turkish ships are heading toward the island, which means some defense will be necessary.

Brabantio and Othello enter the assembled Venetian leaders, who are discussing this military matter

Brabantio announces his grievance against Othello for marrying his daughter.

Othello addresses the company, admitting that he did marry Desdemona, but wooed her with stories, and did her no wrongs.

Desdemona comes to speak, and she confirms Othello's words:

Brabantio's grievance is denied

Desdemona will indeed stay with Othello.

Othello is called away to Cyprus, to help with the conflict there

Othello and Desdemona win their appeal, and Desdemona is to stay with Iago, until she can come to Cyprus and meet Othello there.

Act I Scene 3

Read I.3.1-120

Roderigo is upset that Desdemona and

Othello's union was allowed to stand

He lusts after Desdemona.

Iago assures him that the match will not last

long, and at any time, Desdemona could

come rushing to him.

Iago wants to break up the couple, using

Roderigo as his pawn, out of malice and his

wicked ability to do so.

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Analysis: Brabantio

Brabantio again accuses Othello of bewitching his

daughter, and airs his racism-based views.

He is not against the match because of any

incompatibility of the couple

His metaphor of his grief as a flood, that "engluts and

swallows other sorrows, and is still itself," means that he

feels very strongly on this issue.

His strong objection foreshadows a confrontation

between him and his daughter

If Desdemona does choose to stay with Othello, it seems

likely that she will risk her father's love.

Analysis: Tragedy

Othello's appointment to Cyprus marks the

true beginning of his tragedy

He will be much more vulnerable to Iago's

vicious attacks on his love and jealousy.

This battle between order and chaos is a

theme running throughout the play

As Othello sinks deeper into distrust of

Desdemona and is more consumed by his

jealousy, chaos increases and threatens to

devour him.

Analysis: Verse vs. Couple

The Duke's words of advice to the couple also mark the beginning of their tragic story

The Duke foretells trouble between the couple if they do not let grievances go, which ends up being a reason for Othello's fall.

The change of the verse into couplets signals the importance of the advice being offered.

The words of the Duke, and Brabantio's words that follow, are set off from the rest of the text and emphasized by this technique

The reader is notified, through the couplet rhyme, which hasn't appeared before in the text, that these are words that must be marked.

Analysis: Othellos Tragic Flaw

The only magic that Othello possesses is in his power of

language.

His language shows his pride in his achievements

Othello portrays himself as a tested, honorable warrior,

and indeed is such.

This view of himself will prove troublesome when he is

hard pressed to recognize his jealousy and his lust

His inability to reconcile himself with these two aspects

of his personality means that his comeuppance is almost

certain.

Othello's lack of self-knowledge means that he will be

unable to stop himself once Iago begins to ignite his

jealousy

Analysis: Allusions

Othello's speech before the assembly shows what he

believes Desdemona's love to be:

He thinks that Desdemona's affection is a form of hero-worship

She loves him for the stories he tells, and the things he has

done.

He believes it is his allusions to strange peoples and

places, like the "Anthropophagi," that fascinate her

Indeed, his powers of language successfully win the

Duke over, and soften Brabantio's disapproval.

Analysis: White and Black

Light and dark are again juxtaposed in the Duke's declaration to Brabantio, that:

"if virtue no delighted beauty lack/ your son-in-law is far more fair than black."

Black is associated with sin, evil, and darkness;

These negative things are also associated to black people, merely because of the color of their skin.

The Duke's statement is ironic, since Othello is black, but truthful, because his soul is good and light.

Light/white/fairness all convey innocence, goodness, any symbol that is white has these qualities.

The juxtaposition of black and white, light and dark shows up again and again in the play, as the colors become symbolic within the story.

Analysis: Origin of Chaos

"Our bodies are our gardens," Iago tells Roderigo

his speech recalls Hamlet's first soliloquy, though with a more kind appraisal of human nature.

Iago is a very good judge of human nature, and easily able to manipulate people in ways that will benefit him most

This cleverness also means that he is a source of wisdom in the play

Iago's metaphor is particularly applicable to many in this play, himself excluded; characters do have vices that they allow to grow in themselves

They also have aspects of themselves which balance these vices out.

Iago's knowledge of this allows him to do away with this balance and set chaos into motion

Analysis: Cross Purposes

Iago's purpose becomes plain: He sees that Othello and Desdemona's marriage is less than

solid

He seeks to use his powers to break this marriage apart.

Iago is again "honest" about his intent, but only to a person whose involvement will help him greatly.

The words "honest" and "honesty" appear repeatedly in the play, and are usually used by Iago, or in reference to him

Ironically, Iago is the only person in the play whom Othello trusts to judge who is and is not honest

In Medias Res

Latin phrase meaning into the middle of things

Therefore, the conversation is lacking concrete meaning

Relationship to the text?

Terminology

Recurring Imagery

Animal Imagery

Body Part Imagery

Animal Imagery

Often in reference to Othello and sex

Even now, now, very now, an old black

ram/ Is tupping your white ewe(I.i.87-

88)

Racism?

Images suggest Othello is not human

Purpose of Body Part Imagery

I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For

daws to peck at(I.i.63-64)

The interior becomes vulnerable when it is

placed on the exterior.

Iago

Iago seems to be proud of himself but hints he would like to be someone else

a sense of fear is presented ..I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For daws to peck

at(I.i.63-64)

If he opens up, he will be devoured

I am not what I am.(I.i.64)

Makes sense (I am not who you think I am or I am not what I appear to be)

Makes no sense (if taken literally)

Difference Between Iago and Othello

Othello, on the other hand, says I am who

I am

Let him do his spite./ My services which I

have done the signory/ Shall out-tongue his

complaints(I.ii.17-19)

My parts, my title, and my perfect soul/ Shall

manifest me rightly(I.ii.31-32)

Difference Between Iago and Othello

Perfect soul

In its original Latin, the word perfect meant put

through no cracks.

Extremismif a small crack appears, then

perfection is spoiled and therefore that

which was once perfect has now crumbled.

More Differences Between Iago and Othello

Iago focuses on the interior, or soul

working for yourself shows the most soul

(I.i.43-54)

Iago and Humanism vs. Animalism

Controlling Others

servant/master relationship

two types of servants

Two Types of Servants

(I.i.43-47)

the servant who only lives to serve the master will one day be disposed of when he becomes useless to the master

this type of servant is not selfish and therefore will suffer because of his lack of selfishness

(I.i.47-54)

This type of servant gives the false appearance of selflessness

In reality, this servant is focusing completely on self

Therefore, he gets something out of the relationship

Cyclical Nature of the Text

Opening act begins and ends the same

way

Iago explaining the events to Roderigo

Happens quite frequently

Iago often ends acts re-explaining

what has happened