LITERATURE: Discuss the presentation of disturbed characters in the works of

Shakespeare and Browning

Monday 11th November

Starter (In your Lit exercise books)What does it mean if a person is said to

be “disturbed?”Disturbed – Seen to be emotionally upset, troubled or

maladjusted. They may be agitated or emotionally unstable, having difficulty coping with personal

relationships; neurotic or psychotic.

Part 1 of Essay - Iago

• Your first section of the essay will be showing how Iago is represented as particularly “disturbed” – although you can pull evidence from every part of the play, we will be focusing on the language used in his soliloquies

• Iago as Machiavellian villain – Does he conform to the Machiavellian checklist?

The Machiavellian checklist:

• Is Iago a Machiavellian villain? We will need to look throughout Othello to find these characteristics of a typical Machiavellian villain within Iago.

• 1. Is Iago secretive?• 2. Is Iago manipulative and cunning?• 3. Does Iago show a lack of morals?• 4. Is Iago obsessed with goals,

convinved the ends are justified?

Part 1 of Essay - Iago

Language used to show Iago’s “disturbed” character includes the following:• Animal imagery• Heaven and Hell imagery• Light and dark & other opposites (to

show his “two-faced” nature• Poisoning and violence• Jealousy as a motive

Imagery Examples from play Significance

Heaven and hell

• Lots! Eg.• “Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you” (Act

1 Scene 1, Line 92 – Iago)• “Some swift means of death for the fair devil” (Act

3, Scene 4, Lines 474-5 - Othello)

Iago as satanic figure who uses the evils of hell – corrupts Othello and sends him to hell (for murder and suicide) Destroys Othello’s soul – he is a Christian at the start.

Animals (bestiality)

Iago to Brabantio (A1S1), Iago speaking to Roderigo (A1 S3),

Light & dark

Iago to Brabantio (A1S1)

Poisoning & violence

Act 2 Scene 3 (Sol2), Act 3 Scene 3 (L335)

Jealousy Act 1 Scene 3 Solioquy – Iago uses jealousy as a motive: Is this believable? Has accused both Cassio and Othello of sleeping with his wife..

Look for imagery in Iago’s languageFocusing mainly on the first two soliloquies: Solioquy 1: Act 1 Scene 3

Solioquy 2: Act 2 Scene 3

Part 2 of Essay - Othello

• It could be argued that Othello becomes “disturbed” as the play went on – Compare the cool and calm way he speaks at the Duke’s council when Brabantio accuses him of witchcraft

• Remember this line from the movie: “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! And when I love thee not Chaos is come again.”

• This is the turning point – Othello’s language after this point becomes more and more like Iago: as he too becomes “disturbed” by the end – resulting in Desdemona’s death and his own suicide