Othello:Othello:Written in 1604

First published in 1623 as part of First Folio

Major Characters

Duke of VeniceOthello: Moor, married to DesdemonaIago: Solider in Othello’s armyCassio: Lieutenant in Othello’s armyDesdemona: Othello’s wifeEmilia: Iago’s wifeRoderigo: Solider, loves Desdemona

Othello:Othello:

Setting (time) · Late sixteenth century, during the wars between Venice and Turkey

Setting (place) · Venice in Act I; the island of Cyprus thereafter

CharactersCharacters

LodovicoLodovico GratianoGratiano IagoIago Michael CassioMichael Cassio RoderigoRoderigo OthelloOthello

BiancaBianca EmiliaEmilia DesdemonaDesdemona BrananzioBrananzio MontanoMontano

Story of OthelloStory of Othello

•Othello is a Moor in Venice, who has attained success as a renowned general and has married fair Desdemona. Iago, his ancient, envies him and resents the fact that Cassio has been named Othello's lieutenant.

They are all sent to Cyprus to defend the island from an attack that never comes.

Story of OthelloStory of Othello

•There, Iago plots against Othello, cunningly making him believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.

Iago is constantly maneuvering other characters and makes an ideal villain, so clever and cynical, as well as close to his victim.

Major ConflictMajor Conflict

Othello and Desdemona marry and Othello and Desdemona marry and attempt to build a life together, attempt to build a life together, despite their differences in age, race, despite their differences in age, race, and experience. Their marriage is and experience. Their marriage is sabotaged by the envious Iago, who sabotaged by the envious Iago, who convinces Othello that Desdemona is convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful. unfaithful.

Acts I & IIActs I & II

The Play took place in Venice and the Island Cyprus in early 16th century. Othello has secretly married Desdemona, the younger daughter of the Senator Brabantio. Iago, who once loved Desdemona and told her so didn’t get her love in return, so he wanted revenge. He also didn’t get the position as Othello’s Lieutenant like he wanted. He then had his inexperienced follower, Roderigo, to inform Desdemona’s father of the scandelous marriage. One he found out he went to Othello’s house, but violence was post poned because of the report of an attack on cyprus from armed Turkish Galleys.

Act III Act III

Iago’s plan turned now Iago’s plan turned now to lies, he saw that to lies, he saw that Roderigo his partner Roderigo his partner had a “thing” for had a “thing” for Desdemona, Iago told Desdemona, Iago told Roderigo that he could Roderigo that he could get Desdemona to get Desdemona to love him back. He also love him back. He also said that Cassio was said that Cassio was Desdemona’s latest Desdemona’s latest love, so Roderigo love, so Roderigo needed to kill Cassio.needed to kill Cassio.

Act IVAct IV

That night Iago got Cassio drunk and a That night Iago got Cassio drunk and a brawl turned into a riot. After Othello brawl turned into a riot. After Othello heard about the riot he demoted Cassio heard about the riot he demoted Cassio from lieutenant. Desdemona tried to get from lieutenant. Desdemona tried to get Cassie and Othello to be friends again. Cassie and Othello to be friends again. That gave Iago another idea, a way to That gave Iago another idea, a way to convince the Moor of her “natural convince the Moor of her “natural attraction” to Florentine.attraction” to Florentine.

Over time Othello got very jealous.Over time Othello got very jealous.

Act VAct V Iago killed Cassio and Iago killed Cassio and

Rodergio. Later that night Rodergio. Later that night Othello spilled out all the Othello spilled out all the information to Desdemona information to Desdemona about hearing about her about hearing about her cheating on him. He also told cheating on him. He also told her about Cassio being dead, her about Cassio being dead, she burst into tears and that she burst into tears and that made Othello mad, so he made Othello mad, so he smothered her with a pillow. smothered her with a pillow. Later on, he finds out that Later on, he finds out that what Iago had said and done what Iago had said and done was all a huge lie. Feeling so was all a huge lie. Feeling so guilty, Othello raised his guilty, Othello raised his dagger and stabbed himself dagger and stabbed himself in the heart.in the heart.

Othello and his tragic flawsOthello and his tragic flaws•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

Othello and his tragic flawsOthello and his tragic flaws

•There is no conscience in Othello•Shakespeare had a tragic obsession with the idea of a good name living on after the protagonist’s death:•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 regard•No killer kills in the name of any god, ever•War is the religion in Othello, Macbeth, Lear, and Romeo and Juliet (Tybalt)

Othello and his tragic flawsOthello and his tragic flaws

•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.

Iago’s purpose is to take revenge on the world. He is consumed by hatred.The catalyst for this arises from his revulsion when Othello awards a promotion to Cassio that, in Iago’s view, should have rightly gone to himself.Iago displays himself as an honest and trustworthy character, but at every juncture conducts himself with cunning and malicious intent.Iago is himself consumed by his own hatred as illustrated when he slays his own wife, Emilia.

Iago Iago

Iago is able to maintain a façade of honesty and dependability because:

•He relies on his past reputation•He recognises the faults in the other characters and acts to widen those faults•He has excellent rhetorical and verbal skills and

always twists and mixes truth with lies•He leads the other characters down paths but then allows the characters to reach their own

conclusions, based on Iago’s understanding of their own faults

Iago Iago

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Appearance vs. reality: Especially relevant to the issue of Iago's character; for although he is called "honest" by almost everyone in the play, he is treacherous, deceitful, and manipulative. Also applies to Desdemona, as Othello believes that she is deceitful and impure, although she is really blameless and innocent.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Race: Race is an extremely important theme; it has a great amount of influence on how people regard Othello. Race also determines how Othello perceives himself as a rough outsider, though he is nothing of the sort. Othello's race sets him apart, and makes him very self-conscious; it makes him work hard and look carefully after his reputation, so he is regarded as equal to the white people that surround him. .

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Magic: Usually has something to do with Othello's heritage. Othello is charged with using magic to woo Desdemona, merely because he is black, and therefore, "pagan." Yet, Othello does have real magic, in the words he uses and the stories he tells.Magic also reappears when Desdemona's handkerchief cannot be found; Othello has too much trust in the symbolism and charm of the handkerchief, which is why the object is so significant to him.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Pride: Especially important with regards to Othello; Othello is defensively proud of himself and his achievements, and especially proud of the honorable appearance he presents.The allegations of Desdemona's affair hurt his pride even more than they inflame his vanity and jealousy. Othello wants to appear powerful, accomplished, and moral at every possible instance, and when this is denied to him, his wounded pride becomes especially powerful and leads to catastrophic results..

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Honesty: Although the word "honest" is usually used in an ironic way throughout the text, most characters in the play go through a crisis of learning who and who not to trust.Most of them, unfortunately, trust in Iago's honesty. This leads to the downfall of many characters, as this trust in Iago's "honesty" became a crucial contributor to their undoing.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello Order vs. chaos: As Othello begins to abandon reason and language, chaos takes over. His world begins to be ruled by chaotic emotions and shady allegations, with order pushed to one side. This chaos rushes him into tragedy, and once Othello has sunk into it, he is unable to stop his fate from taking him over.

Self-knowledge: Othello's lack of self-knowledge makes him easy prey for Iago. Once Iago inflames Othello's jealousy and gets the darker aspects of Othello's nature into action, there is nothing Othello can do to stop it, since he cannot even admit that he has these darker traits.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Misrepresentation: This also allows Iago to gain trust and manipulate other people; misrepresentation means that Iago is able to appear to be "honest," in order to deceive and misdirect people. Othello also misrepresents himself, as being simple and plain-spoken; this is not for deceptive effect, but also is used to present an image of himself which is not exactly the truth.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Good vs. Evil: Though there is much grey area between these two, Iago's battle against Othello and Cassio certainly counts as an embodiment of this theme.Iago battles to corrupt and turn the flawed natures of other characters against themselves.However, by the end of the play neither has won as Desdemona and Emilia are both dead and Iago revealed and punished.

Misrepresentation: This also allows Iago to gain trust and manipulate other people.

Misrepresentation means that Iago is able to appear to be "honest," in order to deceive and misdirect people.

Othello also misrepresents himself, as being simple and plain-spoken.

This is not for deceptive effect, but also is used to present an image of himself which is not exactly the truth.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello

Jealousy and Human NatureJealousy and Human Nature

Human nature is easily manipulated and Human nature is easily manipulated and Jealousy is like a disease.Jealousy is like a disease.

Through the combination of manipulation and Through the combination of manipulation and disease humans are prone to extreme disease humans are prone to extreme circumstances including a failure to recognise circumstances including a failure to recognise their own failures coupled with a their own failures coupled with a misunderstanding of the faults of other. misunderstanding of the faults of other. Humans can have a terribly dark and cunning Humans can have a terribly dark and cunning side.side.

Themes in Othello Themes in Othello