•1603-most tightly constructed tragedy

no sub plots, no comedy, no extraneous characters-focus is on

the tragedy alone.

Shakespearean Tragedy• Same as Aristotle but more violence, more

complex plots/conflicts, personal• “A story of exceptional calamity leading to the

death of a man in high estate, mainly from the actions of the hero and of those around him/her.”

• abnormal conditions of the mind• supernatural• chance/accident-handkerchief• conflicts-outward and internal• death

A.C. Bradley’s Definition of Tragedy (Shakespeare)

• One or two characters• leads to death of hero• depicts the troubled part of hero’s life• hero is of high degree• suffering and calamity are exceptional,

unexpected and contrasted with previous happiness and glory

• suffering and calamity extend beyond the hero to all involved to create a scene of woe (catharsis)

Other Definitions of Tragedy

• Outward finite existence vs. inward infinite aspirations

• division of man-not good vs. bad, but good vs. good

• unfolding of the destiny or doom• human freedom• vision of future vs. shocking disaster

Life and Times of Shakespeare• Queen Elizabeth succeeded by James I• English Renaissance in full bloom-Arts and

Sciences flourished• Shakespeare was known for his revelation of

character, language, and philosophy--his ability to explore the complexities and paradoxes inherent in all of us.

• Othello’s source was Giraldi Cinthio’s Tale of the Moor

• Belief in people’s responsibility for actions and circumstances

Language used in Othello• Iago uses more prose than Othello- (I.iii,313-19

“Tis in ourselves that we...)- Parallel, antithesis, symmetry reflect Iago’s calm and calculated manipulation.

• Iago uses verse in II. 1. 145-8 with same syntactic control and style.

• Metaphor/Imagery-II.1. 124-5;277-8• Iago’s speech habitually degrades human

activities to the level of the doings of despicable animals-spider, dog, beasts of burden, horse, ram, beast with two backs.

Issues in Othello• Trust• Friendship• Reputation• envy• love• jealousy• justice• Racism• Appearance v. Reality

Imagery• Darkness- chaos, disorder, Othello as

outsider and a object of suspicion, death, gradual corruption

• Animal and demonic• white and light• sea• witchcraft• drugs and poisons• sex• music

Rich Opposites• Hating Iago-loving Desdemona-noble, confiding,

tender Othello• Pure Desdemona/Practical Emilia/Sensual Bianca• Loyal Cassio-Treacherous Iago-foolish Rod• Opposites in language reflect themes: devil/angel

V.ii. 129-130 and water/fire V.ii. 133-40; calm/storm; reason/madness; black/white; untamed/civilized; foreign/familiar; Christian/witchcraft

•Setting-Venice and Cypressmoor-black African that invaded and

settled in Spain/outsider to high society

Venice-city, govt., reason, law and manners-ex. Brabantio’s passions examined rationally by the senate.Cypress-barbarism, riotous, wild,

passions run free, no reasons, fragile.

•Settings-Polarities of Reason and Passion

• Venice-Duke and Reason in control/safe/Christendom/order/justice/truth is protected by other leaders

• Cyprus-Othello’s passions take over/exposed to attack/Turkish land/riot/revenge/murder/falsehood/no clues to determine truth/Desdemona separated from family and friends to help

• see III, iii, 203-205; 228-238; 262-267

•Iago, Othello, Desdemona-major characters

• Desdemona and Emilia are foils-Des. Is pure, innocent and faithful/Emilia is sexually aware, cynical, politcally aware.

• Othello and Desdemona have a pure and unsullied love, not lust. In contrast, Roderigo, Iago, Emilia and Bianca convey love as a base physical act, not an intellectual or spiritual union (see imagery).

Othello’s Character• He is not as strong or as good a man as he

thinks he is• He is not a careful observer of human nature• Act 1-Self-confident, open, enthusiastic

because of his position of respect (ln.450-8)• Act 3 sc. 3- jealousy rears its head and brings

him agony as he takes on Iago’s language (I, 31-36;ii, 207-214;IV,ii, 58-62)

• Act 5- he has been overcome and blinded and feels justified in killing his wife (language is proud, rational, calm)

Othello-warrior and respected as a war man, not comfortable with

his place in Venice so his language is simple and precise

not flowery-EVERYMANHe trusts, loves, acts with

absolute commitment without hesitation, he must save

Desdemona from hurting others and dishonoring her name.

Othello as a Child• Immature control and understanding of

emotions• doubts his age, race, inexperience in anything

other than the military• purity to standards of decency, adherence to

duty, depth of love make him innocent and great

• his flaw is one who loved not wisely…too well• Trust and confides in the wrong person and

doesn’t know himself like Iago does

•

I.iii-he woos Desdemona by talking of what he knows best-

war and adventure-“she lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d, and

I lov’d her that she did pity them.” He loves her empathy for him. She loves his adventure and

experience.

•

Greatest asset (and possibly his downfall) is his sense of justice and his willingness to act on it

without personal bias.II.3-“Cassio, I love thee, but

never more be officer of mine.”-Slow to anger but his anger is

ferocious=human weakness=prime and ordinary

•3.3- he curses his wedding dayhe doubts before he really sees

proof-but he must act because he is a warrior and just.

4-2 Othello’s downfall, speech is changed from simple and direct

and dignified to fractured fragmented, wildly

•5.2- he must kill her not because he doesn’t love her but because

of justice and her danger to other men

Candle,rose, light, tree imageryrepeats his act of justice with

Cassio because he is conflicted with virtue and justice

•

like Oedipus, he must not escape his punishment for what he has

done:“speak of me as I am…of one that loved not wisely but too

well…”-final words-he’s done the state some service, don’t

make excuses for me, he has self awareness of his love his pearl,

but he wasn’t wise.

•

He brings the same justice on himself that he does on Cassio

and Desdemona. He treats himself as an enemy , a Turk. He

is own judge, jury and executioner.

His language and syntax is returned.

•Noble-yesReversal of fortune-yes

Recognize his consequences-yesCartharsis-yes

He achieves triumph and defeat but his flaw is that he is “Great

of Heart” and enacts for us what lies beneath our own lives.

-

•Contrasted with Roderigo who is common not tragic but both are

parallel.Uncommon dignity in uncommon

suffering HOW DOES OTHELLO

MEASURE UP AS A TRAGIC FIGURE?

Desdemona- “captain’s captain; general’s general• The marriage of an older man and a younger

girl was traditionally material for farce, but she loves him from beginning until her death. She never wavers.

• Her love is like a mother for a child.• She represents one half of Othello’s nature

which is his love for himself, Iago is the other half and the play is a war of the two forces.

• The 1st half is a celebration, the 2nd half is one of torment and decomposition.

•Desdemona- strong and outspoken

Goes against society by marrying Othello the foreiegner, the Moor.

I.iii-“where does your loyalty/duty lie?

“half the wooer”=equal to Othello

naïve-doesn’t know when to stop

•III.iii-attempts to reconcile Cassio and Othello

III.4-pleads Cassio’s case again4.1- Othello slaps her, she

remains dignified4.2- Othello berates her never

stoops down to his level

•5.2- Othello comes to kill her, she defends her honor

decency, virtue, strength and charity-“I never…”

she dies because Othello is weak not her.

•

5.2 ln 47- handkerchief actually clears her name

Desdemona. Calls her his lord and absolves him

but Emilia and Cassio explain the handkerchief-opposite of what

we think, it doesn’t provide evidence for her guilt but for her

innocence-too late like Creon

Iago’s Character • Resourceful/creative/cunning/ambitious• student of human nature who preys on weaknesses

and desires• Plants the idea, others repeat it, he reinforces (Act

III sc. 3 20-28; 90-92;121-23; 167-172; 204-206; 281-2- Othello calm but the tempest/chaos is coming!

• begins a leading statement that is completed by others

• uses words that have multiple interpretations-”lie”• never makes the damning statement-honest?

Othello’s temptation- from rational (mannered) to mad

(bestial)-animal/hell imagery• Attracting attn: III,iii,35-42; III,iii,103-142• Allurement: III,iii,157-189;190-206;207-228;244-

253• Rationalization: III,iii, 260-71;274-93,295-

304;346-89;399-409;410-440;447-65• Acceptance: III,iii, 467-95• Why does Iago do it? He directs/Othello thinks

and draws the conclusions. • Iago always talks more than Othello. Why?

Iago’s Character• Energetic• insightful• witty• Clever/improvisation• egotistic- doesn’t believe in anyone or anything

but himself, never doubts • Roderigo; he underestimates his wife’s

devotion and brains, and fate must bring order to world.

•Iago hates Othello for passing him over and a possible affair

with his wife, but there is never any evidence for this 1.3 – “I

hate the moor…”- no equal in all of Shakespeare’s villians-evil characterized 1.1-“I

am not what I am”

•2.1-soliloquy-even wife for wife, jealousy make the moor

love me, thank me…this is exactly what Iago does to Othello

to madness

•

2.3-Divinity of hell, like devil’s that appear to be angels-gets Cassio to drink and wound

Montano…pour pestilence into Othello’s ear “turn her

[Desdemona’s] virtue into pitch”all characters have weaknesses

and our responsible for their actions; Iago is the catalyst, the

tempter.

•3.3-“by heaven I’ll know your thoughts…green eyed monster…

Iago has handkerchief .

•How does the handkefchief get to Cassio? 1. Des. drops it.2.

Emilia picks it up 3. Iago takes it. 4. Iago plants it in Cassio’s room 5.cassio finds it there. 6.Othello

is convinced already.Iago gives no reason for doing

this, never speaks again.

•Morality play?Des. and Iago are the 2 angels,

impulses, universalsdramas containing characters

who represent abstract conceptspresented the struggle between

good and evilpresented a moral lesson

•Iago a viper-looks at feet but finds no hoof? just a man

DESCRIBE THE WAY IN WHICH OTHELLO’S

STRUGGLE MIRRORS THAT OF A MORALITY PLAY.

Secondary CharactersCassio

more experienced in venetian society not the military 1.i

not aware of his weaknesses esp. drink 2.3

Emilia-honest but her virtue can be bought

4.3-lie about affair

Roderigo- Othello’s parallelgives money to Iago to get Desdemona; Iago’s pawn