When Iago first plants the seed in Othello's mind relating to the relationship between Desdemona and Cassio, he reacts quickly because of Iago's ability to twist words and situations around to work in his favour because people believe him because he has the reputation of being honest. When Desdemona married the moor, Othello, she went behind her fathers back and deceived him. When Iago mentions to Othello that she decided her father and cold very easily deceive you, this frightens and angers Othello as he does not want to believe that the love of his life is a cheat. Iago then plants another seed in Othello's ear to suggest that the way the communicate is close and as if they were in a relationship. Iago says, "Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio"(3.3.132). This suggests that Desdemona is not being completely faithful towards Othello and that there is more than whats meets the eye, and as Iago knows Desdemona is trying to help Cassio become left lieutenant again. Cassio also has the reputation of a ladies man which does not help the situation at all as Othello sees his actions as flirtation. Reputation is one of the main reasons that Othello believes that Desdemona is unfaithful. With Iago being labelled honest, Othello believes all that he says as accurate and true without question.
7:00 PM
6:06 PM
A major theme presented in the play Othello is the theme of Race. It is firstly presented between the characters of Othello and Desdemona and their marriage together. Throughout the whole beginning of the play Othello is not presented as his nobel self but instead as a moor or as Iago calls him, "an old black ram"(I.i.93). This positions the audience to see that people of a different colour do not have as high a status or repeat as white people. When the marriage between Desdemona and himself comes to surface her father is outraged because he is seen as a predator towards his daughter and he believes someone of his race could never win his love without the use of witchcraft. As the play progresses we learn that he has much respect in his roll, and if it wasn't for his race then his marriage to Desdemona would be accepted more to the community.
12:00 PM
I do feel sorry for Brabantio at this point in the play as he has
suddenly lost his daughter to Othello and he did not know about it until told
by someone else. When Rodrigo tells Brabantio he firstly denies it as he
thought his daughter would tell him and that the man would ask for permission.
When he then finds out that she is marrying someone who is considered an
outsider due to his colour it is even more devastating for him as he wanted her
to marry someone well respected by the community. I feel sorry for him as it is
all put upon him so fast and he the fact has been told that Othello used witchcraft
to brainwash his daughter did not help his feelings towards Othello.
6:02 PM
Why has Shakespeare chosen to introduce the main character in this way? How are we, as the audience, being positioned to see Othello and to see other characters?
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, people that are moor's are outsiders by people. Shakespeare introduces Othello throughout the whole beginning of the play not by his names but by a rude and racist name to Othello. In the play he is called by Iago “the Moor” (I.i.57), “the thick-lips” (I.i.66), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113), this is because they thought of them as nothing that was worth considering. Shakespeare does not introduce Othello in the first act as he wants use to see how people act towards and treat him.
1:30 PM
Venice is a city
located in northeast Italy positioned on a group of 118 small islands that are
seperated by canals and linked by bridges. The city is renowned for the beauty
of its setting, architecture and artworks and is listed as a World Heritage Site.
After the Italian turmoil of the early 16th century, Venice entered a long and
gradual period of decline. Losing its political will, Venice found the new role
which it enjoyed ever since - as a place of pleasure and delight. The republic
that was once so pugnacious maintained a cautious neutrality from the mid-16th
century onwards and fought only to defend its Mediterranean possessions from
the Turks. Throughout the 16th century, Venice became one of the most important
musical centres of Europe and also became the first and biggest trading power
in the world, controlling trade across the Mediterranean Sea.
Is located in the
Mediterranean Sea. At the time of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire
would have been at its height. Cyprus was eventually part of this Empire in the
16th century. So it would have been important in shipping, it was also an
important source of the metal copper. It is 1500 miles by sea from Venice. Cyprus
is near Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. It is for that reason that Ottoman
troops captured Cyprus in the sixteenth century and it remains divided between the
Greek dominated Republic of Cyprus and a Turkish Cypriot North Cyprus.
Moors are
medieval muslim who came from North Africa. They lost their land and weren’t
ruling. They moved to Europe and were hide there religioius values. In Spain,
they forced Moores to either turn to Christianity or leave the country. Moors practice
Islam, and are Muslims of North African descent. The Moors were very tolerant
of different religions and their beliefs.
Many Elizabethans
believed that Christianity was the suprerior religion, so they resisted other
religions and disliked foreigners such as Turks. The Turks were considered as outsiders
and their Muslim rule was resisted, which created much tension between the
Turks and the Elizabethan Christians. Even though Turks were considered as
exotic, they were very much disliked and regarded as ‘alien’.
Epilepsy is a
neurological condition, having an affect on the nervous system..’Epilepsy
syndromes are described by their symptoms which can include, confused memory,
involuntary movement of arms and legs, blackouts, episodes of staring, fainting
spells with incontinence to name a few. In the times of the Renaissance, people
who were epileptic were regarded as intelligent and considered as prophets who,
while having an episode, could see the past, present and future. During the
Renaissance, Epilepsy was treated a few ways, one was using the secretions from
the scent glands of a beaver which was ingested, another was the use of silver
nitrate mercury, tin and copper zinc oxide and a third was ingesting the
scrapings from a human scull for several months. An episode can be triggered by
things such as loud noises, toxic chemicals\alcohol, flashing lights, caffeine
and having a lack of sleep
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