Othello
AO1 /A02/A03/ AO5
Disturbing aspects of human nature- Shakespeare explores the consequences of disturbing
behaviour through the manipulation of status, gender, and racial stereotypes, to critique the immutable
nature of society in an ever-progressing world, heightened by tragedy. This is explored through the
controlling aspects of marital relationships with Othello and Desdemona, and Iago and Emilia due to
the fear of being cuckolded, mirroring social convention. Also, the exploitation of reputation and
status through Iago's Machiavellian ploys against Cassio and Roderigo. Both exemplify the
limitations of the fragile concepts society clings to, like stereotypes of ‘lewd women’ (Robert Burton
1616), and the ‘ruthless exploitation’ of Venice as Phillip Brockbank describes it, due to the poignant
classist system they rely on, despite the changing landscape of the world. Creating a cautionary tale
with a strong didactic function using dramatic irony against the toleration and ossified constructs that
justify and catalyse disturbing aspects of human behaviour.
P1- Disturbing aspects of human nature are explored through the rapid change in Othello’s
behaviour towards Desdemona catalysed by the ossified constructs of society enforced like
male supremacy, reputation, the fear of being cuckolded that sparked Othello’s desperation
and mental breakdown- heightened by his insecurities surrounding his race.
‘She loved me for the dangers I have passed and I loved her that she did pity them.’ Iambic
pentameter- his race frames him as barbaric/ uncivilised, but she saw passed that, or perhaps
his authentic is shown through the iambic pentameter. ‘my lord’ ‘A fair warrior’ ‘A fine
woman! A fair woman! A sweet woman!’ Anaphora, exclamation, listing- perhaps showing
idealistic love can’t survive in the current climate of society. ‘Young rose lip cherubin… look
grim as hell.’
(Newman black fellow a hero and by making Desdemona's love for Othello sympathetic
Shakespeare’s plays challenge sexist racist and colonial views’) ‘I will chop her into messes.
Cuckold me!’- change, ‘exclamation, visceral imagery, verb ‘chop’, she loses her sense of
humanity ‘messes’- verb ‘cuckold’- actively betraying her before asking her/ confirming-
problem with a lack of female agency. ‘Excellent wretch!’ oxymoron- torn judgment between
love and pride- male hubris and love, all based on a lie/ misconception- Iago simply relishes
in his pain and misery. (Briggs people of colour in England in the 16th century’ well treated
as a little more than performing animals’) (Coleridge- ‘unrealistic for women like Desdemona
to fall in love with a ‘veritable negro’’, Auden -‘school girl crush rather than mature
affection’) The consequence of the weakness of computation- human perspective too
capricious- ‘with her- on her-what you will’, caesura, forces Othello and the audience to
imagine it, to make up their own minds, prolong their agony- schadenfreude- ‘goats and
monkeys’ ‘we cannot all be masters, nor all masters do truly followed.’ (Plautus- comedies
foolish master, cunning slave- sets up the pay as a comedy instead of a tragedy like how
societal problems are made into amusement but it is tragic.)
P2- Iago manipulation- disturbing consequences/ power of Machiavellian attitudes, yet also
the impact on ignorant/ egocentric people- enabled by the rigid concepts that exist (class)-
, ‘snipe’, noun- refers to a bird that is easily hunted and killed by people who ‘serve a purpose
of being hunted presenting Rodrigo as unintelligent because he's an easy target to be used and
persuaded ultimately manipulated by Iago. This links to ideas of reformation as Martin Luther
argued for compulsory education for all um saying that if ‘ if schools flourish all flourish’-
‘sell all my land’, capitalism plays a central part in a person's character rather than values and
morality, giving him poor judgement skills. Barker says Rodrigo’s moral is feeble and
obscure as his mind is muddled’ he's allowed to become a comedic foil for Iago ‘Come, be a
man. Drown thy self?’ Rhetorical question, sarcastic tone, imperative verb. (Sir Thomas Elyot
says ‘in his natural perfection is fierce strong in opinion, covetous in glory’) The Elizabethan
audience would find this amusing as Iago’s torment of Rodrigo and his duplicity,
manipulating everyone around him, especially with the reputation of’ honest Iago’ This him
an intriguing character as Ian McKellan states that Iago is so fascinating because he's so
successful. ‘Virtue is but a fig… reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got
without merit and lost without deserving’ – superlative, he relies on his ‘honest’ reputation to
create his ‘little web to ensnare’ them all- Irony.
Betrayal- Shakespeare uses betrayal as a didactic function against the constructs that society trusts so
fervently can lead to tragic consequences, and the exploration of human fragility. Using Iago’s
‘convenient masks’(E.A Honigmann) his ability to manipulate reputation, frames the tragedy.
Shakespeare, uses betrayal through marriage and friendship, alluding to how social constructs taint
valuable relationships with fickle ideals like pride (reputation), impacting their perception of their
identity and relationships. Shakespeare uses the setting of Venice- a Catholic state- perhaps to allow
his audience to reflect on the hypocrisy and the limitations of reputation, which fuelled the classist,
patriarchal, and bigoted notions that hindered the growth of society, especially due to cultural
processes like the Reformation, Renaissance, and the rise of the mercantile class. In “Othello,”
betrayal weaves a complex web of deception, leading to tragic consequences for the characters
involved. The play serves as a powerful exploration of vulnerability and the destructive impact of
betrayal.
P1- Desdemona, Othello- Theme of betrayal used to caution society against the changing
landscape of the world, the power of education increasing the significance of the working-
class while diminishing the potency of the class system, which should be embraced and
society should not regress- consequence of resent/ injustice/ reliance on fickle concepts- love
‘She loved me for the danger I have passed and I loved her that she did pity them’, ‘divided
duty’, ‘A fair woman. A fine woman. A sweet woman.’ ‘My lord’- unconventional, but they
loved each other or not. Othello chose her because she brought him into society, the second
that connection was damaged he turned against her completely- lost his title, demoted etc, her
slapped her- then killed her. But it was Iago’s manipulation that enabled his suspicions/
violence- ‘So will I turn her virtue into pitch And out of her own goodness make the net That
shall enmesh them all.” (Act II, Scene iii)- juxtaposition, ‘net’- animalistic imagery- sadistic.
Uses her own ‘goodness’ as a weapon in his evil power. (Rhymer ‘too evil to believe’, A.C
Bradley ‘Goodness annoys Iago’) Iago plans to exploit Desdemona’s goodness against her,
perhaps because she decides to help Cassio but negates him due to their class differences, that
they continue to underestimate him and accept/ compliment his work without quantifying it.
Iago’s line “I am not what I am” (1.1.65) is a reversal and bastardization of Exodus 3:14:
“And God answered Moses, I am that I am.” Shakespeare is telling the audience that Iago is a
dangerous dissembler who stands in direct opposition to the Christian God. (‘Italian women
are lewd and wicked… to old men most treacherous’ Burton, Othello is ruled by stereotypes
surrounding his race ‘Moor’, so he is ruled by societal judgement and not his own- which is
also why he might have promoted Cassio, a gentlemen, while Iago seems to be more
experienced for the job.) His ill-matched metaphors—turning virtue into pitch and creating a
net—reveal the depth of his treachery. Doesn’t care for love, for friendship, only his own
pursuits and pleasure. (Not evil, mistreated (Tyson- ‘lago as part of the working class; the
, economically deprived are more likely to interpret struggle as the fight to survive’- not as
extreme as we think, like AC Bradley and Rhymer, but the truth is the constructs around him
give his plot the potency it needs to create such a tragedy.) his Othello’s Transformation:
‘Even so my bloody thoughts with violent pace Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble
love.’ ‘She must die else she betray more men’- must – modal verb (Act III, Scene iii)
Othello, once blissfully ignorant of Desdemona’s alleged betrayal, now vows revenge. ( His
love has turned to hatred, emphasizing the tragic impact of betrayal. In Othello, betrayal
corrodes relationships, leading to tragic consequences. Iago’s cunning manipulation and the
characters’ vulnerability to deception drive the play’s tension and downfall. The
characterization of Iago as a foil to God resurfaces in act 5, scene 2 when Lodovico, calling
for Iago, says, “Where is that Viper? Bring the villain forth” (5.2.328). The comparison of
Iago to a snake is another, albeit veiled, comparison of Iago to Satan, who appears in serpent
form in the Garden of Eden. (God-like power- Honingmann)
P2- Roderigo and Cassio- Betrayal motivated and allowed due to class resentment and moral
decay due to the rise of capitalism and the loss of morals and values- he believes in
Machiavellian ideology, not Christian beliefs like England- Venice microcosm for what
England might become- (Fintan O’Toole ‘ruthless capitalism’ Brockbank ‘ruthless
exploitation’) He befriends them both ‘Thus do I ever make my fool my purse, For I mine
own gained knowledge should profane If I would time expend with such a snipe But for my
sport and profit.” (Act I, Scene iii) Iago confesses his treachery to the audience. He plans to
manipulate Roderigo, using him as a pawn for his gain. This reveals the depth of Iago’s
deceitful nature and foreshadows the betrayal that will unfold throughout the play. Metaphor
‘snipe’ animalistic imagery- loss of humanity- only seen as a commodity, something of use/
value- possessive ‘my sport and profit’- only there for his selfish intent- consequence of a
lack of compassion fostered due to the disconnect between the classes. Martin Luther ‘if
schools flourish, all flourish’ (‘mudded mind’ Barker) Iago’s Deceptive Words to Cassio:
“And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.” (Act II, Scene iii) Iago speaks to Cassio,
seemingly expressing friendship.
meaning. However, the recursive use of “think”
irony- Audience knows his intent- soliloquies- conceals a second
He implies love without truly expressing it, undermining Cassio’s trust- dramatic
‘little web as this to ensnare a great fly such as Cassio’. Cassio reviles his own inebriated actions
using a subtle biblical allusion. After his drunken brawl with Roderigo, Cassio remarks, “It hath
pleased the devil drunkenness to give place to / the devil wrath: one unperfectness shows me another”
(2.3.286–7). Cassio’s wording here is a play on Ephesians 4:27: “Neither give place to the devil.” The
allusion suggests both the wickedness of Cassio’s actions as well as his assistance to the devil,
embodied in Iago, the one who incited Cassio’s brawl in the first place. ‘Auden ‘practical joker of the
most appalling kind’.
Love- In Othello, Shakespeare is fundamentally critical of the 16th-century idea of love believing it to
be an idealised version of last simply disguising itself as love and romance. This is evident in Iago
cynical nature towards love in the way in which he's able to weaponize the misogyny of those around
him. Moreover, Shakespeare is presumably criticising the 16th century focus on promiscuity as it
seemed to the deterioration of Desdemona and Othello’s pure love for each other because Iago
manipulates stereotypes like Robert Burton writes ‘Italian women were lewd and wicked’.
Shakespeare users love to warn against the danger of vigorous capitalism by using Rodrigo as a
cautionary tale who details how being a misogynistic member of the merchant class, treating
Desdemona as a prize to be bought/ won, makes him vulnerable to Iago's deception, despite being of
higher class, critiquing the rigid view of society, highlighting its limitations in a progressing world.
AO1 /A02/A03/ AO5
Disturbing aspects of human nature- Shakespeare explores the consequences of disturbing
behaviour through the manipulation of status, gender, and racial stereotypes, to critique the immutable
nature of society in an ever-progressing world, heightened by tragedy. This is explored through the
controlling aspects of marital relationships with Othello and Desdemona, and Iago and Emilia due to
the fear of being cuckolded, mirroring social convention. Also, the exploitation of reputation and
status through Iago's Machiavellian ploys against Cassio and Roderigo. Both exemplify the
limitations of the fragile concepts society clings to, like stereotypes of ‘lewd women’ (Robert Burton
1616), and the ‘ruthless exploitation’ of Venice as Phillip Brockbank describes it, due to the poignant
classist system they rely on, despite the changing landscape of the world. Creating a cautionary tale
with a strong didactic function using dramatic irony against the toleration and ossified constructs that
justify and catalyse disturbing aspects of human behaviour.
P1- Disturbing aspects of human nature are explored through the rapid change in Othello’s
behaviour towards Desdemona catalysed by the ossified constructs of society enforced like
male supremacy, reputation, the fear of being cuckolded that sparked Othello’s desperation
and mental breakdown- heightened by his insecurities surrounding his race.
‘She loved me for the dangers I have passed and I loved her that she did pity them.’ Iambic
pentameter- his race frames him as barbaric/ uncivilised, but she saw passed that, or perhaps
his authentic is shown through the iambic pentameter. ‘my lord’ ‘A fair warrior’ ‘A fine
woman! A fair woman! A sweet woman!’ Anaphora, exclamation, listing- perhaps showing
idealistic love can’t survive in the current climate of society. ‘Young rose lip cherubin… look
grim as hell.’
(Newman black fellow a hero and by making Desdemona's love for Othello sympathetic
Shakespeare’s plays challenge sexist racist and colonial views’) ‘I will chop her into messes.
Cuckold me!’- change, ‘exclamation, visceral imagery, verb ‘chop’, she loses her sense of
humanity ‘messes’- verb ‘cuckold’- actively betraying her before asking her/ confirming-
problem with a lack of female agency. ‘Excellent wretch!’ oxymoron- torn judgment between
love and pride- male hubris and love, all based on a lie/ misconception- Iago simply relishes
in his pain and misery. (Briggs people of colour in England in the 16th century’ well treated
as a little more than performing animals’) (Coleridge- ‘unrealistic for women like Desdemona
to fall in love with a ‘veritable negro’’, Auden -‘school girl crush rather than mature
affection’) The consequence of the weakness of computation- human perspective too
capricious- ‘with her- on her-what you will’, caesura, forces Othello and the audience to
imagine it, to make up their own minds, prolong their agony- schadenfreude- ‘goats and
monkeys’ ‘we cannot all be masters, nor all masters do truly followed.’ (Plautus- comedies
foolish master, cunning slave- sets up the pay as a comedy instead of a tragedy like how
societal problems are made into amusement but it is tragic.)
P2- Iago manipulation- disturbing consequences/ power of Machiavellian attitudes, yet also
the impact on ignorant/ egocentric people- enabled by the rigid concepts that exist (class)-
, ‘snipe’, noun- refers to a bird that is easily hunted and killed by people who ‘serve a purpose
of being hunted presenting Rodrigo as unintelligent because he's an easy target to be used and
persuaded ultimately manipulated by Iago. This links to ideas of reformation as Martin Luther
argued for compulsory education for all um saying that if ‘ if schools flourish all flourish’-
‘sell all my land’, capitalism plays a central part in a person's character rather than values and
morality, giving him poor judgement skills. Barker says Rodrigo’s moral is feeble and
obscure as his mind is muddled’ he's allowed to become a comedic foil for Iago ‘Come, be a
man. Drown thy self?’ Rhetorical question, sarcastic tone, imperative verb. (Sir Thomas Elyot
says ‘in his natural perfection is fierce strong in opinion, covetous in glory’) The Elizabethan
audience would find this amusing as Iago’s torment of Rodrigo and his duplicity,
manipulating everyone around him, especially with the reputation of’ honest Iago’ This him
an intriguing character as Ian McKellan states that Iago is so fascinating because he's so
successful. ‘Virtue is but a fig… reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got
without merit and lost without deserving’ – superlative, he relies on his ‘honest’ reputation to
create his ‘little web to ensnare’ them all- Irony.
Betrayal- Shakespeare uses betrayal as a didactic function against the constructs that society trusts so
fervently can lead to tragic consequences, and the exploration of human fragility. Using Iago’s
‘convenient masks’(E.A Honigmann) his ability to manipulate reputation, frames the tragedy.
Shakespeare, uses betrayal through marriage and friendship, alluding to how social constructs taint
valuable relationships with fickle ideals like pride (reputation), impacting their perception of their
identity and relationships. Shakespeare uses the setting of Venice- a Catholic state- perhaps to allow
his audience to reflect on the hypocrisy and the limitations of reputation, which fuelled the classist,
patriarchal, and bigoted notions that hindered the growth of society, especially due to cultural
processes like the Reformation, Renaissance, and the rise of the mercantile class. In “Othello,”
betrayal weaves a complex web of deception, leading to tragic consequences for the characters
involved. The play serves as a powerful exploration of vulnerability and the destructive impact of
betrayal.
P1- Desdemona, Othello- Theme of betrayal used to caution society against the changing
landscape of the world, the power of education increasing the significance of the working-
class while diminishing the potency of the class system, which should be embraced and
society should not regress- consequence of resent/ injustice/ reliance on fickle concepts- love
‘She loved me for the danger I have passed and I loved her that she did pity them’, ‘divided
duty’, ‘A fair woman. A fine woman. A sweet woman.’ ‘My lord’- unconventional, but they
loved each other or not. Othello chose her because she brought him into society, the second
that connection was damaged he turned against her completely- lost his title, demoted etc, her
slapped her- then killed her. But it was Iago’s manipulation that enabled his suspicions/
violence- ‘So will I turn her virtue into pitch And out of her own goodness make the net That
shall enmesh them all.” (Act II, Scene iii)- juxtaposition, ‘net’- animalistic imagery- sadistic.
Uses her own ‘goodness’ as a weapon in his evil power. (Rhymer ‘too evil to believe’, A.C
Bradley ‘Goodness annoys Iago’) Iago plans to exploit Desdemona’s goodness against her,
perhaps because she decides to help Cassio but negates him due to their class differences, that
they continue to underestimate him and accept/ compliment his work without quantifying it.
Iago’s line “I am not what I am” (1.1.65) is a reversal and bastardization of Exodus 3:14:
“And God answered Moses, I am that I am.” Shakespeare is telling the audience that Iago is a
dangerous dissembler who stands in direct opposition to the Christian God. (‘Italian women
are lewd and wicked… to old men most treacherous’ Burton, Othello is ruled by stereotypes
surrounding his race ‘Moor’, so he is ruled by societal judgement and not his own- which is
also why he might have promoted Cassio, a gentlemen, while Iago seems to be more
experienced for the job.) His ill-matched metaphors—turning virtue into pitch and creating a
net—reveal the depth of his treachery. Doesn’t care for love, for friendship, only his own
pursuits and pleasure. (Not evil, mistreated (Tyson- ‘lago as part of the working class; the
, economically deprived are more likely to interpret struggle as the fight to survive’- not as
extreme as we think, like AC Bradley and Rhymer, but the truth is the constructs around him
give his plot the potency it needs to create such a tragedy.) his Othello’s Transformation:
‘Even so my bloody thoughts with violent pace Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble
love.’ ‘She must die else she betray more men’- must – modal verb (Act III, Scene iii)
Othello, once blissfully ignorant of Desdemona’s alleged betrayal, now vows revenge. ( His
love has turned to hatred, emphasizing the tragic impact of betrayal. In Othello, betrayal
corrodes relationships, leading to tragic consequences. Iago’s cunning manipulation and the
characters’ vulnerability to deception drive the play’s tension and downfall. The
characterization of Iago as a foil to God resurfaces in act 5, scene 2 when Lodovico, calling
for Iago, says, “Where is that Viper? Bring the villain forth” (5.2.328). The comparison of
Iago to a snake is another, albeit veiled, comparison of Iago to Satan, who appears in serpent
form in the Garden of Eden. (God-like power- Honingmann)
P2- Roderigo and Cassio- Betrayal motivated and allowed due to class resentment and moral
decay due to the rise of capitalism and the loss of morals and values- he believes in
Machiavellian ideology, not Christian beliefs like England- Venice microcosm for what
England might become- (Fintan O’Toole ‘ruthless capitalism’ Brockbank ‘ruthless
exploitation’) He befriends them both ‘Thus do I ever make my fool my purse, For I mine
own gained knowledge should profane If I would time expend with such a snipe But for my
sport and profit.” (Act I, Scene iii) Iago confesses his treachery to the audience. He plans to
manipulate Roderigo, using him as a pawn for his gain. This reveals the depth of Iago’s
deceitful nature and foreshadows the betrayal that will unfold throughout the play. Metaphor
‘snipe’ animalistic imagery- loss of humanity- only seen as a commodity, something of use/
value- possessive ‘my sport and profit’- only there for his selfish intent- consequence of a
lack of compassion fostered due to the disconnect between the classes. Martin Luther ‘if
schools flourish, all flourish’ (‘mudded mind’ Barker) Iago’s Deceptive Words to Cassio:
“And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.” (Act II, Scene iii) Iago speaks to Cassio,
seemingly expressing friendship.
meaning. However, the recursive use of “think”
irony- Audience knows his intent- soliloquies- conceals a second
He implies love without truly expressing it, undermining Cassio’s trust- dramatic
‘little web as this to ensnare a great fly such as Cassio’. Cassio reviles his own inebriated actions
using a subtle biblical allusion. After his drunken brawl with Roderigo, Cassio remarks, “It hath
pleased the devil drunkenness to give place to / the devil wrath: one unperfectness shows me another”
(2.3.286–7). Cassio’s wording here is a play on Ephesians 4:27: “Neither give place to the devil.” The
allusion suggests both the wickedness of Cassio’s actions as well as his assistance to the devil,
embodied in Iago, the one who incited Cassio’s brawl in the first place. ‘Auden ‘practical joker of the
most appalling kind’.
Love- In Othello, Shakespeare is fundamentally critical of the 16th-century idea of love believing it to
be an idealised version of last simply disguising itself as love and romance. This is evident in Iago
cynical nature towards love in the way in which he's able to weaponize the misogyny of those around
him. Moreover, Shakespeare is presumably criticising the 16th century focus on promiscuity as it
seemed to the deterioration of Desdemona and Othello’s pure love for each other because Iago
manipulates stereotypes like Robert Burton writes ‘Italian women were lewd and wicked’.
Shakespeare users love to warn against the danger of vigorous capitalism by using Rodrigo as a
cautionary tale who details how being a misogynistic member of the merchant class, treating
Desdemona as a prize to be bought/ won, makes him vulnerable to Iago's deception, despite being of
higher class, critiquing the rigid view of society, highlighting its limitations in a progressing world.
