Iago taunts Othello and controls his imagination:
‘Or to be naked with her friend in bed An hour or more not meaning any harm?’ -implants
the image of a possible sexual relationship between Cassio and Desdemona. Once Othello
has this thought, it is suggested that it won’t ever go away.
Iago uses a hypothetical tone through use of questions. He waits to give Othello definitive
proof, and allows him to use his imagination, as usually this will be worse than any reality as
he thinks the worst.
He torments Othello about the handkerchief. Othello wishes he could forget it: ‘O, it comes
o’er my memory As doth the raven o’er the infectious house.’
o Simile
o The ‘raven’ is the memory of the handkerchief, and the ‘infectious house’ represents
Othello’s mind.
o Reference to infection suggests illness- as if it is this memory that sickens Othello,
and could potentially lead to his death. This also links to the earlier references to
Iago’s ideas being poisonous to Othello- corruption of his mind.
o Imagery of disease, Othello is plagued by memory.
o Raven- symbol of darkness, power, death. Bad omen- foreshadows that the worst is
yet to come.
o Illuminates the mental torture, and Iago’s power over Othello.
o Othello’s use of imagery that is similar to Iago’s is ironic, but is also conveys how
overwhelmed he is.
o The sentence structure places Othello in a powerless position- as if he is no longer in
control of his own thoughts. Passivity of Othello- the sentence structure suggests his
mind is being acted upon, and that he is no longer in control of his thoughts.
Iago ironically play’s devils advocate:
‘If I give my wife a handkerchief…’ ‘tis hers, my lord, and being hers she may bestow’t on
any man.’ Again suggesting Desdemona’s infidelity. He plays devils advocate when he
suggests that Desdemona’s honour is hers to give away after she chooses. He goes against
the ideas of courtly love here and conventional attitudes.
The address terms here are also very respectful- Iago playing honourable servant.
Iago tells a direct lie to Othello that Cassio confessed to a sexual affair with Desdemona. Iago
uses again the successful technique of hesitation, forcing Othello himself to say what Iago
would have him think. Iago ironically comes back to the word "lie" when telling his untruth
so that the word "lie" echoes with double meaning through their conversation, lacerating
Othello with thoughts of two illicit lovers and, at the same time, accusing Iago for his abuse
of the truth.
Iago revels in his power to torment Othello:
‘Work on, My medicine, work!’- repetition and use of exclamations. Skewed morals as he
thinks what he is doing is ‘medicine’, rather than the expected metaphor of ‘poison.’ Inverse
of the truth, like inverse of his moral code.
Heartlessness of Iago and instead of pity or alarm when Othello faints, he only expresses
satisfaction that his ‘medicine’ is working.
‘Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.’ Iago
encourages Othello to kill his wife in the most brutal way possible- he wants Othello to feel
, the most suffering, wants him to personally be responsible for the death of his wife, and to
do this in the marital bed.
o Also, by having her smothered in her marriage bed Iago is replacing the loving ritual
of consummation with a cruel ritual of strangulation. Love being replaced by death
and hatred.
‘With her, on her, what you will.’ Iago jests about Cassio in Desdemona’s bed- the casual
brutality of these words shows how much Iago enjoys his power.
Othello breaks down… what is his fit symbolic of?
Othello’s words come in an anxious jumble around "handkerchief," and "confess" until he
falls down in a faint. Punctuation and structure of his speech before he faints mirrors his
mental overload and loss of control.
Othello’s fit robs him of his ability to speak, the trait that distinguishes humans from
animals. Consumed by jealousy, without his honor, he has become the animal that the
prejudiced characters have described him as being-
‘He falls in a trance’ - visually on the stage Iago is towering Othello who is on the floor. Iago
might have an almost God-like power here and Othello is degraded. It is a visual metaphor
for the power dynamic between the two characters.
It is a symbol of his degradation
Othello speaks with destructive imagery.
Othello’s language becomes more like Iago’s
Othello goes directly to the point: "How shall I murder him, Iago?" Othello swears also to
kill his wife this night, he curses her and weeps over her at the same time, mingling love and
murder: "for she shall not live; no, my heart is turned to stone…"
"I will chop her into messes’’- brutality. Before Iago’s influence, Othello wanted to poison
Desdemona rather than personally destroy her.
‘I would have him nine years a-killing.’ Encouraged by Iago to seek revenge on Cassio.
Wants to inflict years’ worth of suffering.
In Othello’s disjointed speech before his fit, there are numerous examples of Shakespeare
alluding to what has been discussed with the repeated references to lie and also the
handkerchief.
This signifies Iago’s corruption of Othello.
Despite his initial conviction to murder Desdemona, Othello feels mixed emotions and is torn
between opposites:
In spite of the verbal violence, there is much pathos in this scene. We sense Othello’s pain as
he works up to killing Desdemona.
Lines 175 onwards – switching from hate to love. ‘a fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet
woman’ Line 178- ‘let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.’
‘the world hath not a sweeter creature’.
Sense of denial perhaps, as well as a lack of control over emotion.
Othello’s pain as he works up to killing his wife. He cannot bear the loss of his ‘sweet’ wife.
Still sees her sweetness, ‘so delicate with her needle, an admirable musician. O, she will
sing the savageness out of a bear!...’ line 185
‘Or to be naked with her friend in bed An hour or more not meaning any harm?’ -implants
the image of a possible sexual relationship between Cassio and Desdemona. Once Othello
has this thought, it is suggested that it won’t ever go away.
Iago uses a hypothetical tone through use of questions. He waits to give Othello definitive
proof, and allows him to use his imagination, as usually this will be worse than any reality as
he thinks the worst.
He torments Othello about the handkerchief. Othello wishes he could forget it: ‘O, it comes
o’er my memory As doth the raven o’er the infectious house.’
o Simile
o The ‘raven’ is the memory of the handkerchief, and the ‘infectious house’ represents
Othello’s mind.
o Reference to infection suggests illness- as if it is this memory that sickens Othello,
and could potentially lead to his death. This also links to the earlier references to
Iago’s ideas being poisonous to Othello- corruption of his mind.
o Imagery of disease, Othello is plagued by memory.
o Raven- symbol of darkness, power, death. Bad omen- foreshadows that the worst is
yet to come.
o Illuminates the mental torture, and Iago’s power over Othello.
o Othello’s use of imagery that is similar to Iago’s is ironic, but is also conveys how
overwhelmed he is.
o The sentence structure places Othello in a powerless position- as if he is no longer in
control of his own thoughts. Passivity of Othello- the sentence structure suggests his
mind is being acted upon, and that he is no longer in control of his thoughts.
Iago ironically play’s devils advocate:
‘If I give my wife a handkerchief…’ ‘tis hers, my lord, and being hers she may bestow’t on
any man.’ Again suggesting Desdemona’s infidelity. He plays devils advocate when he
suggests that Desdemona’s honour is hers to give away after she chooses. He goes against
the ideas of courtly love here and conventional attitudes.
The address terms here are also very respectful- Iago playing honourable servant.
Iago tells a direct lie to Othello that Cassio confessed to a sexual affair with Desdemona. Iago
uses again the successful technique of hesitation, forcing Othello himself to say what Iago
would have him think. Iago ironically comes back to the word "lie" when telling his untruth
so that the word "lie" echoes with double meaning through their conversation, lacerating
Othello with thoughts of two illicit lovers and, at the same time, accusing Iago for his abuse
of the truth.
Iago revels in his power to torment Othello:
‘Work on, My medicine, work!’- repetition and use of exclamations. Skewed morals as he
thinks what he is doing is ‘medicine’, rather than the expected metaphor of ‘poison.’ Inverse
of the truth, like inverse of his moral code.
Heartlessness of Iago and instead of pity or alarm when Othello faints, he only expresses
satisfaction that his ‘medicine’ is working.
‘Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.’ Iago
encourages Othello to kill his wife in the most brutal way possible- he wants Othello to feel
, the most suffering, wants him to personally be responsible for the death of his wife, and to
do this in the marital bed.
o Also, by having her smothered in her marriage bed Iago is replacing the loving ritual
of consummation with a cruel ritual of strangulation. Love being replaced by death
and hatred.
‘With her, on her, what you will.’ Iago jests about Cassio in Desdemona’s bed- the casual
brutality of these words shows how much Iago enjoys his power.
Othello breaks down… what is his fit symbolic of?
Othello’s words come in an anxious jumble around "handkerchief," and "confess" until he
falls down in a faint. Punctuation and structure of his speech before he faints mirrors his
mental overload and loss of control.
Othello’s fit robs him of his ability to speak, the trait that distinguishes humans from
animals. Consumed by jealousy, without his honor, he has become the animal that the
prejudiced characters have described him as being-
‘He falls in a trance’ - visually on the stage Iago is towering Othello who is on the floor. Iago
might have an almost God-like power here and Othello is degraded. It is a visual metaphor
for the power dynamic between the two characters.
It is a symbol of his degradation
Othello speaks with destructive imagery.
Othello’s language becomes more like Iago’s
Othello goes directly to the point: "How shall I murder him, Iago?" Othello swears also to
kill his wife this night, he curses her and weeps over her at the same time, mingling love and
murder: "for she shall not live; no, my heart is turned to stone…"
"I will chop her into messes’’- brutality. Before Iago’s influence, Othello wanted to poison
Desdemona rather than personally destroy her.
‘I would have him nine years a-killing.’ Encouraged by Iago to seek revenge on Cassio.
Wants to inflict years’ worth of suffering.
In Othello’s disjointed speech before his fit, there are numerous examples of Shakespeare
alluding to what has been discussed with the repeated references to lie and also the
handkerchief.
This signifies Iago’s corruption of Othello.
Despite his initial conviction to murder Desdemona, Othello feels mixed emotions and is torn
between opposites:
In spite of the verbal violence, there is much pathos in this scene. We sense Othello’s pain as
he works up to killing Desdemona.
Lines 175 onwards – switching from hate to love. ‘a fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet
woman’ Line 178- ‘let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.’
‘the world hath not a sweeter creature’.
Sense of denial perhaps, as well as a lack of control over emotion.
Othello’s pain as he works up to killing his wife. He cannot bear the loss of his ‘sweet’ wife.
Still sees her sweetness, ‘so delicate with her needle, an admirable musician. O, she will
sing the savageness out of a bear!...’ line 185
