Act 1 scene 1
● Roderigo: “Tush, never tell me...thou, Iago, who hast had my purse!”
○ The play begins in media res. By starting the play off in a dramatic way, the
audience are plunged into action and introduces the relationship between
Iago and Roderigo: Roderigo blindly trusts Iago, and is thus presented as a
gullible character (gave Iago ‘his purse’ to get Desdemona) arguably
Roderigo’s purpose it to underpin the idea that Iago is deceitful and
manipulative.. Moreover, by having the audience feel as though they are
‘eavesdropping’, the conversation is forced to feel secretive and implies the
night setting which is yet to be mentioned due to the sinister and
conspiratorial implications of their conversation. The mild expletive here
already shows themes of innocence vs sin. It also foreshadows the very end
of the play – Iago never really ‘tells’ Roderigo or any other character about his
true incentives.
● “I will wear my heart on my sleeve/ For daws to peck at. I am not what I am” (. If my
outward appearance started reflecting what I really felt, soon enough I’d be wearing
my heart on my sleeve for birds to peck at. No, it’s better to hide it. I’m not who I
appear to be.)
○ Iago flips an otherwise vulnerable and whole-hearted phrase into something
dark by saying that the day he is who he is outwardly would be the day “I will
wear my heart on my sleeve/ For daws to peck at”. He uses an otherwise
romantic cliche to show how manipulative he is as his heart and emotions are
conveyed as false and the bird imagery/metaphor reinforces how bad his
intentions are as it mirrors the ancient greek tale of Prometheus who
transgresses against the Gods to give human beings fire. As punishment,
birds pick at his liver- the equivalent to the heart: the epitome of emotions.
This could mirror Iago's downfall.
● Iago: “Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago.”
○ Discussion flitting between 1st and 3rd person, with Iago removing himself
from his own identity and ironically uniting the two characters. Theme of
deception. Arguably, this is Meta-theatrical, playing on themes of truth and
appearance, and Iago reflecting the playwright (Shakespeare himself) due to
his manipulation of characters and the world.
● Iago: “I am not what I am”.
○ Iago is parodying God with his statement, alluding to Exodus’s declaration, “I
am that I am” in the Bible. This directly juxtaposes Iago against God,
enforcing him as a Satan-like figure and preying on the severe Christianity of
Shakespeare’s audience.
● Iago: “Rouse him… poison his delight, proclaim him in the streets. Incense her
kingmen… Plague him with flies.”
○ Despite insistence that Othello is the one “bewitching”, Iago displays
connotations of witch-like changing using imperative verbs. 1604 Witchcraft
Act
, ● Iago: “Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!”
○ Iago aligns Desdemona with commodities and objects, an item belonging to
Brabantio that isn’t even prioritised above his house. Marxist interpretation in
a city of wealth and status?
● Iago: “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.”
○ This phrase alludes to witchcraft through its association to a witch’s familiar,
indicative of lust and sexual deviance, as well as the horns foreshadowing the
later cuckoldry and Satan imagery. Iago is thus manipulating the evidently
misogynistic Brabantio through the Senator’s own language – Iago may not
be racist himself, merely capitalising on language in order to achieve his
aims. The phrase ‘white ewe’ makes a pun on the word ‘you’, that Iago uses
to victimise Brabantio as a victim of social and natural disorder. Misogynistic
undertones also connote Desdemona as a mere extension of the patriarchal
body – she doesn’t belong to herself, only the men around her. Iago uses
crude, animalistic imagery to infuriate Brabantio, and contrasts the races and
ages of the two lovers to highlight Desdemona's purity and innocence,
compared to Othello, who seems like a lascivious old man. The verb tupping
almost seems violent, and so is perhaps used to give the audience a
prejudiced view of Othello before they have even seen him on stage.
● Brabantio: “Where didst thou see her? – O, unhappy girl! – With the Moor sayst
then? – Who would be a father? – How didst though know ‘twas she? – O, she
deceives me.”
○ The use of extended dashes and punctuations alludes to Othello’s madness
in Act 4 Scene 1 – they both think they have lost Desdemona to another man,
descending into madness based on societal expectations of women’s role
● Brabantio: “O treason of the blood!”
○ His exclamation plays on several senses of blood. Desdemona’s elopement is
a violation of her noble nature and lineage (blood); a betrayal of duty to her
family (blood); and an instance of treacherous rebellion against the sovereign
reason by rebellious passion blood). The father’s authority was analogous to
that of a Monarch’s, which is perhaps ironic as Queen Elizabeth had only just
died and James V1 was preparing for the English throne.
Act 1 Scene 2
● Othello: But i love the gentle Desdemona
○ Othello's soft language contrasts with his image painted by the other
characters. He juxtaposes love with war to highlight the two different parts of
his life: battle and his wife. As he describes Desdemona as 'gentle' this could
be Shakespeare presenting Othello as aware of their many differences.
Reinforced by hims peaking in Blank Verse
● Iago to Cassio: “Faith, he tonight hath boarded a land carack
○ Vulgar metaphor for connoting sexual intercourse, deceptive metaphor.
Misogynistic- objectifies women.
● Roderigo: “Tush, never tell me...thou, Iago, who hast had my purse!”
○ The play begins in media res. By starting the play off in a dramatic way, the
audience are plunged into action and introduces the relationship between
Iago and Roderigo: Roderigo blindly trusts Iago, and is thus presented as a
gullible character (gave Iago ‘his purse’ to get Desdemona) arguably
Roderigo’s purpose it to underpin the idea that Iago is deceitful and
manipulative.. Moreover, by having the audience feel as though they are
‘eavesdropping’, the conversation is forced to feel secretive and implies the
night setting which is yet to be mentioned due to the sinister and
conspiratorial implications of their conversation. The mild expletive here
already shows themes of innocence vs sin. It also foreshadows the very end
of the play – Iago never really ‘tells’ Roderigo or any other character about his
true incentives.
● “I will wear my heart on my sleeve/ For daws to peck at. I am not what I am” (. If my
outward appearance started reflecting what I really felt, soon enough I’d be wearing
my heart on my sleeve for birds to peck at. No, it’s better to hide it. I’m not who I
appear to be.)
○ Iago flips an otherwise vulnerable and whole-hearted phrase into something
dark by saying that the day he is who he is outwardly would be the day “I will
wear my heart on my sleeve/ For daws to peck at”. He uses an otherwise
romantic cliche to show how manipulative he is as his heart and emotions are
conveyed as false and the bird imagery/metaphor reinforces how bad his
intentions are as it mirrors the ancient greek tale of Prometheus who
transgresses against the Gods to give human beings fire. As punishment,
birds pick at his liver- the equivalent to the heart: the epitome of emotions.
This could mirror Iago's downfall.
● Iago: “Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago.”
○ Discussion flitting between 1st and 3rd person, with Iago removing himself
from his own identity and ironically uniting the two characters. Theme of
deception. Arguably, this is Meta-theatrical, playing on themes of truth and
appearance, and Iago reflecting the playwright (Shakespeare himself) due to
his manipulation of characters and the world.
● Iago: “I am not what I am”.
○ Iago is parodying God with his statement, alluding to Exodus’s declaration, “I
am that I am” in the Bible. This directly juxtaposes Iago against God,
enforcing him as a Satan-like figure and preying on the severe Christianity of
Shakespeare’s audience.
● Iago: “Rouse him… poison his delight, proclaim him in the streets. Incense her
kingmen… Plague him with flies.”
○ Despite insistence that Othello is the one “bewitching”, Iago displays
connotations of witch-like changing using imperative verbs. 1604 Witchcraft
Act
, ● Iago: “Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!”
○ Iago aligns Desdemona with commodities and objects, an item belonging to
Brabantio that isn’t even prioritised above his house. Marxist interpretation in
a city of wealth and status?
● Iago: “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.”
○ This phrase alludes to witchcraft through its association to a witch’s familiar,
indicative of lust and sexual deviance, as well as the horns foreshadowing the
later cuckoldry and Satan imagery. Iago is thus manipulating the evidently
misogynistic Brabantio through the Senator’s own language – Iago may not
be racist himself, merely capitalising on language in order to achieve his
aims. The phrase ‘white ewe’ makes a pun on the word ‘you’, that Iago uses
to victimise Brabantio as a victim of social and natural disorder. Misogynistic
undertones also connote Desdemona as a mere extension of the patriarchal
body – she doesn’t belong to herself, only the men around her. Iago uses
crude, animalistic imagery to infuriate Brabantio, and contrasts the races and
ages of the two lovers to highlight Desdemona's purity and innocence,
compared to Othello, who seems like a lascivious old man. The verb tupping
almost seems violent, and so is perhaps used to give the audience a
prejudiced view of Othello before they have even seen him on stage.
● Brabantio: “Where didst thou see her? – O, unhappy girl! – With the Moor sayst
then? – Who would be a father? – How didst though know ‘twas she? – O, she
deceives me.”
○ The use of extended dashes and punctuations alludes to Othello’s madness
in Act 4 Scene 1 – they both think they have lost Desdemona to another man,
descending into madness based on societal expectations of women’s role
● Brabantio: “O treason of the blood!”
○ His exclamation plays on several senses of blood. Desdemona’s elopement is
a violation of her noble nature and lineage (blood); a betrayal of duty to her
family (blood); and an instance of treacherous rebellion against the sovereign
reason by rebellious passion blood). The father’s authority was analogous to
that of a Monarch’s, which is perhaps ironic as Queen Elizabeth had only just
died and James V1 was preparing for the English throne.
Act 1 Scene 2
● Othello: But i love the gentle Desdemona
○ Othello's soft language contrasts with his image painted by the other
characters. He juxtaposes love with war to highlight the two different parts of
his life: battle and his wife. As he describes Desdemona as 'gentle' this could
be Shakespeare presenting Othello as aware of their many differences.
Reinforced by hims peaking in Blank Verse
● Iago to Cassio: “Faith, he tonight hath boarded a land carack
○ Vulgar metaphor for connoting sexual intercourse, deceptive metaphor.
Misogynistic- objectifies women.
