Othello Act 4 Scene I Monica, Shelley & Anna

SUMMARY -Iago torments Othello with mental images of Desdemona’s affair -Cassio and Iago have a conversation about “Desdemona” while Cassio thinks they’re talking about Bianca and Othello eavesdropping -Othello is enraged and decides to kill Cassio and Desdemona -Lodovico brings news of deporting Othello back to Venice and deputing Cassio in his place -Desdemona speaks of Cassio persistently and Othello strikes her

Iago convinces Othello of Desdemona cheating by: 1.telling him that they slept together 2.getting Cassio to admit to being with ‘Desdemona” 3.Othello seeing Bianca holding his handkerchief

DEVELOPMENTS OF PLOT

1.Cassio admits to sleeping with “Desdemona” -has misogynic attitudes towards “Desdemona” -calls her foolish because she wanted to marry -isn’t serious about their relationship -angers Othello because he’s disrespectful of “Desdemona” -Othello believes it’s direct proof that he’s admitting to it

2. Seeing Bianca with his handkerchief -his suspicions are confirmed when he sees his handkerchief with Bianca, Cassio’s whore -proof that Desdemona’s given him the handkerchief -“And to see how he prizes the foolish woman your wife: she gave it to him, and he hath given it his whore.” ( ) -Cassio thinks of Desdemona as nothing more than a whore, he doesn’t treasure it

3. Decision to kill Cassio and Desdemona -after he confirmed Desdemona was cheating -relationships with both the characters are ruined in Othello’s view -mistrust formed between Othello and the pair -character development, Othello is no longer as trusting as he was before -has a darker personality, caused by jealousy

4. Desdemona talks about Cassio to Othello -Desdemona is very loyal to Cassio as a friend -She wants Cassio and Othello to make peace -She continues to talk of Cassio to Lodovico while Othello is reading his letter. -This causes Othello to get even less trusting and more angry with Desdemona until he eventually strikes her.

5. Lodovico sees Othello striking his wife -Lodovico assumes he is upset because of the letter from the duke, asking him to return to Venice and leave Cassio to rule in Cyprus. -Lodovico is surprised and shocked when Othello strikes Desdemona in front of him. -He starts to believe the general is showing a bad example (“Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate Call all-in-all sufficient?” )

Summary of Plot Developments -seeing Bianca with his handkerchief and Cassio admit to sleeping with Desdemona is solid proof -drives the plot forward, these events confirmed what Othello was refusing to believe -makes the decision to kill Cassio and Desdemona -Desdemona is persistent and going out of her way to talk about Cassio -Othello is frustrated and proceeds to strike her -Lodovico is watching, is shocked when he learns of Othello’s nature

Development of Theme -being deceived by your closest friend(s) -jealousy and miscommunication changing people’s personalities

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Othello -jealousy and fear that he has been cheated on changes him to a completely different person -robs him of his honour -is angry and bitter -takes out his anger on Desdemona -acts recklessly and without self control

SETTING -women were objectified and many people had misogynistic views -they were assumed to be deceptive and constantly lying -because of this Othello never asked for Desdemona’s input on her affair

RELEVANCE TO TIMELINE -before this scene he was uncertain of the affair -seeing handkerchief is ocular proof that Othello demanded from Iago -reached the climax, with him having enough of the situation and ordering both Cassio and Desdemona’s deaths -he’s tormented by their affair and makes an irrational decision -first time he shows disrespect to his wife, and it is in public -drives plot forward because this is Othello’s breaking point, he is unable to handle the torment any longer

DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES: Dramatic Irony -Othello is jealous over offences that didn’t happen -e.g: he assumed Iago and Cassio were talking about Desdemona when they were not -causes him to act irrationally and do regrettable actions

SYMBOLISM: Handkerchief -Othello believed it represented their love for one another -seeing Bianca with the handkerchief causes him grief -demands it from Desdemona which she cannot produce -thought of it brings a mental picture of Cassio wiping his beard with it -once symbolized love and loyalty, now symbolizes betrayal

RECURRING MOTIFS: Jealousy -Othello becomes the animal all the other characters say he is when he is consumed by jealousy -expressed by all the characters -Othello jealous about his wife -Bianca jealous about Cassio (she thinks the handkerchief is from another woman) -Iago possibly jealous about Emilia

VIDEO PLAYS

RHETORICAL AND LITERARY DEVICES: Metaphor 1.“ A horned man’s a monster and a beast.” (4.1.63) 2. “If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears, each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.” ( )

RHETORICAL AND LITERARY DEVICES: Irony 1.“Work on, my medicine, work!” (4.1.44) -referring to the ‘poison’ he planted in Othello’s mind -verbal irony 2. “Lives, sir.” (4.1.99) -when Lodovico asks about Cassio -dramatic irony because readers know he will not be alive for much longer

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION Why hasn’t Desdemona realized by now that something was wrong? Why hasn’t she confronted him directly about the ‘problem’?

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