Office=

Duty in the bedroom, job as lieutenant

Gossip—“thought abroad” –tarnish reputation. How can you let another person sleep with your wife?

Hates him for no reason—“and” –adding a reason right after. I hate him and this is why…but not the main reason.

…not the real reason.

“I know not”---making excuses…I don’t know, but I don’t not know….dislike to just dislike him. Maybe he did.

Cask of Poe

…can’t trust Iago and what he says. Confusing. Does what he does, because he has his own motives…but we don’t know what they are. We just don’t know. Create controversy, who to side with? Who’s the good guy. (like Medea)

Situational irony—character knows something that we don’t know (instead of us knowing something characters don’t know.

Iago—has plot ready to go by end of Act II

Othello—associated with witchcraft.

Desdemona—only there to enhance the lesson? Every time she talks---she’s for Othello. Doesn’t falter in her love.

Desdemona’s position when Brabantio asks “Who do you owe most obedience?”—assumes she’s going to pick him. Ultimatum.

  • Emphasizing role of father—he’s the one in charge, he knows what is best for her—should just take advice that he gives her.
  • Power goes to husband when you get married. If she chooses him—he takes on that fatherly role.

Desdemona’s response—perfect answer, can’t respond to anything against it. No answer to what she says. Rhetorically savvy—if he contradicts her, he contradicts himself. Would be going against how he raised her. Did the right thing. Without saying it explicitly. Begrudgingly accepts what’s happening.

Othello won’t have “full control” over her—she’ll do it again!

“life upon her faith”—putting a lot on the line.

“what she feared to look on”—feared baffled that she would fall in love with “the Moor”

“perfection could err”—against nature.

Dram=magic.

More about love than magic=love and storytelling are what Othello uses that “makes” her love him.

Desdemona=”spirit so still and quiet”—natural impulses made her blush. Not confident. Her action of being with Othello is the opposite of this extreme shyness.

Desdemona’s personality—contrast Othello’s personality. “should be feared”

Playing off racist fears that people in court might have. “Moor”—different from what they’re used to?

“Moor” denotes outsider (witchcraft).

  • Moor can mean a lot of things in the period: skin color, location, religion—but it mainly signifies outsider.

“Witchcraft”—outside

Magic plus shyness=taken advantage of.