This extract is significant in Othello's tragedy because it is where Iago starts to plot Othello's downfall. Iago's Machiavellian character is exposed to the audience and as stated by McEvoy 'the audience becomes complicit in Iago's intention...and is soon involved in his vengeful plotting...members of the audience...share Iago's delight in his own powers of evil invention'. The audience can see Iago start his plotting with Cassio and Desdemona when he is aside and enjoying how Cassio 'kiss'd' Desdemona's 'three fingers'. This therefore makes Iago significant in Othello's downfall because he is the cause of it. Iago's reason for plotting against Othello is because he wasn't Othello to feel the same hurt that he did when Othello gave the position of lieutenant to Cassio. It is evident that Iago is jealous of Cassio because of how he wans to 'strip' him of his 'lieutenantry'. This extract is also significant for the audience because Shakespeare is properly exposing Iago's character for the first time in the play. His duality is exposed.
The significance of the setting that Shakespeare has chosen for this scene is that it's at a sea port in Cyprus. This means that Shakespeare is going against what Aristotle said that classical tragedies should consist od. He is going against his three unities of time, setting and one story line. Because this scene breaks one of the unities, it does not follow the typical structure of a classical tragedy.
Prior to this extract, Othello is shown to have noble behaviour because of how he handles situations, for example when he refused to fight Brabanito and wanted to talk instead. Aristotle stated that a tragic hero in a classical tragedy should be a noble man, Shakespeare follows this by demonstrating Othello's noble behaviour. However it is questioned whether Othello is really noble because of how much he trusts Iago and how gullible he is. During this extract, Othello and Desdemona are acting very in love and very content with one another. An example of this is when Othello refers to Desdemona as his 'fair warrior'. This is significant for the audience to witness because it makes the tragedy of the play more effective. This is because the audience can see how much they love each other.
The role of Iago is significant because Shakespeare uses him too plot Othello's downfall and he foreshadows Othello's future in the play. When Iago says to Othello: 'O, you are well tun'd now!' this is foreshadowing that in the future he won't be 'well tun'd' because of the word 'now' which could be used to infer that Othello will be different in the future. This is significant because it reminds the audience that the play is still a tragedy, despite Othello and Desdemona seeming to be happy at the moment.
The mood of this scene, which is created by Iago, is jealousy. He is jealous of Cassio's 'lieutenantry' and he is jealous of how 'content' Othello is with his new wife, Desdemona. However, this does not affect the atmosphere of the scene because all of the other characters are celebrating that Othello has made it back safely. This is shown when Desdemona sees him arriving and says: 'let's meet him and receive him'. This atmosphere is created by Cassio and Desdemona being excited about the return of Othello. Furthermore, Shakespeare creates the atmosphere of love by having Othello and Desdemona speak in iambic pentameter to each other.
Desdemona is used as a method of tragedy in this extract because her love for Othello is presented as being so strong. It could be argued that Desdemona and Othello have an unusual relationship because Othello is black and society was highly racist in the time that the play is set. Desdemona's love for Othello is demonstrated when she calls Othello her 'dear Othello'; the fact that Shakespeare shows the audience how passionate their love is for one another adds to the tragedy of the play because the audience knows that Othello will soon lose these feelings towards her. Cassio is also used as a method of tragedy in this extract because of how Iago sees him to be 'flirting' with Desdemona and Iago is already jealous of what Cassio's job allows him to do. This aspect of the play is tragic because Cassio has done nothing wrong to deserve what Iago is doing to him. In Iago's plotting of Othello's downfall, he is simultaneously plotting the downfall of many other characters.
Iago doesn't interact with anyone in this play except for Othello. This is significant because of how reliant Othello is on Iago towards the end of the play to trust that he is being told the truth about Desdemona. It could be argued that being too trusting is Othello's tragic flaw that leads to him committing the hamartia of killing Desdemona. Iago's soliloquys are also significant in this extract because they reveal his plotting and the jealous streak in his personality. Additionally, it is important for the audience to see Iago's jealousy for Cassio because the fact that Cassio has Iago's desired job is the motive for the plotting of Othello's downfall. This is a key part in the tragedy of the play.
Prior to this extract, Othello is shown to have noble behaviour because of how he handles situations, for example when he refused to fight Brabanito and wanted to talk instead. Aristotle stated that a tragic hero in a classical tragedy should be a noble man, Shakespeare follows this by demonstrating Othello's noble behaviour. However it is questioned whether Othello is really noble because of how much he trusts Iago and how gullible he is. During this extract, Othello and Desdemona are acting very in love and very content with one another. An example of this is when Othello refers to Desdemona as his 'fair warrior'. This is significant for the audience to witness because it makes the tragedy of the play more effective. This is because the audience can see how much they love each other.
The role of Iago is significant because Shakespeare uses him too plot Othello's downfall and he foreshadows Othello's future in the play. When Iago says to Othello: 'O, you are well tun'd now!' this is foreshadowing that in the future he won't be 'well tun'd' because of the word 'now' which could be used to infer that Othello will be different in the future. This is significant because it reminds the audience that the play is still a tragedy, despite Othello and Desdemona seeming to be happy at the moment.
The mood of this scene, which is created by Iago, is jealousy. He is jealous of Cassio's 'lieutenantry' and he is jealous of how 'content' Othello is with his new wife, Desdemona. However, this does not affect the atmosphere of the scene because all of the other characters are celebrating that Othello has made it back safely. This is shown when Desdemona sees him arriving and says: 'let's meet him and receive him'. This atmosphere is created by Cassio and Desdemona being excited about the return of Othello. Furthermore, Shakespeare creates the atmosphere of love by having Othello and Desdemona speak in iambic pentameter to each other.
Desdemona is used as a method of tragedy in this extract because her love for Othello is presented as being so strong. It could be argued that Desdemona and Othello have an unusual relationship because Othello is black and society was highly racist in the time that the play is set. Desdemona's love for Othello is demonstrated when she calls Othello her 'dear Othello'; the fact that Shakespeare shows the audience how passionate their love is for one another adds to the tragedy of the play because the audience knows that Othello will soon lose these feelings towards her. Cassio is also used as a method of tragedy in this extract because of how Iago sees him to be 'flirting' with Desdemona and Iago is already jealous of what Cassio's job allows him to do. This aspect of the play is tragic because Cassio has done nothing wrong to deserve what Iago is doing to him. In Iago's plotting of Othello's downfall, he is simultaneously plotting the downfall of many other characters.
Iago doesn't interact with anyone in this play except for Othello. This is significant because of how reliant Othello is on Iago towards the end of the play to trust that he is being told the truth about Desdemona. It could be argued that being too trusting is Othello's tragic flaw that leads to him committing the hamartia of killing Desdemona. Iago's soliloquys are also significant in this extract because they reveal his plotting and the jealous streak in his personality. Additionally, it is important for the audience to see Iago's jealousy for Cassio because the fact that Cassio has Iago's desired job is the motive for the plotting of Othello's downfall. This is a key part in the tragedy of the play.
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