Act 3 A.C. Bradley's view of Othello

 ‘Othello’s nature is all of one piece. His trust where he trusts is absolute. Hesitation is almost impossible to him. He is extremely self-reliant and decides and acts instantaneously. If stirred to indignation … he answers with one lightning stroke. Love, if he loves, must be to him the heaven where either he must live or bear no life. If such a passion as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-nigh incontrollable flood.’

Having read Act III how far do you agree with A.C. Bradley’s view of Othello?

 

It can be seen that 'Othello's nature is all of one piece' because when he loves Desdemona, he loves her with all of his heart and this is shown when he says 'But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, chaos is come again'. Adding to the idea that his nature is all of one piece, it can be seen through his amount of trust with Iago, he trusts Iago so much about Desdemona being unfaithful that he is even willing to kill his good friend Cassio and his wife over something that has no real truth. We know that he wants Desdemona dead because of when he says 'Damn her, lewd minx: O damn her, damn her!' This demonstrates Othello's power, however it does not demonstrate his nobility which he should possess in order to be the tragic hero of a classical tragedy (according to Aristotle).


It could be argued that Othello's trust is absolute because of how reliant he is on Iago's information about Desdemona and Cassio. Othello's absolute trust for Iago is shown when he says to him 'I know thou'rt full of love and honesty'.  It could be said that the fact that Othello is so trusting of people and the fact that he is so gullible is a part of his hubris that leads to his hamartia at the end of the play. This could also be used to argue the fact that Othello isn't a 'noble' tragic hero because of this which means he doesn't possess the correct characteristics that Aristotle said are necessary for a tragic hero to have in a classical tragedy. It's apparent that Othello is gullible when Iago is telling him the arguably bathotic story of Cassio saying 'Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves' in his sleep. The fact that this is what convinces Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful might make the audience question his ability to be in a position of power.

Furthermore, the idea that 'hesitation is almost impossible' to Othello can be seen when Othello immediately falls out of love with Desdemona as soon as Iago plants the idea that she has been unfaithful with Cassio. This is demonstrated when Desdemona has just spoken to him about giving Casio his job back and Othello calls her an 'excellent wretch!' This characteristic of Othello can also be seen as a part of his hubris. Othello's lack of hesitation leads to his downfall. It also shows that he can be easily angered and loses his temper quickly which some may argue doesn't make him noble. Not only does Othello not hesitate with his emotions towards Desdemona but he doesn't hesitate with believing what Iago has to say  about Desdemona and Cassio.


Moreover, there is evidence in act three for how Othello 'decides and acts instantaneously because of when he says to Iago 'within these three days le me hear thee say that Cassio's not alive. This demonstrates how he acts and decides instantaneously because he doesn't even want to speak to Cassio and Desdemona about it first to get their sides of the story; because his nature is all of one piece and that his trust is absolute, he is willing to be the cause of two deaths just because of something that Iago told him.


In addition to this, 'if a passion such as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-nigh of incontrollable flood' because of how angry he gets when Iago first speaks to him to make him jealous. Once he gets jealous, he then starts to get angry with Iago wanting to know what he has to say about Cassio and Desdemona as shown when he says 'by heaven I'll know thee thoughts!' This demonstrates that when he experiences jealousy, he loses his temper very quickly and gets very angry with Iago. He even threatens to kill him if he finds out he is lying. That could be used as another example of when Othello acts and decides quickly, because he would have no hesitation in killing him under those circumstances.


To conclude, A.C. Bradley's views of Othello can be seen throughout act three in the play, there is evidence to support all of them. These characteristics of Othello may make up his hubris and that leads to him committing the hamartia of believing Iago to which eventually leads to him killing Desdemona which ultimately leads to his downfall and eventually he kills himself. However the audience experience a feeling of catharsis at the end of the play because Othello realises he was in the wrong and wants everyone to know that.

Extract question

Extract Question -1

Extract Question -2

Extract Question -3

Extract Question -4

Act 3 Scene 3 Questions

For what two reasons does Desdemona agree to plead Cassio's case?

Desdemona agrees to plead Cassio's case because him and Othello are good friends which is shown when Desdemona says: 'you do love my lord' and the other reason is that Cassio helped Desdemona and Othello get together because Desdemona mentions that he helped Othello with 'wooing' her.

What is Iago referring to when he says, "Ha! I like not that."

He is referring to Desdemona and Cassio speaking closely and quietly with each other, this is to try to make Othello suspicious so that Iago's plan will later work out

After Othello repeatedly urges Iago to tell him what's on his mind, Iago says "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;/It is the green eyed monster, which doth mock / The meat it feeds on." What is Othello's response? What does he want from Iago?

Othello's response is 'O misery' because he wants Iago to tell him what he means by the comments that he is making about Cassio and Desdemona,  he wants to know if Desdemona is cheating on him or not.

What does Iago say about the women of Venice?

He says that 'In Venice they do let God see the pranks They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience Is not to leave't undone, but keep it unknown.' He is telling Othello that in Venice, if women cheat on their wives they just don't tell their husbands which means that it doesn't really count as cheating because they don't know about it. He is still refraining from telling Othello because he wants his suspicions to grow and his trust for Desdemona to decrease. This will enable his plan to work.

What contextual evidence do we have to support Iago's views of Venetian women?

The contextual evidence from Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy (1616) he says that 'Wives are slippery, often unfaithful to their husbands but to old men most treacherous'

Why might this cause Othello to believe this or, at least, not dismiss it immediately?

Because it will make Othello come to his own conclusions by only being told hints from Iago, this means Iago will only have to do a small amount of lying because Othello will already be having the thoughts that Desdemona is being unfaithful as a result of Iago's language choice. Also, Iago already knows that Othello is insecure because of his appearance and that Desdemona will leave him when he is older and no longer finds him physically attractive

Who echoes Brabantio's earlier warning to Othello?

Iago does when he says ' she did deceive her father, marrying you' which will make Othello sensitive to the fact that she is capable of deceit and will therefore even further back up what Iago has been saying to him and this will make Othello question his trust for Desdemona.

In his duplicitous fashion, what bold statement does Iago make about Desdemona and Othello?

Desdemona's handkerchief becomes an important piece of stage business. Why did Desdemona produce it? What happens to it? What might this symbolise? What happens to it? What does Emilia plan to do with it?


Desdemona gives her handkerchief to Othello to use of a bandage because he is complaining of a headache. Othello rejects the handkerchief, saying 'your napkin is too little', and it falls to the floor. This might symbolise the way that Desdemona's love is not enough for Othello. Othello and Desdemona leave the handkerchief on the floor. Then Emilia picks it up and plans to give it to Iago, because she knows that he wants it but she doesn't know why.

What do you think motivates Emilia to take the handkerchief to Iago?


Emilia thinks that Iago will be pleased that she got him the handkerchief and that will in turn mean that their relationship will become better and more romantic.

What does Iago plan to do with the handkerchief?


Iago wants to make it look like Desdemona is cheating on Othello with Cassio, therefore he plans to leave the handkerchief in Cassio's room t make it look like Desdemona was there.

When Othello returns to the scene upset, what warning does he give Iago?


He warns him that if he finds out he if lying about Desdemona cheating or if he can't find sufficient proof to show to Othello, then he will kill him.

What 'proof' of Desdemona's disloyalty does Iago give Othello?


His proof that finally convinces Othello is when Iago describes that one night when he was sleeping by Cassio he spoke of his affair with  Desdemona 'sweet Desdemona...let us hide our loves', and also tells Othello how Cassio 'laid his leg over my thigh, and sighed and kissed'.

What is Iago's final 'proof'?


Iago's final proof is that he saw 'Cassio wipe his beard' on the handkerchief Othello gave to Desdemona. This really annoys Othello because that handkerchief has a lot of sentimental meaning to him and Iago describes Cassio just using it as a normal handkerchief.

What is noticeable about Othello's language in this scene?  


Othello's speech becomes monosyllabic throughout the scene. He also becomes increasingly distressed and Shakespeare shows how he is failing out of love with Desdemona as shown when he says: 'loathe her. O curse of marriage'.

Act One Scene Three Questions (in 226-386)

Act One, Scene Three (In 226-386)

1.Why do the Senators listen to Desdemona and what does she persuade them to do?

They listen to Desdemona because of her father's importance and because of their respect for Othello. She persuades them to let her go with Othello so that they can have their wedding night together and so that they can be together because they've just got married. She also tells them that her love for Othello is genuine and that she wasn't drugged or didn't have magic used on her.

2. What praise (though simultaneously racist comment) does the Duke afford Othello?

He says to Brabanito: "your son-in-law is far more fair than black" and by doing this he could be trying to say that although he's black it could be worse and because it's Othello he's more like white than black. This is a compliment to Othello because the Duke is trying to help him in the sense that he is trying to get Brabantio to accept him.

3. What is significant by the rhyming couplet used by Brabantio?

It's foreshadowing the end of the play when he says the last line of it "She has deceived her father, and may thee." Iago tells Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him near the end of the play so by Brabantio saying this to Othello, it already makes us question Desdemona's loyalty and perhaps will make Othello question it too which makes what Iago says to Othello about Desdemona seem more believable.

4. What is ironic about Othello's retort and his subsequent description of Iago?

He describes Iago as being "honest" which the audience will already know isn't true so this is ironic because we see that Othello clearly trusts Iago so later, when he tells him that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him, he's likely to believe it if he is of the opinion that Iago is "honest".

5. Why is Roderigo so distraught and how (and why) does Iago convince him to keep going?

Roderigo is so distraught because he wasn't expecting Desdemona to confess her true love for Othello because of what Iago has previously told him. Iago convinces him to keep going by manipulating the situation and what has happened so far. He also convinces him with an ulterior motive of taking his money because he keeps repeating "put money in thy purse" throughout his speech to Roderigo on why he should keep going. He promises him that if he keeps giving him money then he will help him to win Desdemona.

6. Focus on Iago's soliloquy what reasons does he give for wanting revenge against Othello?

The reasons he gives are that he heard rumours that his wife had cheated with him and he says he doesn't know whether the rumours are true and even if they'e not he just doesn't like Othello and therefore wants revenge anyway. He manages to make the audience believe that Othello deserves this revenge too because 'the audience becomes complicit in Iago's intention'.

Act One Scene Three Questions (in 45-225)

Act One, Scene Three (In 45-225)

1. How does the Duke and Senators speak of Othello?

They speak of him as if he's important because they call him the "valiant Moor". This would suggest that he is of an important position. Also they speak about him using racist terms like "Moor" which would suggest society at this time was racist.

2. How does Brabantio speak of his daughter?

He speaks of Desdemona as if Othello has ruined her as if she's an object to be damaged which is demonstrated when he says: "she is abused". This would also suggest a racist society because he thinks that just because his daughter's husband is black that she's "abused" with some kind of drugs or magic spells which was a racist view held of black people.

3. What do we learn about views towards foreigners/moors?

We learn that society was highly racist and that they had low opinions of "Moors". We also learn that Othello has a lot of people that respect him though because of his high position, however, he loses the respect of Brabantio when he marries Desdemona because he's black and Brabantio believes he's used drugs or magic to 'win' her. This is another racist view that the only way "Moors" can get people to find them attractive is by using magic or drugs.

4.What is ironic about Othello's claim that "rude I am in my speech"?

Because he says he can't speak very well in front of people but he manages to deliver several speeches, using really good language in front of lots of people when he's explaining how Desdemona fell in love with him and how he didn't use magic or drugs to 'win' her.

5. What is startling about Othello's decision to let Desdemona speak on his behalf?

Aristotle stated that the tragic hero in a classic tragedy should be a man of magnitude and if Othello is a man of magnitude then he should be able to speak on his own behalf and not need Desdemona to prove that she loves him. He should be able to do that for himself. Also, society was patriarchal at this time so what ever Desdemona says would not be taken too seriously anyway because she's a woman so the fact that Othello has to get his wife to speak for him may make us question whether he really is a man of magnitude.

6. Using the thinking question, what 'stories' does Othello tell in his speech to the senate? 

He tells all the stories from his life: "battles, sieges, fortunes" and explains that when he told these stories to Desdemona, she felt sympathy for him which is how she fell in love with him. Not all of his stories were true though, he just liked the feeling of Desdemona feeling sorry for him and all that she thinks he has been through. They are Othello's 'ideologies' and how he would have wanted things to be  so he lie about it which is what he feels he needs to do in order for Desdemona to fall in love with him.

Act One Scene Two Questions

Act One, Scene Two

1. Thoughts on Othello

Very confident and authoritive.

“keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them”.

This quote demonstrates Othello’s confidence because he is in a dangerous situation, doesn’t show any fear and asserts his authority over the other men through his tone. This also demonstrates how well respected Othello is because all of the men listen to him and do not fight him.

Remains calm.

“The goodness of the night upon you, friends! What is the news?

This quote demonstrates how calm Othello is because Iago has just told him that lots are people are angry with him and the fact that he’s married Desdemona and although Cassio is not one of them, Othello doesn’t know this when he is first approached by Cassio and he still remains calm. This also shows Othello’s intelligence because he doesn’t see fighting as necessary, whereas Iago does.

2. How does Othello respond to Iago’s baiting?

He doesn’t really react.

“’Tis better as it is”

This demonstrates that Othello is more intelligent than Iago because he doesn’t see the need to get angry or lose his temper with what Iago has just told him and therefore doesn’t give Iago the reaction he wants from him.

3. How does Brabanito react upon meeting Othello?

He accuses Othello of theft.

“Down with him, thief!”

This demonstrates how both Iago and Brabanito view Desdemona as a possession to own, it highlights the patriarchal views of the society at this time. Brabanito is not happy that his daughter has gotten married behind his back and because she is a woman, she is seen to not be capable of making her own decisions which is why Brabanito is angry with Othello as he believes Othello has forced her into this.

Brabanito is also highly racist to Othello.

“thou hast enchanted her”

“Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals”

The racist views towards black people in this society are shown through the way Othello is spoken to by Brabanito. Because Othello is black, Brabanito finds it impossible to believe that Desdemona could find him attractive and therefore accuses him of drugging her or putting some kind of spell on her so that she would marry him. Therefore showing the racist views of society believing that black people are evil and that people could not freely fall in love with them.

4. How does Othello react to Brabanito’s charges?

Othello again, demonstrates how he remains calm.

“Hold your hands….Where will you that I go to answer this your charge?”

He demonstrates his honourable nature by remaining calm and asking where he can go to answer to Brabanito’s charges. By doing this he shows that he is a man of magnitude because he doesn’t see fighting as necessary because there is a better way to get the right conclusion and he wants a chance to explain himself because fighting would just make him look worse  in this situation.

Also, he threatens Brabanito.

“Where it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter.”

He is saying that if he wanted to fight, he would have and he would’ve won against them all. This is a threat to Brabanito because he is showing that he is of an important position and he would be able to fight if he wanted to. He chooses not to because he doesn’t see the need and, by doing this, he hasn’t given Iago the reaction that he wants in this situation.

Act One Scene One Questions

Act One, Scene One

1.Thoughts on Othello

That he's a thief.

“Thieves, thieves, thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! Thieves, thieves!”

We think of Othello as an evil man who has stolen Desdemona, Brabanito’s daughter. They objectify Desdemona because they speak of her as if she is a possession to own and to steal. At this point in the play, we do not like Othello because he doesn’t sound like a nice character.

Taking advantage of Desdemona.

“an old black ram is tupping your white ewe!”

We think of Othello disgustingly taking advantage of Desdemona and for the original audience of this play, we would have been shocked that a white woman would be with a black man because of the highly racist views in society in this time. 

2. Why do we believe Iago?

He’s manipulative.

“nor all masters cannot be truly followed.”

At this point in the play we cannot see how cunning Iago is because Othello hasn't been introduced to the play yet so we can only go on what he's telling us and trust what he's saying. He even gets the audience to dislike Othello before he's even in the play.

3. Why does Brabantio react the way he does?

Because at the time the play was set, society was highly racist and Othello is black so Brabantio doesn't like the fact that he has 'stolen' his daughter.

4. What is 'wrong' with Michael Cassio?

He's handsome and Iago is jealous of him because he wants his job and he tries to pick out all of his flaws like the fact that he's "never set a squadron in the field". He's trying to highlight his imperfections so that he can feel better about himself.

5. Why/how is Iago the perfect Venetian man?

He's manipulative cunning and 'strong' which is what Venetian men are described like.

6. How doe Brabantio think Othello has won Desdemona?

Through witchcraft and the use of magic because he doesn't honestly believe that Desdemona could freely fall in love with him and find him attractive because he's black.

7. Is there anything in his words and actions that make us doubt Iago's honesty?

He's underhand and sneaky.
"Whether I in any just term am affined to the Moor"
This demonstrates how he's cunning because he's covering his back to Roderigo after he's just been telling him how much he hates Othello but realises that because of his job and friendship with him he will have to continue to act that way, especially for his plan to work, so he's telling Roderigo that he's only acting like he likes Othello because he has to.