What is the structure of Shakespeare's Othello?
William Shakespeare ’s Othello is a tragedy in five acts. The plot builds toward a climax and then has a brief resolution. The structure closely follows the declining mental health of the tragic hero, Othello, as he becomes so torn apart by jealousy that he turns against his wife, taking...
What is the form of Othello?
Othello is written in blank verse and prose. Blank verse consists of unrhymed iambic pentameters, with five stressed syllables and five unstressed syllables to each line. Shakespeare uses this traditional form flexibly, however, varying the pace of his writing to achieve specific effects. He also creates specific idioms for each of his characters.
What is the relationship between Othello and Desdemona?
Othello is one of Shakespeare's tragedies and is tightly packed with complex relationships, particularly those between the titular character, Othello, and the play's villain, Iago, and also between Othello and his wife, Desdemona.
How is the construction of scenes used in Othello?
Finally, the construction of scenes is also extremely effective in Othello. Long scenes of painful exchanges or confrontation are punctuated by short scenes or moments of violence – verbal and physical.
What is the plot construction of Othello?
The play is set in motion when Othello, a heroic black general in the service of Venice, appoints Cassio and not Iago as his chief lieutenant. Jealous of Othello's success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots Othello's downfall by falsely implicating Othello's wife, Desdemona, and Cassio in a love affair.
Is Othello written in iambic pentameter?
Where will I find it in Othello? Iambic pentameter is used for the majority of the play.
Is Othello a simple or complex plot?
Othello offers a complex plot within complex conflicts. It offers the conflict in the parts of Venice's kingdom. Iago's jealousy as the Moor is the main conflict.
What techniques are used in Othello?
The main literary devices Shakespeare uses to enhance the play are allusion, simile, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
What is Shakespeare's writing style in Othello?
Othello is written in blank verse and prose. Blank verse consists of unrhymed iambic pentameters, with five stressed syllables and five unstressed syllables to each line. Shakespeare uses this traditional form flexibly, however, varying the pace of his writing to achieve specific effects.
What is the theme of Othello?
Lesson Summary. Shakespeare's classic play Othello is about a man who falsely accuses his wife of cheating on him, and believes this lie so strongly that he eventually takes her life. Some of the major themes in this play include racial prejudice, manipulation, and jealousy.
What type of tragedy is Othello?
Othello is about as near as Shakespeare gets to classical tragedy. A. C. Bradley saw Shakespearean tragedy characterized by the "tragic flaw," the internal imperfection in the hero that brings him down. His downfall becomes his own doing, and he is no longer, as in classical tragedy, the helpless victim of fate.
What type of drama is Othello?
Othello is a tragedy because it tells the story of a noble, principled hero who makes a tragic error of judgment, leading to a devastating climax in which most of the characters end up either dead or seriously wounded.
What is the climax in Othello?
ClimaxThe climax occurs at the end of Act III, scene iii, when Othello kneels with Iago and vows not to change course until he has achieved bloody revenge.
What literary device is used in Othello?
Shakespeare uses in Othello are allusion, symbolism, dramatic irony, and metaphor. These literary devices help the author to emphasize the central conflicts of the story. Moreover, they depict the themes of jealousy, compromised morality, and appearance vs.
What does Othello symbolize?
Shakespeare often uses different locations to represent mindsets. In Othello, Venice represents civilization, while Cyprus symbolizes the wilderness. The idea is that what happened in the Cyprus never would happen in the civilized city of Venice.
What is the tone of Othello?
The tone of Othello largely reflects Iago's worldview, which is characterized by cynicism and suspicion. Iago expresses his cynicism frequently, and particularly in the play's opening acts.
Is all Shakespeare in iambic pentameter?
Shakespeare is famous for writing in iambic pentameter, and you can find it in multiple forms in every one of his plays. He often used the popular rhymed iambic pentameter, but not always. In "Macbeth," for example, Shakespeare employed unrhymed iambic pentameter (also known as blank verse) for noble characters.
What does iambic pentameter Symbolise in Othello?
Iambic pentameter is used in Othello to put emphasis on specific words in a line. This attracts the attention of the listener to those words rather than to the others.
What is an example of an iambic pentameter?
Here are examples of iambic pentameter in use: From “Holy Sonnet XIV” by John Donne: “As yet but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend. Every other word in these two lines of poetry is stressed.
Who writes in iambic pentameter?
William Shakespeare famously used iambic pentameter in his plays and sonnets, John Milton in his Paradise Lost, and William Wordsworth in The Prelude. As lines in iambic pentameter usually contain ten syllables, it is considered a form of decasyllabic verse.
What does Othello refer to in his lines?
His authority also comes across in these lines, and there is a sense of both danger and beauty – entirely appropriate to the speaker – in his references to ‘bright swords’ and ‘dew’. We are immediately aware that the hero is an impressive character and a powerful speaker.
How is Othello written?
Othello is written in blank verse and prose. Blank verse consists of unrhymed iambic pentameters, with five stressed syllables and five unstressed syllables to each line. Shakespeare uses this traditional form flexibly, however, varying the pace of his writing to achieve specific effects. He also creates specific idioms for each of his characters. If we look at the language of Othello and Iago we can see how the dramatist creates not only character, but also the theme of opposition which is central to the play. From his opening speeches in Act I Scenes 2 and 3 it is clear that Othello’s characteristic idiom is dignified, measured blank verse. This is appropriate, given his status in the play. His use of blank verse also helps establish his heroism.
How does Othello and Desdemona break up?
The break-up of their marital harmony is conveyed through the disruption in the lines and Othello’s measured calm gives way to verbal bullying (see III.4.80–98). This pattern mirrors the disrupted lines of Act III Scene 3 when Iago first started to poison Othello’s mind. Desdemona later says, 'I understand a fury in your words / But not the words' (IV.2.32–3). By this point he misconstrues everything she says:
What does Othello use to describe Iago?
Othello has also begun to use oaths ( 'zounds!') which are associated with Iago, suggesting not only the ensign’s power as a speaker, but also his ability to influence and control the powers of speech of others. Right at the end of this speech we struggle to make any sense of Othello’s words ( 'Pish!
Why does Othello fall?
Othello ‘falls’ because he believes a man whose every utterance is deceptive. When the hero is taken in by false words, tragedy is the result. This play shows us the power of words; we watch as characters construct their own and others’ identities through language, and exert power either by speaking, remaining silent or silencing others.
What is Othello's characteristic idiom?
From his opening speeches in Act I Scenes 2 and 3 it is clear that Othello’s characteristic idiom is dignified, measured blank verse. This is appropriate, given his status in the play. His use of blank verse also helps establish his heroism. Othello speaks clearly and purposefully.
What is the significance of the different voices in Othello?
The different ‘voices’ and styles in Othello are an important part of the play’s power to hold and move the audience. Another very important part of the linguistic power of the play is Shakespeare’s use of figurative language, the imagery, which is discussed in Critical Approaches: Imagery and Critical Approaches: Themes .
What is the focus of Othello?
There is a narrow focus in Othello. There are two principal locations, Venice and Cyprus, but gradually our attention becomes fixed on a single bedroom, creating a feeling of claustrophobia that is unique in Shakespeare’s tragedies. The outer world becomes insignificant as the hero becomes monomaniacal, obsessed with a single concern. The use of Venice as a location is significant. At the end of the sixteenth century, dramatists began to use Italy as a suitable location for revenge tragedies; the Italians were thought to be worldly and Venice in particular was associated with everything that was culturally sophisticated; it was a location that suggested power, order and wealth to the audience. At the beginning of the play Othello appears to have succeeded in Venice on its terms; he has gained both power and wealth. But he is also an outsider: different. The play explores what happens to the hero when he is made to feel this difference. It is appropriate that the Machiavellian trickster Iago should originate and appear in an Italian setting before being transported to Cyprus. Shakespeare’s use of a war with the Turks and the uneasy atmosphere of the garrison town in Cyprus – a ‘halfway house’ between civilisation and the heathen world – is also dramatically significant. The war isolates the heroine from everything and everyone she knows; similarly, Othello feels his difference and isolation in Cyprus when he is 'Perplexed in the extreme' (V.2.344). Here, in this unfamiliar setting, with the threat of danger lurking, passions are unleashed and order is destroyed. The storm helps to establish and reflect the fear and violence that the characters will feel in Cyprus, while also being a symbol of Othello and Desdemona’s love.
How many acts does Iago have in Othello?
Only Iago knows the whole truth about the handkerchief, which is appropriate given the dramatic structure of the play; for four acts he is the only character who fully understands what is happening, because he has set events in motion. Finally, the construction of scenes is also extremely effective in Othello.
What is Othello's downfall in Act V?
At the end of the play the tragic protagonist is partially redeemed when he recognises the truth and chooses to destroy himself, while Iago’s downfall is assured when he is revealed as a scoundrel.
How many uses of the word "honest" in Othello?
For comments about the fifty-two uses of the word ‘honest’ in the play, see William Empson in John Wain (ed.), Othello: Casebook.
Is there a subplot in Othello?
The sense of claustrophobia is heightened by the fact that there is no subplot in Othello. The action of the play focuses very closely on Iago’s role and Othello’s reactions to his 'reports' (V.2.183). Even the characters who seem to have other ‘lives’ are closely linked to the married couple in some way; Roderigo’s foolish hopes and Cassio’s relationship with Bianca provide us with points of comparison with the Othello–Desdemona match. Our sense of claustrophobia is also heightened because we are aware that we are observing a group of characters who exist in a tightly knit social network, where each person has a clearly defined position and role and a view of each other member of the group. Iago threatens the order and harmony of the network because he is able to manipulate the views of the most powerful group member. The single plot intensifies dramatic tension: we are never given a moment’s respite to look away from Iago’s progress as he pushes Othello towards tragedy.
What does Desdemona ask Othello to do?
Othello, enraged, demands Desdemona to show him the handkerchief. She, of course, does not have it and Othello grows more jealous and suspicious. Iago tells more about how Cassio has admitted to sleeping with Desdemona and Othello “falls in a trance” and has a seizure.
Who gives Othello all his belongings to Graziano?
Lodovico gives all Othello’s belongings to Graziano and orders Iago be tortured.
What does Iago tell Othello about Cassio?
He then tells Othello that he has seen Cassio use the handkerchief. In addition to this proof, Iago nearly convinces Othello of the affiar by creating a lie saying that Cassio admitted to the affair while dreaming. Othello, enraged, demands Desdemona to show him the handkerchief.
Why does Desdemona give Othello a handkerchief?
Desdemona offers her handkerchief, a token of Othello’s love to her, to Othello to help his headache. He dismisses it and drops it to the floor. Emilia picks it up and gives it to Iago because he has always wanted her to steal it.
Who convinces Roderigo to get with Desdemona?
Iago convinces Roderigo that he can still get with Desdemona if he eliminates Cassio.
Why did Desdemona kill Emilia?
While dying, Desdemona claims that she killed herself while Othello claims he killed her because of her affair.