Othello ppt

Othello

introduction

"Othello" is a play by Shakespeare about the marriage of Othello, a Moor, and Desdemona, a Venetian lady. They start happily but face tragedy due to jealousy and deception by Iago. Despite their love, differences in race and culture become a problem. Iago's lies about Desdemona's unfaithfulness make Othello angry, leading to terrible verbal and physical attacks.

plot

(the night in venice)

One night in Venice, Iago tells Roderigo that he’s furious with Othello, because he has been passed over for a promotion in favor of the much less experienced soldier Cassio. Later they wake up Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, and tell him that his daughter has left to marry Othello, a marriage he opposes because Othello is a Moor. Brabantio faces Othello, and they take their argument to the Duke of Venice, who has called Othello to ask him to sail to Cyprus to stop a Turkish invasion. The two lovers convinced the duke that their love is true and strong, so he gives Desdemona permission to travel with Othello.

plot

(Iago's Ploy)

In Venice, Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona, who he loves, is in love with Cassio, and gets him to start a fight with Cassio. During the celebration of the defeat of the Turks, Iago gets Cassio to make him drunk and Roderigo attacks Cassio. Iago has his revenge on Cassio when Othello kiks Cassio as his lieutenant. Now Iago decides to make Othello believe his wife is unfaithful: he suggests to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. Trusting Iago and mad with jealousy, Othello promotes Iago and asks him to help him to kill both Cassio and Desdemona

plot

(THE HANDKERCHIEF SCENE)

Meanwhile, Emilia, Iago’s wife, finds Desdemona’s handkerchief, which is the symbol of her love and loyalty to Othello, and gives it to Iago, who deicdes to leave it in Cassio’s room. Cassio gives it to his mistress, Bianca, and, at this point, Othello believes that Bianca’s possession of the handkerchief is proof that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. Iago convinces Roderigo that he will win Desdemona if he kills Cassio tonight, but the attempt goes wrong and Cassio wounds Roderigo. Iago stabs Cassio in the leg and Othello, hearing Cassio’s cries, believes Iago has killed him and returns home to kill Desdemona. Iago kills Roderigo. At the same time, Othello, who has completely gone crazy for jealousy, kills Desdemona in their bed. Then Emilia confesses the truth and Iago immediately kills her. Lodovico arrests both Iago and Othello for the murders of Roderigo, Emilia and Desdemona, but Othello kills himself because of what he has done. In the end, Cassio takes the title of general and Iago is arrested and sentenced to death.

main characters

othello

iago

desdemona

othello

Othello, the protagonist of the play, is the general of the army in Venice, a powerful and honest Christian Moor: he is courageous, intelligent and respected by his troops. However, he is a foreigner from Africa, a black Moor, and, because of this, he is often described with expressions like “the thick-lips”, “a Barbary horse” and “an old black ram”. Sometimes even Othello presents himself as an outsider because he recognizes himself as an outsider or feels insecure about being different from other Venetians: he is black among all the white people and, while white meant honor and innocence, black was guilt and wickedness. Othello is inexperienced when it comes to love and marriage and his insecurities, probably mainly the fact that he believes he’s not good enough for his wife because of his skin color, make it easy for Iago to persuade him and make him believe that Desdemona has cheated on him. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses animal imagery to describe characters, especially Othello, to highlight the evil in the characters: Othello was constantly compared to animals due to his race, but then, as jealousy was overtaking him, he started to express animalistic behaviors, ha was becoming evil. Only when he kills Desdemona, he realizes that he destroyed the best he has in himself; the guilt consumes him, and he commits suicide.

desdemona

Desdemona, a young, intelligent and independent woman, is the daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio and, later in the play, Othello’s wife. Her Othello makes her take many risks: she rebels against her father and also against the Venetian society by not marrying a white man. In the beginning, Othello and Desdemona loved and respected each other: Desdemona was literally into her husband, she was madly in love with him. However, Iago’s evil plot and Othello's jealousy ruined it and she became passive. Moreover, Desdemona knew she was going to die: she asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets and to bury her in them, and she sings the Willow song she learned from her mother’s maid: “My mother had a maid called Barbary, She was in love, and he she loved proved mad And did forsake her. She had a song of “Willow,” An old thing ʼtwas, but it expressed her fortune And she died singing it. That song tonight Will not go from my mind.”

iago

Iago is one of the central characters of the play, and he presented himself as honest, charming and clever. But these qualities are all fake: he’s for sure clever, but also manipulative, cruel, and lots of critics considered him as a psychopath, a sociopath or an extreme narcissist. He sees other people only as objects he can maneuver; he damages people's lives and enjoys it: Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, his wife Emilia, are all his victims. But why does Iago want to destroy people’s lives? He doesn’t have solid motivation: he is upset with Cassio for taking the lieutenant position, with Othello for supposedly sleeping with his wife and becoming the general. But this doesn’t explain Iago’s hatred: no real motives exist. At the end of the play, he murdered his wife, probably because of both her “betrayal” and his hatred for women: her death adds a tragic dimension to the play and highlights the destructive consequences of Iago’s manipulation.

secondary characters

Emilia

Cassio

Cassio is a young and charming soldier, whom Othello promotes to lieutenant, over the most experienced Iago. He’s loyal to Othello and friendly with Desdemona. He’s intelligent, but not cunning: Iago can easily manipulate and ensure him in a plot to convince Othello that Desdemona has a relationship with Cassio.

Emilia is Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s lady-in-waiting. She knows Iago better than anyone else, but she realizes too late that the wicked person who has poisoned Othello against Desdemona is Iago. She picks Desdemona’s handkerchief and gives it to Iago, even if she doesn’t know his plans. She’s treated with no respect from her husband. He says “It’s a common thing … to have a foolish wife”, suggesting he doesn’t respect her intelligence.

main themes

jealousy

manhood

honor

racism

In Othello, the most evident form of prejudice is based on race. In the opening scene, Roderigo and Iago use racially offensive terms like "Barbary horse" and "thick lips" to insult Othello. The biased characters consistently depict Othello as an animal or beast, using racist language to portray him as an outsider in white Venetian society and as someone less human, and therefore, less deserving of respect. Othello himself adopts this prejudice, describing himself in similarly unfavorable racial terms. When he believes he has lost honor and manhood due to Desdemona's alleged unfaithfulness, he transforms into the irrational animal or monster that the white Venetians accuse him of being. In Othello, various forms of prejudice are evident beyond racial bias. Misogyny, the dislike of women, is also prevalent among the characters, particularly focused on women's honesty or dishonesty about their sexuality. Othello's age is another basis for insults in the play. In all these instances, the prejudiced characters aim to control and define others who unsettle them. Essentially, prejudice serves as a tactic to distinguish between outsiders and insiders, positioning oneself within the dominant group. Othello himself recognizes this dynamic, as seen in his suicide speech where he highlights killing a Muslim Turk, using religious prejudice against Muslims to establish his standing in mainstream Christian Venetian society.

jealousy

Iago describes jealousy as the "green-eyed monster," linking it to the theme of appearance versus reality. For example, Othello, driven by jealousy, demands "ocular proof" of Desdemona's infidelity, seeking tangible evidence. However, Iago offers only circumstantial proof with the handkerchief, which Othello, blinded by jealousy, accepts as a substitute for actual proof. Othello's jealousy hinders his ability to distinguish between reality and appearance. In the play, Othello faces prejudice based on his race, but his honor and intelligence make such attacks appear absurd. Yet, when jealousy consumes him, Othello transforms into a beast-like state, experiencing epileptic fits that rob him of coherent speech. Othello isn't the sole character grappling with jealousy; both Iago and Roderigo also act out of jealousy, leading to disastrous consequences in their quest to destroy Othello.

honor and manhood

IIn the play, men strive to assert and defend their manhood and honor. Othello, recognized by the Duke for his military prowess, has gained political power through his military success. The subplot involving Iago getting Cassio drunk emphasizes the importance of reputation. Cassio believes that reputation defines one's humanity, stating, "I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial." While military achievements contribute to men's honor, outside of war, their honor is often tied to their ability to control the fidelity of their women. In the play, Brabantio's honor is questioned because he couldn't manage his daughter Desdemona's romantic impulses. Iago also manipulates Othello, making him question his manhood and humanity by casting doubt on his control over his wife. Othello, troubled by suspicions about his wife, sees losing control as losing his humanity, equating it to becoming a monster. In essence, without honor, he views himself as others prejudiced characters see him: as an animal.

THE HANDKERCHIEF SCENE

The handkerchief, a gift from Othello to Desdemona, symbolizes loyalty, it represents a promise that he will be true to her, and a request that she will be true to him. When Emilia finds the handkerchief, she explains why she feels lucky to have found it: she’s happy to finally do what Iago asks, even if she doesn’t know why he wants it. “I am glad I have found this napkin, This was her first remembrance from the Moor. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it, but she so loves the token (For he conjured her she should ever keep it) That she reserves it evermore about her To kiss and talk to. I’ll have the work ta’en out And give ʼt to Iago. What he will do with it Heaven knows, not I. I nothing but to please his fantasy.” (3.3.297–306)

But after giving it to Iago, Emilia explains that Desdemona will become extremely upset once she notices the object is missing, so she would like to return it to her mistress: she understands the love and loyalty Desdemona feels for Othello, and she knows that the handkerchief symbolizes these feelings. Emilia’s loyalties to her husband and to her mistress come into conflict. “If it be not for some purpose of import, Give ‘t me again. Poor lady, she’ll run mad When she shall lack it.” (3.3.324–326)

THE HANDKERCHIEF SCENE

Later, Iago will place the handkerchief in Cassio’s room as an evidence that Desdemona and Cassio have been having an affair: he hopes that the handkerchief in Cassio’s possession will serve as proof of Desdemona’s infidelity and somehow lead to the destruction of both Cassio and Othello, the two men he hates much.“I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkinAnd let him find it. Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ. This may do something. The Moor already changes with my poison.” (3.3.329–333)

While Desdemona explains to Emilia how important her handkerchief is to her, she understands that, even if Othello is such a noble man to be caught in an emotion like jealousy, she understands that her losing the gift, that symbolizes his love, might upset him."Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse Full of crusadoes. And but my noble Moor Is true of mind and made of no such baseness As jealous creatures are, it were enough To put him to ill thinking.” (3.4.21–25)

THE HANDKERCHIEF SCENE

Othello explains to Desdemona the meaning of the handkerchief: he was told that this object is charmed, and that who possesses it will have a faithful spouse. However, if the handkerchief was lost or given away, the once loyal partner would seek love outside the marriage. Othello manipulates Desdemona, suggesting that if she loses the handkerchief, he might be unfaithful. At this point, Othello accuses Desdemona, but she can’t convince him that his suspicions are unfounded, and she can’t save her marriage. “She told her, while she kept it ʼTwould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love, but if she lost it Or made gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathèd and his spirits should hunt After new fancies.” (3.4.55–60)

Ironically, Iago’s manipulations turn the handkerchief, once a symbol of love and loyalty, into a tool for deceit, falsely indicating Desdemona's supposed affair with Cassio

thanks

Del Sorbo Matteo

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