Analisi dettagliata "Othello", Schemi e mappe concettuali di Inglese

Scarica Analisi dettagliata "Othello" e più Schemi e mappe concettuali in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! OTHELLO: THEME OF APPARENCE AND REALITY IAGO has the ability to manipulate the truth. All the poem is orchestrated by him ACT 1 SCENE 1 He says to Roderigo that he is just pretending to be Othello’s friend. This should be a warning for Roderigo that Iago is not to be trusted (Iago: “I’m not what I am”  biblical reference but in inversion). ACT 1 SCENE 3 Iago convince Roderigo not drawing. He uses a friendly tone and inclusive pronouns to show that they are a team. As soon as Roderigo leaves the scene e starts to use derogatory/disrespectful language, like fool or snipe. He says he is using Roderigo like a purse. We can see his truly thoughts in his soliloquies (the act of talking to oneself). “Hell, and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light!”. ACT 2 SCENE 1 Iago manipulate the truth with the use of asides (dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, brief comment). He explains his plan for fulling Othello and how he will manipulate the situation Desdemona-Cassio. Metaphor of the musician is used to make clear that he can manipulate the reality at his pleasure. ACT 2 SCENE 3 Iago is a master of staging (the process of modifying the performance). He convinced Cassio to drink on duty. As soon as Cassio left Iago says to Montano (Cyprus governor) that Cassio was drunk during the job. Cassio attacked Roderigo while he was drunk. ACT 3 SCENE 3 Iago is unable to convince Othello that his wife and Cassio have an affair. Othello want to see ocular proof/evidence. ACT 4 SCENE 1 Iago twist Othello with image of the affair between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello is so hurt about this images that he got sick. Metaphor of a doctor that now has the full control with medicine. In one aside Iago says that he will talk with Cassio about Bianca, not Desdemona. But Othello won’t suspect anything [dramatic audience]. While talking Bianca arrived and accused Cassio of cheating (handkerchief). The handkerchief that Cassio have was Desdemona’s handkerchief, that was the ocular proof that Othello needed. OTHELLO: “How shall I murder him, Iago?” [certain tone] Now Iago is the director that have complete control on the comedy. Shakespeare is waring us to be sceptical and not believe at all the things others say. ist of Characters OTHELLO Othello, the play's protagonist, is a respected and successful general in the Venetian army. He is of Moorish (North African) descent and therefore stands out in Venice at the time in which the play is set because of his dark skin and exotic background. Othello is a good deal older than his young Venetian wife, Desdemona. The combination of his advanced years and his background makes him self-conscious and susceptible to manipulation by lago. He is easily convinced that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. DESDEMONA Desdemona is the young, beautiful high-born daughter of Brabantio, She infuriates her father by martying Othello, a Moorish general far older than she Is. Desdemona1s pure and innocent and unable to cope with her husband" Jealousy or lago's cunning schemes.. CASSIO Cassio is a young, handsome, army officer from a noble background. He is very well-educated and is respected by Othello, who chooses him as his lieutenant over the long-serving lago. Cassio ls flirtattous and popular with women, which lago uses to fuel Othelloss jealousy. IAGO lago is the antagonist of the play. He is a junior officer serving under Othello and hopes to be promoted to lieutenant. However, Cassio is promoted in his stead and lago is bitterly angry at having been passed over. He hatches a devilish plot to bring down Cassio and Othello, using Cassio* flirtatiousness and Orhello* jealousy and insecurity against them. lago is an evil and unrepentant villain. EMILIA Emilia is lagos wife and Desdemona* lady-in-waiting. She has a cynical attitude towards men and marriage and is a foil to the dutiful, obedient Desdemona. Emilia is a pawn in lago diabolical plot to bring down Othello and Desdemona. Daspite her cynicism about love, Emilia is loyal to her husband and coes not turn on lago until the very end of tha play when his evil scheming is revealed. lago suspects Emilia of being unfaithful to him, but there is no evidence to support his claims. ACT 4 SCENE 1 - Othello has become utterly corrupted by Iago. Othello is no longer in charge: Iago rules him completely. Where he once gave commands, now he constantly questions, and takes orders/direction from Iago, even the suggestion of killing Desdemona. - Othello has so little control of himself that he struggles to speak coherently. - Othello torment is increased by the fact he both loves and hates Desdemona, this destroys his reputation as a nobleman and a competent leader. ACT 4 SCENE 2 - Othello admits that his pride has been badly damaged by his belief that he has cuckolded. ACT 4 SCENE 3 - Othello seems coldly and calmly in control and arranges matters so Desdemona will be alone when he goes to the bedroom for killing her. ACT 5 SCENE 1 - There is a stark contrast between the noble, authoritative Othello who arrived to break up the fight in Act 2 Scene 3 and this underhand, corrupt figure who stands by and gloats as Cassio is badly wounded. ACT 5 SCENE 2 - Othello is acting irrationally and sees himself has an agent of justice. - Othello begins to lose his self-control when he thinks that Desdemona is weeping for the loss of Cassio. - Othello is tormented by guilt when he realises Desdemona’s innocence. He believed he had to kill her to regain his honour, but he actually loses all honour by doing so. - Othello in the action of murder his wife has dishonoured Venice. For this reason, he commits suicide with his sword. IAGO ACT 1 SCENE 1 - Iago is insulted that Cassio is promoted over him. - Iago is a master of manipulation and the ability to hide behind the actions of others. - Iago admit to Roderigo that he cannot be trusted [“I am not what I am”]. - Iago plays on racial distrust. He uses numerous racial slurs when referring to Othello. - ACT 2 SCENE 2 - Iago is certainly not lacking in wickedness and is more than capable of putting himself first. ACT 1 SCENE 3 - Iago’s hatred for Othello, even if he has no proof that Othello has slept with Emilia. - Iago continues to manipulate Roderigo. - In this scene Iago shows his diabolical nature. ACT 2 SCENE 1 - Iago does lot of comments on woman, his language his crude and his misogynistic comments show his cynical view of the other sex [“you rise to play and go to bed to work”]. - Iago shows that he is a quick thinker, well able to take advantage of situations as they arise. ACT 2 SCENE 3 - Iago can identify a person’s weak spots and use them to his advantage. Cassio  drink problem Roderigo  lovesick for Desdemona  1 + 1 = fight - Iago’s diabolical nature is revealed in his soliloquy. ACT 3 SCENE 1 - Iago possesses an uncanny ability to get others to trust him. ACT 3 SCENE 2 - Dramatic irony: Othello focusing on the city’s defences and not recognising the enemy within: Iago. Indeed, Othello trust Iago. ACT 3 SCENE 3 - Iago plants the seeds of suspicion in Othello’s mind. - Iago constantly reminds the audience of his dishonesty and hypocrisy. - Iago develops the theme of jealousy. He compares it to a monster that consumes those afflicted by it. - Iago misogyny is clear in his dealings with Emilia. He shows no respect for her and he says she is a thing for him. - Othello’s language begins to become as crude, hateful, misogynistic and full of diabolical imagery as Iago’s, showing that Iago’s influence has poisoned his mind. ACT 3 SCENE 4 - Iago ensures that Cassio will continue to beg Desdemona to plead his case. ACT 4 SCENE 1 - Iago now have complete control over Othello. Iago’s stock is rising as Othello’s falls. He appears to be the nobler and more trustworthy of the two, even though the audience knows the opposite is the case. - Iago manage to convince Othello that Cassio has an affair with Desdemona, not Bianca. ACT 4 SCENE 1 - Emilia comes uncomfortably close to the truth. - Roderigo, like Emilia, comes close to exposing Iago’s true nature. - Iago easily slips into different roles. (Othello / Desdemona) ACT 5 SCENE 1 - Iago’s situation is becoming increasingly precarious and his ability to improvise serves him well in the plan (he uses Bianca’s sudden arrival to his advantage). ACT 5 SCENE 2 - Iago’s refusal to explain himself means that he remains forever enigmatic. His motives are never entirely clear [killing his own wife = truly diabolic evil nature]. EMILIA ACT 2 SCENE 1 - Emilia appear to be an obedient and dutiful Elizabethan wife. - Emilia’s relationship with her husband is very different from Desdemona and Othello’s relationship, but both are killed by their husband. ACT 3 SCENE 1 - Emilia I good-hearted and helps Cassio for having a meeting with Desdemona. ACT 3 SCENE 3 - Emilia doesn’t know her husband very well. - Emilia’s first loyalty is to her husband. She gives to him the handkerchief, even if she doesn’t know why he wants it. In this action she betrays Desdemona and will continue by not telling her the truth. ACT 3 SCENE 4 - Emilia’s view of men is cynical and worldly-wise, she is more realistic than Desdemona. ACT 4 SCENE 2 - Emilia loyally defence Desdemona against Othello’s accusations. She goes further than simply answering his questions and delivers an impassioned speech in Desdemona’s defence. ACT 4 SCENE 3 - Desdemona feels able to confide with Emilia. The woman in the play are able to be more open and honest with one another than are the man. - Despite her cynicism, Emilia is loyal to her husband in her own way. ACT 5 SCENE 1 - Emilia believes Iago’s story without question. She is perceptive in many ways, but not perceptive enough to see through her husband’s lies. ACT 5 SCENE 2 - Emilia greatly redeems herself in this scene. She stands up to Othello, saying he is a devil who as killed an angel. - Emilia is shocked to learn that Iago has convinced Othello of Desdemona’s guilt. - Emilia recognises that her greater duty is to Desdemona. Emilia is a woman of great spirit, unlike Desdemona, and she denounces Othello as a murder. - Emilia is selfless to the last. RODERIGO ACT 1 SCENE 1 - Roderigo has been pursuing Desdemona for some time. - Roderigo is foolish and gullible, making him easy prey for the manipulative Iago. Although Iago openly admits to Roderigo that he is not to be trusted, Roderigo continues to go along with his plans. - Roderigo is the first to express racist views. He calls Othello “the thick-lips”, a derogatory term referring to Othello’s appearance. ACT 1 SCENE 3 - Roderigo appears self-pitying, foolish and immortal in this scene. He tells Iago that he will drown himself, because Desdemona doesn’t love him. ACT 2 SCENE 1 - Roderigo’s refusal to believe Desdemona could be cheating on Othello with Cassio reinforces the idea that Desdemona is innocent on any wrongdoing. - Roderigo is ruled by Iago. ACT 2 SCENE 3 - Iago views Roderigo ass nothing more than a weapon to be used in the fight against Cassio and Othello. - He is an exceedingly foolish young man. ACT 4 SCENE 2 - Roderigo remains a gullible and unimpressive character. It is almost too easy for Iago to manipulate him. ACT 5 SCENE 1 - Roderigo, like Othello, has become totally corrupted by Iago, to the extent that he is willing to kill Cassio even though she admits he has no real reason to do so. - Roderigo discovers the true nature of Iago, but is too late. Now he is lying on the ground, badly wounded by Cassio. Roderigo is the first to see Iago for what he is. - Letter found on Roderigo’s body will help to prove Iago’s guilt and Desdemona’s innocence in the next scene. It perfectly describes the psychological destructiveness of jealousy. THEMES - Jealousy - Race - Gender and sexuality - Love - Deception - Good and evil JEALOUSY [central theme in the play] Iago uses jealousy to bring down Othello and force him to kill Desdemona. Whatever from jealousy takes in the play, be it sexual, personal or professional, it is irrational and destructive [Othello / Bianca / Roderigo]. Iago experiences both personal and professional jealousy [Cassio  promotion | Emilia]. Iago also indicates that he might be jealous of Othello. Iago tries to warn Othello against jealousy Iago does this speech for convincing Othello that he isn’t a jealousy person and he think in a rationally way. For this reason, Othello thinks that Iago is honest. Iago uses the inverse psychology for convincing Othello. He tells Othello not to be jealous, but also warns him that if he is not jealous and suspicious, Desdemona is likely to take advantage of his good nature. Although the handkerchief is such a tiny thing, it will be enough to destroy Othello and Desdemona’s lives. Emilia believes that jealousy is the root of the problem between Othello and Desdemona. Jealousy is born of nothing and feeds on nothing. Emilia like Iago comperes the jealousy to a monster. Bianca, Cassio’s girlfriend, is another character who suffers from jealousy. There is an interesting contrast between Othello and Bianca’s jealousy. Othello is overwhelmed by the emotion, but Bianca is not. Othello doesn’t speak to Desdemona, unlike Bianca that confronts Cassio and tells him that she does not believe his story about the handkerchief. In fact, Othello hasn’t managed to control his jealousy at all. He turns on Desdemona, calling her a whore. Iago is jealous about Cassio’s charm and look. He convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio. In the play who experience the most jealousy is Othello, the one who suffers the most and commit suicide. RACE There was a negative attitude in society at the time towards those with darker skins: they were considered to be more lustful and savage than their white European counterparts. In 1596 and 1601, Queen Elizabeth wrote documents complaining that there were too many “blackmoores” in England and they need to be deported. In the play Othello is repeatedly called a “Moor”, this term is referred to North Africans but could be used to describe anybody with dark skin. The racial prejudice of the time meant that the audience would be predisposed to be shocked by Othello’s marriage with Desdemona. STUDYING IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM - Handkerchief - War - Music - Heaven and hell - Storm - Animals HANDKERCHIEF The Handkerchief Othello gave to Desdemona as proof of his love becomes the undoing of that same love. Iago understand the sentimental value of the object and for this reason asked to Emilia to take it. Othello views it as a symbol of Desdemona’s love and chastity and becomes madden jealousy when he believes she has given it to Cassio. The handkerchief is white with a design of red strawberries. Othello says that the strawberries where dyed red with the blood of virgins’ hearts. When Othello believes that Desdemona has given it to Cassio, he sees it as a sign that she has also given away her charity or purity. The handkerchief shows how even seemingly insignificant, tiny things can be blown out of all proportion by jealous minds. WAR The action of the play moves from Venice to Cyprus at the start of Act 2. Othello is sent to deal with the threat of Turkish invasion. In Act 3 Scene 2, Othello decides to inspect the city’s fortifications, not aware that the greatest threat is inside the walls [irony]. Othello defines himself as a soldier, and his belief that he is unable to control his own wife wounds his pride and appears to make him feel less of a man. For Othello the betrayed of Desdemona is ls like losing a fight. MUSIC Music [harmony | discord] in Othello symbolises order or disorder in the characters’ lives. The night Othello kills Desdemona, she does indeed sing, but not to her husband. She tells Emilia of a maid her mother had who sang a song about a willow as she died of a broken heart. Desdemona says “That song tonight / Will not go from my mind”. The song was a sad song. Swan were thought to sing a beautiful song just before they died. With her last breaths, Emilia sings and repeats that Desdemona was always true to Othello. HEAVEN AND HELL Divine imagery is used through the play to highlight Desdemona’s purity and goodness. Iago’s evil influence leads Othello viewing Desdemona as a diabolical creature, and his language reflects that change. Many times, Othello has called Desdemona a “devil”. Othello says that Desdemona looks so angelic that the devil himself would be afraid to touch her. After discovered the reality about his wife, Othello wishes he were in hell, as it would be less painful than seeing Desdemona lying dead. Othello compares Iago to the devil, for this reason he will be unable to kill him. In the play, lots of characters that are describes as angels or devils’ creatures. STORM Storms in Othello reflects the characters’ tempestuous relationship and disordered thoughts. The discussion of the storm in Act 2 Scene 1 is highly symbolic. After the storms Othello will be reunited with Desdemona. He says that “if after every tempest come such calms” he would be happy to let “the winds blow till they have wakened death”. Ironically, the winds of Othello’s passionate rage will blow when he believes Desdemona unfaithful, and they will bring about deaths of Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo and Othello. ANIMALS Iago is unable to see the relationship between man and woman as anything other than animal passion. His cynical view means he sees marriage as simply a means to legally indulge in animal instincts. Othello’s view of love is changed by Iago. In Act 3 Scene 3 – also known as the “Temptation Scene” – Othello says he would “rather be a toad / And live upon the vapour of a dungeon” than share Desdemona with other men. When Iago encourages Othello to view Desdemona and Cassio in bed together, he says they may be “as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys / as salt as wolves in pride”. Othello’s jealous rage has lost control and expresses his uncontrollable passion in bestial imagery. OTHELLO SUMMARY ACT 1 SCENE 1 The play opens as Iago is telling Roderigo that he hates Othello because Othello has promoted Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of him, even though Cassio ‘never set a squadron in the field’ and has much less experience. Iago tells Roderigo ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’. The two men stand outside Brabantio's house and shout to wake him up. From the shadows, they tell him about his daughter’s secret marriage to Othello. Iago makes Brabantio angry by describing Othello and Desdemona as ‘making the beast with two backs’ and uses other sexual animal imagery. Brabantio doesn't recognise them at first but eventually sees Roderigo and the scene ends with Roderigo offering to help Brabantio find the married couple to ‘apprehend her and the Moor’. ACT 1 SCENE 2 Iago tells Othello that Brabantio knows about his marriage and ‘spoke such scurvy and provoking terms against your honour’ but Othello dismisses this and says ‘let him do his spite’. Cassio then arrives with a message from the Duke asking Othello to come to the Senate to talk about the war in Cyprus. Just as they are about to leave, Brabantio and Roderigo arrive with soldiers to arrest Othello for bewitching Desdemona. When he hears that the Duke has called for Othello, Brabantio allows him to go saying ‘the Duke himself, / Or any of my brothers of the state, / Cannot but feel this wrong as ‘twere their own’. ACT 1 SCENE 3 Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago and Roderigo arrive at the Senate while they are talking about the war. Brabantio tells the Duke that Othello has bewitched his daughter saying she is ‘abused, stolen from me and corrupted’. The Duke listens to Othello who explains that she fell in love with him as he told her stories about his life and that ‘she loved me for the dangers I had passed’. Desdemona is called for and she tells the Senate she married Othello for love and her duty is now to him rather than her father. Desdemona asks to go with Othello to Cyprus and Brabantio warns Othello ‘she has deceived her Father, and may thee’. Othello asks Iago to bring his wife Emilia to Cyprus to ‘attend on’ Desdemona. Alone with Roderigo, Iago persuades him to follow them to Cyprus, saying Othello and Desdemona’s love will not last long. Alone, Iago tells the audience of his plans to make Othello believe Desdemona is being unfaithful to him with Cassio ‘to get his place, and to plume up my will / In double knavery. ACT 2 SCENE 1 News is brought to Montano, the Governor of Cyprus, that ‘our wars are done!’ because the Turkish fleet has been badly damaged by storms. The messenger announces that Michael Cassio, ‘lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello / Is come on shore’. The next ship to arrive carries Desdemona, Iago and Emilia. Cassio describes Desdemona as ‘a maid that paragons description and wild fame’ and greets her very affectionately. Observing how close Cassio and Desdemona seem, Iago tells the audience ‘with as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio’. Finally, Othello’s ship arrives and he and Desdemona are delighted to be together again. Left alone with Roderigo, Iago convinces him that Desdemona is already bored with Othello and has switched her attention to ‘handsome, young’ Cassio, and that since Cassio is ‘rash and very sudden in choler’, Roderigo should provoke him into a fight later that evening. Alone with the audience, Iago offers more reasons why he hates Othello. ACT 2 SCENE 2