OTHELLO

OTHELLO

1. Order/Disorder

   • Reason and Unreason
     • RACE
       • unscientific superstition of the hankerchief - a magic token?
       • unnatural/outrageous marriage- use of black magic assumed?
         • those charms (365)
       • these moors are changeable in their wills
     • This would not be believed in Venice (339)
     • light and dark (360)/day and night
     • This cannot be, by no assay of reason (216)
   • Turks: disorder
     • (268) Cassio & Montano brawl
     • Othello turns himself to the Turk (396)
       • Othello and Ottomite
   • This is Venice; my house is not a grange. (204)

2. Reality and Appearance

   • Honesty
     • dramatic irony - Iago's soliloquies
     • patronizing to social inferior -rankles Iago
       • Cassio to clown 3.1
       • 281,282
     • Faithfulness vs frankness
       • Iago and Montano 266
       • Iago of Cassio (272)
         • advice to Cassio (276)
         • Iago of Cassio to Othello (288) plays on ambiguity
       • Desdemona of Cassio (285)
       • Othello of Iago (298,383)
     • WOMEN (296,305)
       • chastity
       • Desdemona: symbolic of honesty
     • perceptions of honesty
       • To be direct and honest is not safe (305)
       • whip me such honest knaves!
   • men should be what they seem 290
   • I am not what I am. (201)

3. Us/Them schizophrenia

   • schizophrenia employed by Iago
   • Iago and Montano (Cassio drunk)
   • Iago and Othello (291) - between you and me!
   • Iago and Lodovico (340)
   • Race
   • Iago and Cassio
     • sharing private jokes of a prostitute's lofty aspirations (332)

4. Control and Loss of Control

   • male honour in safeguarding his property
   • self-control

5. Gender stereotypes and conventions

   • played on by Iago
   • courtly love
     • idealised female ostensibly elevated
     • subservient male
       • dominance in the bedroom (248)
         • educating the male (284)
         • traditional gender roles (335)
       • our captain's captain (2.1)
       • Othello 252, 275
       • her appetite shall play the god (276)
       • Cassio 283
     • refined
   • Females
     • physicalized by Iago
       • one motive is to snare a man
       • powerful, cunning
       • super-subtle Venetian (237)
         • Othello: Subtle whore (342)
           • I took you for that cunning whore of Venice (348)
       • lascivious APPETITE (255) - a stereotype EASILY BELIEVED!
         • Iago is very certain (258)
         • object of FEAR (psychological power?)
           • ingrained into the male psyche
           • Uncontrollable appetite (298)
             • Emilia: It is their husbands' faults 361 (lambasting the male double standard)
         • I do not distinctly speak of her (296) - deduction from accepted general truth
       • Iago vs Cassio
     • object of desire
       • passion (APPETITE)
       • beauty and the moral ideal (245)
         • fair devil (312)
         • agony and disbelief: a fair woman! (335-6)
         • a claim of innocence (347)
         • the senses aches at thee (346)
     • male property
       • extension of male property - the businesslike tone at the fringes?
       • Brabantio: "thief!"
       • Iago: "Done my office"
         • leapt into my seat (258)
       • jewel (227,382)
     • Female Reputation
       • obedience (226,287,300,339,386)
         • so speaking as I think, I die
       • chastity
         • lost by defection, errant sexual behaviour
           • Her name - begrimed (305)
           • protectress of her honour (326)
         • swears to her honesty by religion (347)
         • compare with Bianca
     • subservient to males- MALE DOMINATED WORLD
       • "thee" - Cassio and Othello
       • desdemona & Iago banter (2.1)
       • Bianca overwhelmed (370)
       • Emilia: give me leave (385)
   • Males
     • brotherhood and loyalty (272,
       • Iago in his warning to othello: For too much loving you (295)
         • Cassio's my worthy friend (296)
           • Iago of Cassio (271)
             • advice to Cassio 276
       • automatically assumed
       • Iago's defense of Emilia's castigation of the male fraternity (351)
       • Tush, never tell me! - Rod to I
     • Male Honour/ reputation (272)
       • protecting property
         • manly honour lost with the lost of sexual possession: "Othello's Occupation's gone."
         • Loss of female/betrayal: the one thing his reputation cannot stomach (345-46)
       • public reputation vs private role distinct
         • Othello
           • manage private and domestic quarrel? (270)
             • What? Strike his wife? (341)
             • light-winged toys (232)
           • Private weakness: I takes joy in describing his epilepsy(328)
         • Cassio
           • "a knave teach me my duty?" 266
             • provocation: tainting his discipline (257)
           • drinking: 'my weakness'vs courtesy (261)
             • you must not think I am drunk. (264-5)
             • Montano: You're drunk. 266
           • Chasing after Bianca - protect his reputation (335)
         • sense of place and duty 268
       • hold their honours at a wary distance (262)
         • to say a soldier lies - tis stabbing
       • Iago:Easily won and lost, ordinary? (273)
       • GOOD COMPORTMENT and self-control of his passions
         • Montano (269)
           • unlace your reputation (269)
         • Cassio's indiscretion (273)
         • the male vir - manliness and valour
           • I to O: 305-6, 329-30
             • othello claims to be free of jealousy (293-94) + D's ironic statment (314)
             • spleen - incongruous with a man
           • whom passion could not shake? (340)
           • I to Rod: 354
           • the sword symbol (389)
     • sexual jealousy/fear of stolen property INGRAINED IN THE MALE MIND!!
       • Iago's fear: Cassio, Othello (259, 351) peevish jealousy (362)
       • competitive, aggressive
         • Blame the male or the female?
           • D: victim of a male competitor? (335)
           • Why Desdemona dies (5.2)
             • Protecting men from women? (372)
             • religious duty?
             • dishonour to Othello's reputation
               • protect the victim or his male competitors? Highly contradictory
                 • The weak position of women in society - endless reasons to punish a woman
             • 381: commend me to my kind lord (Kind-behaving as a husband should)
           • Othello: a victim?
             • this most unfortunate man (392)
             • fallen in the practice of a damned slave
             • Emilia: Murderer!
               • ALL IN HONOUR
                 • Why Othello Kills HImself
                   • loss of honour
                     • no more dignity to wield a sword
                   • loss of valuable property
                     • jewel (382)
                     • base Indian
             • loved too well, being wrought (395)
       • I to O: I confess (291)
       • she did deceive her father...(295)
   • The helplessness of women - no available justice
     • females vulnerable to males' sexual appetite: "magic token" to ensure a man's fidelity?
       • Forsaken: Willow song
     • Emilia's cynicism
       • WE are but food (319)
       • finally speaks up against the imbalance
         • PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER OF THE MARTYR -passive, but powerful (384)
         • disobedience and speaking up in a male world (see other nodes)
     • men are not gods - reasonable expectations (321)
       • treating women as on their wedding day
         • pathetic attempt: 349 lay my wedding sheets..
       • godly command of himself
     • they can only pray: Heaven keep the monster from Othello's mind! (322)
       • Heaven have mercy on me (375)
     • I must be circumstanced! (324) - even Bianca, seemingly independent
       • Cassio has no intention of marriage (332)
         • beggarly divorcement (352)
       • female threat: no more supper! (334)
         • affections and sexual favours
     • only response is incomprehension

6. Class tension and sensitivities

   • good manners and breeding (247)
     • 2.1 -99
     • Iago: construed as lust and lechery (255, 256)
     • Cassio vs Iago (260)
       • Iago: crude, physical Cassio: polite, refined,courtly but ostensibly agreeing with Iago 
   • social resentment
     • Cassio - a knave (255)
   • the song of the farmer (264)
   • Clown and Cassio (280)
   • The marriage?

7. Rank

   • Cypriates and Venetians: sensitivities of a garrison town
   • the lieutenant is to be saved before the ensign (264)
   • service
     • automatically assumed based on rank
     • Iago: The curse of service (198)
       • gradation vs preferment