10.2.2

Psychoanalytic Approach

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A Psychoanalytic Approach

Reading Othello through a psychoanalytic lense may also relate to Love through the Ages and Aspects of Tragedy. Consider the following characters:

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis

  • Psychoanalysis is a discipline developed by the famous neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).
  • In summary, it is the idea that the way we behave as humans is largely driven by unconscious desires.
  • Freud also stated that we sometimes become aware of these unconscious desires through slips of the tongue or what we dream about as we sleep.
Psychoanalysis and _Othello_

Psychoanalysis and Othello

  • A psychoanalytic approach to Othello would therefore focus on the clues Shakespeare gives us about the unconscious desires of the characters.
  • This does sometimes involve thinking of the characters as if they were real.
Othello

Othello

  • His unconscious desire is to be with Desdemona, but he knows that in reality this may not work out for the good.
  • He assumes the role wanted by white Europe but he will never truly fit.
  • Shakespeare may be suggesting that Othello is delusional about this.
Iago

Iago

  • His unconscious desire is jealousy towards Othello, both through his lack of promotion and because Othello slept with his wife.
  • He may also be racist.
  • Iago may also have secret desires for Desdemona.
Cassio

Cassio

  • He may explicitly need the sexual favours of Bianca, but may well view Desdemona as the ideal.
Brabantio

Brabantio

  • His unconscious feeling might well be concern about the mixed race offspring that may result from Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.
  • This then presents him with issues over inheritance and the future of his own estate.
Emilia

Emilia

  • Her unconscious desire could be to see the end of her husband, because she is presented by Shakespeare as living in an unfruitful and broken marriage.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

1.1

Introduction

1.1.1Specifications
1.2

Background

1.2.1Shakespeare1.2.2Love1.2.3Tragedy1.2.4Historical Context
1.3

Othello

1.3.1Setting1.3.2Social Issues
2

Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1

Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure2.1.2The Exam
2.2

Scene One

2.2.1Key Events2.2.2Key Themes2.2.3Key Ideas
2.3

Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events2.3.2Key Themes2.3.3Key Ideas
2.4

Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events2.4.2Key Events 22.4.3Key Themes2.4.4Key Ideas
3

Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1

Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events3.1.2Key Events 23.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy3.1.4Scene Two: Events
3.2

Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events3.2.2Key Ideas
4

Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1

Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two4.1.2Scene Three4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas4.1.4Scene Four
5

Act Four

5.1

Scene One

5.1.1Key Events5.1.2Key Ideas
5.2

Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events5.2.2Key Ideas
5.3

Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events5.3.2Key Ideas
6

Act Five

6.1

Scene One

6.1.1Key Events6.1.2Key Ideas
6.2

Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events6.2.2Key Ideas
7

Character Profiles

7.1

Major Characters

7.1.1Othello7.1.2Iago7.1.3Desdemona7.1.4Emilia7.1.5Cassio
7.2

Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio7.2.2Other Characters
8

Key Themes

8.1

Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love8.1.2Love 28.1.3Tragedy8.1.4Tragedy 2
8.2

Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private8.2.2Appearance & Reality
9

Writing Techniques

9.1

Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure9.1.2Genre9.1.3Form & Language9.1.4Language & Imagery
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy10.1.2Traditional10.1.3Modern & Contemporary
10.2

Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach10.2.3Marxist Approach
11

Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1

Specification A

11.1.1Specification A11.1.2Love Through the Ages
11.2

Specification B

11.2.1Specification B11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy
12

Issues of Assessment

12.1

The Exams

12.1.1AOs12.1.2Mark Scheme

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Feminist Approach

Marxist Approach