2.2.1

Key Events

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Roderigo and Iago’s Argument

This scene introduces Roderigo and Iago’s deceitful partnership, their motives behind it, and how this will provoke further tension later on.

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Events

  • Act One Scene One begins as two men – Roderigo and Iago – argue on a Venice street at night.
  • Both have a mutual hatred of Othello, who has eloped with Desdemona.
  • Iago rouses Brabantio (Desdemona’s father) from his bed to reveal he has been ‘robbed’ of his daughter. He provokes fear of Othello; all go to search for the missing couple.
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Jealousies

  • This scene introduces Roderigo and Iago’s deceitful partnership, their motives behind it, and how this will provoke further tension later on.
  • Iago’s intense jealousy of Michael Cassio’s promotion to lieutenant is established. He derides him as a soldier with ‘mere prattle [talk] without practice’.
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Nepotism

  • Iago accuses Cassio of being promoted ‘by letter and affection’ rather than ‘old gradation’. He believes Othello promoted him for nepotistic reasons rather than for his genuine talent.
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Iago's motivations

  • Shakespeare emphasises Iago’s resentful and cunning motivations towards Othello; he states ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’, and reveals his selfishness as he argues ‘In following him, I follow but myself’.
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Sympathy for Roderigo

  • Iago’s duplicity and wily nature is immediately shown in this scene as he reveals ‘I am not what I am’.
  • This also reveals Roderigo’s weak, gullible and vulnerable nature for continuing to trust him regardless; he gains our sympathy at this point.

References to Othello

Iago and Roderigo use insulting and derogatory language to describe Othello. They present him as evil and animalistic before we meet him.

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‘Thick lips’

  • Both Iago and Roderigo use pejorative slurs (insults). They appear to mock Othello's appearance.
  • Roderigo refers to Othello as ‘thick lips’.
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Black vs white

  • Iago refers to Othello using bestial, coarse and sexual imagery as the ‘old black ram’ that is ‘tupping [mating with] your white ewe [Desdemona]’.
  • Iago presents Othello in an animalistic, barbaric manner by comparing him to a 'ram'.
  • The colour imagery is symbolic. The colour ‘white’ is conventionally associated with ideas of purity and cleanliness; the colour ‘black’ with ideas of evil and wickedness. Iago seems to be setting up a contrast between Desdemona and Othello by implying that they are pure and impure respectively.
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Bestial & devil imagery

  • Iago also refers to Othello as the ‘devil’ and a ‘Barbary horse’.
    • A Barbary horse is a horse that comes from North Africa.
  • Iago presents Othello in bestial, evil terms from the play's outset. The audience has not met Othello yet, which means that audience members are being prepared for a devilish, bestial man.

Brabantio’s Reaction

Brabantio is shown to be a gullible fool, who is easily swayed.

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The disrespect

  • It is revealed here that Desdemona has eloped with Othello without her father’s permission (an act that would have been seen as hugely disrespectful and controversial at the time; and in tragedies, would typically lead to disaster for those who have eloped).
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Women

  • After being awoken, Brabantio reminds Roderigo he has already told her ‘my daughter is not for thee’, reminding this audience that women often had little say in who they married.
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A fool

  • Once Iago and Roderigo rouse his anger, Brabantio exclaims ‘O, that you had her!’ to Roderigo, suggesting his sudden preference for Roderigo – already shown to be a gullible fool.
  • Some critics argue his reaction and sudden preference for Roderigo is based on implicit racism rather than genuine logic.
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Racism

  • Brabantio refuses to believe Desdemona’s agency in her ‘treason’ against him, worrying that ‘charms’ have been placed upon her by Othello.
    • Because people had such limited worldly knowledge when Shakespeare was writing, they often attached myths to certain people - in particular, anyone who was some kind of 'other'. For example, lots of people assumed that those from pagan lands engaged in impious activities like witchcraft.
    • Brabantio seems to make this kind of assumption about Othello.

Jump to other topics

1Context

2Act One: Summaries & Themes

3Act Two: Summaries & Themes

4Act Three: Summaries & Themes

5Act Four

6Act Five

7Character Profiles

8Key Themes

9Writing Techniques

10Critical Debates

11Approaching AQA English Literature

12Issues of Assessment

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