2.4.2

Key Events 2

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Desdemona’s Love Story

Desdemona then enters, confirming that she is obedient to Othello as ‘lord of all my duty’ above her father.

Brabantio reaction

Brabantio reaction

  • Brabantio disaffiliates himself from Desdemona, and once more emphasises patriarchal aggression as he bemoans he would rule any other children he had with ‘tyranny’ based on what Desdemona has done.
Language

Language

  • The Duke’s and Brabantio’s following rhyming couplets seem to suggest a swift conclusion to this particular conflict as the Duke efficiently moves into prose to establish Othello’s role in the ‘more stubborn and boisterous expedition’.
Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing

  • Desdemona begins by comparing her elopement as ‘downright violence’ and a ‘storm of fortunes’ as she has violated social norms to be with Othello; this also foreshadows the future violence and tempestuous nature of their marriage.
Rejecting racism

Rejecting racism

  • She seems to reject the racism shown to Othello by others as she ‘saw Othello’s visage in his mind’ and instead fell in love with his ‘valiant parts’ and status as a warrior.
  • The Duke is swayed by her argument, and allows them to leave for Cyprus together.
Brabantio's warning

Brabantio's warning

  • Brabantio issues a final warning to Othello as Desdemona ‘has deceived her father and may thee’, suggesting his unruly daughter will make for a promiscuous wife – and also establishing the foundations for Othello’s tortured jealousy later on in the play.

Iago’s Plot

Othello refers to Iago here as a ‘man he is of honesty and trust’, a statement heavily loaded with irony given Iago’s plotting which follows.

Language

Language

  • Shakespeare’s use of prose in the conversation between Roderigo and Iago implies their scheming.
  • Iago is immediately irritated by Roderigo’s melancholic and forlorn attitude and dramatic declaration that he will ‘incontinently drown’ himself.
Depraved morality

Depraved morality

  • Iago cynically responds that he ‘never found a man that knew how to love himself’ and compares women to ‘guinea-hens’ – men’s best interests should instead be themselves.
  • His depraved morality is revealed as he sees human nature as characterised by ‘blood and baseness’, ‘raging motions’ and ‘carnal stings’ rather than love.
Imperatives

Imperatives

  • Iago’s use of imperative verbs when addressing Roderigo (he says to ‘put money in thy purse’ and ‘follow thou’) is emboldened by his claims of Desdemona and Othello’s vices.
  • He sees the ‘Moor’ as ‘changeable’ and thinks Desdemona will become easily ‘sated’, again representing her as immoral and licentious.
Complicity

Complicity

  • After Roderigo leaves, Iago is then left alone on stage to soliloquise.
  • He reveals more of his plot to the audience; he will ‘abuse Othello’s ear’ and manipulate his ‘free and open nature’ by ‘hell and night’.
  • The audience now becomes almost complicit in Iago’s malevolent scheme and must helplessly witness him now ‘bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light’.
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

Practice questions on Key Events 2

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  1. 1
    Ways Desdemona rejects the racism shown to Othello by others:Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Where do Othello and Desdemona leave for at the end of Act One Scene Three?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    How does Shakespeare imply Roderigo and Iago's scheming in their conversation in Act One Scene Three?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    What does Iago compare women to in Act One Scene Three?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Iago's opinions of human nature:Fill in the list
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Key Events

Key Themes