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 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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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’.

1Context

1.1Introduction

1.1.1Specifications

1.2Background

1.2.1Shakespeare

1.2.2Love

1.2.3Tragedy

1.2.4Historical Context

1.3Othello

1.3.1Setting

1.3.2Social Issues

2Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure

2.1.2The Exam

2.2Scene One

2.2.1Key Events

2.2.2Key Themes

2.2.3Key Ideas

2.3Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events

2.3.2Key Themes

2.3.3Key Ideas

2.4Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events

2.4.2Key Events 2

2.4.3Key Themes

2.4.4Key Ideas

3Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events

3.1.2Key Events 2

3.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy

3.1.4Scene Two: Events

3.2Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events

3.2.2Key Ideas

4Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two

4.1.2Scene Three

4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas

4.1.4Scene Four

5Act Four

5.1Scene One

5.1.1Key Events

5.1.2Key Ideas

5.2Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events

5.2.2Key Ideas

5.3Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events

5.3.2Key Ideas

6Act Five

6.1Scene One

6.1.1Key Events

6.1.2Key Ideas

6.2Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events

6.2.2Key Ideas

7Character Profiles

7.1Major Characters

7.1.1Othello

7.1.2Iago

7.1.3Desdemona

7.1.4Emilia

7.1.5Cassio

7.2Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio

7.2.2Other Characters

8Key Themes

8.1Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love

8.1.2Love 2

8.1.3Tragedy

8.1.4Tragedy 2

8.2Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private

8.2.2Appearance & Reality

9Writing Techniques

9.1Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure

9.1.2Genre

9.1.3Form & Language

9.1.4Language & Imagery

10Critical Debates

10.1Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy

10.1.2Traditional

10.1.3Modern & Contemporary

10.2Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach

10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

10.2.3Marxist Approach

11Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1Specification A

11.1.1Specification A

11.1.2Love Through the Ages

11.2Specification B

11.2.1Specification B

11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy

12Issues of Assessment

12.1The Exams

12.1.1AOs

12.1.2Mark Scheme

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