Key Ideas

Love, Historical Context and Historicism (Act 4, Scene 2)

Emilia staunchly defends Desdemona and in the audience there is perhaps a hope that tragedy will be averted and that Othello will believe her, and consequently true love will prevail. This is not the case however.

Christianity

There is quite a lot of discussion here about oaths.
Oaths of love were important.
Given the Christian context of this play, any dishonesty would incur damnation not just from her husband Othello, but also from God.
Breaking such an oath would mean that not only her life on earth would be in peril but so would her eternal life.

Disorder

Alongside this though we note that Othello confuses heaven with hell and lies with the truth.
At this point, therefore, everything has been turned upside-down and the world is in chaos.
Disorder reigns.

Promiscuity

We see the negative path upon which Othello and Desdemona’s love has travelled.
When Othello says, ‘I took you for that cunning whore of Venice’ it becomes clear that in Othello’s mind, Desdemona’s identity has been entirely subsumed by her (supposed) promiscuity.

Catharsis

At this point in the drama the audience begins to realise the danger that love and its misinterpretation can offer.
This is cathartic for the audience because most people watching will have experienced love in one form or another.

Fatal tragedy

Although there are points where the tragic ending of this love could be stopped, none of the characters seem to be capable of doing this.
Thus the tragedy moves inexorably towards its conclusion.

Tragedy (Act 4, Scene 2)

Desdemona’s reflection on her ‘wretched fortune’ links to another concept within tragedy—the idea of the wheel of fortune.

The wheel of fortune

If life goes well, then the individual is at the top of the wheel.
However ‘fate’ or events in life can easily turn the wheel’s rotation so that the individual finds themselves at the bottom of the wheel, where tragedy can sometimes occur.
At this point, Desdemona seems aware of the process.

Domestic sphere

The wedding sheets placed on Desdemona and Othello’s bed are about to become winding sheets (used to wrap dead bodies), as this bed is about to become her grave.
Although events have moved out into the public sphere, they will eventually move back to the very domestic sphere of their bedroom, the place where they have previously made love.

Roderigo

It also becomes clearer now about the tragic destination of Roderigo.
Since he has been paying Iago and is under the illusion still that Iago will arrange a meeting between him and Desdemona, this seals his fate to be caught in the cross-fire of the tragedy.
He is very likely to die and the audience may well pick up on this.

Come-uppance

So embroiled however is Iago in all his plotting and machinations that the audience may also understand that he will soon trip up, and that he too will find himself a victim of fortune.
He has already been recognised as a type and they will wish to see him get his ‘come-uppance’.

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

Jump to other topics