Othello Act 4 Scene 1

?
View mindmap
  • Act 4 Scene 1: Othello's increasing corruption + Iago's lust for power plunge society into chaos
    • Key moments
      • Othello's language breaks down, he 'falls into a trance'
      • Iago dupes Othello and Cassio by encouraging Cassio to speak about Bianca, but Othello thinks he is speaking about Desdemona
        • Dramatic irony key here
      • It is in this scene the plan to kill Desdemona is confirmed
      • Lodovico's arrival is crucial, his reaction to Othello shows how far Othello has fallen
      • Othello strikes Desdemona and denounces her in public
    • Othello's fit
      • Iago has provoked Othello into a state of intense emotional distress
        • This is shown through is breakdown in language
          • E.g. his eloquent explanation of his relationship with Desdemona in Act 1
        • Repetition shows his obsession with infidelity
          • 'Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her'
            • Double meaning, lie (sexual) lie (an untruth)
          • Repetition of handkerchief
            • It was once a symbol of their love, now it is a symbol of infidelity
        • The epileptic fit symbolises the complete loss of control and rational thought and Othello's degradation; the sight of the tragic hero 'foaming at the mouth' and in 'savage madness' shows how far he has fallen from his insistence on his nobility and achievements in Act 1.
      • Shift from blank verse to prose
        • Chaotic, unmetrical language
        • Signal that Othello is descending into madness
          • Iago also used prose earlier in the play, their language is converging
    • Linguistic convergence
      • Othello uses debased, sexual language in this scene
        • 'zounds'
          • 'pish'
            • 'monster'
          • 'let her rot and be perished and be damned'
        • Contrasts to Othello's eloquence in Act 1
          • 'the gentle Desdemona'
          • 'my perfect soul'
          • 'this fair lady'
      • His language is similar to Iago's throughout the play
        • 'By janus'
        • 'scurvy'
          • 'the meet it feeds on'
    • Bianca
      • Name means white, her love is pure for Cassio
        • Her anger at Cassio is justified, she is a foil to Othello in this way
        • Or that she is an innocent victim of society
      • She is marginalised by Cassio
        • 'customer' 'fitchew'
          • Reveals her vulnerability in a patriarchal society
            • Does Cassio have a darker side to him? Misogynistic?
            • Bianca's character reflects how helpless women were without men.
              • A possible future for Desdemona
  • Lodovico
    • Provides an objective commentary for Othello's radical change in character
      • He hasnt been present for Act 2/3
    • Role model for correct behaviour e.g 'call the lady back'
      • Stark contrast to Othello's monstrous actions
    • He is a reminder of social structure

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all Othello resources »