Othello oldsite奥赛罗 oldsite.english.ucsb.pptVIP

Othello Second lecture The “Othello music” cont. See his “love aria” to Desdemona when they meet on Cyprus: II, 1, 182ff. And Iago’s reply: “But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music.” And the poetry of his soldiering in Othello’s farewell to his profession: III, 3, 347ff. Or 453, where the beauty of the lines gives a kind of horror to his vow of constancy in his “bloody thoughts.” The effect of giving Othello such eloquence? And what happens to the “Othello music” at IV, 1, 35ff? Othello and Desdemona What to make of their love/marriage? “She loved me for the dangers I had passed.” “And I loved her that she did pity them.” And what she says at I, 3, 248-254. “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind.” Doesn’t cancel out the sexual attraction, but does it make it more complex, more brainy? Do we doubt the potent character of their love? Her boldness in eloping with him is clearly a factor in our judgment of that. She’s taking an immense chance; clearly no meek Venetian girl. But each of these elements is challenged -- by Iago’s formulations. So how do we judge the matter? “Motiveless malignancy” Coleridge’s description of Iago. We noted that Shakespeare subtracted motivation from his source in Giraldi Cintio. Iago does of course express some motivation: His being passed over for the position of lieutenant, the first thing he mentions. In soliloquy at I, 3, he says “And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/ He has done my office.” Then admits he has no idea if it’s true, but will act as if it’s true “for mere suspicion.” But how likely does it seem that Othello has been having an affair with Emilia? No one else ever mentions it. How much of this “motivation” seems plausible or sufficient for what Iago does? “Motiveless malignancy” cont. Besides Othello and Desdemona, we see Iago destroying Roderigo, killing Emilia, ruining Cassio’s reputation. Others? Poisoning Brabantio’s mind. Mocking Bianca. He’s the spokesman for and the purveyor of the