Katie Glindon
Mrs Benjamin- English
How does Shakespeare use a language to show Othello's changing state of mind?
In Shakespeare's play 'Othello', many issues are undertaken and explored. Our first impressions of Othello in act 1 scene 1 are of him as a noble and well-spoken man. This nobility is conveyed throughout his speech, "Most potent grave and reverend signiors". He also seems to have a very strong relationship with Iago and Cassio; Shakespeare intends this so that it builds up the audience for what evil is to be performed by Iago.
Throughout the whole play Othello has a gracious and exquisite use of language out of all the characters despite his claims to lack this. To enhance this he speaks in blank verse throughout the first part of the play. The poetic language does not last throughout the whole play though as later he talks in prose. He uses this language when, "chaos comes in," all of Othello Language starts to deteriorate because of anger, hate and jealously he feels towards Desdemona and Cassio. When Othello loses his gracious language he begins to use a less extensive vocabulary and his speech has transformed, with the theme of heaven and he clings to images of the devil and the elements. To help the audience understand the anger Othello feels he uses hyperbolic language like, "I'd rather be a toad and live on a vapour of a dungeon". Othello simply says this to illustrate how badly he feels about Desdemona's affair. He uses an image of a toad because it was thought of being the slimy and almost the lowest form of life. So he emphasises this in his anger to explain the situation he is faced with.
Mrs Benjamin- English
How does Shakespeare use a language to show Othello's changing state of mind?
In Shakespeare's play 'Othello', many issues are undertaken and explored. Our first impressions of Othello in act 1 scene 1 are of him as a noble and well-spoken man. This nobility is conveyed throughout his speech, "Most potent grave and reverend signiors". He also seems to have a very strong relationship with Iago and Cassio; Shakespeare intends this so that it builds up the audience for what evil is to be performed by Iago.
Throughout the whole play Othello has a gracious and exquisite use of language out of all the characters despite his claims to lack this. To enhance this he speaks in blank verse throughout the first part of the play. The poetic language does not last throughout the whole play though as later he talks in prose. He uses this language when, "chaos comes in," all of Othello Language starts to deteriorate because of anger, hate and jealously he feels towards Desdemona and Cassio. When Othello loses his gracious language he begins to use a less extensive vocabulary and his speech has transformed, with the theme of heaven and he clings to images of the devil and the elements. To help the audience understand the anger Othello feels he uses hyperbolic language like, "I'd rather be a toad and live on a vapour of a dungeon". Othello simply says this to illustrate how badly he feels about Desdemona's affair. He uses an image of a toad because it was thought of being the slimy and almost the lowest form of life. So he emphasises this in his anger to explain the situation he is faced with.
