Othello - State of Mind

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‘With specific references to three key speeches examine how Othello’s use of language reflects his changing state of mind In the play’

‘Othello’ a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy and was written in the 17th century. The main character Othello, a moor, has a fluctuant mind which changes throughout the play. Due to the period in which the play is set there is a large influence on ethnic and moral background. At this time England was a Christian country, all children were baptized and soon after they were born into the Church of England, they were taught the essential rules of Christian faith. By such means the authorities were able to keep check on the populace, recording of births, marriages, and death, being alerts to any religious nonconformity, which could be politically dangerous. The plot of the play is set in motion when Othello, a heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice, appoints Cassio and not Iago as his chief lieutenant. Jealous of Othello's success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots Othello's downfall by falsely implicating Othello's wife, Desdemona, and Cassio in a love affair. With the unwitting aid of Emilia, his wife, and the willing help of Roderigo, a fellow malcontent, Iago carries out his plan. In brief, Desdemona cannot produce a handkerchief once given her by Othello; thanks to Iago's machinations, it is later found among Cassio's possessions. Overcome with jealousy, Othello kills Desdemona. When he learns, too late, that his wife is blameless, he asks to be remembered as one who "loved not wisely but too well," and kills himself. The deep love between Desdemona and Othello is immediately evident. Again and again the moral and intellectual stature of Othello is emphasized. He quells tumults in the streets with a few words; he bears himself with dignity before the Venetian council, defending himself compellingly from bitter accusations by Brabantio and accepting his military burden with quiet confidence. Even Iago, in the opening scene of the play, grudgingly admits the dependence of the Venetians on his valour. After his terrible murder of Desdemona, Othello's contrition is agonizing enough to swing the sympathies of the audience back to him.

The quote ‘She loved me for the dangers I has passed, and I loved her that she did pity them’ is part of Othello's explanation to the Senators of Venice for his success in winning Desdemona. Othello relates to them Desdemona's behaviour during their courtship, where, like most of the characters in the play, she accepts and acts upon second-hand knowledge gained through listening, without the backup of evidence. The tragic action in Othello unfolds based on Iago's exploitation of this over-reliance on hearing. He seems to be the only one who perceives that people often interpret words based on what they want to hear, or through their underlying fears. This citation also is in iambic pentameter, this shows that at this part in the play Othello’s mind is still fully as it was at the start and Iago has so far had no influence on the mind. Usually Iambic pentameter and verse is used by higher classes in society, this also shows that Othello has not been dragged down to the evil level of language which involves prose.

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Even without Iago's interference there are potential problems in how Othello and Desdemona relate to each other through hearing. Othello betrays his fear of Desdemona listening ‘with a greedy ear’ by saying that she would ‘devour up my discourse’. As all she knows of Othello is his discourse, this is the same as devouring him. Her active listening betrays her non- passive character, which is threatening to the male role Othello is trying to adopt in Venetian society. Desdemona has also perceived who she thinks Othello is through his discourse - I saw Othello's visage in his mind which has ...

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