‘……….When I have plucked the rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again;
It needs must wither. I’ll smell thee on the tree.
(He kisses her.)
O balmy breath, that does almost persuade’
Lines 13-16
These lines show that there is contradiction in the argument going on inside Othello’s mind and that he could be persuaded to go either way, given the right evidence. On the final line of this quote, we are shown that Othello almost wishes that he could be persuaded not to kill his wife. Here again we find the opposites of good and bad. In Othello’s mind, he cannot decide on the goodness of his wife and the love he feels, to the wrong, he thinks she has done. This is evident with the character of Desdemona in parallel to Othello’ character. We are shown this with the words Othello speaks, as he is beside the bed his wife is sleeping on.
‘Else she’ll betray more men.’
Line 6
It is apparent here that Othello believes that his wife has done him an injustice and had an affair. Othello in this line is seeing his wife through the eyes of the information he has been given. But in contrast, two lines later we see Othello being compassionate to his wife and the good name she has, informing the audience that she really is a nice wholesome girl.
I can again thy former light restore.’
Line 9
It is in this piece that Ferdinand de Saussure could be proven with his theory that words are unmotivated signs, especially as Saussure ‘emphasised that the meanings of words are relational’ (Barry, P. Beginning theory)
With the signs Othello gives us, we conjure up a picture of the situations in hand, leading us to feel compelled to hope that Othello will not silence his wife. However, if we choose to ignore or not believe Saussure’s theory this would not work and would leave the audience blank and wondering why Othello was expressing his inner thoughts. With the words, or signs that we are given in this extract, the pictures that are brought to our minds determines how we, as the audience react to this scene. The uses of words referring to ‘nature’, ‘light’, ‘snow’, ‘tree’ and ‘stars’, we could presume that Othello is close, or walks to the window quite a bit. Shakespeare has used Othello to get into the minds of the audience, giving us hope that Desdemona will wake and the truth will be revealed. The signs also dictate to a reading audience where the characters are and their actions. In this extract, we can picture Othello pacing the room, in a conundrum of thought of wrong against good. He shows that once this is done, it cannot be changed, which is the part that is keeping him pondering. Along with the belief that his wife has a good name and the love, he feels for her.
‘Should I repent me; but once put out thy light,’
Line 10
There are endless possibilities of opposites in this part of the play. We are shown the erratic thought process of Othello, against the peacefulness of Desdemona asleep. Othello is continually battling his own mind, which is in opposition to its self. Where as there is the sleeping Desdemona, calm and unaware. This yet again backs Saussure’s theory. The signifier’s on the page, or said by an actor are nothing until they have been processed and are signified into the audiences minds.
Right the way through the speech Othello is giving the audience, he refers to nature, light and signals pure things, this could be Shakespeare, through Othello, putting the idea that the whole idea of Desdemona betraying her husband is wrong. The contrast being that although he believes that Desdemona has done wrong, his words are saying that she is all good and pure. This is shown in the metaphor, which starts with implications that her skin is as white as snow.
‘Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.’
Line 4 & 5
In these adjoining metaphors Othello is not only looking at her skin as something which is pure and untouched, but also that it is equal to that of something considered not only beautiful but of great value.
Barry, P. Beginning Theory. 2nd Edition, (Manchester, MUP, 2002) P42.
