| ‘He takes her by the palm – ay, well said, whisper! – with as little a web as this will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. – Ay, smile upon her, do! I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. -You say true, ’tis so, indeed. – If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again, you are most apt to play the sir in.’*Iago, in an aside, about Cassio | 1.) This is showing Iago’s deceptive nature and that Iago does not care about who he steps on to get ahead. He is more than willing to destroy people’s lives to get what he wants. It really builds up Iago’s personality and serves as a warning to the audience of what’s to come between Iago and Othello. 2.) In today’s society, people are able to take small things and blow them out of proportion in order to manipulate others to give them what they want. Especially in a business or political world, there is often a disregard for others’ lives. It is not uncommon for people to openly degrade another in order to put themselves ahead. |
| And nothing can or shall content my soulTill I am evened with him, wife for wife;Or, failing so, yet that I put the MoorAt least into a jealousy so strongThat judgement cannot cure’ | 1.) This is Iago talking to himself about how he suspects that the Moor slept with his wife and wants to ruin Othello’s marriage as an eye for an eye situation. It explains his hatred for Othello and why he wants to take revenge on him so badly. 2.) It is relevant to today’s society because it’s a common motive for crimes when someone takes justice into their own hands and inflicts the pain someone else inflicted onto that person themselves. This can even happen on a smaller scale in everyday life. People can try to ruin another person’s life through things like gossip in order to get back at them. Even if they do not have solid evidence of what the person did, they may not hesitate to try get revenge. |
| Reputation, reputation, reputation! O I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.’*Cassio to Iago | 1.) The meaning of this quote is how much Cassio values his reputation. He feels that without his reputation and position he’s nobody. His reputation has made him popular. This quote is important because it shows how much the loss of his reputation has devastated Cassio. It also shows the mindset of the society of the time. People cared about their “manhood” to the point where if they feel it’s been diminished in some way, they will feel worthless. 2.) It’s relevant to today’s society because many people think this way. They care a lot more about their reputation then they do their actual personality. They built up a persona that other people believe and don’t feel the same when it’s gone. |
| “Reputation’ is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.’*Iago to Cassio | 1.) Reputation can be lost at any moment. It shows how Iago knows that it only takes a small event to lose one’s reputation. He used this against Cassio. He also seems to believe that a reputation does not contribute to how a person actually is. It shows that he is not inclined to like a person simply because the have a good reputation; after all, Othello has a good reputation. 2.) In today’s society, we see people’s reputations being lost in an instant. Especially in a media crazy world, one wrong word could anger thousands. |
| ‘For, whiles this honest foolPlies Desdemona to repair his fortuneAnd she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,I’ll pour this pestilence in his ear:That she repeals him for her body’s lust:And by how much she strives to do him goodShe shall undo her credit with the Moor.’*Iago, soliloquy | 1.) This quote provides foreshadowing of what will happen. Desdemona has been called a very good person and has good intentions. If Cassio goes to Desdemona, she will immediately want to help him. And when Desdemona pleads with Othello to grant Cassio his position back, Iago will bear false witness to Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him. He wants to turn Othello and Desdemona against each other in order to get even with him. As well as this, Desdemona will be torn between her husband and doing good to help her friend Cassio out.2.) Manipulation is still very relevant in today’s society. Sometimes good people with good intentions are framed to look like they’re doing something that would be frowned upon. Sometimes people are fed false information that determine their choices in the near future. Some false information can mess with one’s head and lead one to jump to other conclusions. |
| Symbolism of Venice, italy | Very governed,strict about how everything is run; symbolizes control |
| Cyprus | Opposite of Venice; symbolizes chaos |
| Symbolism of Venice, Italy in relation to Cyprus | Transition from a world of control to a world of chaos, symbolized by the storm, foreshadows that will happen. |
Othello – Act 2
September 3, 2019