• i. Venice street: Roderigo and Iago--gulling Roderigo; frightening Brabantio;
* Iago chosen over Cassio; source of resentment
* contempt for Cassio, the arithmetician, theoretician* contempt for Othello--his Moorship; thick-lips
* opening issues of preferment and suit (cf. AYLI)
* preferment by affection and not old gradation--(Cain)* his suit and that of his three supporters rejected by O.
* the senators and "State" may hate but need Othello; he has power (142)
* Iago forwarding R's suit
* [1181]Iago is self-seeking rather than stupidly loyal, obedient and honest (63)
* self definition: I am not what I am; were I the Moor I would not be Iago
* relation to Roderigo: telling truth in order to deceive Roderigo
* holding purse strings and forwarding his suit to D. which Brabantio has rejected
* Poison Brabantio's delight; malicious methods; play on fears and vulnerabilities; invoking panic and chaos (72); gross language (114); dark setting
* B. invokes his influence as senator repeatedly; will reward R.* Fear and hatred of Moor as sexual partner; B's dreams; suspicions of his daughter's betrayal of him--notion of miscegenation [bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be]
* B's dislocated speech; Inference of magic device of seduction--[O's rhetoric]; [extended ii, 61 ff.--probable and palpable to thinking] complains about the impossibility of knowing her intention; anxiety about betrayal.
* Parallel between B. now and Othello later; Brabantio appeals to Senate and accepts social verdict
• ii. Street , Othello, Brabantio, Iago: O. confesses to B. about elopement
* Iago tries to scare Othello about B., painting himself as secret ally
* incapable of murder* Othello brags of influence and clear conscience
* Private/public confusion [of audience expectation]:(32) not B. but summons from Duke for service; then B. arrives; Othello's control and magnanimity(60) and convergence in council
• iii. Council Chamber; the "trial" of O and D; their pleadings; Iago's plottings [contrast to O's "trial" in V, ii]
* confusion of reports from Turks; difficulty of inference(16-20); confusion of reports about marriage.* truth properly determined through investigation of conflicting reports; B's false inference rejected --"no proof" (108) p. 1190
* Othello's defense
* simple soldier no eloquence* let Desdemona speak as testimony
* telling stories about his life to father; tells story of his courtship now
* exoticism of anthropophagi-cannibals--Desdemona devours with greedy ear* he beguiled her pity; she beguiled him; mutual love, but suspect (165)
* The trial ends; Brabantio's concession, but not content: "Words are words" (210)* O gladly accepts commission to Cyprus, bending to state
* Desdemona assertively demands to join him; O. insists he's not prone to lust
* Iago and R.: Roderigo pines; Iago advises him to be self-seeking; and to exercise his will, not be passive; exert reason over passion (325); put money in thy purse rather than drown;
* be cynical; if willing to give up all, you're free. [understanding where R. is at] Comforting cynicism: if there's no hope, you're free to do anything; nothing left to lose; encourages him; cheers him up, and gets him to sell his land [like Othello, gets him to destroy himself for Iago's sake]
• i : Cyprus--Storm; Arrivals; Iago and Roderigo
* Storm; Turks lost; Cassio arrives (theoretric gent); wordplay of I. and D.--misogyny* O's arrival; his expression of utter bliss and content at end of storm in being in D's arms; now he could die happy; she wants more; great kiss--(they haven't yet consummated). Grand climax of joy--verweile doch p.1202
* [comic transition] Iago convinces R. D loves Cassio right after this; reinterpreting data for him; with rerun of the aria on this is the highest moment, i.e. now she'll tire of him
• ii. Proclamation of Joy and nuptials--partying--Irony p.1205• iii. Trapping Cassio with drink
* C. warned about restraint by O, who's still waiting to consummate* C. cant hold liquor [devilish weakness]; Iago getting everybody drunk; and drunk himself on possibility, but not certainty of his plot; Iago's drinking song; effectiveness as tempter; Cassio trying not to be drunk but lording his rank; brawl provoked by Iago p. 1206-7
* Othello interrupted in his rites by Cassio's brawl; Iago using language of "bride and groom divesting themselves for bed." to describe friendship turned to brawl. (153) p.1209; O getting very slowly angry; Cassio demoted (comic still)
* Cassio's grief at losing reputation; Iago's speech devaluing reputation; advises C. to sue with D. for O's preferment p.1211
• i: Cassio, Clown, Emilia, Iago, Musicians
* Cassio tries to please O. with music, hears Othello is not angry with him; pushes for Desdemona to push his suit anyway.
• ii: Othello on battlements (?)• iii: The Citadel-- D. C. E. I. O--the big seduction of Othello scene: Handkerchief--[subtopics are beats] [innumerable exits and entrances]* Cassio worried and greedy about his "place"--even if Othello is distantly friendly; D. assures him she'll help; total devotion to the cause
* As O and I enter, Cassio uneasily leaves; I. creates first suspicion: "Ha, I like not that. (34)"--acts as if it slipped out and tries to retract; then creates impression--"steal away so guilty-like" p. 1216* D's suit: don't put him off; he courted me with you and when I spoke of you dispraisingly he defended you (70); sexual undertone in: "What would you ask me that I should deny so" ; she's being sexually playful and projects a more pleading suit (83)
* Othello is cold to her--compare last meeting in II,i--confirming Iago's idea of love cooling?--oscillates to love, when she's gone
* Iago hangs out little signals--echoing--drawing O's curiousity and false inferences; discussion of being and seeming; (127) p.1218 presence of evil thoughts hidden away; stimulating fears and questions, anxieties and insecurities: --uncleanly apprehensions in pure breasts--cf. Othello's insecurity about sex and his own intentions; (135-142) p.1219 then again asks O to take no notice, actually asking him to take notice. Diverts him with high-minded praise of reputation (opposite of line to C.) (156) p.12l9 Makes him writhe with curiousity
* Beware of jealousy; a green-eyed MONSTER--then introduces prospect of cuckhold who doesn't know he's being cuckholded--generalizations and proverbs; makes the prospect of knowing look better than just suspecting; moves Othello another step forward. "O misery"-- then oscillates to resisting jealousy; Othello wont make inference
* Iago pulls in as he resists : Now I can be more frank--suspect and observe her; Venetians in general are adulterous; but makes no direct accusation. She deceived her father; appearances can't be trusted [undermining O's reality] observing it and commenting on O's disturbance--I do see Y'are moved. Playing on O's broken reference to unnaturalness of adultery, Iago says she's probably regretting marrying a moor; it would be "natural"
* 255--Iago leaves at Othello's request, and comes back;[expressive of giving and receding with information, serpentine gesture--Milton's Satan]
* 258 p. 1222--Othello's soliloquy: He'll let her free/ He doubts himself/ His pain turns to rage against all women and the curse we're born with
* from specific instance to generalization; the opposite course of Iago's procedure
* D. and E enter; O. has headache; she tries to heal him with handkerchief; he pushes it away; it falls--climactic moment's signification: her love, his refusal--Emilia picks it up; steals to please her husband* Iago's reentrance; Emilia tries to get attention and affection with handkerchief; he grabs it; she leaves; he soliloquizes "Dangerous conceits" 320 p. 1223
* Another entrance for O: 345 p. 1224 He's on rack now, imagining her with Cassio; wishing he knew not; poisoned imagination envisions her screwing the whole army while saying he wished he didn't know it. Makes melodramatic farewell to arms
* Oscillates to absolute demand for proof from Iago (356); more imagery of torture (385); Iago proceeds to make the torture worse: would you behold her topped? (395) Death and Damnation O; evidence provided of Iago's recollection of Cassio's dream...enough to "tear her all to pieces" --more torture.* I'll have some proof (III, iii, 383)--but false test; illusionary magic; asks for more reasons (409) for circumstantial evidence--Iago's report of Cassio's dream (some evidence! but enough for Othello (410) p. 1225, since the language is so evocative)...I'll tear her all to pieces; next piece of evidence (Iago building case)--handkerchief wiping C's beard; O expunges love and invokes hate from hell; pact with devil; demonism; satanic. Iago rouses him further with false restraint.; Satanic vow, pact with devil; kneeling with Iago--"I greet thy love"..."I am your own forever."
• iv: D.E. O. I. C. The Street--Intrigue deepens
* D. wont believe O. could be jealous; O. abuses her as whore without her comprehension; tests her for handkerchief and tells BS story about its magic; she speaks of Cassio, he of handkerchief; communication broken;* E. D. converse ; "they eat us hungerly, and when they are full/ they belch us." (97) p. 1230 D. mistakenly infers O. is worried about State (137 p. 1231); discussion of jealousy--causeless; a monster begot and born on itself
• i: Othello losing it in public; recalled and strikes Des.
* Iago working Othello further into distraction, harping on handkerchief and images of D. and C. in bed; Othello losing it; goes into epileptic trance; Cassio comes in and leaves after suggesting head massage; Othello decides to murder* Des. and Ludovico , rep. of Duke; O. gets orders to return; strikes Des.--confusion of private and public reversal; strikes Des. in public; Ludovico shocked, then invited to dinner; wrenching of behavior patterns; Iago gossips about O to Ludovico
• ii: Othello, Desdem. and Emilia
* O.refuses to believe Emilia's vouching for D. Abuses her physically and verbally; she infers his distraction is about recall to Venice; his speech on loss of reputation, but worse, loss of place he has garnered up his heart--the fountain from which my current runs or else dries up (IV,i, 55); accuses her of whoredom; Desdemona distracted and playing victim--lay wedding sheets on bed; Emilia infers a plot correctly: slave to get some office IV, ii, 130* Iago and Roderigo : I. diverts him from his jewels in plot to kill Cassio
• iii: The citadel--D's bedroom; tenderness and intimacy
* O. obsequious to Lud. and harsh to D.* Desdemona's passivity and obedience and innocence--is it saintly? Willow Song associated with mothers maid and love/death; unpinning; admiration of Ludovico; discussion of men and women; can't imagine there are women who are adulterous; opposite view to Iago's that all women are whores.
* debate about whether to commit adultery for the whole world; Emilia puts it in proportion; D. says absolutely no; Emilia says women cheat on men because men cheat on women; rejects the double standard
• i. Iago and Rod. attack Cassio; Othello smells blood and gets fiercer; action all moving from mental plotting to physical action; Iago exits and returns bearing light; kills Roderigo; taking sheer delight in his betrayals and manipulations; shifts blame to Bianca as soon as she shows up; no more plotting all spontaneous action; high risk; he sends Emilia to Othello, not aware that O. is raging• ii. D's chamber--the final setting in bed; parallel bloody scene; she invites him to bed; Othello says she must die; she'll betray more men; his fallacious righteousness at end
• Emilias' debate with O. "My husband" three times--Emilia attacks the two men; expresses gender solidarity; courageous in standing up to his sword; "I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak" V, ii, 182; her anger, clarity and strength; refusal to obey husband, while Othello falls on bed.
• Iago tries to silence her again; and then kills his wife; another bad husband killing good wife
• Othello left totally wimped out: I am not valiant, but every puny whipster gets my sword; realizes, repents and goes to hell; tries unsuccessfully to kill Iago; disclaims responsiblity--an honorable murder
• Lodovico plans long torture of Iago (330); Othello justifies self with maligning jews, invoking memory of killing Turk as circumcizsed dog, at the same time killing himself and falling with a kiss on Desdemona; his gestures all failures--"bloody period" --kissing and killing
• triple emphasis on torture of Iago and expropriation of O's property ends play