Animals

Nota:

• Act 1, Scene 1

1. 'An old black ram is tupping your white ewe'

   Nota:

   • Act 1, Scene 1
   1. 'Making the beast with two backs'

      Nota:

      • Act 1, Scene 1
      1. Suggests that their relationship was purely animalistic. Link to race. Link to white being the colour of innocence -> Othello has tainted Desdemona with his evil ways

Nota:

• Act 1, Scene 3

1. Iago would rather be a baboon than kill himself out of lust for a woman that he cannot have. This is indirectly aimed at Roderigo because he lusts after Desdemona but he cannot be with her because she is with Othello. Also, a baboon is not a well-appreciated animal and can be seen as quite stupid, reflecting the extent of Iago's beliefs because he would rather become so under-appreciated and unloved than kill himself

Nota:

• Act 1, Scene 3

1. Telling Roderigo that drowning is only for cats and blind puppies suggests that he is trying to say that Roderigo is not manly because he is willing to commit to a form of torture that Iago believes should be reserved for animals

Nota:

• Act 2, Scene 3

1. Suggests that he becomes a 'beast' when he is drunk which explains him hitting Roderigo. This links to animals being savage

Nota:

• Act 3, Scene 3

1. I might as well become a goat if I ever become as jealous as you're saying I will become. This is ironic because Othello's jealousy is ultimately what kills him and the jealousy becomes a vicious circle in which he ends up killing Desdemona despite the fact that she was innocent

Nota:

• Act 4, Scene 1

1. This describes how he is feeling; strange and non-human

Nota:

• Act 5, Scene 2

1. The swan has connotations of innocence due to its colour, suggesting that Emilia died an innocent woman. However, it can be argued whether Emilia was an innocent woman or not because she aided Iago in gaining the handkerchief behind Othello and Desdemona's backs