Act 2- Othello

Summary of Act II
1. 1) The party arrives in Cyprus to find that a storm has destroyed the Turkish fleet and that Othello and Cassio had been separated at sea.( Scene 1)
  1. 2)During the celebration, Iago plots to get Cassio drunk and persuades Roderigo into fighting with Cassio. When Othello found out, Cassio was stripped off his rank. (Scene 3)
    1. 3) As part of his plan to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Iago persuades Cassio to talk to Desdemona to convince her husband to reinstate him. (Scene 3)
      1. 4) Iago claims that his wife, Emilia, is having an affair with Othello behind his back and that further fuels his hatred towards Othello.((Scene 3)
Characters in Act 2
1. IAGO- Villain of the play; charismatic; appears to be trustworthy and everyone trusts him; two-faced
  1. RODERIGO- portrays as the 'fool' in the play; naive; does not have any undertone or unspoken intentions; does not understand about the ways of the world
    1. OTHELLO- Moorish general in the Venetian military; good 'story-teller'; husband to Desdemona
      1. MONTANO- Governor of Cyprus
        DESDEMONA- Virtuous, pure & beautiful, daughter of Brabantio and wife of Othello; person of nobility and high-status
        CASSIO- Appointed by Othello as lieutenant; is said to be extremely handsome; he thinks that reputation is the part that makes us immortal
THINGS TO NOTICE:
1. The hatred that Iago harbours against Othello may not only be from the fact that he was not picked to be lieutenant, as his hatred seems to run deeper than that. ('I hate the Moor...')
  1. Portrays women as property, does not have a position in society/ Women are objectified in the play; suggests the idea that women manipulate beauty to get what they want
    1. The tension between Iago and his wife, Emilia based on their dialogue
      1. It is ironic that Iago says to Roderigo that he's an honest man and that reputation means nothing when he is the villain in the play and part of the reason for that is because Othello appointed someone else to be lieutanant
Important quotes:
1. 'I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets He's done my office' (Scene 1)
  1. '...That paragons description and wild fame; One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens And in th'essential vesture of creation Does tire the ingener.' (Scene 1)
    1. 'She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit' (Scene 1)
      1. ''To suckle fools and chronicle small beer' (Scene 1)
        'The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue; That profit's yet to come 'tween me and you.' (Scene 3)
        'Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving.' (Scene 3)
        'And nothing can or shall content my soul Till I am evened with him, wife for wife....At least into a jealousy so strong That judgement cannot cure.' (Scene 3)
    2. 'I am not merry, but I do beguile The thing I am by seeming otherwise,- Come, how wouldst thou praise me?' (Scene 1)
  2. 'If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit, The one's for use, the other useth it' (Scene 1)

Next up

Description

Resource summary

Similar

	Created by calistalim over 9 years ago