Preview

Othello Critical Analysis of Act I, Scene III

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
499 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Othello Critical Analysis of Act I, Scene III
"Most potent, grave and reverend signiors…..He wrought upon her."This quote form Othello is a speech given to the senators in the court room. Othello begins by addressing them as "Most potent, grave and reverend signiors." This is a sign of respect and he wishes to explain the situation clearly. Othello admits openly that he has married Desdemona. "That I have ta 'en away this old man 's daughter." Instead of trying to deny or hide it, Othello says "true I have married her." By beginning his speech in this manner, he attracts everyone 's attention. Brabantio would have thought Othello would put up a fight or at least protest. Othello continues with "Rude am I in my speech." He admits that his language isn 't as good as the Venetians and that he doesn 't have excellent vocabulary. This makes his speech different from the other characters.

Othello talks about his military background and says "more than pertains to feats of broil and battle." He continues to grab the senator 's attention by telling "a round unvarnished tale deliver." Othello will explain plainly and straight forward his story. "unvarnished" means that there will not be alterations or lies. He suggests that he will deliver a honest, truthful story which has "of my whole course of love." The words "drugs", "charms", and "mighty magic" in Othello 's days related to witches and wizardry. These types of people were treated as outsiders and rejected by society. When Othello uses these words he is trying to say that there is no trickery involved, just plain love. His last words In his speech "I won his daughter" gives a suggestion that Desdemona is somewhat like a trophy wife. The word "won" is usually used to describe objects, not people. The word "won" could also be seen that Othello has proven himself worthy to Desdemona and has 'won ' her heart and love.

Brabantio retorts with his description of Desdemona. "A maiden never bold" and also "blushed at herself." Brabantio is suggesting that Desdemona is a



Bibliography: Shakespeare 's play Othello

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Othello is a Shakespearean tragedy, set in Elizabethan Times that present the relationship between, Othello, a ‘moor’ who’s an official in the Venetian army and Desdemona, the daughter of a noble Venetian Senator, Brabantio, and how despite their different experiences in love, a strong relationship can occur, without any initial external input. Desdemona’s assertive behaviour towards romantically pursing Othello, demonstrates her confidence and power, which she maintains throughout the play. Most significantly, the fact that Othello did not ask for Brabantio’s permission to marry Desdemona, demonstrates how Othello did not consider the traditional values of Elizabeth society. However as they play develops, Iago’s manipulation of Othello’s insecurities, leads to the relationship between Othello and Desdemona falling apart.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning of the play, Othello is considered as a very respectable man and is even referred to as a moor, which shows his strong authority. In Act 1 Scene 3 however, we find Othello in a council room in Venice in front of the Duke, senators and officers with a concern about his marriage with Desdemona. In this scene, Othello is a highly respected man who has been promoted to a high office, despite the prejudice he has encountered. In the court he states that he is not a good talker when he says ‘Rude am I in my speech’; which shows that he is an honest and valued man. However he is eloquent speaking in Iambic pentameter, and is in fact a great speaker. Throughout this scene, it is discovered that Othello and Desdemona had run away together to get married. Brabantio, whom is Desdemona’s father, does not approve of this, and accuses Othello of drugging his daughter and using witchcraft on her to make her fall in love with her. Brabantio makes many crude comments such as “Against all rules of nature, and must be driven to find out practices of cunning hell” and “Or with some dram, conjured to this effect, he wrought upon her” and “To fall in love with what she feared to look on”. All of those negative and hurtful comments are the accusations that Brabantio used against Othello. He states that there is no real love there, and that Othello has surely tricked Desdemona into loving him. However Othello is restraint and remains calm…

    • 2160 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite having done his services to the state, he reveals his foolishness as someone who existed within and outside Venetian society giving rise to a series of contradictions. In line 342, he asks others to speak of him as he truly is being, “nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice.” The first contradictory sentence reveals that he does not wish for his guilt to be lessened as suggested by the diction “extenuate.” Nor does he want be considered evil which he would feel ashamed for as Iago is the real villain in the play. Othello reveals in the next line that he has “loved not wisely, but too well” indicating that he was unable to convey the same amount of affection back to Desdemona as she had done to him. Othello’s love for Desdemona reveals a sensitive part of Othello despite his military background. It was Othello’s love for Desdemona, however, that acted as a catalyst to…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The reader is revealed to a noble man of the Northern African decent, an outsider who has come to be well regarded as a leader of Italian military might. He notably outwits Iago’s first attempt to separate him from Desdemona. Othello sways the duke’s opinion through eloquent speech and a steady hold of composure even when confronted with Brabanzio’s absurd accusation of witchcraft. Othello has wooed Desdemona through his rousing tales of adventure and war. As the seed of doubt grows and plans of revenge stem Othello loses his articulate speech and compelling words. As the reader is led up to the climax of his dreadfully evil action, it’s seen that Othello’s speech becomes sporadic and full of unwarranted emotion. Sentences are full of hiatuses and exclamation points; this ruins the sense of coherent flow of thought. Othello has become deeply rapt in the tales of the Iago, his distracted mind becomes more and more confused and overwhelmed by the supposed deception that is taking place out of his control. Othello is engrossed in…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ACT 1IAGO I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets He has done my office: I know not if't be true; But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety. (1.3.12)…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Othello: A Story Of Tragedy

    • 2284 Words
    • 10 Pages

    With a touch of panic, Gatsby says, “You don’t understand. You’re not going to take care of her any more. Daisy’s leaving you” (Fitzgerald 133). Gatsby is trying to take another man’s woman. Daisy and Gatsby had an affair with each other knowing that Daisy is a married woman. Although, Gatsby and Daisy love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives with each other, Tom is in the way of their love. What Gatsby and Daisy did was wrong, however, it was right in Gatsby eyes because Daisy is his love of his life. When it is first revealed that Othello and Desdemona got married, Brabantio, Desdemona’s father disapproves of their relationship. Othello says, “Of my whole course of love: what drugs, what drums, what charms, What conjuration and what mighty magic- For such proceeding I am charged withal- I won his daughter.” Due to the disapproval of his marriage with Desdemona by Brabantio, Othello argues his case in from of Venetian officials. He tells the officials that he has not placed a magic potion on Desdemona and that their love is real. The problem is that Othello refers to his love and bond with Desdemona as a ‘win’. Through his pompous and sexist attitude, Othello treats Desdemona as a prize to win, not as his wife. He doesn’t see her as an equal, but as an accessory that he owns; he wins her from her father. Although it is sexist, Othello does mean well, he wants to cherish Desdemona for all of time. This is similar to how Gatsby treats Daisy, as a prize to be won. Gatsby and Tom didn’t care for what Daisy had to say, they only cared about who was going to take her. Women aren’t objects to own, so for Othello and Gatsby to treat their women as property, it’s…

    • 2284 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Grst 209

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With these final words, Othello stabs himself in the chest. In this farewell speech, Othello reaffirms his position as a figure who is simultaneously a part of and excluded from Venetian society. The smooth eloquence of the speech and its references to “Arabian trees,” “Aleppo,” and a “malignant and a turbaned Turk” remind us of Othello’s long speech in Act I, scene iii, lines127–168, and of the tales of adventure and war with which he wooed Desdemona. No longer inarticulate with grief as he was when he cried, “O fool! fool! fool!,” Othello seems to have calmed himself and regained his dignity and, consequently, our respect (V.ii.332). He reminds us once again of his martial prowess, the quality that made him famous in Venice. At the same time,…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, tells the tragic story of a noble hero that is undone by his own fatal flaw. Othello has a blinding trust in those closest to him, and he leads with his heart, not his mind. This fatal flaw is exploited by a supposedly loyal friend and Othello's trusting nature and inability to separate what is in his heart and what is in his mind dramatically results in tragedy. With a running theme of perception versus reality, Othello's refusal to accept the difference between them foreshadows the tragic ending. The play begins with Othello's Ensign, Iago, hatching a plot to destroy the life of Othello and he has recruited Roderigo to help him carry out his devious plan. Iago has everyone fooled into thinking he is of noble loyalty to Othello further supporting the perception vs. reality theme. The reality is that without this belief, he would have been unable to dupe Othello, with these lines “Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago” and “I am not what I am”(59-60). He hates Othello for not being promoted to Lieutenant, a position he felt he earned. Iago's first act of deceit is an attempt to deny the validity of Othello and Desdemona, who recently eloped and to plant the seeds of doubt by having Roderigo tell Senator Brabantio that his daughter Desdemona has eloped with Othello. The Duke believes that Othello has bewitched Desdemona with magic. Desdemona and Othello deny the claims, and she openly declares her love for Othello. The perception versus reality theme is fully explored here. The perception, instigated by Iago, is that the marriage is a sham since the courtship was brief but the reality is that Othello and Desdemona truly love each other and feel they belong together. The Duke sums up the theme very well with “When remedies are past, the griefs are ended/By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended”(202-203); if you can't change something, don't cry about it. When you…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diction In Othello

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages

    His expressed his words with certainty of who he believed himself to be. When Iago informed Othello of Brabantio’s anger, about the marriage of himself and Brabantio’s daughter, Othello responded, “Let him do his spite. My services which I have done the signiory shall out tongue his complaints” (Shakespeare 1.2.20-22), Othello smoothly replied that his ranking and the honor he held for his country as a general would be enough evidence that he was innocent and worthy of Desdemona. An additional response he had to the accusation was “My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly” (1.2.35), this quotation is Othello’s way of saying that you will not be able to find any wicked when I have done no evil in my life. Othello’s diction remains composed even after Brabantio…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Adrienne Rich once said, "Lying is done with words but also with silence". This means that lying isn't only when one tells something false, but also when one does not speak at all, the truth included. This is generally true. A text that illustrates this quote would have characters who do not reveal the truth at a time when doing so would be important. Othello by William Shakespeare satisfies this quote with characters like Emilia and Iago.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The latter half of Act 3 Scene 3 contains, what some may consider, the climax of the play, as Iago completes his manipulation of Othello and decides that he must now let nature run its course. The scene depicts Othellos declining mental condition as Iagos supposed evidence, which in some parts has descended to complete lies, begins to take its effect on the once great general.…

    • 1075 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    by his rhetoric, which is in fact at work even during the speech in question, irrefutably suggests a certain kind of egotism. Also, his story’s evocation of pity, regardless of the extent to which such a reaction is genuine or partially a product of Othello’s self-deception, would naturally be essential to his self-idealization and the boosted self-esteem that would come along with that, as it would not present him as a racially “inferior” man who is not in a position to be feared and repulsed, but rather, to be worthy of one’s compassion and sympathy. It is also noteworthy that Othello’s capacity for poetic lyricism would of course also starkly countermand any preconceptions of him as being linguistically ignorant, of expressing himself with…

    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Brabantio learns of Othello and Desdemona's relationship, he suggests that Othello must have “enchanted” her with “foul charms” and magic. Brabantio believes that if it wasn’t for those factors Desdemona would’ve never fall in love “to the sooty bosom” of Othello. In addition to this, Othello’s marriage to Desdemona leads to Othello being referred to as the “devil”, “thick-lips, and the “old black ram” that taints white women, such as Desdemona. Despite being an outsider, Othello is praised for his skills as a soldier is valuable to the state. He is in great demand by the Duke and the senate, as Cassio once stated that the senate “sent about three several quests” in search for Othello. In addition to this, the Duke sent for Othello because he wanted to “straight employ [him] against the general enemy Ottoman” despite already having someone in Cyprus. In addition to this, when Iago warns Othello of Brabantio impending wrath, Othello tells him he’s not worried about Brabantio’s insults because he knows that “[his] services...shall out-tongue his complaints.” Othello pushes all of the hate aside as he confidently knows that “[his] title and...perfect soul shall manifest [him] rightly.” However, Othello isn’t the only one who sees his worth: when Barbatio rushes Othello to the court the Duke address the “ valiant Othello” to “employ [him]... against the general enemy Ottoman” and ignores the fact that…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Othello

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Othello, by William Shakespeare is the story of Othello, who marries Desdemona and is tricked and deceived into believing that Desdemona is unfaithful by those whom he thinks are his allies. This essay will discuss the syntax, diction, and tone of Othello, along with discussing the literary type and the effect Othello had on me. It will also give an analysis of the type of reader who would enjoy reading Othello.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    2008 Othello Question

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    At the start of the play Othello seems to be prudent, impeccable and unduly romantic. Othello and Desdemona were clearly passionately in love, we see this when Desdemona and Othello elope and Desdemona stands up to her father stating that she is “hitherto” his daughter. The couple are willing to wait for Brabantio’s blessing of the marriage before they consummate it, this shows us that Othello is kind and that he respects Desdemona’s father and Desdemona. Othello is a true gentleman, with an exquisite way of speaking. Othello know his place and ranking, he speaks with respect to those both above and below him “Most potent, grave and reverend signiors”. Othello's character is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride, valour and courage: “I must be found. / My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, / Shall manifest me rightly:” and “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you”. Othello is a man who has suffered, survived and succeeded in his life. He went through slavery and all sorts of trials, to end up as the Venetian Armies general: “…the story of my life/ From year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes, / That I have passed.” In the beginning of the play there is little indication that Othello is an asinine character which could lead to the catastrophe of the play, in fact we view him as a champion who can win every battle.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays