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Act 5 scene 1 - Coggle Diagram
Act 5 scene 1
Iago
Iago succeeds in manipulating Roderigo and getting him to kill Cassio, relegating the guilt from him to Roderigo as a self preservation tactic. His arrogance shines through in Iago's soliloquy, he calls R a "young quat" and highlights his indifference to the outcome of this confrontation "Whether he kill Cassio, or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, every way makes my gain" However he does emphasise that it is necessary that Cassio dies. "He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly" and "The moor may unfold me to him" - Iago has a complete and utter lack of respect for human life
The action in this scene is fast paced, a contrast to the previous scene. Iago has historically been able to capitalise from sequences of chaos and confusion and achieve the outcome he desires, tension is built as well as a sense of foreboding
Despite this, things begin to go wrong when Iago has to get personally involved in the situation as he wounds Cassio from behind after Roderigo misses his target and kills Roderigo.
Motives
- Firstly jealousy of Cassio, "He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly"
- Self preservation, he's too far into his plan now to go back, he fears Othello may unfold him to Cassio.
Setting
Night time is chosen for both the first and last scenes of the play, Iago thrives during the night time
The street in Venice vs the bedroom in Cyprus. The politicisation of intimacy/love/Othello and Desdemona's relationship
The setting of the bedroom and the crowding of it creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, the suffocation of Othello and Desdemona's relationship as it is poisoned by politics and Iago
Bianca
Shakespeare includes Bianca in this scene to keep Desdemona in our minds. Her love for Cassio is honest as Desdemona's is for Othello, yet both suffer at the victimising hands of Iago. Neither woman is granted chance to defend herself, Bianca's abuse and suffering mirroring that of Desdemona's.
Iago uses Bianca as a scapegoat, in an attempt to relegate guilt from him to her as him now being involved first hand in the action (having injured Cassio and killed Roderigo) he is at risk of suspicion. "This is the fruits of whoring." Her attempt at defending herself "I am no strumpet; but of life as honest as you that thus abuse me" falls upon deaf ears and even Emilia (woke feminist icon) perpetrates the patriarchal demonisation of Bianca for her line of work
Roderigo
Iago's manipulation and quelling of Roderigo's suspicions in act 4 scene 2 prove successful, he agrees to kill Cassio with very little hesitance, "'Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies."
Roderigo dies upon his realisation of Iago's villainy. He cries "O damn's Iago! O inhuman dog!" His near realisations of Iago's villainy add to the tragedy of this late realisation as he was so close to being able to escape this fate. This is parallel to Othello's realisation of Iago's villainy too late.
Summary
- Roderigo is convinced by Roderigo to kill Cassio
- Roderigo tries to wound Cassio, but is wounded instead
- Iago steps in and stabs Cassio from behind, he cries out and Othello hears it, believing Cassio has been murdered spurring on the death of Desdemona
- Lodovico and Gratiano come and attend to the wounded Cassio
- Iago kills Roderigo
- Bianca appears and Iago accuses her of plotting to kill Cassio
- Roderigo's body is discovered and Iago sends Emilia to inform Othello and Desdemona of what's happened
Othello
All autonomy is lost, his identity has been wholly poisoned by Iago. He misunderstands the events occurring outside and assumes that "Brave Iago, honest and just" has killed Cassio as he said he would. This spurs him mindlessly onto commit the killing of Desdemona in direct response. "Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted" his use of violent and bloody language evoking a sense of warlike imagery