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Othello - Coggle Diagram
Othello
Act 1
Quotes
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"What drugs, what charms, what conjurations, what mighty magic?" - Othello
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"A greedy ear, devours up my discourse" - Othello
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Relationships
Othello and Desdemona - They just got secretly married and are in love with each other, even though everyone else deems their relationship as unnatural.
Desdemona and Brabantio - A father, daughter relationship, where Desdemona is controlled by her father at all times and is not allowed to choose who she wants to marry. However, Desdemona subverts what is expected of women and goes off and marries Othello, angering her father.
Iago and Roderigo - A male friendship based on Roderigo's love for Desdemona and Iago's willingness to destroy Othello. It's a toxic relationship where Iago is manipulating Roderigo to pay for his help to get Desdemona to love him.
Themes
Othello as the outsider - He doesn't fit in with society. However, he is accepted by the Duke and this is because of his position as a general and Othello has earned his right to be there. Othello also goes against Iago's statements about Othello being barbaric when he presents himself as calm and eloquent when confronted by Brabantio.
Witchcraft - Brabantio is convinced that Othello uses charms and spells on Desdemona to get her to fall in love with him. However, Othello uses Brabantio's words against him to prove he did not use magic. This also poses a view that Othello and Desdemona's relationship is seen as unnatural.
Law - In the council chamber the semantic field of law is used lots due to the Duke and Senators massive influence on the Venetian laws and therefore both parties treat them with respect both using some lexis of law within their speech.
Light and Dark - The semantic field of light and dark is used to mostly describe Othello's blackness or his and Desdemona's relationship such as 'black' 'white' and 'light' and this juxtaposes Othello from Desdemona, emphasising that those in Cyprus see their relationship as unnatural.
Predatory - From the beginning of the play, Othello is always described using derogatory and predatory language such as 'gross clasps' 'black ram' 'barbary horse' to emphasise that they see Othello as a predator and a savage who has ensnared Desdemona who is ever so 'gentle'.
Act 2
Quotes
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"Purchase made, fruits are to ensue" - Othello
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"When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as I do now" - Iago
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Relationships
Iago and Cassio - This is a male friendship where Cassio believes that Iago is honest but actually, Iago is using Cassio to help him corrupt Othello by sewing the seeds of doubt in Othello's mind.
Iago and Othello - Due to Cassio being demoted and Othello's belief that Iago is honest, this male friendship is where both parties confide in each other, however, Iago is never truthful.
Othello and Desdemona - They're still married and still closely in love, Iago has yet to ensnare both of them into his schemes yet, leaving the pair to not doubt each other at all.
Iago and Roderigo - Still a male friendship based off of deception, where Roderigo thinks starting the brawl will help him with his pursuits of Desdemona, where actually it is just helping Iago get closer to Othello.
Themes
Sexual Appetite - Iago describes Desdemona as constantly needing to be satisfied and she will eventually move on because she is bored with Othello. Iago describes women's sexual appetites almost animalistic like.
Iago as honest - Every character describes Iago as honest which helps Iago hide his malevolence behind a façade where everyone trusts him, which he uses to keep Roderigo as his sidekick and start the brawl to get Cassio demoted.
Religion - The semantic field of religion is used throughout which emphasises the religious importance of Christianity in Venice and it hasn't changed upon moving to Cyprus either.
Corruption - Iago is corrupt but also attempting to corrupt other's through his malevolent schemes, including turning Othello against Desdemona and using her virtue against her and making Cassio look like he had an affair with Desdemona.
Act 3
Quotes
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"If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it to the last article" - Desdemona
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"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy: it is the green-eyed monster" - Iago
"Where virtue is, these are more virtuous" - Othello
"She did deceive her father, marrying you" - Iago
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Relationships
Iago and Othello - They have a relationship based of jealousy and betrayal, where Iago is trying to cause the downfall of Othello, taking out Desdemona in the process.
Iago and Emilia - An abusive marriage where Iago only uses Emilia to get what he wants, which in this Act is Desdemona's handkerchief which Emilia complies because she knows it's the only way to get affection from her husband is to please him.
Othello and Desdemona - A once happy marriage that is now falling apart as Othello begins to degrade and believes Desdemona to be "as false as water" where she has actually been nothing but faithful and honest.
Cassio and Desdemona - A platonic friendship with no romantic feelings involved at all, Desdemona said she would advocate for Cassio as a friend to help regain a friendship and trust which he's lost and Desdemona was kind enough to help him.
Themes
Truth and Honesty - Iago is always spoken about to other's using the lexis of honesty as he's almost always described as 'honest Iago' which emphasises the double knavery seen in Iago and how untruthful he is. Shakespeare juxtaposes truth and deception in Iago as he sews the seeds of doubt in Othello's mind.
Virtue - Desdemona is always idolised by Othello and described as virtuous or chaste. He always puts Desdemona on a pedestal so when his view on reality is shattered by Iago, he doesn't know what to think because he's just shattered his ideal of the perfect, chaste Desdemona.
Jealousy - Iago slowly begins to sew the seeds of doubt within Othello's mind, Othello becomes increasingly jealous as he begins to degrade and his speech begins to mirror Iago's as he trusts Iago more than his wife. Iago's jealously of Cassio's promotion is what drives Iago to seek revenge on Othello, where Othello's jealousy is derived off Iago's constant manipulation of a relationship between Cassio and Desdemona.
Betrayal - Desdemona has betrayed Othello by having 'an affair' with Cassio and this causes jealousy and doubt to foster in Othello's mind thinking that Desdemona has betrayed his marriage. However, it's only Iago who is betraying everyone by ensnaring Othello and Roderigo into his plans and acting as an honest and trustworthy man, which he isn't.
Naturalness - Othello starts to become self conscious and doubtful of himself when he hears about Desdemona's affair, thinking that his marriage was in fact unnatural and that Desdemona would leave him for a man that he believes is more suited for her.
Religion - The lexis of religion is used throughout, emphasising the importance of religion in Venice which is still present in Cyprus. This is also seen in the marriage vows performed by Othello and Iago, sealing Othello's doomed fate.
Act 4
Quotes
'How should I murder him, Iago?' - Othello
'O, the world hath not a sweeter creater' - Othello
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'She is honest', 'honest, chaste, and true' - Emilia
'Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife' - Desdemona
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'Rose-lipped cherubin, ay, there, look grim as hell' - Othello
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'Eternal villain', 'most villainous knave' - Emilia
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'No, by this heavenly light!' - Emilia
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Themes
Sexual Appetite - In the willow scene, Emilia speaks of women having a sexual appetite and sexual desires just as men have, yet are supposed to remain pure and chaste, lest they become a whore. This can only be talked about in private in a domestic sphere between other females.
Jealousy and Betrayal - Othello still believes that Desdemona has betrayed him in having an affair with Cassio, which is spurred on by Iago's deceptiveness. However, this betrayal doesn't pass Emilia unnoticed and she begins to think there is a villain manipulating the moor, however doesn't act upon this.
Female Friendship - This emphasises the importance of female friendship and how they can only talk about their views on men and sexual appetite in private. Female friendship is one of solidarity, whereas male friendship is destructive.
Death - Death is foreshadowed and talked about across this scene, as Othello and Iago plot the homicide of both Cassio and Desdemona. Desdemona, also foreshadows her own death without realising this with her use of 'if I shall die', using dramatic irony to show she will die soon.
Religion - Religious lexis is used throughout this scene to continuously emphasise the importance of religion that has come from Venice, such as the comparison of Desdemona to the virginal madonna.
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