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Othello - Coggle Diagram
Othello
Context
Race
Black men usually portrayed as devil, and as villains in plays - Othello first black hero
Only behaves as the stereotypical lustful, murderous black man when corrupted by Iago
Othello is a racial outsider, but Shakespeare stresses his noble power and status
Shakespeare subverts the Rennaisance view that black people were only fit to be slaves by portraying Othello as a tragic hero.
Religion
Good and evil, shows plays religion grounding
Desdemona linked to good because of references to heaven, while Iago is linked to evil through references of hell and the devil
Othello has converted to Christianism and shows christian values however is dammned at the end of the play
Iago has atheistic attitudes. He says men are in control of their own fates, ‘'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus’ (I.3.320).
Setting
Venice was associated with power, romance and high culture, an appropriate setting for the Othello–Desdemona love match.
Italy was associated with villainy, decadence and corruption, and frequently used as a setting for plays on such themes. The Duchess of Malfi and ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore both explore these themes. Iago personifies these stereotypical Italian vices
The isolation of and threats to the Cyprus setting symbolise the isolation of and threats to Desdemona and Othello.
The use of a military setting for a play about marriage underlines the conflict Othello faces when trying to combine love and work.
Patriarchy
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Legally, women were the possessions of men, so Renaissance fathers and husbands often treated their daughters and wives as objects to be used as they saw fit
Assertive women were considered a threat to the social order. Desdemona asserts her right to live with Othello, but never challenges his authority over her.
Shakespeare’s positive portrayal of Emilia suggests assertiveness in a woman is not always a threat to patriarchy
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Themes/ Key Extracts
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Obsession
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Cassio’s obsession with his reputation leads him to act dishonourably when he asks Desdemona to plead his cause.
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Jealousy
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The sexual jealousy we see is unfounded but plausible; both Othello and Bianca are deceived by the false proof of the handkerchief
Othello does not give in to jealousy too easily, as some critics have suggested. He takes a lot of convincing that Desdemona is false
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Revenge
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Othello is degraded when he seeks revenge and he begins to act like a violent stereotype from Revenge Tragedy
Iago’s desire for revenge is presented as destructive, unnatural and egotistical
It is disturbing that the revenger, Iago, survives at the end of the play
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