 |
| Kenneth Branaugh as "Honest Iago" |
For Monday: Shakespeare’s Othello, Act 2
Answer
TWO of the following…
Q1:
In scene 1, Iago amuses/annoys Desdemona and his wife, Emilia, by reciting proverbial wisdom about women. Why do the women get so offended by his
comments, and how might this relate to “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue”? Why might
the Wife take offense at this, too, and give him a swift kick in the rear?
Q2:
How does Iago use language and insinuation to create doubt in Scene 2? How can
we see an ulterior motive—and a double meaning—in every conversation he has
with another character (and even, perhaps, the audience)? Discuss on example of
this in Act 2.
Q3:
After Cassio is disgraced, Iago convinces him to ask Desdemona to intercede on
his behalf. When Cassio exits, Iago turns to the audience, and in mock-offense,
says, “And what’s he then that says I play the villain” (49). Read this speech
closely and explain his ‘defense’ to the audience. How is he trying to defend
his own character/reputation here, while at the same time laying out his secret
plan against Othello?
Q4: At the very end of the play, something unusual happens: Roderigo announces his attentions to leave
1. To me, when reading this, it appears that the women get mad at Iago for the same reasons the wife of Bath because he is trying to put restraints of women. Thanks to the fine notes in my book, it was pointed out especially when, on page 30, lines 109-110, Iago says, “You are pictures out the door, /Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchen.” He goes on to say other things that would make most women feel rather annoyed with his talk. Basically he is alluding to the idea that has been had of women many years, and that being the stigma that women just want to cause trouble and inferior to the men population. This is a stigma that these women and the Wife of Bath know exist and want to shut down.
ReplyDelete3. Iago is doing a classic move that is so often done by someone wanting to stir up drama, while wanting say they had nothing to do with the events to occur. He knows that he cannot help what Cassio does with ideas and information he gives him, or so he claims to the audience. As Desdemona has previously said, her loyalty now lies with her husband, which would also mean his judgement. If she ask Othello to have mercy on Cassio, that in and of itself would be unconventional, being that she knows how Othello feels about the situation. Even if this doesn’t work out as Iago wants, it is still will result in drama occurring because of the uncommon appeal occurring, and that would be something that would indeed cause much unrest.
2. I think Iago is saying, "How can I be taken as the villain, when I give such good advice?" He's trying to seem like the "good guy" to everyone, and when everything starts falling into place, it boosts his confidence even more. It's like he feels unstoppable. He's really determined to get back at Othello, but he gets to pick people off on the way, Cassio and Roderigo being the two so far. He's trying to defend himself by making Othello and Cassio the enemies, saying that he has reason to believe that they both slept with his wife, Emilia.
ReplyDelete4. I think prose is a power. In scene 1, Roderigo felt more in charge of the situation than he did in scene 2. Although Iago feels in control at all times, he was simply speaking in prose for spite. It could also be his blanket to convince people that he's not as smart as he actually is. In scene 2, Roderigo feels completely out of control. He doesn't think anything is going to work, and he's given up the fact that Desdemona will ever love him. He's confiding in a "close friend", so I guess he doesn't feel the need to speak in verse. When Iago speaks back to him in verse, he's simply overpowering him. He doesn't want to blow his cover, and continues to encourage Roderigo to not give up on his love for Desdemona. This will, I'm guessing, lead up to either Roderigo's demise or Iago's. My best bet is that it'll be Roderigo's.
I apologize for the short answers, I was not feeling very good at the time of writing.
ReplyDeleteQ1
The wisdom that Iago recites seems to insinuate two similar ideas. The first of which is that, if a woman is attractive, they will succeed in life despite their foolishness. The second idea, is that "succeeding in life" means getting married and becoming a housewife. This would conflict heavily with the Wife of Bath's stance that women do not need to conform to society's belief that women belong in the home, nor require marriage to be successful and happy.
Q4 Roderigo is obviously in low spirits, so perhaps he just doesn't care about sounding proper. His lack of money, and the fact that he was "exceedingly well cudgeled" may have exhausted him to the point of apathy. This is similar to how a person suffering from depression may feel. The use of prose helps us to realize how poorly he is feeling about his situation. Iago replies in verse in a possible attempt to strengthen Roderigo's morale. His decision to reply in verse may have been influenced by Roderigo's verse in scene one, when Roderigo consoled Iago with verse.
3. Villains do harm for the sake of evil. Heroes do harm for the sake of justice. Iago gives honest advice to his cohorts, though it will cause them harm in the long run, it will supposedly be ultimately for their benefit. He wishes to pull Othello away from his wife, Desdamona, as she is “easy…to subdue in any honest suit” in order to win the Moor’s favor. To do this, Iago intends to have the recently-sacked-by-Othello Cassio be in close contact with Desdamona (Iago has already planted seed of their supposed mutual interests) so that she will speak favorably of him before Othello in order for Cassio to be hired back. Iago has hopes this will make Othello jealous and angry enough to leave Desdamona who Iago claims will take advantage of Othello’s loving nature and “make…do what she list…with his weak function”. So here we have Iago doing harm to others for primarily his own justice, though it seems to those around him that they are the ones being justified. All the while, Iago doesn’t particularly care for anyone, and he wishes to trap them all in a feverish feud.
ReplyDelete4. Roderigo is speaking in prose at the end of Act 2 because he just got finished being beaten by Cassio and spending all of his money while doing Iago’s bidding, so it only makes sense for him to be in this state of exhaustion – he is tired, doesn’t particularly trust Iago anymore, and he is ready to return home. In Act 1, Iago only spoke in prose to Roderigo to establish an air of intimate secrecy between the two of them while undoubtedly talking down to him while Roderigo continued to speak in verse as he reckoned himself a man of high esteem. Now that Roderigo is all sorts of befuddled and on his way to leave, Iago speaks up to him in verse. What Iago says to him isn’t precisely what matters, but it is touching to Roderigo that Iago speaks to him in a language that is befitting of a man of nobility. Iago, in doing this, regains Roderigo’s trust to move on to the next step of his dastardly plan.
Dana Welch
ReplyDeleteQ1.
The women get offended because he is spouting out insults of women, especially nasty ones too and they are also perverted insults.
Iago makes fun of his wife and when she says not to praise her, he says he dare not say anything, because it would be so foul. But it really seems to please him to say these things, anyway and when Desdemona says to praise her, he lets her have it.
Q4.
Maybe because Roderigo is tired of everything he has been doing for Iago and he has spent all his money on Iago's silly plans and wasted his time and energy on something just for Iago's pleasure. Maybe he sees that Iago is just a fake and that he shouldn't use high language on a fool.
Q1. The women, much like the wife of bath, are offended because they know that these misogynistic "proverbs" set women up for perpetual failure and mistreatment by men, despite if they are nothing like the male provided stereotype. Which I find this kind of ironic since, as we discussed in class, Iago argues that he isn't a villain based on his perspective, but yet he is making women out to be villains in his debate. The wife of bath would be as shocked as Desdemona at the fact that Emilia doesn't speak up for herself, as well as urging Emilia to stand up and probably would argue back for her. The wife of bath says, "That in no time she's bound to lose her honour, / Because its assailed on every side" (Chaucer, 156).
ReplyDeleteQ3. Iago defends his actions because he thinks that he is only getting the Justice that he believes is owed to him. He claim's that while his advice to Cassio is a set up for his grand scheme for "Justice" (at the expense of others), his advise is a reasonable and honest way for Cassio to go about getting his honor and job back. Basically Iago's claim is, "If my advice also aids in his goodwill, then how am I such a big bad villain?" While he is also aware that his good natured "advice" sets up his trap that leads to his success in gaining his justice for the "mistreatment" and "wrong doings" that he has received from Cassio and the Moor.