Othello Outline 485d4i

English 117S Outline, Notes, and Intro -

Friday April 29, 1:00 PM 1500 words

Prompt: Othello is sent to Cyprus so that he can help Venice battle the Ottomans there, but a storm destroys the Turkish navy before Othello even arrives at Cyprus. Why does Shakespeare frame the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona with this war that never happens? Resources: Outside Lecture -

War Symbol: http://www.shmoop.com/othello/war-symbol.html http://www.chizfilm.net/othello.html

Resource: From Lecture 

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Paradox of heterosexuality is heightened by the setting of the play in Cyprus – o why would women want to marry warriors?  perversity of loving Othello because she feared him. o Why would warriors want to marry women?  no plausible likely reason for women and men to love each other other than bestial ion. o Iago also suggests that there is a likeness between men and women that society makes us overlook. 2.3.155 – if men and women are opposites, then aren’t they also naturally enemies? 1.3.127 – how Desdemona fell in love with him – love a man that could tell stories o shared modesty shows why they were so opposite in marriage but also constitutes a common ground between them.

Othello’s  Othello’s adventures are exciting to a woman who is preoccupied with house affairs. But by telling it in a familiar, casual way his sufferings assimilate him to Desdemona.  Storytelling has the power to mediate between their lives because it liberates them both from the “guardage” of their accustomed selves. Othello becomes a city room speaker instead of a battle field warrior, and Desdemona moves from the city room to the battle field through his stories/marriage  Othello thinks that Desdemona loves his mind rather than his body – a marriage of “true minds” because the sexual desires in him are dead. Worries that she prefers fiction to fact. Childish naiveté of Desdemona  worries that she could love anyone else if they told the same stories.

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Desdemona’s father’s negative reaction their marriage Worries about her experiencing the “reality” of him  Suggests his disturbance at the thought that Desdemona truly does love him. Later Othello kills her for loving him.

Desdemona’s  Claims that love for Othello has transformed her – she loves the “quality” of Othello, distinguishes between his outward/inward self. Highlights both the physical/racial difference between them, but also Othello’s own self-difference  Othello’s worry that he begins to lose masculinity

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o Alternatively, Othello might want to believe that his wife has betrayed him – simply wants to be free of her o Othello has been enslaved before, but this enslavement of marriage bothers him more heart of play’s improbability = Desdemona’s being called a whore, even speaks highly of Othello when she is dying  the “goodness” of Desdemona is what drives him to kill her. 4.1.176 – Iago means that all the good things in Desdemona highlight her sins/vices by contrast – hears everything with the ear of the “lewd interpretor” – suggests that she is “too giving” of a woman o By striving to do good, her virtue is turned against her – “very obedient” o Slipping of vice/virtue o Othello kills her not because of her imaginary infidelity, but because of her fidelity

Intro Draft It was noted from Professor Knapp’s lecture that something had gone amiss in Shakespeare’s life around the time that Othello was written. According to historians, Shakespeare had obtained a gentleman’s status and secured a well-established celebrity status, perhaps leading him to represent himself in a “sordid manner.” Othello may have been inspired by the playwright’s personal conflict between irrational emotions and rational peace of mind. Whether this is the case, it is certain that this turmoil of two sides, raw emotion and logical reasoning, is illustrated through the transformation of Othello. Jealous ion, the victor of this battle between reason and emotion, ultimately consumes Othello and transforms him from a beloved, respected war hero into a crazed man who kills his beloved and

innocent wife. Though most may argue that the evil Iago, the sole disseminator of lies and malicious intent, is the only component setting the stage for this tragedy, the Turkish-Venetian war is the true catalyst of Othello’s transformation and the heartbreaking catastrophes that occur. Without the imminent threat of war changing the setting of the play from peace-time Venice to Cyprus, the tragedy that unfolds in Othello would not have occurred; thus, it was essential that Shakespeare frame the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona with this war which never happens. There are two sides to Othello, one governed by rational mind and one consumed by irrational ion. From lecture it was noted that something had also gone amiss with Shakepeare’s life, and this is illustrated through a shift from comedy to tragedy; specifically, the playwright could not remove himself from life’s desires and began to represent himself in a “sordid manner.” Othello, noted by many critics as one of Shakespeare’s most “perfectly constructed” works, may be inspired by the playwright’s own conflict between destructive, uncontrollable emotions and the calm of deductive reasoning. Whether this is the case, the same battle between reason and jealous ion certainly plays out through the transformation of Othello from a respected war general to a man consumed by jealous emotion.

Outline: (focus on DEVELOPING ARGUMENT for each paragraph and sentence) Intro -

Historical context about Shakespeare’s own struggle Lay out concept that Othello is about struggle between rationality and emotion; conflict in one’s mind Bring the war into the argument: o True: The Venetian-Turkish War never “happens”; there is no battle since the Turks are all destroyed, BUT o The tragedy of Othello and Desdemona is framed by the war because: o 1) The setting of Cyprus is a war setting; remnants of war exist

o 2) Cyprus is a war setting => place of volatile emotions, NOT Venice which is governed by Reason o 3) This setting of war despite there not being any violent conflict or actual physical battle between two armies is the setting for a war in the minds of the characters, especially Othello o 4) War is IRRATIONAL o Thesis: Shakespeare frames the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona with this war because the setting and aura of war (though battle itself does not occur) is the catalyst that prepares the battleground for the conflict in Othello’s mind, tipping the scales in favor of emotion and irrationality that renders our protagonist vulnerable to Iago’s poison and lies. Body 1 Goal: Prove that my thesis is plausible by showing that it is the setting of war that changes Othello -

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Show o o o

Othello before war (Act 1) He is calm, self-assured Evidence-Quote: 1.2.6 “It is better as it is” Evidence-Quote: 1.2.59: (Breaks up fight) “…you shall more command with years than with your weapons” Show Othello in a SETTING of War; just arrived at Cyprus (Act 2 Scene 3) o Breaks up a fight between Cassio and Montano, but this time gets pissed and violent o “by Heaven, my blood begins my safer guides to rule, and ion, having my best judgement collied, assays to lead the way…” Why are these behaviors so different? What has changed? Has Iago started spreading lies yet? => NO! Difference is that the setting has become a setting of War; change of Locale from Venice to Cyprus!

Body 2 Goal: Dispute the counter idea that war is order; prove that war = disorderly; which implies that my thesis could be true (that setting of war in Cyprus reveals emotional side of Othello) -

“Farewell to War” Speech => Othello’s way of rationalizing. Othello is using war as a metaphor

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"Farewell to war" speech in Act III, scene 3 (lines 347-357) like war no longer being orderly, his life and love for Desdemona is no longer orderly not saying he’s leaving orderly war, it is him realizing that war is irrational, as are his thoughts sets up the play for the tragic acts he will commit (killing Desdemona is irrational), all his emotional actions are irrational

Body 3: Goal: War is irrational, and Othello has accepted it => commits irrational acts Goal: Prove Othello is naïve, and thus influenced vastly by his environment - War is irrational, and like war, Othello is committing irrational thoughts (such as interpreting his handkerchief in Cassio's hand as absolute proof of Desdemona's infidelity) and irrational actions (such as killing what he loves the most--i.e. Desdemona). -

It is as though there are two separate Othellos, as David Pollard sees (Vaughan 94). The other thing we know for certain is that Iago is right on the mark when he describes Othello as "of a free and open nature that thinks men honest that but seem to be so" (1.3.405).

Conclusion -

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Othello had two sides, but he did not recognize them himself and was not in control of when each was exhibited His situation (Peace in Venice; War Time in Cyprus) would affect the way he thought, either rationally or irrationally He flip-flops, and Iago knows this, so the TRAGEDY COULD ONLY OCCUR IN A WAR LIKE ENVIRONMENT And Iago was there to see him. This we know within the first lines of the play. "And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and heathen ..." (1.1.28). That's how Iago knows what Othello will be like in wartime. When Iago hatches his plan at the end of Act I, the self-respecting Othello we know from that act does not seem like he would easily become victim to Iago's suggestions. But the irrational Othello of

Act II, occupying a territory immediately following a war and imposing martial law, does seem much more susceptible. Iago knows more than we do. Essay Intro It was noted from Professor Knapp’s lecture that something had gone amiss in Shakespeare’s life around the time that Othello was written. According to historians, Shakespeare had obtained a gentleman’s status and secured a well-established celebrity status, perhaps leading him to represent himself in a “sordid manner.” Othello may have been inspired by the playwright’s personal conflict between irrational emotions and rational peace of mind. Whether this is the case, it is certain that this turmoil of two sides, raw emotion and logical reasoning, is illustrated through the transformation of Othello. Jealous ion, the victor of this battle between reason and emotion, ultimately consumes Othello and transforms him from a beloved, respected war hero into a crazed man who kills his beloved and innocent wife. Though most may argue that the evil Iago, the sole disseminator of lies and malicious intent, is the only component setting the stage for this tragedy, the Turkish-Venetian war is the true catalyst of Othello’s transformation and the heartbreaking catastrophes that occur. Without the imminent threat of war changing the setting of the play from peace-time Venice to Cyprus, the tragedy that unfolds in Othello would not have occurred; thus it was essential that Shakespeare frame the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona with this war, which despite never explicitly happening, stages the emotional pyrotechnics necessary for the plot. Body 1A: Present FIRST INCIDENT proving Othello’s calmness in Venice The first step in proving my thesis involves juxtaposing Othello’s pre-war behavior in peacetime Venice with his wartime behavior in Cyprus. Although it is established that the war itself will not take place, the vastly different ways Othello handles two very similar altercations in the two different settings elucidates that this change in setting builds the foundation for the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona. In peacetime Venice at the beginning of the play, Othello is shown composed and self-assured. Act 1 Scene 2 shows Iago speaking poorly of Brabantio to Othello, musing that he (Iago) is not cruel enough to murder someone, though Brabantio may deserve it. Othello’s response

and his first line of the play 1.2.6, “ Tis better as it is ” implies that he believes it is right to choose peace over violence and is a very collected reply. His composed and rational character is further illustrated in the ensuing conflict with Brabantio, who confronts Othello about seeing his daughter Desdemona. Iago fails to incite anger in Othello before the confrontation, and throughout the incident, Othello is entirely calm and composed in the face of Brabantio’s drawn sword and hostility. Brabantio spews verbal venom composed of racial slurs and harsh accusations: “ If she in chains of magic were not bound, Whether a maid so … fair…Would ever have … Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom Of such a thing as thou—to fear, not to delight.” Brabantio accuses Othello of sorcery and enchanting his daughter, for his fair Desdemona would never willingly be with a “thing” like Othello. Calm and composed, Othello retorts, “Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it Without a prompter. Whither will you that I go To answer this your charge?” Othello conveys that this is not the time for him to fight and simply asks, in an almost surreal calm manner to whom should he go to respond to these charges, without a trace of anger. Could a man this calm and collected when dealt such hate and threat of violence be the same man to later kill that which is most beloved to him? These incidents that occur in the setting of peacetime Venice capture Othello’s character as a man who could not have done such a thing. Note the fact that Iago’s scheming manipulation has not begun, and has yet to poison Othello’s mind with jealous lies. After the impending war moves the plot from Venice to Cyprus, a conflict that happens there illustrates a volatile, emotional side of Othello. The discussion of this irrational side to Othello in the following paragraph will illuminate the crucial necessity of framing the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona with a war that never occurs. Body 1B: Show Othello in setting of war and state my point. After confirming that the storm has destroyed the Turkish fleet, and thus ended the impending war, Othello holds festivities to celebrate this fact as well as his marriage with Desdemona. He leaves to spend time with his wife but is notified of a conflict between

Montano, officer at Cyprus, and Cassio his right hand man. Othello, arriving at the conflict, states: “Have we all become as savage as the Turks…? The next man who swings his sword must not care about his life, because the instant he strikes, he dies.” In peacetime Venice in the previous situation discussed, Othello met violence and hate directed at him by Brabantio with composure. The situation here in Cyprus does not hold the weight that the one in Venice did, for Othello is clearly in charge and his life is not in danger as when Brabantio threatened him. This observation only magnifies the radical change of Othello’s behavior between peacetime Venice and wartime Cyprus, for Othello’s rational composure has been replaced with a display of emotional outrage not due to a change in severity of conflict, but by the difference in setting. Further proof is given in Othello’s following response: “my blood begins my safer guides to rule, and ion, having my best judgement collied, assays to lead the way. If I once stir, or do but lift this arm, the best of you shall sink in my rebuke. … who set it on, … though he had twinned with me…shall lose me. What, in a town of war Yet wild, the people’s hearts brimful of fear, To manage private and domestic quarrel? (2.3.204)” Othello, despite being explicitly aware that ion has replaced his better judgment, rashly seeks to move forward with action. He also brings to light the fact that despite the war itself not happening, Cyprus is a “town of war” with the remnants and threat of it instilling fear in people. This conflict, which dwarfs in comparison in severity with the Venice Brabantio incident, brings about an emotional response from Othello, thus illustrating that he is greatly affected by this change in setting from peace to war, Venice to Cyprus. Note once more that Iago has not yet dispelled jealous lies to Othello directly; Othello’s actions are a product of his own character which we now see has two distinct sides. The setting of war manifested in the setting of Cyprus is the switch that allows Othello’s actions and thoughts to be dictated by his emotional and irrational side. Body 2

It is important to address and dispute the idea that war is order, for if war is order in the eyes of Othello, the change in setting from peaceful Venice to wartime Cyprus could not have been the catalyst that Shakespeare strategically uses in order to frame the tragedy between Othello and Desdemona. The main piece of text pertinent to this discussion is Othello’s burst of outrage after Iago thoroughly disseminates seeds of suspicion; he implies again and again that Desdemona is cheating on Othello. Othello has had the last straw, stating: “I had been happy if the general camp, Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body, So I had nothing known. Oh, now forever Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content! Farewell the plumed troops and the big wars That makes ambition virtue! Oh, farewell! Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, th' ear-piercing fife, The royal banner, and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats The immortal Jove’s dead clamors counterfeit, Farewell! Othello’s occupation’s gone.” In this age, simply by locality of text Othello seems to relate the tranquil mind with the “plumed troops and big wars,” appearing to associate peace of mind with war. The opening line of this age suggests that this is not so. Othello says something akin to “ignorance is bliss”, as he would be content of Desdemona’s supposed infidelity as long as he did no know about it. That statement strongly implies that his tortured mind is aggravated not by the truth, but by his perception or knowledge of it. Despite his grandiose description of the “pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war,” the distinction between truth and interpretation through perception suggests that Othello is not saying that war is absolute glory or order. War at its coldest truth consists of killing: irrational and ionate. Othello’s ability to ignore that truth and perceive it as something that makes “ambition virtue” is calculated, chosen ignorance, which has allowed him to ascend the ranks of the Venetian military and become a well-respected general. In this age, he bids farewell to ignorance or refusal to measure his life by truth, and chooses instead to accept truth and the tumultuous ions that are associated with it. In this text, war is a metaphor and example that illustrates how something quintessentially gruesome, irrational, and awful can be perceived in a good light. If Othello can accept the real nature of war as something that is inherently disorderly, he will accept that his genuine thoughts of love for

Desdemona in their current state are just as tempestuous and dangerous. Conclusion The two distinct sides of Othello’s character, rationally composed and emotionally turbulent, as well as the important role of a catalytic war setting have been thoroughly discussed. A different perspective on why Shakespeare decides to use the setting of Cyprus to frame the tragedy focuses on Iago. Iago has uncannily precise insight of every other character’s personality; particularly, his impeccable understanding of Othello’s character is perhaps the only way to ignite the pyrotechnics framed by the Turkish-Venetian War and lead to Othello’s tragic downfall. Essentially, Iago has knowledge of Othello’s wartime behavior; towards the beginning of the play, Iago states “I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and heathen.” He knows that Othello will be vulnerable in a setting of war, and only in that state will his lies have any power in manipulating Othello’s thoughts. The setting in Cyprus is ripe for Iago’s plans to come to fruition. Othello, victim of the masterful plans Iago sets into motion, kills his beloved Desdemona and then himself. Again, this tragedy could only have occurred in an environment of war. The rational Othello as seen in Venice does not seem capable of becoming a victim of Iago’s lies. As Iago stated with great determination in Act 1, “Hell and night” has indeed brought “this monstrous birth to the world’s light.” The wartime setting at Cyprus towards the beginning of the play sealed Othello and Desdemona’s tragic fate, as they were all but Iago’s puppets on a string.