In Act 4 Scene 1 Othello’s language has now become irrational, senseless and absurd. convinced or supplied (28) overcame or gratified. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. About “Othello Act 4 Scene 2” Emilia assures the suspicious Othello that Desdemona’s behavior toward Cassio has been completely … More on Genius. Then, by chance, Bianca walks in with the strawberry-spotted handkerchief and berates Cassio for asking her to copy the token of his new love. Her devotion to Othello even should it cost her her life could not contrast more strongly with the graphic, misogynistic picture of female sexuality Iago has described throughout the play. With Othello striking his wife in public and storming out inarticulately, this scene is the reverse of Act II, scene iii, where, after calming the “Turk within” his brawling soldiers, Othello gently led his wife back to bed. However, Iago cannot afford to leave Othello in his present frame of mind, where he might do something unpredictable. Read a translation of Act IV, scene i → Analysis. The idea of giving his wife permission to take lovers so enrages Othello that he cries, "I will chop her into messes" (202), surely the most savage of all his threats, and one he later regrets. • Othello wakes and then hides to watch Cassio’s conversation with Iago. More on Genius. Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona, but she assures him that nothing immodest has taken place between her mistress and Cassio. Summary: Act IV, scene i. Othello and Iago enter in mid-conversation. Act 4 Scene 1 • Iago torments Othello with crude images of Desdemona’s infidelity and references to the handkerchief which results in Othello fainting in a fit. Othello sees his smiles and laughter but cannot hear the details and believes he is joking about how much Desdemona loves him. Enter OTHELLO and IAGO . . Cyprus. 21). Rather than revive him, they must let the fit take its course. Othello, in his thinking, assumes it is a symbol for his wife's honor, but Iago plays at thinking it is only a handkerchief: "being hers, she may, I think, bestow't on any man" (13). Time in Othello is presented as passing very quickly, but a careful examination shows almost no markers to indicate what day it is or how each scene relates to the others in terms of time. SCENE I. Cyprus. Othello interrogates Emilia about Desdemona’s behavior, but Emilia insists that Desdemona has done nothing suspicious. Therefore, Iago prompts Othello to consider his personal honour: "If you be so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend, for if it touches not you, it comes near nobody" (199-201). About “Othello Act 1 Scene 1” As the play begins, Roderigo is upset to learn that Desdemona has eloped with Othello, a Moorish general of Venice. This is prompted by Brabantio’s accusation that Othello has stolen his daughter, Desdemona, by use of spells and potions bought from charlatans. He repeats again the word "handkerchief," and Othello cries out. Before the castle. Act 1, scene 3 The duke and the senators discuss the movements of the Turkish fleet and conclude that its target is, indeed, Cyprus…. Again the agreement is made: Iago is to kill Cassio, and Othello is to kill Desdemona. In Act 3 Scene 3, how is Othello manipulated by Iago? //, Sorry, we have to make sure you're a human before we can show you this page. Read every line of Shakespeare’s original text alongside a modern English translation. Othello recognizes the handkerchief, and all other considerations are forgotten. Othello is now raving; his words come in an anxious jumble around "handkerchief," and "confess" until he falls down in a faint. Enter OTHELLO and IAGO. Iago has profited from good luck and good organization to achieve almost complete power over Othello. In Hamlet, staged three years before Othello, Ophelia drowns surrounded by willows and flowers; Gertrude describes the scene: "There is a willow grows askant a brook" (Hamlet IV.7, 166). Summary. More on Genius. Her devotion to Othello even should it cost her her life could not contrast more strongly with the graphic, misogynistic picture of female sexuality Iago has described throughout the play. Othello's professed admiration for Iago, coupled with his newly misogynistic and violent plans for Desdemona, contrast poignantly from his declarations of love in 1.3. Such a story is Iago's insurance, in case Othello should later say something that Cassio finds strange. Act 4 Scene 1 Synopsis of Act 4 Scene 1 Iago continues to taunt Othello with the thought of Desdemona’s adultery, imagining her in bed with Cassio, whom … IAGO. Othello. Emilia's view of jealousy as a natural characteristic of irrational men contrasts with Othello's real personal sufferings of the previous scene. whose solid virtue / The shot of accident, nor dart of chance, could neither graze, nor pierce" (260-264). About “Othello Act 3 Scene 4” Desdemona asks the Clown where Cassio is, and the Clown clowns around before going off to find him. Active Themes Lodovico enters with Graziano ( Brabantio 's brother). The rich Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him in his suit to Desdemona, but he has seen no progress, and he has just learned that Desdemona has married Othello, a general whom Iago serves as ensign. IAGO. Act 4, scene 1 Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Othello , which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. More on Genius. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# Please enable Cookies and reload the page. Enter Iago and Othello. Othello and Desdemona are involved in a personal matter to the exclusion of others, and Othello is fraught by a matter of internal conflict that excludes his wife. This is the second time Othello has sworn to kill both Cassio and Desdemona, but his continuity of love beside revenge unnerves Iago, who needs to push Othello to a definite unalloyed commitment to murder. In a conversation with Othello, Iago says that Cassio has confessed to sex with Desdemona. All rights reserved. More on Genius. From the outside, it all looks like madness. Read every line of Shakespeare’s original text alongside a modern English translation. He hints to Lodovico that Othello should be watched, increasing Lodovico's suspicion that Othello is going mad. Actually understand Othello Act 4, Scene 1. Othello is so tortured in his mind that he falls into a trance or epileptic fit. Act 4, Scene 1. Act IV: Scene 1. He summons his wife, asking Emilia to leave, then confronts Desdemona and, despite her protestations of loyalty, calls her a whore. Iago urges Othello to hide and watch him talk with Cassio. By William Shakespeare. Othello tells Emilia to summon Desdemona, implying while Emilia is gone that she is a “bawd,” or female pimp (IV.ii. When Emilia returns with Desdemona, Othello sends Emilia to guard the door. Think so, Iago! Before the castle. • Othello misunderstands Cassio’s words about Bianca, and thinks he is speaking of Desdemona. When Cassio enters, Iago claims that Othello has epilepsy and has had seizures before. Othello swears also to kill his wife this night, he curses her and weeps over her at the same time, mingling love and murder: "for she shall not live; no, my heart is turned to stone . Still Othello knows the pull of love and asks for poison so that he might kill her at a distance, but he sees justice in Iago's idea of strangling her in her bed, imagining that she has dishonored that bed. About “Othello Act 4 Scene 3” Othello orders Desdemona to go to bed and send Emilia away. Othello has just ordered Desdemona to bed, and to please and appease him, she has obeyed. Othello Act 4, Scene 1. [CDATA[ Seeing his wife's handkerchief in the hands of Cassio's mistress is, for Othello, the "ocular proof" he sought. Will you think so? Enter Iago and Othello. He is now convinced of Desdemona's infidelity and knows he must kill both Cassio and Desdemona that very night. “ practicing upon [ Othello ’ s language has now become irrational, senseless absurd... With Iago: the handkerchief which Othello gave her chief among Iagos reasons for,..., Iago only expresses satisfaction that his medicine ( poison words ) is working … summary: Act,... 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