Death

I know nothing about death.
I have not seen death,
I have not suffered death.
I have not heard death,
I have not mourned death.
Shrouded in complete mystery,
Is the reason death,
So scares me.

Othello 7

In Othello's final speech to his officers, he asks the men to give a truthful account of what crimes he committed and why. Othello does not want the reports to be plagued with under and over-exaggerations, he wants the utmost truth to be sent back to Venice. Othello states, "Speak of me as I am [...] Of one that loved not wisely, but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought" (V.ii.402-405). Othello wants it to be clear that he did not act out of jealousy; Iago's deception of Othello was the true reason for Othello's actions. Othello wants to be remembered as one who pledged his honor and allegiance to Venice, he does not want to be plagued with the sin of jealousy, therefore he blames his actions on Iago's deception.

V.ii.1-27 Soliloquy

Othello opens Act five Scene two with a soliloquy. In this soliloquy he attempts to make a final justification for murdering Desdemona. Othello does not want to change his mind on the issue; he repeats to himself, "It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul. Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars. It is the cause" (V.ii.1-3). The repetition of "the cause", the reason for murder (her supposed infidelity), must be drilled into Othello's mind. This is Othello's last attempt to convince himself of Desdemona's guiltiness, he has to ensure that he is killing out of honor and justice; he does not want to kill due to jealousy. Othello states "Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men" (V.ii.6). He uses reason to justify his decision. If Desdemona betrays her father and Othello alike, she is bound to betray more men. The only way to end her reign is by death. The goal of Othello's soliloquy is to ultimately justify the killing of his wife. He wants to be sure that he is killing justly and not out of jealously.

Othello 5

Othello is a dynamic character whose personality drastically changes in Act four Scene one of Othello. In the first three Acts, Othello is characterized as an eloquent, intelligent member of the upper class. Through his advance diction and respectful relationships with Venetian socialites, Othello solidifies his place among the aristocrats. However, in Cyprus, Othello's actions are very different. Because of Iago's deception, Othello is convinced that Desdemona is an adulterer. Othello's speech changes from eloquence to harsh hateful commentary. His demeanor is no longer of an upstanding general, but of a menacing child. When an envoy from Venice comes to visit Othello, he is very surprised by Othello's changed personality. The envoy remarks, "My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, Though I should swear I saw 't" (IV.i.270-1). Othello's actions to his wife are shocking to the messenger. The past views of Othello are so drastically different than the new Othello that the messenger cannot believe what he is seeing. The characterization of Othello quickly changes from an honorable general to a distressed man all because of Iago's deception and trickery.

Othello 4

Many characters in the play Othello often attribute Othello's shortcomings to his race. In Act three, even Othello himself blames his skin color for his inferiority. Othello states, "I'd whistle her off and let her down the wind To prey at fortune. Haply, for I am black And have not those soft parts of conversation" (III.iii.303-305). Othello's excuse for  his poor people-skills is him being black. He blames his race on not being able to  fix his relationship with his wife; because he is black, he would abandon Desdemona as apposed to attempting to fix his problems.

Sound and Sense - Pg 234 Exercise

1. The second section is better because of it's use of meter. The first section does not flow as well as the second lines, which contains more syllables and therefore a more euphonious meter.

2. The second section is better than the first due to the second's use of onomatopoeia  The second section uses "crabbed" in place of "rough"; crabbed is an onomatopoeia and better attributes sense and meaning to the line than "rough".

3. The second section is better than the first due to it's use of consonance and onomatopoeia. The words "out-cast crows croak" utilizes the 'c' sound to create a more euphonious line than the first section. Also, the word "snow", from the first section is replaced with the much more descriptive "whiteness", an onomatopoeia.

4. The use of consonance in part b better attributes sense to the lines. The repetition of 'l' and 't' sounds create euphony.

5. Part b utilizes multiple onomatopoeia, assonance  and consonance to create a greater sense. The assonance and consonance allow the line to flow much smoother while the onomatopoeias evoke sensation.

6. The second section is more successfully adapted than the first because it utilizes onomatopoeia in replacing "sings" with "warbles".

7. The use of phonetic intensives in part b emphasizes the meaning of each word and better attributes sound to sense than the first section. The short words also flow much better and created meter.

8. By replacing "sisters" with the word "twins" in part b, consonance, in the form of repeating 't' sounds, is developed which makes the lines much more euphonious.

9. Part b better utilizes meter than part a and also uses assonance of the 'o' sound (by replacing "cross" from part a, with "o'er") to develop euphony.

10. The second section uses both onomatopoeia (in switching "chastise" with "flap") and assonance of the 'i' sound in the second line to better adapt sound to sense.

Othello 3

The relationship between Michael Cassio and Iago is very similar to the complex relationships Iago has with various other characters. While Iago appears to protect Cassio from Othello's rage, after Cassio's drunken brawl, Iago really intends to hurt Cassio's reputation and wreck Othello's marriage. Iago decieves Cassio in saying, "I had rather have this tounge cut from my mouth Than it should do offense to Michael Cassio" (97). Iago's friendliness to Cassio decievingly demostrates to everyone, except the audience, that Iago indends to help Cassio. Yet in reality Iago has much more sinister plans. Through Iago's soliloquies dramatic irony is created between Iago and the audience. The true evil of Iago is only known by the audience as he continues to decieve all other characters.