Act 3 Scene 3 of William Shakespeare's Othello Act 3, Scene 3 is central to ‘Othello’, not only in terms of where it is situated in the action – half way through the play – but also because it involves the major characters working out the key issues explored in ‘Othello’s’ plot. By the end of this important scene Iago is in complete control of Othello and his revenge against Michael Cassio is almost complete
The play revolves around the main three characters – Othello, Desdemona and Iago. Othello and Desdemona are married, Othello appointed Michael
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Cassio has been sacked by Othello because Iago used Roderigo to set him up, Roderigo provoked Cassio into attacking him, and then Iago fetched Othello to see what was going on, and Iago then told Othello that all he saw was Cassio attacking Roderigo. The day after all that happened Cassio went to speak to Desdemona to see if she will try to change Othello’s mind and reinstate him, she promises she will speak to Othello about it. Othello and Iago then enter the room and Cassio, embarrassed because of the night before, embraces Desdemona and makes a quick exit. Iago takes this opportunity to make an undermining comment “Ha, I like not that”, a comment that stays in Othellos mind and starts off his suspicions. When Desdemona speaks of Cassio’s pleas and asks him to see him, he agrees to please her but he is secretly distracted by his suspicions because of what Iago has just said, and that Desdemona is now trying to get him to take back his sacking of Cassio.
In a conversation with Othello, Iago tells Othello to:
“O beware, my lord, of
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Othello’s suspicions are raised further later on in this conversation when Iago tells Othello to:
“Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio”
Iago then goes on to say how Desdemona deceived her own father by marrying him, although he does not state this, he is trying to say that if she can do that to her own father then she can do it to him aswell, Othello gets this message loud and clear. After all this has been said , Othello will not admit that he is jealous or that he thinks Desdemona has been disloyal, but in his head it is a different story. Othello trusts in Iago and believes everything he says, as is stated after Iago has taken his leave:
“This fellows of exceeding honesty
And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,
Of human dealings.”
Desdemona enters the same room as Othello and she immediately notices something is not quite right, when she asks him what is wrong he tells her that he has a “a pain upon my forehead”, she tries to soothe him by binding his head with a napkin of Othello’s mother, which he
and not that he did this by his own choice. With this metaphor of a
Even before Iago exerts his influence over Othello, we can observe the inklings of Othello’s insecurity and the doubt he has regarding his relationship with Desdemona. During his audience with the Duke, Othello describes the circumstances by which he became acquainted with Desdemona. He says on the occasions that he told Brabantio of his life stories, he would also tell Desdemona the same stories. Then, Othello self-consciously proposes that the sole reason why Desdemona loves him is because she pitied his misfortunes: “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them” (I.iii.193-194). Othello feels way because as
The Significance of Act 3 Scene 3 of William Shakespeare's Othello Othello was written by Shakespeare around 1602 and was set 35 years previously to that time (around 1571) during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare got the idea for the play from the Italian Novella 'Gli. Hecatommithi and only changed minor details slightly. He kept the same plot but some of the characters and themes in the play were very different.
Ways that Iago Manipulates Othello in Act Three Scene Three in Othello by William Shakespeare
Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona.
Implicitly targeting Othello’s doubts about marrying Desdemona and insecurities about her actions with infidelity, Iago eventually impacts Othello enough that the General himself confides in Iago about his own wife. Earlier in the play, ‘honest Iago’ needs to first gain Othello’s confidence and he does so by expressing his loyalty to Cassio, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio”, while Othello is present in a conflict (2.3. 203-204). Then, later in the play Iago baits Othello by suggesting that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Immediately, Othello wants more information; however, Iago nervously responds with, “…vicious in my guess-/ As I confess…” and tries to calm Othello by saying, “My noble lord-” (3.3 46-47, 93). When voicing his devotion to Cassio, Iago immediately begins to play on his false reputation as ‘honest Iago’. He enables Othello, and his fellow characters, to think highly of him and to respect that even when his partner, Cassio, has not been following orders, Iago would even endure physical pain and have his “tongue cut from [his] mouth” and proves his locality (2.3. 203). This leads to when Iago responds to Othello’s queries, about
Othello’s speech that begins on line 178 of act III Scene iii is absolutely central to the meaning of the scene as well as to the meaning of the entire play. Beginning with out right denial, Othello’s speech ends up working its way through all possible outcomes until he is left with only confusion and doubt regarding Desdimona’s fidelity. He goe...
Act 3 Scene 5 is a significant scene in the play as within this one
Throughout the novel, up until his insanity, Othello is described as a temperate man whose honor does not allow him to believe assumptions unless he has been shown proof. Firstly, when the men of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, confront Othello’s men, Othello calmly says, “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.” (10). Othello is confronted on the matter of his elopement with Desdemona with force and with words. Not only is he very cool about his dealings with violence, but also when he is asked to tell the story of how he had Desdemona fall in love with him he states the truth, and he doesn’t leave out any details of how he accomplished it. He openly admits that had any other man told his story, that man also would have won her heart. Only a truly honorable man can admit that it was a story, and not his personality that truly won the woman’s heart. Othello’s honor is shown by his trust in the people he knows and loves. When Iago tells Othello that he believes Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Othello does not believe Iago initially.
“I asked her to wear something revealing, so she showed up in a prophet's toga.”(CITE) Jarod Kintz’s words are an example of miscommunication, or failure to comprehend meaning. In this case, it is implied that one person misunderstood the message of another, but incomprehension also applies to problems other than falsely interpreted requests. Incomprehension can occur when people misinterpret another’s words or intentions, or when a person misreads situations or events. The outcome described in Kintz’s quote is unexpected and unintended, but there are instances of incomprehension that have consequences of greater severity. Perhaps a classic tragedy with a high body count falls under these parameters.
The situation above leaves an opening for Iago to fulfill his vital plan to bring down Othello through Desdemona. Cassio was a mental wreck and told Iago that his reputation was ruined. Iago told him that he can get his rank back through Desdemona and get back on Othello's good side. "Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again (p. 54)." Once Cassio talks to Desdemona, Iago will speak with Othello and get him to think of his wife's trust. In Act three Scene three Iago is speaking to Othello and warns him to look out for Cassio and Desdemona. Othello asks Iago if it was just Cassio that left from speaking with his wife.
All Iago had to do was hint at Desdemona being unfaithful and Othello’s becomes very bothered it and eventually starts believing it. The author of an essay does an analysis on Iago and says “He slowly poisons people’s thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. Iago even says himself that the advice he gives is free and honest and thus, people rarely stop to consider the possibility that Iago is fooling them.“ (Shakespeare’s Othello – Honest Iago). So Iago would hint at something going between Desdemona and Cassio so that Othello would become bothered and ask him what he means by that, it was like a game that Iago was playing, he would drop a little hint and then expect Othello to pick up on it and start questioning it and become more even suspicious. Brabantio tells Othello “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee” (I.ii.286-287), So In this scene Brabantio warns Othello that Desdemona has already fooled him and she might fool him too, so be careful, and it turns out, Othello believed in him after all and that’s part of the reason of why he thinks that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. It leads him to start questioning Desdemona in a very suspicious way. At one point he even hits her in front of a nobleman and that was very shocking to the nobleman because he believed him to be a very calm and collected gentleman but obviously he was a changed man. The nobleman even expresses his shock by saying that “My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, though I should swear I saw’t. ‘Tis very much make her amends; she weeps” (IV .i.217-219). This negative thinking and insecurity was one of the main reasons to Othello’s change in a negative way. A lot of this was Iago’s doing but it was also Othello’s fault to fall for Iago’s
Throughout the drama, Othello let Iago control him as if he was a puppet under his master’s hands. When Iago first brought up the idea that Desdemona and Cassio might be having an affair, Othello did not believe him, he had faith in his wife. After many lies that Iago planted in Othello’s ears, Othello started to believe him and he dropped most of the faith that he had in Desdemona. Iago told Othello that in his sleep, Cassio said “Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our love”. Cursed fate that gave thee the Moor” (III.iii.416-417).
Critical Analysis of Iago's Soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3 of Othello by William Shakespeare
"Othello Summary and Analysis." Othello Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of Act II. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .