Kenny Vinh
Animal Imagery
Back in Shakespeare’s day, animal imagery was rated r content. People were horrified to hear their sons and daughters to be called buffalos and moths. These were things that were jaw-dropping to people back then. In Othello, Shakespeare shows that the character of Iago is vile, deceitful, two faced, and yet persistent in order to achieve what he desires through the animal imagery of Othello and Cassio.
In Othello, Iago is using animal imagery to show how gruesome of a being Othello is. In the first act, when Iago is talking to Brabantio about Othello being with Desdemona, he uses gruesome descriptions of Othello(the audience doesn’t know what kind of character he is yet) to show that he is undeserving of Desdemona.
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Iago’s plan is in motion and has already gotten Cassio kicked out of the lieutenant position. Now to get Othello to never trust Cassio again, Iago is tricking Othello into thinking that Cassio and Desdemona have an affair. When Othello can’t believe what Othello is telling him, Iago says, “It is impossible you should see this, were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,” (3.3.459-460). He is comparing Othello’s wife and Cassio to monkeys having sex. Picturing his wife having sex with another man enrages Othello. Iago used this animal imagery to more graphically depict what “happened” between Cassio and Desdemona. Also, Iago used animal imagery in regards to Cassio when he was describing his ingenious plan. When he sees Cassio take Desdemona’s hand and walk away, he comes up with this plan to use Cassio’s love for Desdemona to trap Cassio. “With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” (II.i. 183-184). He uses “spider” imagery by considering his plan as the web and the fly being Cassio. This animal imagery depicts that Cassio is being used as a toy in the great scheme of things. Shakespeare is trying to show us that Iago is two-faced. He is “honest” with Othello, telling him what he truly saw happened with Cassio and Desdemona. But is evil and vicious, when he devises his plan to rid of Cassio of his …show more content…
When Iago and Roderigo break the news to Brabantio that his daughter eloped with Othello, they say, “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have coursers for cousins and jennets for germans,” (I.i.124-127). They are giving Brabantio a look into the future about what will happen if you let this relationship between Othello and Desdemona continue. Comparing Othello to a horse, and his cousins and grandchildren to other vile animals shows enrages Brabantio. Also, going back to the fact that Iago had said, “An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (I.i.97-98). This also is meant towards Brabantio in a manner that his daughter is having sex with a black man. In Europe, at this time, love didn’t matter; it mattered that you married a white man. Also, having your daughter go out and elope to a black man is far worse. Depicting it in a gruesome way, telling Brabantio that his daughter(a graceful sheep) has eloped with a big old ram is graphic. Shakespeare is showing that Iago would go through great lengths to break relationships in order for his plan to succeed, and get revenge on Othello and
In the first scene, he expresses his anger toward Othello for not choosing him to the position of lieutenant and instead choosing the much younger and unexperienced Cassio. Jealous and resentful Iago wants everyone else to feel how he does so he plans to manipulate the other characters. He manipulates Othello by using his own fears against him and he also takes advantage of his insecurities. Iago makes groundless accusations toward Othello, for example by saying “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii.369–370). Claiming that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. Later on in the play Iago mentions that he wants to go after Desdemona because Othello went after his wife, he wants to get even he expresses this by saying “wife for wife”
Iago is angry because Othello chose Cassio to hold a position which he thinks he deserves, so he seeks revenge by playing upon Othello’s main flaw—his lack of trust—and putting Cassio in a position that would turn Othello against him. In the beginning of the play, as Cassio and Desdemona wait for Othello’s ship to land, he pulls her to the side to talk about Othello’s arrival. He innocently takes her hand as he speaks to her and Iago takes notice. Iago then says, “With as little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” (2.1.166-167). Iago introduces his plan of revenge to us, the audience. He uses the word “web” because a web is a great representation of how his plan starts and develops. A web starts out as a single line of string and is then manipulated and entangled to form a more complex structure that cannot be undone without being destroyed. Iago does this same thing when he takes this guiltless gesture and twists a...
With Roderigo, someone he commands control over, Iago employs pathos, allowing his plan to appeal to Roderigo’s sensitive emotions about Othello. Roderigo and Iago discuss about how each of them despise Othello when Iago says, “If ever I did dream of such a matter, / Abhor me” using pathos to confirm his hatred towards the General (1.2. 5-6). The play commences with Iago employing direct rhetoric and partnering up with Roderigo to enhance a sense of comradery. Harsh language such as “Abhor me”, exemplifies the hateful emotions Iago feels toward Othello as well as enhances the emotions Iago wants to appeal to in Roderigo (1.2. 6). Affecting Roderigo more influentially, Iago uses deeper, more personal pathos, by highlighting the seemingly good qualities in Roderigo. Iago contrasts Roderigo to Othello pointing out, “Let not they discreet heart think it…manners and beauties: all which the/ Moor is defective in” (2.1. 215, 219-220). Firstly, Iago weighs Roderigo’s positive qualities against Othello’s negatives ones, convincing Roderigo to feel more confident with Iago and following along with his scheme. Secondly, Iago alters this rhetoric to include Roderigo’s love interest, Desdemona. By exemplifying a more personal and sensitive side when talking about “manners and beauties”, Iago can create a bigger impact in
As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)
An important reason that makes Iago is such a fascinating character is the fact that there is little known about him. Unlike the other characters in this play, Iago cannot be given any clear description about who he is as a person. Desdemona is the typical pure virgin type, Roderigo is a rich fool in love, and Cassio is a handsome Venetian army Lieutenant. For Iago there is no other apparent about his character other than his snake like personality. The information about him is that he is a general to Othello, and is married to Desdemona’s hand maiden, Emilia. This is all that is known about Iago, the reader is given no background. The main mystery about Iago is why he executes his devious plan. Through the whole play, the reader is looking for reasons or hints as to why Iago has become so evil. By the end of the play there is no clear reason for him going after Othello. When describing why he plans to ruin Othello he gives two reasons; rumors about his wife having an affair with Othello, and a hint about affections for Desdemona. Both of these reasons are said in a vague off-handed type manner, giving the reader no true motive for Iago. Even in the very end of the play, after he’s been caught Iago refuses to give a...
References to black and white carry the most weight and contribute much to the actions of the characters; those colors often are used as a comment on race, on good and evil, on sexuality, or a combination of the three. The play does not proceed far into the first scene without a racial statement, where Iago informs Brabantio that Othello and Desdemona have run away together: “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ Is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.85-86). Iago refers to Othello as a “black ram” and to Desdemona as a “white ewe,” pointing out the differences in skin color (since Othello is a Moor). A ram, since it has horns, can also be symbolic of the devil; therefore, Iago makes Othello devil-like and racially different at the same time. Additionally, the color black is often seen as evil or bad, whereas white is seen as good and pure. Since the black ram is “tupping,” or mounting, the white ewe, Iago is making a reference to the sexual act of Othello, black, taking Desdemona's virginity, white and pure. Planting an image like this in Brabantio's mind causes him to react negatively towards the marriage, and because Othello is darker-skinned, it makes the situation worse....
Othello was a noble gentleman and was known for his greatness. He never compared people to animals or used animals in his everyday language. This changed once Iago began to manipulate and lie to him. As Othello’s character changed from good to evil, he started to use animal imagery. After Iago planted more lies about Desdemona and her relationships with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, Othello said to himself, “O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites! I had rather be a toad and live upon the vapour of the dungeon than keep a corner in the thing I love for others’ uses” (III, iii, 270-5). In this quote Othello is talking very negatively about his wife Desdemona. He says to himself that he would rather be a toad, than stay in a relationship with Desdemona. This show’s how his love for Desdemona slowly
Iago understood human characteristics, which allowed him to get to the root of people's problems. In Othello he saw innocence, and love; in Desdemona he saw purity and kindness; and in Cassio he saw a perfectionist. Iago lacked all of these features and so in order to end the happiness of all the characters, he decided to hit them where it hurt the most. In doing so he used Desdemona as a tool, because she was the object of everyone's desire. Iago is a spider-like creature who in order to quench his hunger, entangles all of these characters into his skillfully crafted web that slowly and unknowingly drives them to their doom.
Iago is straight away introduced as a dubious character. Having his fingers in Roderigo's purse show his interest in money. The language that he uses is vulgar and rude and he has no shame in his deceitful actions. In order to get what he wants, Iago will do anything. This includes insulting Desdemona, an innocent young woman who does not intend to harm anyone. Her sorrow at her divided loyalties shows this. Like her husband, Desdemona deals with situations carefully. Othello is the opposite of Iago in that he does not pride himself on killing people. It may be his strong point, but he feels that it should not be bragged about, especially in noble company.
Caius Martius Coriolanus, the protagonist in Shakespeare's play that bears his name, undergoes a circular transformation. He changes from the hero of Rome to an outcast and then back to a hero. As he undergoes this transformation he is likened to a dog, a sheep, a wolf, and an osprey. The invocation of animals to describe Coriolanus is ?perhaps based in the very animal like nature of Coriolanus himself?(Barton 68). His actions like those of an animal are not based on rational thought, instead they are based on instinct. Like an animal he is lacking in speech and can only perform the role that he has been given.
to Desdemona. Shakespeare was trying to illustrate in his writing the act of an old black man making love to a young white woman, a young woman. The use of a black ram and a white ewe to compare Othello and Desdemona helped in. the visualization of their affair. Shakespeare displayed animal imagery again in Act Two when Cassio was explaining to Iago that he had as many mouths as Hydra, a many headed monster slain by.
In act one of Othello, shakespeare introduces the theme of appearance versus reality through the methods by which the villainous Iago manipulates his victims to achieve his revenge. Iago is a two-faced villain who doesn’t show his true intentions to Othello and Roderigo. He uses and Manipulates Othello and Roderigo for their money and to achieve his revenge. When Iago is left alone Iago shows he is not what others see with the quote in an aside “I am not what I am” (I.ii.67) Iago knows deep down that he is not a good person, and the he is a different person that what he leads others to believe. During the beginning of act one, while Brabantio and Iago are in the middle of a conversation, Iago,when Iago is asked asked “What profane wretch art
Both characters can be viewed like this throughout Act 1. We immediately see Iago as representative of the very basest elements of humanity. He uses crude language. He swears: "S'blood"; "Zounds"; and uses crude sexual and animal images to taunt Brabantio: "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" By using the agricultural term for breeding or mating two beasts, Iago reduces the act of love to a basic action. Othello, in contrast, uses gentle and tender terms to describe his affection, and never mentions it as simply a physical act.
The audience at this point know nothing of Othello that is gained by their own opinion, instead we are lead to believe from Iago’s race related description that Othello is a threatening and evil moor, whose beastial sexual appetite, conveyed by Iago’s cries to Brabantio, telling him that ‘an old black ram is tupping’ his ‘white ewe’ (1.1.89), is something of a rapist. Iago’s coarse animal related language conveys Iago’s feelings against Othello’s marriage in a much more pronounced way. The image of an ‘old black ram’ gives the audience nothing but negative images of Othello, especially when this ‘old black ram’ is being associated with the innocence of a ‘white ewe’. Iago then associates Othello with the image of ‘the devil’ (1.1.92) because of Othello’s colour, Iago warns Brabantio that he has ‘lost half [his] soul’ now that Desdemona is married to Othello. Iago here emphasises the biracial nature of the marriage, already showing his ability to manipulate people, in this case he is manipulating Brabantio, to believe in Iago’s own opinions and in theory to eliminate all thoughts that Brabantio might of had of his own about the marriage.
In essence, Othello follows the Aristotelian model of tragedy. Shakespeare’s text documents Othello’s downfall from a position of nobility and self-assuredness to a man ruined by jealousy. Othello’s downfall is made apparent by his degenerating language as the play progresses. His early eloquence, most notably displayed in his speech to the Venetian court declaring his love for Desdemona, is lost and taken over by bestial imagery once attributed to Iago. Iago describes Desdemona and Cassio “as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys” and his earlier plan to “pour this pestilence into [Othello’s] hear” is achieved when Othello mimics him, eventually exclaiming “Goats and monkeys!” Dramatic irony also intensifies the demise of Othello and Desdemona. Responders are aware of the consequences when Desdemona innocently describes Cassio as her “suitor” as they are privy to Othello’s doubts of her infidelity and the effect of the euphemism. Similarly Ia...