English Literature AS and A2 : Othello - Act 5 scene 2. Lines 1-233

“Good gentleman, let me have leave to speak./ 'Tis proper I obey him - but not now!" Emilia [5.2.192-193]

Questions: Act 5 scene 2 lines 1-233

1. Othello believes he should kill Desdemona, out of a sense of just for himself and other men. 'Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light:' Othello believes she is a whore and must suffer the consequences for her actions.

2. In this scene Shakespeare adhered to racial stereotypes are shown by Emilia when she discovered that Othello has killed Desdemona: 'O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!'. This quotation shows that Shakespeare is adhering to racial stereotypes as in Elizabethan society black people were represented as the devil. Shakespeare also explores black slavery in Africa, which was accepted and was very popular in the Elizabethan society: 'O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils', Othello wants to be punished by the devils and be whipped like he used to be when he was a slave.

3. Othello tells Desdemona that Cassio has confessed to sleeping with her. Othello believed this to be true because of the evidence Iago provided of Othello’s handkerchief that he gave Desdemona, which Cassio now has:

Othello

saw the handkerchief.

Desdemona

He found it then;

I never gave it him. Send for him hither;

Let him confess a truth.

OTH.

He hath confess’d.

4.Emilia says "Good gentleman, let me have leave to speak./ 'Tis proper I obey him - but not now!" [5.2.192-193] This shows that Emilia in an inhabitant of a patriarchal society where woman are expected to be mild, timorous, tractable and benign. However, Emilia overcomes the confines of patriarchy to defend her mistress amongst the devastating circumstances where she has found Desdemona murdered by her husband. Emilia becomes active, dominant, and strong in this situation, which goes against all of the ideological expectations of women in Elizabethan society. This question is also linked to question 5 and I believe it has been answered in terms of her language and behaviour. shown above.

6. In this act Emilia calls Othello a wide range of abusive terms when she discovers that Othello has killed Desdemona, her mistress and arguable her friend. This contrasts to how Othello is presented at the beginning of the play as Othello was presented as noble and described as 'Valiant Moor'. Emilia now due to the circumstances calls Othello: 'O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!', Emilia is racially abusing Othello as black people were associated with the Devil. Emilia then calls Othello 'As ignorant as dirt!' this is also a racial comment as black people were considered to be unintelligent and weak. The fact that Othello falls down proves this has he can not mentally understand the situation. Emilia also describes Othello as ''O thou dull Moor''. Iago kills his wife and in her last words sings:

Willow, willow, willow.

Moor, she was chaste; she lov’d thee, cruel Moor;

So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;

So speaking as I think, alas, I die.

Emilia dies remembering how cruel the Moor was, which evokes pity for Emilia and leaving the audience fearful of Othello. This is called Pathos an important element of Classical Tragedy that Aristotle stated in his book called the Poetics.

English Literature AS and A2

Friday 1 July 2016

Othello - Act 5 scene 2. Lines 1-233

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