Othello Act 4 s iii

• Engels
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

Lesson objectives 

The women come to the fore

• The moral differences between men and women are explored in this scene
  
• In this play women are either praised in hyperbolic terms as “divine” or are insulted as lustful, disloyal “cunning whores”
  
• Now two of the women are able to illustrate their views on the differences between the sexes without men filtering or twisting what they say
  

Foreshadowing

What ideas and connotations are shown here? 

Foreshadowing

Connotations 

Foreshadowing

Desdemona’s recollection is clear foreshadowing of what will come, but also serves as a marker of what has already happened

The song mirrors Othello and Desdemona’s relationship

The recollection adds further pathos to her character, and anxiety for us over her fate

Desdemona defends her husband 

Emilia wishes that Desdemona had never met Othello but Desdemona leaps to her husband’s defence:

"My love doth so approve him that even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns – Prithee unpin me — have grace and favour in them."

Why does she defend him? Why, do you think that abused wives often defend their husbands?

Lesson objectives 

Abused Desdemona 

Emilia's views on marriage and the topic of infidelity 

Act 5 s ii 

Amnesty International write for rights 

Read this article on domestic abuse

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/myths/

While this is a modern article, the points are timeless.

What parallels can you see with Othello’s behaviour? The domestic violence campaigner Leslie Morgan Steiner stated that “abuse thrives only in silence”. Is that the case in Othello?

Answer this question in your exercise book: 

How might our modern perspective on domestic violence change how we view Desdemona?

Why does Desdemona defend Othello? 

• For two reasons: 
• the fact that she chose Othello and her social status.
  
• As he was Desdemona’s choice, it would be deeply embarrassing to admit that she got it wrong and made an error of judgement, especially about a man whom everyone said was unsuitable
  
• Although we want her to be more modern and take control of her life, we must respect her for fulfilling her responsibility as a wife.
  
• In addition, especially for a Jacobean audience, Desdemona’s devotion adds to her purity and innocence hence compounding the tragedy that is to come. 
  

What really happened in Emilia's marriage according to Emilia? 

”

Annotate your copy of the speech, looking for the following:

Emilia’s views on

marriage

trust

love

sex

How Emilia frames men and women

Any other language features of interest

What really happened in Emilia's marriage according to Emilia? 

”

“It is their husbands’ fault if wives do fall”

​

Discuss: 

Is Emilia right?

Is she simply jaded and disappointed in marriage?

Or is there some truth in what she says?

Desdemona’s idealism vs Emilia’s realism

The topic of infidelity is further explored in this exchange. 

We see Desdemona and Emilia discussing whether or not infidelity is ever warranted.  Desdemona is shown, defending Othello staunchly, thereby aligning herself with fidelity.

By juxtaposing Desdemona's fidelity, virtue and purity to Emilia’s worldliness and bitterness toward marriage, Shakespeare highlights these differences in attitude. 

Desdemona’s innocence and blind love is showcased in this scene  and the dramatic irony is heightened because we know what Othello is planning. 

We are here now

The construction of a five act tragedy 

ACT ONE: setting the scene, laying out the problem

ACT TWO: plot develops, but the tragedy is not yet fixed

ACT THREE: something happens that seals the tragedy; no going back now

ACT FOUR: things unravel, and do so faster and faster

ACT FIVE: a catastrophe happens (usually deaths) and the problem at the start is resolved. Normality resumes.