Othello Study Questions: 4.3 & 5.

20 February 2015

Act IV, Scene III

1. As Emilia prepares Desdemonas wedding bed, Desdemona talks of her
mothers servant Barbary who was forsaken by a mad lover, 4.2.25. She and
Emilia then talk about whether they would be unfaithful to their husbands or
not, 4.3.60. What is the significance of this conversation?
This conversation signifies the true thoughts that Desdemona is thinking. Emilia
and her come to an agreement that women are sometimes unfaithful to their
husbands, if they deserve it. In a way, she is using this example of bad behavior as
a guide of what not to do, as she is always pure and true to the people she loves
and cares so much about.
Act V, Scene II
2. As he enters Desdemonas chamber in order to kill her, Othello mutters: It is
the cause, it is the cause, my soul. What is he talking about and in what way
might he be rationalizing Desdemonas murder
Repetition is used in this line to put emphasis on the "cause," which is the reason
behind Othello's reason to kill Desdemona. Throughout this scene, it is clear that
Othello seems to feel the need constantly remind himself that the reason behind
what he is doing is Desdemonas unfaithfulness. The way that Othello seems to be
talking about his "soul" in the first line of this line says that he is talking to his
deepest and most inner self, and is trying to convince himself that it is an
acceptable thing to do.
3. Often at the end of a play, Shakespeares tragic heroes have a moment of
insight: According to what he says in lines 340 of this scene, what is Othellos
insight into himself.
Othellos insight into himself is that he finally realizes the power of his temper
and jealousy and the effects it has just had. He tells himself he is in simple words,
no better than a circumcised dog after what he did. He says "[I was the] one who
loved not wisely, but too well," He has done the truly evil thing in killing his wife,
however, by killing himself, he conquers the real villain, himself, (leaving Iago
out for a second) and therefore becomes, in a way, the tragic hero in his own play.