2ND

 YEAR  ADVANCED  ENGLISH  

TUTORIAL  FOR  WEEK  STARTING  8TH  DECEMBER  2014  

 

Write  an  essay  based  on  the  passage  below.  You  are  expected  to  ground  your  response  in  the  
given  text.  You  should  identify  the  passage’s  immediate  context  and  relate  it  to  the  following:    

• Characterisation  
• Imagery    
• Theme  

Moreover,  you  should  ensure  that  your  response  ties  this  passage  to  the  play  as  a  whole.  

(Just  for  this  tutorial  you  may  limit  your  response  to  the  part  in  the  play  you  have  covered  in  class)  

RODERIGO
What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be so
fond; but it is not in my virtue to amend it.

IAGO
Virtue! a fig! 'tis in ourselves that we are thus
or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which
our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant
nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up
thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or
distract it with many, either to have it sterile
with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the
power and corrigible authority of this lies in our
wills. If the balance of our lives had not one
scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the
blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us
to most preposterous conclusions: but we have
reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal
stings, our unbitted lusts, whereof I take this that
you call love to be a sect or scion.
  

Guidelines  for  Lecturers.  

This   is   first   tutorial   question   on   Shakespeare’s   Othello   and   the   second   tutorial   in   which   students   are  
being  requested  to  focus  on  the  gobbet  extract  option.   The  fact  that  this  tutorial  will  be  assigned  to  
the  students  in  December  meant  that  the  passage  needed  to  be  selected  from  the  initial  parts  of  the  
play.    Another  consideration  was  that  the  passage  would  not  be  one  of  the  more  popular  selections  
(Iago’s   soliloquys   or   Othello’s   famous   speeches)   such   that   students   would   need   to   come   up   with  
more  original  responses  rather  than  being  able  to    pre-­‐fabricate  existing  notes.        

The   passage   should   serve   as   a   platform   for   the   students   to   engage   with   the   text   and   respond   to   it   in  
a  way  that  moves  beyond  paraphrasing  since  very  little  actually  ‘happens’  on  stage  at  this  point.  It  
should  promote  a  focus  on  CHARACTERISATION  and  IMAGERY  which  would  in  turn  lead  to  THEME  
where  students  can  easily  realise  how  the  enormous  differences  between  the  intellectual  capacities  
of  the  two  speakers  in  the  extract  as  well  as  the  role/s  they  play  in  the  dramatic  work  as  a  whole.    

Primarily,   the   students   should   be   first   urged   to   contextualise   the   passage   by   effectively   noting   its  
importance   within   the   plot.   At   this   stage   they   should   also   develop   a   well-­‐structured   and   coherent  
argument  that  shows  how  this  extract  is  in  fact  pertinent  to  the  play  as  a  whole.  

In   the   ‘body’   part   of   the   essay,   students   should   identify   and   comment   on   relevant   aspects   of  
language  used  by   Iago   and   Roderigo   that   reveal   subtle   hints   not   only   about   their   intentions   but   also  
about   themselves.   Furthermore,   students   should   also   explore   the   highly   figurative   language   with  
which  Iago  manages  to  explain  his  theories  on  ‘virtue’  to  Roderigo.      

In  the  extract,  Roderigo  claims  to  be  impaired  by  his  emotional  fondness  and  that  he  does  not  have  
the  ‘virtue’  to  be  able  to  control  his  despair  at  having  lost  all  hope  of  ever  having  Desdemona.  This  
scene   follows   the   event   at   the   Duke’s   council   chamber   where   Othello   and   Desdemona   have   now  
professed   their   love   towards   each   other   following   their   secretive   elopement.   Roderigo   is   so  
desperate  that  he  pledges  to  drown  himself.  

Along  with  the  various  roles  that  he  will  eventually  take  on,  Iago  now  assumes  the  role  of  a  ‘mentor’  
to  Roderigo,  comforting  him  whilst  consistently  urging  him  to  ‘put  money’  in  his  purse.  It  is  clear  that  
at  this  stage,  Iago  still  needs  a  dupe  like  Roderigo,  not  only  to  have  unlimited  access  to  his  ‘purse’,  
but  to  be  an  instrumental  part  of  the  plot  that  he  is  hatching.  

Iago   character   as   a   Macchiavel   is   starting   to   emerge   as   he   attacks   the   conventional   concept   of  

‘virtue’  and  compares  it  to  a  “fig”.  He  dismisses  the  idea  that  this  was  a  ‘gift’  resident  from  birth  and  
conveniently  substitutes  it  for  ‘will’;  a  trait  that  any  man  can  aspire  to  have  and  make  use  of.  

Speaking   in   plain   prose   to   reveal   his   ‘plainness’   and   his   ‘honesty’,   Iago   initial   part   of   his   speech   to  
Roderigo   is   an   extended   metaphor   where   the   body   is   compared   to   a   garden   which   allows   its  
guardian   to   reap   what   he   sows   in   it.   Reference   should   be   made   to     words   like   “gardens”,   ”   plant  
nettles”,   “sow   lettuce”,   “set   hyssop”   “weed   thyme”,   “herbs”   and   “manure”.   This   highly   figurative  
prose  form,  though  limited  in  qualities  of  public  rhetoric,  may  be  considered  as  another  intellectual  
quality  in  Iago  since  he  manages  to  persuade  others  through  his  vivid  comparisons.  Students  could  
perhaps   make   reference   to   previous   instances   where   Iago   makes   use   of   imagery   (Bestial   animal  
imagery).  

 Iago   also   distinguishes   between   reason   and   emotion   and   asserts   that   reason   must   reign   over  
passion   (“sensuality”,   “the   blood   and   baseness   of   our   natures”,   “our   raging   motions”,   “our   carnal  
stings”,  “our  unbitten  lusts”)  and  emotion.  In  his  speech,  Iago  succeeds  in  rendering  a  very  complex  
philosophical   ideology   palatable   and   understandable   to   Roderigo   who   is   clearly   no   intellectual    
match  to  Iago.  

Students   should   link   the   thematic   significance   of   this   speech   to   the   way   the   play   will   eventually  
unfold.   They   should   note   how   Iago   will   take   advantage   of   his   own   virtue;   his   will,   and   eventually   use  
and   abuse   others   for   his   own   advantage   and   ‘sport’.   Students   might   also   be   guided   into  
understanding  that  dangers  of  the  ideologies  that  Iago  has  put  forward.  It  is  clear  that  Iago  will  prove  
his  abilities  to  all  by  overcoming  the  ‘better  qualities  of  others,  particularly  that  of  the  noble  Moor  
Othello.     This   extract   clearly   highlights   Iago’s   obsession   with   himself   and   his   absolute   lack   of   respect  
towards  others.