Paper 3 – Othello (Drama Text) Sample Response

William Shakespeare’s intricate tragedy ‘Othello’, a play that follows the journey of a black
Venetian general, as he tackles friendship, romance and betrayal while simultaneously facing
prejudice and racism. This play was set in 16th century Venice, during their ongoing war with
the Ottoman Empire. It addresses the themes of manipulation, jealousy, manhood and honor
with underlying ideas of misogyny and racism. This particular extract from Act 5, Scene 2, set in
Desdemona’s bedchamber in the castle in Cyprus, describes one of Desdemona’s final
moments with Othello. Shakespeare has used figurative language, repetition and diction to
make this a poignant moment in the play.
The use of figurative language by Shakespeare is vital in making this extract extremely
impactful and upsetting. To begin with, the metaphor “when I have pluck’d…again” compares
Desdemona’s life to a rose. The action of plucking it serves as a parallel to Othello killing her.
He says when he has “pluck’d” the rose from the tree, meaning once he has killed Desdemona,
nothing will be able to bring her back. And like a plucked rose, she will be forced to wither and
die. It signifies the permanent nature of death and how it can not be undone. It demonstrates
how much Othello must think before he commits such a grave action. Furthermore, the
comparison of Desdemona to a rose implies that Othello has mixed feelings about her. He still
loves her despite wanting to kill her. It conveys his emotional turmoil, making the scene
incredibly poignant. The metaphor “Nor scar that skin…snow” compares the fairness of
Desdemona to the colour of snow, emphasizing on her beauty. Othello’s admiration for her
alluring looks highlights the severe emotional strain and confusion he must be going through.
Desdemona is described as pure and flawless, like fresh snow; which is ironic as Othello
believed she slept with other men. This is further emphasized by the simile “and smooth…
alabaster”. Desdemona’s skin is being compared to flawless, unblemished rocks used to build
monuments. It only enhances the description of her beauty and Othello’s desperation to find a
reason not to kill her. A reason that overshadows her alleged cheating. The reader is provoked
to contemplate over the nature of death and how it is irreversible. They realize the gravity of the
decision to kill someone and slowly begin to understand Othello’s irrational reasoning behind
committing murder. The readers are also compelled to reflect on perils of suspicion and wonder
how monstrous the ‘green-eyed monster’ can become. In this way, the use of figurative
language brings out Othello’s intense emotions, making it an upsetting moment in the play.
Shakespeare employs significant use of repetition to make this moment in the play tragic. The
repetition of the phrase “It is the cause” by Othello, refers to Desdemona’s act of apparent
infidelity as his reason for wanting to kill her. This repetition spotlights the fact that deep in his
heart, Othello does not really want to kill her. This phrase is used as a reminder suggesting that
he is trying to convince himself that he must kill her, despite his warring emotions. It is a means
of justifying Othello’s desire to take the life of his own wife. The repetition of “put out the light” is
a metaphor comparing light to Desdemona’s life. Putting out the light essentially means killing
Desdemona. “Light” is a symbol of love and purity and by extinguishing it, Othello is ridding the
world of an innocent soul. “Light” also serves as a symbol of logic and clear judgment. Othello
dousing the light denotes his lack of proper judgment and reasoning before deciding to kill
Desdemona. The repetition also expresses the inevitablity of murder as Othello claims he will
not be able to “relight” the candle, insinuating that he cannot bring Desdemona back once she is
dead. The phrase “One more” is repeated throughout the extract, referring to Othello wanting
another kiss from Desdemona, despite wanting to end her life. It demonstrates how a mere kiss
from her is almost enough for Othello to change his mind. He is tempted for more, like an
addiction. He is attempting to persuade himself that “one more” kiss will be enough to satisfy
him before he kills her. The repetition of significant phrases heightens the dramatic tension in
this moment. The reader is left anticipating what choice Othello will finally make, emphasizing
on the weight of his decision. Simultaneously, feeling sorrow for the emotional strain he is going
through. This moment evokes pathos in the audience. The abundant use of repetition highlights
Othello’s hysterical and disoriented state of mind, making this moment in the play disturbing.
The strategic use of diction employed by Shakespeare aids to make this moment in the play
painful. The use of the word “Justice” and “Sword” in the line “Almost persuades…sword”
highlights the hypnotizing effect of Desdemona and her beauty. It shows how her mere breath is
so powerful that it could persuade justice itself to break her “sword” meaning it could bring even
justice on her side. Her beauty is so mesmerizing that justice would go against its purpose and
not persecute the guilty, conveying that Othello may be on the verge of forgiving Desdemona’s
alleged infidelity if she demanded so. It also illustrates how Othello has taken on the role of
judge, jury and executioner. The use of the phrase “Bloody passion” by Desdemona to describe
Othello’s rage, highlights the extent to which his anger has reached. Othello’s anger is now
uncontrollable, overriding all forms of logic. It represents his thirst for blood, and how
Desdemona’s alleged actions have transformed him into a borderline lunatic, while also
conveying Desdemona’s fear when subject to such unrelenting rage. Othello’s use of the word
“Handkerchief” is a reference to the strawberry embroidered cloth he offered to Desdemona as
a declaration of his love for her. The handkerchief used to be a symbol of unconditional love, but
after Desdemona “gave” to Cassio, it turned into a symbol of betrayal and impurity. Othello uses
the handkerchief to justify his need to kill her, using it as a method to convey how hurt and let
down he feels. The reader feels sympathy for Othello even though he is in the wrong. The
audience begins to see more and more of Othello’s point of view and think deeply about his
reasoning as to why he feels hurt. In this manner, diction is used to bring this out as a touching
moment in the play.
Shakespeare has employed well-chosen devices to highlight the bitter moments in certain parts
of this extract. It cultivates an atmosphere of suspicion and agitation. The reader feels sorrow at
the prospect of Desdemona’s fate, while anticipating how Othello’s story will end. Othello’s
delusional and volatile nature instils fear in the reader, and enhances the distress in this
moment of the play. It serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive power of jealousy and its
tragic
consequences. It underscores the force of jealousy and highlights the theme of the fragility of
trust and suspicion. William Shakespeare has used these devices to highlight this saddening
moment in the play.