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Honour in Othello
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A full, in-depth A* essay plan exploring the theme of Honour in Shakespeare's "Othello", for the Pearson Edexcel A-Level English Literature.
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By: evmckimm • 6 months ago
By: mischacarr1 • 6 months ago
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HonourIntroduction
- In this century, honour drove society
- Othello’s lack of honour and transition to madness was seen as a form of divine punishment
Cassio and Iago
- “Good name in man and woman…is the jewel of their souls” understanding of this and so knows the best
way to manipulate is to challenge another character’s honour, leads to:
- “Reputation, reputation, reputation” – Iago jealous of not being promoted, Marxist critical perspective in
showing the value of honour and reputation in driving society; when gets drunk, men expected to control
themselves, marker of being civilised and refined, a gentleman
- “I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is beastial” – foreshadows the downfall of
Othello as “circumcised dog”
- “Choleric Cassio” critic i.e. hot-headed, volatile, according to Galen’s four humour, so not a “model of
Renaissance gentility”
Societal expectations of female dishonour shown through Desdemona
- Burton says “wives are slippery, often unfaithful”, and Coryat said they “open their quivers to every arrow”
- Desdemona - first intro to her comes through the words of Iago and Roderigo before we get the chance to
form our own opinion of her (victim of the patriarchy), derogatory and sexual “tupping your white ewe” –
“your” shows women as possession, plus white sheep is Christian symbol for purity, juxtaposed with sexual
implications mocks her innocence
- “She deceived her father and may thee” – male expectation of female deception from Genesis 2
- Can be explored through feminist critical perspective where stereotypes passed down through history by
men (Genesis from Moses)
Desdemona’s honour despite female reputation as dishonourable and unfaithful
- “Nobody – I myself” – last words are only time she lies, some feminists would find this annoying as she
loses her power as the play progresses, yet must establish difference between an honourable and
dishonourable lie, especially as the Greek translation of “I, myself” is used as a repeated motif in Bible to
represent Jesus, links to Desdemona's last words and biblical events e.g. crucifixion where Jesus, like
Desdemona, wrongly accused and killed - Shakespeare included this to defend her innocence as it could be
used in Desdemona's defense to prove her innocence. Elizabethan audience would pick up on this motif
(same way picked up on “I am not what I am” meaning Iago was devil)
- Handkerchief - Handkerchief represents her honesty (Hodgson) symbol of her reputation. Desdemona’s
purity and their unity - in many European countries, strawberries symbolize Virgin Mary (and were often
carved into stone pillars in churches and cathedrals in the middle ages due to their image of purity) - pure,
virginal and loyal. Boose - handkerchief also presents the two’s unity; strawberry horticulturally related to
rose family, represents love, romance, reinforcing view that the handkerchief is significant in representing
Desdemona’s unjust murder by O. Boose describes this as “emblematic proof of the marital blood pledge”
Othello showing valance and honour at the start
- Excellent reputation at the beginning of the play; “valiant” Othello
- Speech; originally presented through Iago, Brabantio and Roderigo as unsophisticated, barbaric, lascivious
by others, but Shakespeare presents him as more educated that the white characters
- Brabantio’s speech is emotional and ambiguous: “I’ll have’t disputed on – ‘tis probable, and palpable to
thinking. I therefore apprehend” and Othello’s response is logical and articulate “how may the Duke be
therewith satisfied” – blank verse and IP presents Othello as more sophisticated than Brabantio, confirms
Othello is worthy of position as General
- Only subtly suggested as the Elizabethan society wouldn’t have supported this view (believed white were
superior to black, and the possibility of a “beastly (Africanus)” Moor being in any way superior to a white
man was abhorrent)
- Personality; Duke says he is “far more fair than black” – respected by white colleagues, controversial in era.
Othello says he’s “rude […] in [his] speech” yet remains humble, despite being articulate and having
intelligent speech (moors often linked to seven deadly sins “proud and high-minded”, “covetous”
(Africanus) and he challenges this stereotype through his lack of pride and greed)
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