Act IV Questions
Iago's Manipulation of Othello Using A Hypothetical Situation Iago Shows Othello Cassio's Guilt Iago Manipulates Othello With Bianca and Cassio's Argument Iago's Recommendation For Killing Desdemona The Serpent's Curse Iago's Reversal of Fortune
The Strongest Example of Foreshadowing Husband's Faults Act IV Devil/Hell Reference |
Iago is talking about how if you lay naked next to someone in bed, their is technically no action and nothing to be punished for. This argument is almost irrelevant, but it puts a picture of Cassio and Desdemona laying together naked in his head. Iago has manipulated Othello into seeing horrible pictures by creating a possible situation.
Iago talks to Cassio while Othello hides in the background. During this conversation, Iago gets Cassio to bring up his sexual ventures with Bianca, but Othello believes he is talking about Desdemona.
Bianca starts arguing with Cassio because she found Desdemona's handkerchief in his room. This makes it appear that Cassio had been sleeping with another woman, and in Othello's eyes, that woman is Desdemona. The handkerchief was placed in Cassio's room not by Desdemona, but Iago himself.
Iago wants Othello to strangle Desdemona so that Othello will have to torture Desdemona along with himself. By being strangled, the death process is much slower and painful for Desdemona. For Othello, he has to watch his wife die a slow and painful death caused by him, which is torture enough.
The Serpent's Curse is the curse that God commands upon the serpent (the Devil) for deceiving the innocent Eve in the Genesis. Emelia believes that whoever came up with these vicious lies are just like the Devil, who is suspected to be Iago. Emilia just placed a doomed curse unknowingly on her own husband, which happens to be Iago.
1. Emilia is starting to catch on to Iago's games and this begins his downward spiral.
2. Roderigo threatens to spill all of Iago's secrets if he does not get Desdemona like he had given all this gold to Iago for. The strongest showing of foreshadowing is when Desdemona is being bathed by Emelia and is ironically singing The Willow Song. This is the song her mother sang when she was killed by her husband, and Desdemona can't get it out of her head.
Emelia believes it is the husband's fault because the wives are supposed to be obedient and idle, even if the woman is right.
"Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm! It is hypocrisy against the devil"
"The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven." "Is't possible?--Confess--handkerchief!--O devil!--" "Let the devil and his dam haunt you!" "[Striking her] Devil!" "O devil, devil!" "Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves should fear to seize thee" "O, 'tis the spite of hell, the fiend's arch-mock," "Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell." "That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, And keep the gate of hell!" "A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!" |