Iago uses hypotheticals in order to "help" Othello visualize Desdemona and Cassio sleeping together.
Iago "shows" that Cassio has been having an affair with Desdemona by telling Othello that he overheard Cassio lusting over Desdemona in his sleep, saying that if Othello were to question Cassio about the validity of Iago's claims Cassio would deny it. Which helps Iago make it seem as if Cassio is actually guilty of having an affair with Desdemona.
In Act 4 scene 1 Iago uses Cassio's argument with Bianca to manipulate Othello into thinking that Cassio is sleeping with Desdemona by using the fact that whenever Cassio hears Bianca's name he bursts out laughing. Which Iago uses to his advantage by making it seem like Cassio is laughing at the fact that "Desdemona" has serious feelings for him, when he is in fact laughing at the fact that Bianca has serious feelings for him.
Iago uses Bianca's argument with Cassio to manipulate Othello by making it seem like Cassio doesn't even love Desdemona, the way that Desdemona "loves" Cassio, enough to keep her "gift" to him and instead just gives it away to some prostitute.
Iago recommends that Othello strangle Desdemona because killing someone in that way is much more personal than killing them with poison, ensuring that once Othello realizes what's he's done he will be tormented by the fact even more than if he had poison.
The "serpent's curse" is what was placed on the serpent after he convinced Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge, leaving the serpent without any legs forced to crawl the earth forever.
The context that Emilia unknowingly places the curse on her husband is when Othello confronts her about Desdemona cheating on him with Cassio, prompting Emilia to respond with the serpent's curse.
The context that Emilia unknowingly places the curse on her husband is when Othello confronts her about Desdemona cheating on him with Cassio, prompting Emilia to respond with the serpent's curse.
"If any wretch have put this in your head,
Let heaven requite it with a serpent's curse!"
Iago's two reversals of luck in Act 4 are:
- When Emilia reveals that she knows that somebody is telling lies to Othello about Desdemona.
- When Roderigo comes up behind Iago and threatens to tell Othello about the plan because it hasn't born any fruit.
The strongest example of foreshadowing in Act 4 is when Desdemona recalls the story of her mother's maid Barbara and how she died singing a song of "willow" and tonight Desdemona says that the song is stuck in her head.
According to Emilia the reason that it's "husband’s faults if wives do fall?" is because the husband sets an example and if he runs around sleeping with everyone it will send the message to their wives that it's also okay for the wife to sleep with anyone that they please.
hell and devil references in act 4 |
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