English Notes Latest Questions

In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Iago is enraged when Othello selects Cassio as his lieutenant instead of him. He decides to plot for their demise and utter ruin. He manages to beguile Othello into believing that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Othello punishes Cassio by dishonouring him and ends up murdering Desdemona.Read more

    Iago is enraged when Othello selects Cassio as his lieutenant instead of him. He decides to plot for their demise and utter ruin. He manages to beguile Othello into believing that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona.

    Othello punishes Cassio by dishonouring him and ends up murdering Desdemona. Iago even uses Rodrigo and Emilia as pawn in his scheme of subterfuge and conspiracy.

    In the end, he finds his own ruin when Emilia exposes his plot and he gets apprehended for his crimes.

    See less
    • 2
In:
  1. Poonam Sharma literarian

    There are mainly three themes which I find in the poem. 1. Celebration of Youth - The poet describes the benefit of being young. According to him, a young person can do anything. He is courageous, lavish, pleasure-seeking, passionate, brave and adventurous unlike the old man who is weak, lame, joyleRead more

    There are mainly three themes which I find in the poem.

    1. Celebration of Youth – The poet describes the benefit of being young. According to him, a young person can do anything. He is courageous, lavish, pleasure-seeking, passionate, brave and adventurous unlike the old man who is weak, lame, joyless, cautious and prefers rest.

    2. Generation Gap – The second important theme in the poem is that of differences that arise between the parents and their children. Both have different perspectives of seeing the thing. However the old try to force the young to live their life as per the wishes of the former which creates sharp differences between the two.

    3. Love is Young – In a patriarchal society, a male is always dominant. Whether he may be old or young, full of love or loveless, smart or ugly, he has the authority to choose a girl for himself while the latter doesn’t have any such rights. In the poem, the poet depicts that a girls desires young lover because only a young person can fall in love. Thus the poem can also be a critique of patriarchal society.

    See less
    • 4
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Handkerchief in Othello is the most significant object of interest. It belonged to Othello’s mother and he gifts it to Desdemona as an proof of his love and devotion. Iago knows that and asks his wife Emilia to steal it and then plants it on Cassio. Thus, the white handkerchief becomes the proof ofRead more

    Handkerchief in Othello is the most significant object of interest. It belonged to Othello’s mother and he gifts it to Desdemona as an proof of his love and devotion.

    Iago knows that and asks his wife Emilia to steal it and then plants it on Cassio. Thus, the white handkerchief becomes the proof of Desdemona’s chastity and fidelity.

    When Othello learns that she had lost it and believes that she gave it to Cassio who handed it to a prostitute he visited, it breaks Othello’s resolve and trust. It becomes the evidence of Desdemona’s ultimate betrayal.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The handkerchief is an object of immense emotional value to Othello as it is one of the last vestige of his mother. He presents it to Desdemona to show his love and devotion to her. The white colour and red embroidery on it, represent the chastity of a virgin blood. Therefore as long as she kept itRead more

    The handkerchief is an object of immense emotional value to Othello as it is one of the last vestige of his mother. He presents it to Desdemona to show his love and devotion to her.

    The white colour and red embroidery on it, represent the chastity of a virgin blood. Therefore as long as she kept it with her, symbolically she remained loyal and chaste, at least in the eyes of Othello.

    When Emilia steals it on Iago’s behest and then Iago gives it to a prostitute to claim it as a gift from Cassio, it signifies the ultimate betrayal and humiliation for Othello. This leads his anger and jealousy overboard and he ends up smothering his wife to death.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    In Othello, black and white are represented by Othello and Desdemona. While Desdemona is pearl white and represents purity, innocence, beauty and virginity, Othello is considered uncultured, primitive, fear, anger and inferiority. These motifs are used profusely by Iago and other character like BrabRead more

    In Othello, black and white are represented by Othello and Desdemona. While Desdemona is pearl white and represents purity, innocence, beauty and virginity, Othello is considered uncultured, primitive, fear, anger and inferiority.

    These motifs are used profusely by Iago and other character like Brabantio, Rodrigo etc. In other instance and quite unconventionally, Shakespeare represents evil Iago with white ethnicity and virtuous Othello with black skin and Moorish ethnicity.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Animal imagery is used by Iago to derogate Othello as bestial when considering him as a mate for Desdemona. He uses it also to crudely describe the false affair between Cassio and Desdemona. Under Iago’s tutelage Rodrigo also uses such imagery describing Iago himself as inhuman dog. Even heartbrokenRead more

    Animal imagery is used by Iago to derogate Othello as bestial when considering him as a mate for Desdemona. He uses it also to crudely describe the false affair between Cassio and Desdemona.

    Under Iago’s tutelage Rodrigo also uses such imagery describing Iago himself as inhuman dog. Even heartbroken Othello uses it describe tears of women as crocodile tears, a sign of his distrust in Desdemona’s truthfulness.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Iago and Othello have risen through the ranks of Venetian army together. They are like brothers. Therefore when Othello picks Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, Iago considers it as a stab in the back. He is jealous of Othello’s success and Cassio’s progress. He believes all the glory should belong tRead more

    Iago and Othello have risen through the ranks of Venetian army together. They are like brothers. Therefore when Othello picks Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, Iago considers it as a stab in the back.

    He is jealous of Othello’s success and Cassio’s progress. He believes all the glory should belong to him and seeks out to avenge for this betrayal and mistreatment.

    In his mind, he is seeking to even the scales of justice and reclaim what should have been his in the first place. However, in reality, he is fuelled by fire of jealous rage and envy.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Dramatic irony in Othello is delivered by Iago and through his soliloquies to the audiences. Iago plans to destroy Othello’s life while making him doubt his wife’s fidelity. No other character in the play learns about his plot as they are manipulated by Iago in doing what he wants them to do. This kRead more

    Dramatic irony in Othello is delivered by Iago and through his soliloquies to the audiences. Iago plans to destroy Othello’s life while making him doubt his wife’s fidelity.

    No other character in the play learns about his plot as they are manipulated by Iago in doing what he wants them to do. This keeps the audiences motivated to discover whether the truth is exposed by any character before its completion.

    In the end, its too late and Othello ends up killing Desdemona and committing suicide afterward.

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    In Othello, exposition of the central conflict is provided by the opening conversation between Iago and Rodrigo. The plot to destroy Othello and break his relationship with Desdemona is set and the audiences know about the central characters of the story. They learn about Othello and his beloved DesRead more

    In Othello, exposition of the central conflict is provided by the opening conversation between Iago and Rodrigo. The plot to destroy Othello and break his relationship with Desdemona is set and the audiences know about the central characters of the story.

    They learn about Othello and his beloved Desdemona, her father and influential senator Brabantio, Iago (main antagonist). Rodrigo (Desdemona’s suitor) and Cassio (Iago’s adversary for Othello’s friendship).

    See less
    • 1
In:
  1. Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Othello’s confession of his guilt and knowledge of his vulnerability to jealousy and hearsay provides the cathartic moment of the play. When Othello learns how he was manipulated by Iago and driven by his own insecurities and envy in smothering the love of his life he realises his blunder as well reRead more

    Othello’s confession of his guilt and knowledge of his vulnerability to jealousy and hearsay provides the cathartic moment of the play.

    When Othello learns how he was manipulated by Iago and driven by his own insecurities and envy in smothering the love of his life he realises his blunder as well recognises the truthfulness and fidelity of Desdemona.

    He accepts his downfall and honours himself with the only proportionate punishment, his own end. The audience learn that emotions like jealousy can affect anyone and sometimes they can mislead even the best of us like brave and venerable Othello.

    See less
    • 4