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Close Reading of Othello



chipmunk 6 / 10  
Feb 10, 2009   #1
Does anyone good at proof reading because I need some grammatical correction please
I'll be appricated with your help:)
Thanks!

After reading "Othello," I choose a passage from Act V, scene II to do my Close Reading. According to "The Oxford Shakespeare," my passage is started from "Oth. O fool! fool! fool!..." (379) to "Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; For he was great of heart." (418) This passage is reaching the dead of Othello. Although Cassio and Lodovico are trying to bring him away to the Venetian government, Othello has given his last grand speech to state his accomplishments before his suicide.

From reading this passage, I have found two significances, which are the plot and character development, refer to the whole play. Othello's last speech has revealed the last hope of Othello, and he has stressed his outsider status in a way that he does not do earlier in the play. Moreover, Iago possesses a profound hateful heart to overthrow Othello, as well as Cassio and Lodovico in this passage. They are trying to elect Cassio to be the new governor because Othello has killed his wife, Desdemona. Moreover, the style and the themes have made this passage to be the conclusion of the play. This passage does not include any styles such as iambic dimeter, blank verse, high-flown rhetoric or slangy insult because of the styles of this passage is prose. Conversation is repeating in the passage. The characters are talking like everyday speech. Also, each character has adopted for the discussion of facts and topical news, for example, Cassio is narrated the truth, which is a final fact of the entire play, and Othello's speech is articulated in free form writing style.

In addition, the words "forsake," "taken off," "prisoner," and "away" in Lodovico's speech (V.ii.386-393) are related to the first theme, the Venetians want a new leader instead of Othello's because he is not qualified to be their leader anymore. Othello, the governor possesses a higher position in the Great Chain than the Lodovico and his subordinates, the soldiers; therefore, Othello says "Soft you;" (395) to command them to release him. Lodovico uses "forsake" and "taken off" to persuade Othello to go with them, and uses "prisoner" and "away" to describe Othello and to make decision respectively. Both associations are belittling Othello and trying to make him abandon his status. In the meanwhile, Othello is resolved to dead, which is an opposite of his faith in the other acts. He uses "Arabian trees," "Aleppo," and "malignant and a turban'd Turk" to remind us of his martial prowess in the play, and of the tales of adventure and war with which he wooed Desdemona. In addition, these words have "echo" themselves in Act 1 and Act 3 when Shakespeare repeatedly casts Othello as Christ, and now this seems strongly clear because Othello has done the right things to cast himself as both enemy of the state and defender of the state. Also, "Of one that lov'd not wisely but too well; Of one not easily jealous," (V.ii.400-401) he is expressing his injustice cause the others do not agree with his attitudes. Othello reaffirms his position as a figure who is simultaneously a part of and excluded from Venetian society. These are related to the second theme, his own willingness to torment himself that makes him a tragic figure. The last theme is Othello's emotion has changed through the whole play after his misunderstanding. "O fool! fool! fool!" (V.ii.379) Othello seems to have calmed himself and regained his dignity to recite his speech. Compare to "O! blood, blood, blood!" (III.iii.507) and "Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her!" (III.iii.534) His emotion has obviously changed from anguished to dispassionate when he finds out his fault, he has wronged Desdemona. He is staying calm to finish his speech and to stab himself until the end because Desdemona's corpse is on the bed and he is slowly falling upon her.

On the other hand, metaphors and symbol have indicated the strong implications in the second theme and the whole book. Firstly, referring to the second theme, Othello uses his speech as a metaphor as he is the greatest leader in Venice. He reminds us once again of his martial prowess that make him as the conqueror in Venice. However, he is threatening Venice by killing himself is to acknowledge that he is no longer to live with victories and to beg the Venetians to write down all his accomplishments. Secondly, Gratiano says "All that's spoke is marr'd," (V.ii.414) a metaphor as a tragedy and he thinks Othello's speech is bad as everything he has heard, such as Brabanzio, Desdemona, and Emilia have died previously. This sentence of revealing that "Othello" is a tragedy because of the play has showed the change in the protagonist's fortunes from good to bad. Also, they are died with fear and pity. Lastly, Othello's suicide symbolizes martyrdom, a last act of service to the state, as he kills the only foe he has left to conquer, himself.

"I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee; no way but this, Killing myself to die upon a kiss." (V.ii.415-416) An anomaly of the whole passage. Othello does not mention about Desdemona in this passage, even the last speech, but he is lying beside her after he kills himself. Is this nonsense? No, is it not! We can totally understand his concern about Desdemona from his emotional change, even though Desdemona is not mentioned from his speech. Victories and honors are manifest from his speech. Therefore, when he stabs himself, he has sensed to share his glory with the woman who truly loves him and lie beside her and look for her forgiveness.

EF_Sean 6 / 3459  
Feb 10, 2009   #2
"This passage occurs shortly before the death of Othello"

"From reading This passage, I have found two significances, which areadvances the plot and develops the charactersdevelopment, refer to the whole play."

You should probably quote more from the passage. In fact, for a close reading, you would probably want to quote a line, explain it, quote the next line, and so on.

Are you sure that the passage isn't written in something close to blank verse? If all of the lines have roughly the same number of syllables (ten or eleven) it probably isn't prose. If the meter deviates from iambic pentameter in many places, that is likely done to create certain poetic effects, rather than to avoid being poetic at all.
OP chipmunk 6 / 10  
Feb 12, 2009   #3
so am i doing find with the grammar?
EF_Kevin 8 / 13052  
Feb 13, 2009   #4
In the meanwhile, Othello has resolved himself to death , which contrasts with his optimistic faith in the other acts.

On the other hand, metaphors and symbol have indicated the strong implications throughout the whole book.

Othello does not mention about Desdemona in this passage -- even in the last speech -- but he is lying beside her after he kills himself.

Wow, you do actually have very good grammar. You even use commas correctly, which many students do not do.


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