Othello Acts 4 & 5
Comments(6) In Act 4 Iago continues to plot against Othello and everyone else. At the very beginning, as Iago is planting more seeds in Othello’s head by saying “To kiss in private?” (IV.i.4) and “Or to be naked with her friend in bed/An hour or more, not meaning any harm?” (IV.i.6-7) He practically drives Othello nuts and into a trance. Then appears Cassio and Iago convinces him that Othello has had a second epilepsy attack, that is best not to bother him. When Othello recovers Iago tells him that Cassio has come and that he shall hear Cassio tell how he and Desdemona have betrayed Othello, as Othello spies on them but remains hidden. Iago is brilliant enough to whisper as he mentions Bianca’s name to Cassio when they speak, so that Othello only hears Cassio’s reaction and laughing, which irritates Othello even more. What drives Othello mad is when Bianca enters with the handkerchief that Othello had given to Desdemona. By far the most shocking event in Act Four scene one is when Othello strikes Desdemona, it is so unexpected for readers and even Lodovico cannot believe his eyes. In Act Four scene two, Othello questions Emilia but he does not believe a word she says nor does he answer Desdemona’s questions regarding what is the matter with him? The most interesting exchange that takes in this scene is between Iago and Roderigo, in which Roderigo is no longer patient and wants to address Desdemona himself about the jewelry he had sent her but Iago refuses stating that Cassio will remain in Cyprus and Othello will take Desdemona to Mauritania, unless Roderigo kills Cassio allowing Othello and Desdemona to remain in Cyprus. In Act Four scene three, Desdemona foreshadows her demise. She believes she will die, yet does not know why and she sings the “Willow” song, which she heard her mother’s maid Barbary singing as she died for being in love with a lunatic.
In Act Five scene one Iago and Roderigo’s plan to kill Cassio takes place, Iago assures Roderigo that he will be by his side and that the two of them cannot lose to Cassio. Roderigo attacks Cassio but Cassio is protected by his coat and Cassio ends up injuring Roderigo, when suddenly Iago comes from the back and attacks Cassio’s leg. Both men are crying out for help when Gratiano, Lodovico and Iago approach them. However, Iago admits beforehand that both Cassio and Roderigo must die in order for his plan to work, so he kills Roderigo as he says “Oh, damned Iago! Oh, inhuman dog!” (V.i.64) Bianca comes out and is in shock that Cassio is hurt but Iago blames her for what has happened to Cassio. Emilia also enters and is told what has happened and Iago sends her off to tell Othello and Desdemona. However, in Act Five scene two Othello is plotting to kill Desdemona while she sleeps but he wakes her. He asks her if she has prayed and she says she has and then he asks her if she has committed any sins and she replies that she hasn’t. He tells her that Cassio has been killed by Iago and Desdemona begins to weep, she begs live one more night but Othello does not listen and smothers her twice, the second time believing she is still alive after he hears Emilia’s voice. Emilia enters and gives him the news and then Desdemona cries out “Oh, falsely, falsely murdered!” (V.ii.121) “A guiltless death I die.” (V.ii.126) “Nobody; I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell!” (V.ii.128) Emilia damns Othello and he tells her that her husband, Iago has shown him the light and been a great friend. Emilia in shock can only repeat “my husband,” not believing him until Iago, Gratiano, Montano enter and then Iago is found out by Emilia who he stabs and kills. Iago tries to flee but is captured and brought back, Othello stabs him but does not kill him, instead he kills himself and Desdemona, Emilia and Othello lie on the bed.
Overall, the play’s last two acts are very tragic but my consolation lies in knowing that Othello and Desdemona truly loved one another. Their love was so immense that they both wound up dead lying side by side in the end. I had never read the play before this class but I had watched the movie O (2001) based on Othello and I highly recommend the class to watch it if they enjoyed reading Othello.
To borrow a phrase from the last class, I’m decidedly on team Desdemona–especially at the end of the play. Anybody decidedly on team Othello at the end of the day is…well…it’s a curious choice, let’s just say that. And while Iago’s duplicity and villainy are similar to Richard’s (who I was “rooting” for in Richard III), he doesn’t come across nearly as charming. It may be in part that I’m a sucker for constant breaks of the fourth wall, but I think it has more to do with Richard being central character in his play and no real development for the characters who suffered from his devices. In other words, there’s no real Desdemona-like figure in that play that gives us a scope for his atrocities.
What makes Desdemona even more tragic than just being murdered for a crime she didn’t commit is her absolution of Othello’s blame for her murder. When Emilia asks who’s to blame for the murder, Desdemona uses her dying breaths to say “Nobody–I myself” (5.2.122-123). It’s also interesting to note that Desdemona has a similar, albeit darker, fate to other Shakespearean heroines when she is silenced (physically) by the man she marries.
I also thought that even if Shakespeare wanted to describe Othello killed an innocent wife, it seems to me that he wanted to make people feel pity about Othello. I remember watching a TV show, I don’t know the name of that show, but there was an episode about Othello. There were two black men who went back to the Shakespeare’s era and went to the theater to see Othello. In the first couple of Acts, they were very pleased that Shakespeare wrote a play with a black main character. However, after the play ended, they were so angry about the black main character had a huge tragic end and murdered his own wife. It was quite fun to watch that episode. I wish I could find the clip to share with you.
I agree with Ryan. Throughout the play, Desdemona has proven to be a faithful wife and amiable individual. In fact, her love for Othello was so intense that she risked the banishment of her father’s praise. As we discussed in class, the scene where Desdemona practically creates her death bed is cleverly constructed. It is almost as if Desdemona intuitively knows her fate, and it is to die under Othello’s supervision. I was taken back by the idea of Othello finding joy in kissing Desdemona’s lips after she is killed, hinting that Othello was more in love with the idea of Desdemona.
I don’t want to sound like I’m blaming the victim, but where is Desdemona’s sense of self preservation? I understand this t be a characterization of her virtue that is so pure, she will not run from false accusations, thereby proving her innocence. I also view this to be a true valuation of virtue. Even though the characters hold her in high esteem, Desdemona’s virtue ultimately contributes to her death, and when dead, her virtue is worthless. To use an economic term, her behavior is unsustainable in the world of Othello.
Sam, I couldn’t help but initially think the same thing as we watched Desdemona’s virtue culminate in her death. Why doesn’t she run as soon as he hits her? However, that really isn’t fair. She clearly still believes that Othello loves her and will realize the truth – like you said, she is probably too virtuous for her own good – because right before he kills her, she is still adamantly professing her innocence and begging for her life. Like we discussed in class, she is the only stable figure in the play; she is so pure and naive that she cannot even fathom running away or contriving some kind of Portia-like plot to win her husband back. In more simplistic, realistic, and modern terms, it’s also a question of why some women – even when they are strong and intelligent – don’t leave abusive relationships, isn’t it?
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Emilia. She is a victim, of course she is not as pure or virtuous as Desdemona especially in being the one to supply the handkerchief to Iago but she also sings the Willow song like Desdemona does before she dies. Emilia can be seen as Iago’s victim because he snatched the handkerchief from her and eventually stole her life by murdering her. I find it interesting that in the end Iago and Othello do the same thing: they kill their innocent wives. There is a distinction though because Iago kills out of pure malice while Othello kills because he is blind by rage and jealousy. Othello also redeems himself by killing the monster inside him and this can be seen as a noble act of self destruction to protect the city of Venice. But I believe Othello could have done a greater good by killing Iago and preventing any future diabolic plans. Iago not only kills his wife but steals Roderigo’s jewels by refusing to give them back to him and then outright kills Rodergio to proceed with his evil plans. Iago shows no remorse for killing people, not even his own wife. The fact that Iago is alive with only a minor wound while Aaron, the villain of Titus Andronicus dies, confuses me. Perhaps Iago represents evil itself? that evil never truly dies? It seems as if Iago is fulfilling Aaron’s wish at the end of Titus Andornicus, “I have done a thousand dreadful things/As willingly as one would kill a fly,/And nothing grieves me heartily indeed,/ But that I cannot do ten thousand more” (5.1.141-144).