Cassio

Cassio

"A lieutenant to Othello, his first hand man.  He's an honorable florentine with a weakness for woman and drinking.  After losing his rank of lieutenant to Othello after a bad drinking experience that results in a fight, Cassio is left begging Desdemona to ask Othello for his rank back"

Cassio to Bianca

3.4.170-174

"Pardon me, Bianca,

I have this while with leaden thoughts been pressed,

But I shall, in a more continuate time,

Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,

(giving her DESDEMONA’s handkerchief)

Take me this work out."

– in this quote Cassio is telling Bianca that he is depressed and can’t see her, when really, in reality he just got fired from the second rank. He then gives her a handkerchief  which she thinks is coming from another lover, but its Desdemonas’ handkerchief that Othello gave to her. And he leaves with the promise to see her soon, but in reality he is going to die in the next 3 days.

Lodovico

Lodovico

"A nobel Venetian kinsman to Barbantio. Uncle of Desdemona after Barbantio(father) dies of heart break of his daughter being taken from him by the Moor." 

Lodovico to Othello

4.1.239-241

"My lord, this would not be believed in Venice,

Though I should swear I saw ’t. 'Tis very much.

Make her amends, she weeps"

-- Othello just slapped his wife.  Lodovico says that all of Venice would not believe what just happened because of Othello's reputation.  No one could ever see Othello as someone who would harm his wife, even though in reality he just did.

Lodovico to Iago
4.1. 262-265

"Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate

Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature

Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue

The shot of accident nor dart of chance

Could neither graze nor pierce?"

– Othello has the appearance and reputation of someone who never cracks under pressure and never lets emotion get to him, but now, so consumed with jealousy, he can’t control what he is doing and Lodovico is questioning whether or not he is sane. Iago reassures him that he is sane. In reality Iago knows that Othello is planning to kill both Desdemona and Cassio tonight, clearly meaning he is not sane and does infact need help.

...Literary Devices

Rhetorical Question: a question asked for effect, with no answer expected.

Polysyndeton: the repetition of conjunctions in a series of corrdinate words, phrases or clauses.

Emilia

Emilia

"Desdemona's lady in waiting, wife of Iago.  Loyal to both her husband and her mistress. Shows an attitude toward men far more different from Desdemona."

Emilia to Desdemona

3.4.153-156

"But jealous souls will not be answered so.They are not ever jealous for the cause,But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monsterBegot upon itself, born on itself."

– The way that Othello is acting is in a jealous manner, showing Emilia and Desdemona that he is infact jealous. The appearance of what use to be is no more but they cannot see the reality of what is going to happen and how upset Othello really is.

Emilia,Desdemona and Iago

4.2.135-142

"A halter pardon him and hell gnaw his bones!Why should he call her “whore”? Who keeps her company?What place? What time? What form? What likelihood?The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave,Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.O heavens, that such companions thou’dst unfold,And put in every honest hand a whipTo lash the rascals naked through the worldEven from the east to th' west!  " 

– Emilia is going on about how Desdemona is innocent and how someone has been tricking Othello into believing that she is having an affair. She explains that whoever this person is, he is a low life, bastard and a crook, which should be beat senseless. When in reality the person she is explaining is actually her own husband! Iago, who she is also telling this to.

 

... Literary Devices

Repition: repeating a word for effect.

 

Desdemona

Desdemona


"Wife of Othello, daughter of Barbantio(a Veteian senate).  Married Otheelo without her father's perission, going against his word.  Is now thought to be a whore and cheating wife."

Desdemona to Iago

2.1.21-23

"I am not merry, but I do beguile

The thing I am by seeming otherwise.

Come, how wouldst thou praise me?"

-- Desdemona is acting as though she is completely fine and not worried about anything, but in reality she is desperately worried about Othello's safety as she asks Iago what he thinks about her.

Desdemona to Emilia

3.4.21-25

"Believe me, I had rather have lost my purseFull of crusadoes. And but my noble MoorIs true of mind and made of no such basenessAs jealous creatures are, it were enoughTo put him to ill thinking"

– she has lost the handkerchief  that Othello gave to her and shes telling Emilia that she would have rather lost gold, but its okay because Othello is not jealous. In reality Othello has just been manipulated into think that his wife is cheating and he no longer trusts her because he is overwhelmed with jealousy.

...Literary Devices

Hasty Generalization: an assertion or conclusion drawn on insufficient evidence; jumping to conclusion.

Iago

Iago

"Othello's second hand man, a Veteian and professional soldier.  Married to Emilia and shows his true nature under the appearence of honesty."

Iago to Barbantio

1.1.87-92

"Zounds, sir, you’re robbed! For shame, put on your gown.Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul.Even now, now, very now, an old black ramIs tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise,Awake the snorting citizens with the bellOr else the devil will make a grandsire of you.Arise, I say!"

– Iago is making it appear as though his daughter Desdemona is being tricked into being with Othello and that he is having sex with her as they are trying to wake him up to make sure he is furious  at Othello for stealing his young innocent daughter away. In reality Desdemona is actually willing with Othello and not doing anything that they make her father to believe she is.

Iago to himself

1.3.375-395

"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse.For I mine own gained knowledge should profaneIf I would time expend with such a snipeBut for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor,And it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheetsHe’s done my office. I know not if ’t be true,But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,Will do as if for surety. He holds me well.The better shall my purpose work on him.Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now, To get his place and to plume up my willIn double knavery. How? How? Let’s see.After some time, to abuse Othello’s earThat he is too familiar with his wife.He hath a person and a smooth disposeTo be suspected, framed to make women false.The Moor is of a free and open natureThat thinks men honest that but seem to be so,And will as tenderly be led by th' noseAs asses are.I have ’t. It is engendered! Hell and night"

– This is where you really start to see that reality of what Iago has been planning all along. He has made himself appear to be an honest man but he is actually tricking people like Rodregio into making him money, and he has started to plan the manipulation he will have on Cassio, Othello and Desdemona to get what he wants and to do so, he will have to appear honest and as Othello’s best man.

Iago to Rodregio

2.1.214-240

"Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love him still for prating? Let not thy discreet heart think it.Her eye must be fed, and what delight shall she have to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be a game to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favor, sympathy in years, manners and beauties.All which the Moor is defective in. Now for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor. Very nature will instruct her in it and compel her to some second choice.Now sir, this granted—as it is a most pregnant and unforced position—who stands so eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio does? A knave very voluble, no further conscionable than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing of his salt and most hidden loose affection.Why, none, why, none! A slipper and subtle knave, a finder of occasions that has an eye, can stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never present itself. A devilish knave. Besides, the knave is handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green minds look after. A pestilent complete knave, and the woman hath found him already."

– Iago is manipulating Rodregio into thinking that Desdemona is going to leave Othello because she will realize that he was telling made up stories to get her to love him, and that just as she went against her fathers wishes, she will once again leave Othello and go for someone else. He then goes on to make it appear as though she is going to have an affair with Cassio because he is what she really wants. But in reality none of this is actually happening, Othello did do everything in those “ made up stories” and also Desdemona is not planning on leaving Othello for anyone, not even Cassio. This is Iago’s way of using Rodregio as his puppet, which works.

Iago to Othello

 3.3.128-129

"Men should be what they seem,

Or those that be not, would they might seem none"

– Here Iago is telling Othello the complete opposite of what he actually thinks, giving him the appearance of an honest concerned friend. In reality, Iago has planned to make himself appear this way, so he can get to Othello and manipulate him into believing lies.

...Literary Devices

Repetition:  repetition of a word for effect.
                                (now, arise)


Personification:  attribute of personality to an impersonal thing.                                  (you have lost half..)


Soliloquy:  when a character is speaking to one's self.

Othello

Othello

"Known as the 'Moor' a black african man in a european color predjuice society, holds the highest rank in the Venetian militairy forces.  Professional soldier married to Desdemona."

Othello to Iago

3.3.441-453

"Oh, that the slave had forty thousand lives!
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.Now do I see ’tis true. Look here, Iago,All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven.'Tis gone.Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throneTo tyrannous hate! Swell, bosom, with thy fraught,For ’tis of aspics' tongues!"

– At this point Othello now believes that Iago is right and Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, In Othello’s mind it has already happen and he is ready to start revenge. This is the turning point in the play, Othello is making himself hate his own wife because of Iago’s manipulation.

Othello to Iago

3.3.471-474

"I greet thy love
Not with vain thanks but with acceptance bounteous,And will upon the instant put thee to ’t.Within these three days let me hear thee sayThat Cassio's not alive."

– Othello is speaking to Iago about his love for Iago meaning his close friendship with him, which in reality Iago is not a good friend and has manipulated Othello into thinking he should kill Cassio. But in reality Cassio hasn’t done anything wrong.

Appearance vs. Reality

Definition:

The question of appearance vs. reality is one of the most fundamental in philosophy. What is genuinely "real?" What is mere "appearance," and not real? Assuming that there is a difference between the two, how do we distinguish between them in any reliable way?

Generally, that which is mere appearance is regarded as temporary, internal and subjective. That which is "real" is regarded as eternal, external and objective.