Act 2 Sc 3 Questions

Iago switches from verse to prose when he speaks with Cassio, and Cassio follows. What does this indicate about the exchange? What might it indicate about Cassio? AO2 LFS
Iago's use of prose is more persuasive towards Cassio and makes Iago seem more comfortable and close to Cassio. Cassio tends to  speak in verse because he is a noble man, however then converges to prose when talking to Iago as though Iago changes his parts of Cassio's personality to become more colloquial with him and pulled down to Iago's level. Iago is, in a way, in control of the way Cassio speaks as Cassio is easily persuaded and wants to get along with everyone due to his nature.


What language does Cassio use when speaking about Desdemona? How does it compare to the language Iago uses to sexualise her? Why do you think Iago is speaking about Desdemona in this way to Cassio? (lines 15-25) AO2 LF  
Cassio speaks kindly of Desdemona and uses language with a lexical field of beauty and purity when talking about her 'most fresh and delicate creature' (L19) as though she is similar to a Goddess. Compared to Iago's descriptive sexualised language 'full of game' (L18) implying that she is sexually active; Cassio seems to value Desdemona as a person more than Iago who mostly see's her as a sexual object. Iago speaks of Desdemona in this way to plant a lustful seed for Cassio so that Cassio will desire her more and feel more jealous of Othello.


How does Iago persuade Cassio to drink? Use your close reading skills to analyse the language he uses. AO2 LFS
Originally, Cassio warns Iago that he is a lightweight 'poor and unhappy brains for drinking' (L30) but Iago tells him to celebrate with the declarative sentence ''Tis a night of revels; the gallants desire it' (L37) and tells him to drink 'but one cup' (L32) as though one cup of alcohol will have little effect on Cassio thus persuading him to get drunk. Cassio agrees 'I'll do't; but it dislikes me' (L40) however knows that it's not the best idea and is actually against his original plan and is now deceiving Othello all thanks to Iago.


Why does Iago try to subvert the social order and bring others down to his level, rather than try to climb the ladder and raise himself up? Consider ideas about social order at the time AO3, context. 
Iago brings people down to his level to belittle their reputation. Reputation is a big deal in the army, even more so in the 1600s. If Iago were to climb the rankings, it is less stress on manipulation of others and more on himself to gain a better reputation. Cassio is concerned about his rankings 'O, I have lost my reputation!' because of the consequences that will follow after Othello strips him of his position.With the reputation of those higher than him coming to his level, Iago then has more of a chance to become Othello's lieutenant because he is effectively next in line. 


Othello says “My blood begins my safer guides to rule/And passion, having my best judgements collied/Assays to lead the way.” (lines 201-203) What does this quotation reveal about the effects of Iago’s knavery in this scene?
Othello admits that he is more of the irrational type (Porey's racial stereotype) as he is lead more by emotions 'passion' which reveals his weak point; what could be argued to be his tragic flaw. This quotation reveals that Iago's plan will most likely work out due to Othello being strongly led by his emotions. This, tied in with Iago's untrustworthy nature, hints that Othello will have his downfall provoked by Iago taking advantage of Othello's irrational trait.

Why is this scene important in relation to the play as a whole?
Consider:
How Iago is presented
What happens in the scene
What this scene indicates about key characters
This scene is important to the play because it is where the place of tragedy really begins. The celebration is the first big event to happen since arriving to Cyprus and brings in Othello's involvement in Iago's plan. Iago is presented as malicious to the audience, especially because he has ruined Cassio's reputation and also managed to create a temporary feud between Roderigo and Cassio 'Dost thou prate, rogue?' (L139). The audience is aware that all of the issues raised are caused by Iago, however the audience are also aware that Iago manages to shift the blame from himself and is able to get away with the other characters not knowing he is behind all of the disputes. As well as the audience getting a stronger awareness of Iago's character, the audience are also made aware that Cassio cannot handle his alcohol, Othello is more led by emotions and Roderigo wants to win over Desdemona which sets a strong basis for the play to build and more mischief for Iago to perpetuate. 

ACT 2 SC 1 QUESTIONS

What sort of person is Cassio?
Cassio is a very open and friendly person because of where he was brought up (Florence) and the way he was brought up. Cassio is aware of his over-friendliness ''tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy' (L100) and sets the record straight to Iago that he is just being polite to Emilia. Cassio is different from the other men, and this difference is later used against him in the play because sometimes his open behaviour can be interpreted as slightly inappropriate.


How does Iago plan to use Cassio’s character traits to usurp and ensnare both Cassio and Othello?
Iago plans to 'ensnare as great a fly as Cassio' (L167) and 'gyve thee in thine own courtship' (L177), meaning that Iago will essentially get Cassio in a position where he will be caught out by his own morals (being friendly and tactile). Iago wants to take Cassio's place as Lieutenant 'strip you out of your lieutenancy' (L169) and will do this by catching him out when he's being extra friendly to Desdemona 'clyster-pipes for your sake' (L174) and then will convince Othello the situation is worse than it really is.


What does Iago tell Roderigo to do, and why does Iago say it will help Roderigo to win Desdemona’s heart?
Iago convinces Roderigo to persevere with winning Desdemona's heart and tells him that Desdemona will get bored of Othello because he's not as magnificent as he seems 'all which the Moor is defective in' (L225). Desdemona most likely won't get bored of Othello because she does love him. Iago then points out to Roderigo that when Desdemona gets bored of Othello she will go for Cassio 'who stands so eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio does' (L231), so convinces Roderigo to carry on with Desdemona and tells Roderigo to make Cassio angry 'anger Cassio' (L260) so that Cassio's reputation will be tainted 'tainting his discipline'(L261). In Roderiogo's eyes, Desdemona will no longer feel lustful towards Cassio after his outbust, so Roderigo can swoop in and win her for himself, when really it's so that Iago will seem better than Cassio and Othello will want Iago as his Lieutenant. Iago finally tells Roderigo to anger Cassio when he is drunk 'he's rash and very sudden in choler' (L264) so that he will humiliate himself in front of everyone at the party and will be easy to manipulate.

What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in Act 2?
What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?

In Act 2, it is more evident that Iago is manipulating and is set on what he wants, therefore will do anything to get it. By Iago sharing his thoughts with the audience with asides, the audience gets a more in depth understanding of Iago as opposed to the other characters. Letting the audience in on Iago's thoughts strengthens the element of tragedy because Iago is a large contributor to Othello's downfall and death, so Iago's soliloquies are a constant reminder that Othello is going to die, including dramatic irony to the piece. Iago uses the first person personal pronoun 'I' in almost every line which make his asides seem extremely personal to the audience and builds a bridge between the audience and his character. Iago talking in soliloquies makes his speeches easier to listen to and comprehend because of the way it's set out and it brings across the idea that Iago thoroughly thinks and plans. Iago also uses lots of metaphors in his soliloquies to create images in the minds of the audience 'Hath leaped into my seat (...) gnaw my inwards' (L287) thus creating a clearer picture of what he has in store.

Othello Act1 Sc3 Questions

How do the Duke and Senators speak of Othello?
The Duke and Senator 1 refer to Othello as 'valiant' (brave), but he is still called the Moor by Senator 1. The Duke refers to Othello by his actual name, showing more respect for Othello even though he is black.

How does Brabantio speak of his daughter?
Brabantio is aware that Desdemona is not stupid 'being not deficient, blind or lame of sense' so whatever has happened to her must be fairly serious in his opinion. Brabantio then goes on to imply that Desdemona is much better than that (marrying Othello) and must have been drugged 'against the rules of nature' and 'conjoured to this effect' to have such a mindset. Brabantio also talks of Desdemona being 'stolen' as though she is a possession to him which can be taken away from him, showing the objectification of women.

What do we learn about views towards foreigners/moors?
Othello as The Moor is described as 'valiant' (L47 and L48) by the Duke and Senator 1 which is a positive slant on his personality, however Brabantoio, after finding out Othello has married his daughter, is certain that The Moor has used 'some mixtures powerful o'er the blood(...)conjured to this effect, he wrought upon her' (L104) implying that The Moor is not worthy enough of his daughter and has elements of mysticality as he is able to use magic. Views not only to The Moor but foreigners also is that they are objects of curiosity because of their extravagant adventures. Othello retells the stories said to Desdemona to the court and talks of 'disastrous chances' (134), 'being taken by the insolent foe' (137) and 'sold to slavery' (138) which occurred because he is different/ 'foreign'.

What is ironic about Othello's claim that "Rude am I in my speech"?
Othello claims that his speech will be 'rude', setting the court up to believe that he isn't very good at speaking aloud and less eloquent than those around him yet after his monologue entailing how he 'wooed' Desdemona (by, ironically, telling stories) the Duke tells him that 'this tale would win my daughter too' (L171). Othello clearly is well spoken and interesting to listen to because it is how he 'won' Desdemona and explains that his storytelling is 'the only witchcraft I have used' (169).

What is startling about Othello's decision to let Desdemona speak on his behalf?
During this time period (1600's) women were extremely subordinate and to be speaking in court was very rare. Desdemona defends herself and her marriage in court after being encouraged by her father 'where most you owe obedience?' (179) and explains she is to be more dutiful to Othello now that they are married because that is the female tradition which she is following from her mother 'here's my husband(...)preferring you before her father' (184) and so Desdemona favours The Moor over Brabantio. On line 248 Desdemona declares that she wants to go to Cyprus with The Moor 'that I did love the Moor to live with him' which again is rather startling because usually women of that time have no say in what they do, and for Desdemona to choose where she will go challenges the status quo of women (which Desdemona has done before choosing to marry the Moor).

Using the thinking question below, what 'stories' does Othello tell in his speech to the senate?

'Othello's tragedy is that he lives according to a set of stories through which he interprets the world-an ideology- but it is a world that has been superseded. He cannot see that this is so, and the contradictions within his ideology destroy him. He is living in the life of a chivalric warrior in a world run by money and self-interest'.

Othello talks of his times in battle and as a soldier and how he has been a brave and great soldier that has fought hard to get where he is today 'the battles, sieges, fortunes that I have passed' (130) and how he was 'sold to slavery' (138), even horrific sights where 'cannibals that each other eat' (143) however the war he is about to face isn't a war at all and therefore he is out of his comfort zone. Othello has no war, battle or siege to fight so lets his weaknesses (believing rumours) take over him because he has nothing better to do; he has little experience in this specific field. This is inflicted by Iago's realisation that the world is run by money and self-interest and uses ways of manipulation to get what he wants (money and Othello gone) while Othello is still living on in his glory as a chivilric soldier.

Final Question

'The Yellow Wallpaper takes the heroine's madness as a perverse triumph over the imprisoning domesticity in which she is trapped by patriarchy' (Jacobus 1996) Using ideas from the critical anthology, to what extent do you agree?

Gothic Elements and Features of The Yellow Wallpaper

Genre- Short story, Gothic Horror, Socio-political allegory
No romantic elements

Context- written in 1892. Very patriarchal, little feminism and liberation for females.

Setting- Large cottage in the countryside, not been used for a while- isolated setting
Always focuses on the negativity and repulsiveness of the wallpaper and the bars by the windows. Sense of entrapment.

Narrator/Plot- Unreliable narrator, not quite sane therefore plot blurs fantasy and reality, shows entrapment of women.

Men-

• High social position
• Consists of actions and not feelings
• Thought to be the hero
• Mysterious/ not 'seen'

Women-

• Mad or Bad
• Victim
• Burden on husband  

Themes-

• Madness secrets and lies
• Fear
• Savagery
• Sane vs Insane
• Darkness

The Erl-King Questions

How is the Erl-King presented?

The Erl King is presented, by Angela Carter, through contradictory gender roles. He is portrayed as the 'perfect man' as he conflicts the binary opposites of stereotypical gender roles by being good to a woman. The Erl King is described as "an excellent housewife" which implies that he is a  passive character. In his innocence he also has great power over the female protagonist suggesting his active role in the relationship as "he winds me into the circle of his eye on a reel of bird song" portraying his dominance as a man over her. Here, he abides by the binary opposites of stereotypical gender roles as he is seen as strong and active as it is him controlling her through the power of his gaze. Carter presents the Erl King as an emotional character due to the innocence he shows as "his touch both consoles and devastates me". This suggests both the male and female express emotion here as he consoles her in his touch yet she feels devastated by it. She fits the binary opposites of stereotypical gender roles however he shows a dichotomy towards them at times due to him expressing his emotional and passive side in their relationship.      

How is the narrator presented?

The female protagonist narrator is firstly presented as naive, private, irrational and weak- the more stereotypical female traits of gender binaries. The narrator finds it 'easy to lose yourself in the woods' showing her irrationality and naivety as she is easily influenced and lost in other things. Further on, the narrator is shown to be perhaps more thoughtful than emotional and she recognizes that 'The Erl-King would do me grievous harm'. She is showing that she is more wise than the Erl-King thinks, and crosses over the gender binaries of thought and emotion as well as rational and irrational. This again is presented when she realises that 'the birds don't sing, they only cry because they can't find their way out of the wood' giving the female protagonist a heads up and the chance to make her choice of either going along with The Erl-King's wishes or taking her own revenge. Towards the end of the story, the female protagonist makes her decision which had her 'take two handfuls of his rustling hair(...) and (...) I shall strangle him'. This completely obliterates gender binary opposites as the woman is taking control and killing off the man - showing her passing over from weak to strong and active to passive. At the very end of the story the female protagonist states that 'she will string the old fiddle with five single strings of ash-brown hair', using the Erl-King as an object rather than her being used as his singing bird.

What are do the symbols suggest in the novel?

Carter uses symbols in the narrative. The Erl King's eyes are described as "quite green" which symbolizes jealousy as it can be associated with the 'green eyed man'. However his eyes can remove the innocence from him and display the evil in him and the fear he emits as "some eyes can eat you". This suggests that he consumes her, sexually and emotionally. The birds can symbolize women as a whole. They are trapped as they are passive and kept private by the Erl King as he sees them as his possession which fits the binary opposites of stereotypical gender roles. The cages symbolize the oppressiveness and control men have over women. The birds symbolize women and the cages symbolize the lifestyle they are trapped in as men remove their freedom by resulting them to passivity and privacy.

How does Carter use allusion to tell the story?

Carter uses elements of fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood (a naive little girl going into the woods), Alice In Wonderland ('Eat me, Drink me'), Light sufficient to itself (Emily Dickinson's line used) as well as intertextuality with the motif of 'The Green Eyed man' and Othello (The Green Eyed monster).

How is The Erl-King the most innovative and experimental of the stories?

‘The Erl-King’ can be seen as the most innovative and experimental of the narratives as it plays around with the voice of the narrator and tenses of the the text. "The woods enclose and then enclose again" is in third person, present tense yet "It is easy to lose yourself in these woods." reverts to second person. This suggests that the Erl King is the most experimental as none of the other texts do this. 

How does The Erl-King fit with other TBC narratives?

The Erl-King is the middle story of the collection and therefore isn't completely transcending of the binary opposites and isn't completely supporting of them either. It involves similarities with the fact that the setting is isolated and there is a female narrator (the same with all the stories minus Puss In Boots). The protagonist kills the male figure (the same with The Bloody Chamber, and company of wolves).

Possible questions

Women face 'the soft face of oppression' in literature as opposed to blatant physical violence

The Yellow Wallpaper may be read as a 'dynamic feminist demand for liberation from the maddening claustrophobia of patriarchy'

'The notion of phallocentrism involves fundamental ways of how the phallus can be equated by power, authority, presence and the right to possession'

'The Yellow Wallpaper takes the heroines madness as a perverse triumph over the imprisoning domesticity in which she is trapped by patriarchy' (Jacobus)