Scene 1

• ”Tush” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Shakespearen swear word. Shows his anger immediately.

  (Roderigo)
• “Thick-lips” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Shows how he uses racial slurs against Othello. Prejudice towards him.

  (Roderigo)
• “Cassio, a Florentine” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Florence. Power. An outsider.
  • Cassio is a foreigner.
  • As he is from Florence and not Venice.
  • Iago is prejudice towards Cassio.

  (Iago)
• “Nor the division of a battle knows“ (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Cassio has no experience in fighting.
  • Iago is angry that Cassio got promoted and he didn't.

  (Iago)
• “Despise me if I do not” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Angry tone to his voice.
  • Othello didn't make Iago his second in command.

  (Iago)
• “Plague him with flies” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Iago is making Roderigo talk to Brabantio.
  • Shows how Iago is self centred.
  • Wants him to provoke Brabantio.

  (Iago)
• “Daughter, and your bags!” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Daughter is in the same category as the objects.
  • Dehumanises her.
  • Property.

  (Iago)
• “An old black ram Is tupping your white ewe“ (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Racial slur.
  • “Tupping” is when sheep have sex.
  • Racial contents.
  • Dehumanising.
  • “Ewe” and “old”. Desdemona is young and pure and innocent. The devil is doing this.

  (Iago)
• ”Devil will make a grandsire of you” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Othello will impregnate Desdemona. Make Brabantio a granddad.
  • Othello is the devil. Racial slur.

  (Iago)
• “Hold him in thy hate” (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Angry tone to Iago.
  • Othello didn‘t make Iago his second in command.

  (Iago)
• “His eyes had seen the proof“ (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Iago has proven himself to be a good soldier.

  (Iago)
• “Christian and heathen”

  • Juxtaposition.
  • Othello is seen as heathen as he is from North Africa.

  (Iago)
• “Not by the old graduation”

  • Cassio got promoted because of his social class and upbringings.
  • Iago has social class envy.

  (Iago)