PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
PlayShakespeare.com: The Ultimate Free Shakespeare Resource
  Friday, 11 August 2006
  1 Replies
  3.7K Visits
  Subscribe
I would like help with some questions i had for school because i don't know how to answer them. Please help, thank you.

First question, explain the importance of the characters of Emilia and Roderigo in relation to the theme of the play. Second question, how important is prejudice to the development in the play?

I would also like to know the figurative language for the following quotes: "Then must you speak Of One that lov'd not wisely but too well." and "Not I: I must be found. My Parts, my Title, and my perfect Soule Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?"

Thank you for your help.
Emilia and Roderigo are both Iago's tools, by which he carries out his scheme. He uses Roderigo to ignite tension with Desdemona's father as well as create a drunken scene with Cassio (which gets Cassio fired). He uses Emilia for information and to acquire Desdemona's handkerchief, which he later strategically plants.

Prejudice is obviously important in the play because characters (mainly Iago) use racial references throughout. Desdemona's father is obviously prejudice at first and Iago plays on that in the first scene:

"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe."

Othello and Desdemona are obviously the least-prejudiced of all the characters, but they are fully aware that they live in a prejudiced society. This adds fuel to the fire in the build of Othello's jealousy in act III.

Figurative language for those quotes? I'm not sure what you're asking for, but in the first Othello is basically saying in V.2 that "I loved Desdemona honestly, but not smartly" (obviously due to him being duped into thinking she was unfaithful). The second quote iis from I.2 and is Othello's response to Iago suggesting he hide from Desdemona's father (who is in a rage after finding out his "pure" daughter married Othello behind his back). He is basically saying that he isn't going to hide from the truth and that his person, place and soul will prevail since they are with pure intention. I guess you could say that in both situations, Othello believes that purity and justice will prevail over their enemies.
  • Page :
  • 1
There are no replies made for this post yet.
Get the Shakespeare Pro app