Othello's Descent into Jealousy: Act IV Scene 1-3 - Prof. Castillo Martín, Apuntes de Teatro

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Othello

act IV

Francisco Javier Castillo

Scene 1

The persistent insinuations of Desdemona’s

unfaithfulness work Othello into an

incoherent frenzy. He focuses obsessively on

the handkerchief and keeps pumping Iago for

information about Cassio’s comments to Iago.

Finally, Iago says that Cassio has told him he

has lain with Desdemona, and Othello suffers

and epilepsy.

Othello is more convinced of his wife’s

dishonesty and Cassio’s guilt, and

determines that both shall die.

Iago suggests that Desdemona should be

strangled in bed, and agrees to arrange

the murder of Cassio himself.

Iago controls Othello’s mind

OTHELLO

Get me some poison, Iago; this night: I'll not

expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty

unprovide my mind again: this night, Iago.

IAGO

Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed,

even the bed she hath contaminated.

Othello’s social discredit

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?

Scene 2

Desdemona tries to get an explanation for Othello’s

anger. Emilia is very close to the truth saying that

someone is poisoning Othello’s mind:

The Moor's abused by some most villanous knave,

Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.

But Iago dismisses her suggestion as improbable, and

he says that he may be disturbed by his military

responsibilities.

Emilia’s loyalty to her mistress

EMILIA

I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest,

Lay down my soul at stake: if you think other,

Remove your thought; it doth abuse your bosom.

If any wretch have put this in your head,

Let heaven requite it with the serpent's curse!

For, if she be not honest, chaste, and true,

There's no man happy; the purest of their wives

Is foul as slander.

Roderigo is determined

to talk to Desdemona

RODERIGO

With nought but truth. I have wasted myself out of

my means. The jewels you have had from me to

deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a

votarist: you have told me she hath received them

and returned me expectations and comforts of

sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none.

Barbary’s song

DESDEMONA

My mother had a maid call'd Barbara: She was in love, and he she loved proved mad And did forsake her: she had a song of 'willow;' An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune, And she died singing it: that song to-night Will not go from my mind; I have much to do, But to go hang my head all at one side, And sing it like poor Barbara.

The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Sing all a green willow: Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow: The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;

• Sing willow, willow, willow; Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones; Lay by these:--

Sing willow, willow, willow; Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--

Sing all a green willow must be my garland. Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,- Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks?

I call'd my love false love; but what said he then? Sing willow, willow, willow: