User:Mosborne01/Temp/Battle Imagery.doc

Othello and Battle Imagery.

Othello moves around constantly, never allowing his opponents to fully evaluate him. When called upon to defend his marriage to Desdemona in front of the Senate, he plays down his own abilities in the verbal equivalent of a “surprise attack” he says:

“Rude am I in me speech,

and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.” (I.iii.79)

He then goes on to deliver one of the most poetic speeches in the play. At the end of this, even the Duke admits that “this tale would win my daughter too.” (I.iii.170) To continue the theme of battle that continues throughout the play, he then tells Brabantio to

“take up this mangled matter at the best:

Men do their broken weapons rather use than their hands.” (I.iii.172)

Here he implies that Brabantio and Othello have just fought for Desdemona, and Othello has won. It is characteristic of men’s’ attitudes towards women in the play that Desdemona is seen as a spoil of war. A prize for the victor.

Later, while Iago is convincing Othello of Desdemona’s infidelity, a subtle shift in language occurs that reflects a much larger shift in mindset. Othello inadvertently refers to Desdemona’s alleged betrayal as a “revolt.” (III.iii.185) While ideas of revulsion are implied by this word, so are ideas of a “revolt” or an uprising against ruling body.

After Iago has convinced Othello of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, Othello begins preparing for battle. He begins speaking in military images, reflecting the fact that his mind has switched from domestic to military matters:

“I had been happy if the general camp,

Pioners and all had tasted her sweet body,

so I had nothing known.” (III.iii.342)

This perhaps suggests that he is most comfortable surrounded by military ideas, and that once threatened, he turns to them quickly for answers and solutions.

He begins to farewell the profits of peace

“Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content!”

He also farewells the traditional imagery of battle. It looks briefly like he is not going to turn to his fighting skills to solve this problem, but then it becomes apparent that he is simply preparing for a stealthy attack. All of the things that he farewells are noisy, cliched images of war, which would immediately give his plans away:

“Farewell the plumed troops and the big wars

that make ambition virtue- O farewell!

Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,

the spirit stirring drum, th’ear piercing fife,

the royal banner and all quality,

Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war.” (III.iii.345)

He asks for the qualities that helped him on the battle field to help him in this new situation:

“Arise black vengeance from thy hollow cell,

Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne

to tyrannous hate! Swell bosom, with thy fraught” (III.iii.443)

He is admitting that he wants both his head and heart to be governed not by his feelings for Desdemona but by his feelings of revenge. He also admits that he wants his bosom (heart/chest) to swell, not with love as you would expect, but with hate so that he might be able to best deal with Desdemona. He sets his Iago tasks as he would set his troops tasks on the battle field. His mind is thinking about strategy already.

“Within these three days let me hear thee say that Cassio’s not alive.” (III.iii.469)

He begins to forge alliances with others to help ensure success:

“Now thou art my Lieutenant.” (III.iii.475)

In a moment of poignant dramatic irony, Desdemona shortly afterwards calls herself an

“unhandsome warrior”

not in terms of being good looking, but perhaps being the wrong gender to be a warrior. She does not realise it yet, but she is literally a warrior, about to face the greatest military mind in Venice, her husband.

She makes a similar statement slightly later in the play, when she (ironically) asks Iago how she can “win” her lord again. (IV.ii.148) Little does she know, but she will soon be engaged in battle to win or lose. Win and loss have very different meanings to Desdemona and Othello. A loss will cost Desdemona her life.