2 paragraphs from internal exam

The fact that the extract is set in a dark location which lacks daylight, indicated by the mention of ‘torches’ emphasises the duality of night and day. The darkness introduces an eerie feel and a certain disorder rules over the proceedings. With the torches that illuminate the scene, there is a corresponding call for some kind of order; darkness vs. light and order vs. disorder are important juxtapositions within the play. This theme will appear again at the end, as the play returns to darkness, and also to chaos. The darkness also suggests the attendants that hold the torches are attempting to illuminate the truth, it is tragic in which the noble manor Othello responds to these abrupt demands of the truth in comparison to less noble manor in which his characters begins to act in as the play continues – such as the equivalent of modern day swearing ‘fire and brimstone’ in Act 4 Scene 1.

This extract is also tragic in relation to the play as a whole as it demonstrates not only the duality of night and day but also the duality of Othello’s character. ‘Shall out-tongue his complaints. ‘Tis yet to know – Which, when I know that boasting is an honour, I shall provulgate’ indicates this as it is evident that Othello is both an insider because of his status in the military as a ‘worthy general’, but similarly how he is an outsider because of his race as a ‘moor’. Othello is confident his past service to the state will counteract any negative emotion society will feel upon his love for Desdemona. Othello depicts this view through his talk of stories, similar to his stories that he states enabled him to win the love of his wife. This correlates to McEvoy’s view that Othello ‘lives according to a set of stories’, it is tragic that he believes these stories that won ‘thee gentle Desdemona’ will also win over society. Arguably it is not society that needs to be persuaded of the legitimacy of their love, but Othello himself as he so easily allows his mind to be poisoned by Iago; thus contributing to the tragedy of the play as a whole.