lit 1 final essay

Language

that shapes the world

Literature I - Germán Dondo

Contents

Introduction..................................................................................3

On language and storytelling........................................................4

The Play and its characteristics as a storytelling device................6

Othello, a pawn of words..............................................................7

Conclusion and analysis..............................................................12

Bibliography................................................................................13

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Introduction

Words often are used to describe and catalogue the world around us, in order to enable us a direct mean of communication with our peers. Words also provide us the framework in which the world exists, for if there is no way of naming something, then there is no way of acknowledging its existence. The shaping of one’s world is the prime artifact of storytelling, bringing forth images of real events, historical retelling and most of all, products of the mind that are loaded with fantastic and improbable events. The ability to conjure unreal situations is what engages us humans in the retelling of these stories, for it is by delving in our own fantasies that we can project and astound others into sharing the worlds that we created.

This power of shaping is not to be abused, for it would lead to ruin as is best portrayed in William Shakespeare’s play “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” in which a Venetian General is thrust upon a carefully constructed world of lies and misconceptions which eventually proves to be his undoing. We will analyze in the following paper the causes for Othello’s unfortunate destiny and the part that words play in his tragedy.

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On language and storytelling

Language is a marvelous human construct. It allows us to send and receive all kinds of information back and forth, share our knowledge and discoveries, document our history and important events and, if our skill with it is good enough, communicate with other generations that are far ahead in the future. Language is also one of the first devices that allow us to express coherent ideas, rather than use gestures or sounds (as babies do) to convey an emotion that is decoded mostly by empathy instead of a pre-established code like words and their meaning. As we grow older, so does our language. We start joining and connecting new meaning to some words, collecting new words for our use, thus expanding the many ways in which we can use language to convey the world that surrounds us. Its flexibility even allows it to portray fictitious scenarios in order to entertain, marvel and instruct about certain aspects of the human soul.

Storytelling is a long sought craft and it is linked to humanity since the dawn of time, allowing us to tell and retell the exploits of mythical heroes that are loaded with fantasy and adventure but also strife and grief. These heroes are often pitted against constant challenges so they can rise above the common man in order to succeed on their quests and finally, achieve eternity in the mind of humanity as they become immortal in the stories of their exploits. Storytelling was once regarded as factual history, due in part to the inseparable association between the orally-transmitted tradition and the narration of the tales of an imaginary character. Since they shared the “stage”, that is to say, the campfire and its symbol as a place of gathering and knowledge; it was often hard to tell fact from fiction, especially in the dwelling of the supernatural and the mysteries of the world. Eventually, each discipline took different paths down the road and the distinction between them was clear.

Despite this turn of events, the art of storytelling evolved in such a way as to be employed in teaching the morals of society and imparting wisdom on all kinds of different topics. The evil stepmothers of fairy tales are often portrayed as such in order to uplift the role of one’s true family. The mischievous youngsters that

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trick and deceive their elders often get a just punishment, be it from a deity, a turn of events or a twist of Fate.

Words had always been powerful agents of change. Ancient law sometimes demanded that the speaker placed a sworn oath in the form of speech while holding his genitals, so if they spoke falsely, their words would condemn their offspring to ruin. Such is the power of words in shaping our world.

For the story to be of any lasting characteristic, it must be portrayed with skill by its teller. No matter how big, fulfilling or heartwarming the story may be, it will fail to deliver its message if the one that is shaping it fails to do so with intensity. A story is not the mere sum of its plot, characters, devices and conclusion but it is also its tone, its environments, its colors and its portrayal of human emotions, for that is what makes a great story; a testament of emotions that breaks through time and space and deeply moves anyone and everyone, regardless of their race, creed or social standing. Stories always ask to let them take us to their realm, where sometimes its rules and conventions remain similar to our own and some other times common sense and rules of conduct fail to be acknowledged as we do. This particular aspect of storytelling is, in essence, creating a new world in order for our story to live in and run its course. With the use of our language and a pinch of imagination, we craft vast lands and villainous plots to keep our protagonists occupied, and our listeners engaged in the action.

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The Play and its characteristics as a storytelling device

As we discussed in the previous chapter, a story must accurately convey every possible aspect of the environment that surrounds the plot and characters while also providing some means of transition between events and situations. The theatrical play is also full of “conventions” that allows us to suspend our disbelief for the duration of the story. Characters often refer to things they perceive and give the audience a fair share of their experiences in order to keep them engaged and attentive to the character’s environment. Things like ships that dock or armies that amass at the gates of a city are too large to represent and are often not the focus of the action, just a mere piece of scenery that one must keep in mind but not expressively see all the time. These devices came from the early ages of theatrical representations of religious nature, as the events often described were either proofs of divine power too costly to reproduce or set pieces that could not be possible to even hint at. Theatres were also taking great chances with some of their plays, so they tended to skim on set pieces and scenery in general. These factors taxed the medium to provide its own device for the representation of such things.

Theater enthusiasts were thus well versed in these conventions, and could follow the action with the cues provided by the actors directly to their audience. This is a fine example of a play portraying a world for us where we will see events taking place, characters falling in love or committing heinous crimes. Actors would often “break the fourth wall” in order to share a piece of their mind with the audience, which in turn became an accomplice of said character’s actions. Really engaging plays had often had their own public trying to stop the chain of events that had been set in motion as they sometimes felt so deeply a part of the play’s universe than their inaction was the direct cause of the tragedy and only in revealing the hidden plot to the protagonists could they set things right for him.

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Othello, a pawn of words

Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, perhaps due to the fact that it portrays an amazingly close representation of jealousy and its dire consequences. Every aspect of the play is brought forth to light as a direct link to the jealous nature of its main protagonists. Although the play is named after the black man in charge of Cyprus defense, it would very well be named after his “most esteemed” friend Iago, who is the true shaper of the story. In this drama that sets us in Venice, in a period of war with the Turks, we see Othello as a master strategist who is revered by the Venetian nobility for his skills in warfare, tactics and the continuing defense of Venetian assets in the long war. It’s been almost 9 years of uninterrupted war between the two nations and Othello is perhaps the only one who can keep the enemy at bay. The play thrusts upon us the description of the titular character by no other than Iago, one who is supposed to be one of Othello’s closest friends and one of his longest-serving officers in the war. Iago exalts his skills in warfare and service but resents his choosing of lieutenant and closest advisor in the figure of Michael Cassio, a younger and less experienced officer according to Iago, who states that he long craved the position of lieutenant for himself. Thus we are set on listening to Iago’s rambling to his acquaintance Roderigo and his plan to oust him to his lover’s father Brabantio, a Venetian senator and powerful political figure in the city. Thus they present to Brabantio the most lewd images of his daughter being ravaged against her will by the Moor (a derogative term for a black person, since the color of their skin was associated with the Spanish peninsula invaders who were thought to be barbaric in nature). Again, Desdemona’s father is struck with such harsh portrayal of his loved daughter than he takes to the street with the intention of incarcerating Othello without even the right to a trial.

It turns out that Othello and Desdemona were married in secret due to this very fact that repulsed her father, thus her daughter could never get his consent to the union. In the very senatorial chamber and in front of the Duke of Venice and the entire nobility he claims that Othello has worked his dark magic upon fair Desdemona to revel in her purity and corrupt her body and mind to do his bidding. Again, this is the world that was thrust upon poor Brabantio’s mind by

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the shrewd words of Iago, who was aiming to hurt Othello due to his jealousy fit.

Having brought truth to the matter at hand by giving testimony, Desdemona sets the record straight by her own word and embraces her beloved in front of everyone, as to cement the finality of such union and reminding her father that her duty now lies with her husband. Her father then reluctantly accepts the new son-in-law but warns him of the power of Desdemona’s character in hiding her feelings. This product of a father’s hurtful remorse for being duped by his own daughter will come back with a vengeance and what is thought as an expectable reaction from Brabantio, who felt wronged, will prove to be one of the stones in her own daughter’s grave. This aspect of words and their power of change is what marvel us in storytelling. It could be said that Shakespeare used a device called foreshadowing in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that will come later in the story.

Roderigo, who is in love with Desdemona, is devastated by the news. Threatening to commit suicide he confides with Iago; who, through his diminishing of Roderigo’s plight is able to convince him to join the party that is to sail away to Cyprus and be ready to woo the lady Desdemona when she tires of Othello’s company. Iago’s ability to dissuade a lovestruck Roderigo is another piece of the board that will come into play later on. Suffice to say that Iago’s portrayal of love as a silly emotion shows his sociopathic characteristics early on.

After setting the record straight, the entire company of men embarks to Cyprus after receiving an intelligence report that states that a Turkish army is setting sail to that island. Othello is appointed its governor and sent immediately to the island in order to prepare its defenses. His wife, maid in company (Iago’s wife), lieutenant and orderlies depart with him.

The action then shifts to the coasts of Cyprus, where the guards posted overlooking the ocean spot the coming of Othello’s ships(by the way they fire their guns saluting the stronghold, a naval code that declares good intention without the use of words). Othello then proceeds to arrange the island defenses, patrols and other matters of his office while the men get settled in their assignments. Soon, the audience is informed that the Turkish fleet has been routed due to being struck by a heavy storm that forced them to retreat. Thus the soldiers rejoice and start holding festivities to the impromptu victory to a stronger foe.

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Tensions recede to give way to joy and celebration. Alcohol and celebration go hand to hand and soon enough, everyone is at the doorstep of drunkenness. Iago then sets in motion a plan to discredit the newly appointed lieutenant, having Cassio get drunk even after him stating that he cannot hold his liquor, then setting Roderigo to make a rude comment upon his person as to instigate Cassio to violence. The plan works as expected and Othello is forced to intervene to settle the dispute. He asks of Iago for his testimony, in which he omits his participation in the turn of events. Skillfully, he portrays a false intention to protect Cassio, knowing that Othello would see into his ruse and think that Iago was being light in Cassio’s involvement on the fight. He then is forced to destitute Cassio of his lieutenant status and has his command revoked. This sets Cassio in the lowest of moods, who then confides with Iago. The artful manipulator sets Cassio on the path of Desdemona, as he thinks that she will be able to persuade the Moor to change his mind. What Cassio does not suspect is that he also has become another piece in Iago’s master play.

Cassio and Desdemona start holding meetings as to discuss the matter of Othello’s willingness to forgive him. Iago then gets Othello as a confident, since the Moor has found him to be most true and honored. Iago works his venom into Othello’s mind; twisting every single gesture of his beloved against her and making her seem as promiscuous as a courtesan. Othello then demands for “ocular proof”, for he knows that words alone cannot make him hate his beloved. Iago then provides said “proof” by skillfully playing his wife into acquiring Desdemona’s handkerchief, which was the first gift of Othello’s courtship, and places it in Cassio’s room. Then, as he tricks Cassio into stating his lustful intentions with another woman while holding said handkerchief, Othello who was spying on them instantly holds this as evidence of his wife’s treachery.

Iago keeps poisoning Othello’s mind from time to time, while also letting him brood and find connection in Desdemona’s actions by himself because he knows that his magic has taken hold. He painted a mere outline and Othello himself is the one filling in the blanks with whatever color he pleases. Othello keeps building up his feelings of jealousness, turning to aggression against Desdemona in public, even in front of her family. The transformation of Othello in the eyes of Desdemona is unbelievable, so is this that she believes him to be taken ill with some strange disease. Eventually, Othello vents his anger by smothering of his wife with a pillow, having previously plotted with Iago for him to kill his wife’s lover Cassio.

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Roderigo confronts Iago and threatens to abandon the pursuit of Desdemona’s love. Iago proceeds to convince him of killing Cassio, since he will be appointed governor of Cyprus thus enabling Othello and Desdemona to leave the island, far from his reach. Roderigo blindly charges Cassio and they fight, resulting in both of them wounded. Iago intervenes by striking Cassio in the leg while also avoiding identification as the perpetrator. He then joins a group of people who heard the noisy battle as to help Cassio. When Cassio identifies Roderigo as the attacker, Iago kills Roderigo in order to avoid him confessing to his intentions and blaming him for manipulating everything up to this point.

The ending of this tragedy takes place in Othello’s bedchamber. Emilia, Iago’s wife, arrives to inform Othello of the events of that tragic evening when she discovers the body of Desdemona in bed. She then calls for help and everyone arrives, including Cassio and Iago. Othello then proceeds to state his accusation of infidelity on his wife and provides the handkerchief for evidence. Only then does Emilia realize everything and accuses her husband of treachery, exposing him and his web of lies in front of everyone. Iago then kills his wife for shattering his carefully crafted intrigues. Othello, realizing Desdemona's innocence, attacks Iago but does not kill him, saying that he would rather have Iago live the rest of his life in pain. For his part, Iago refuses to explain his motives, vowing to remain silent from that moment on, as if the power of his twisting words was suddenly snuffed. Lodovico, a Venetian nobleman, apprehends both Iago and Othello, but Othello commits suicide with a sword before they can take him into custody. At the end, it can be assumed, Iago is taken off to be tortured, and Cassio becomes governor of Cyprus.

Why do we state that Othello is a pawn of words? Perhaps his willingness to believe Iago comes from the bond that often forms between men-at-arms, a brotherhood forged in the fire of battle that cannot be easily mistrusted since one and the other are bound to protect each other from the foulest harm that comes from war. He does not doubt that one as Iago, who most likely had shed his blood for him as surely as he did so. It is the initial stage of the play in which Iago confers with Roderigo about the cause for his distress- that one of his closest friends had chosen another less qualifies than himself is a direct affront to Iago and a deep wound on his prideful soul. Othello, in the innocent act of “naming” Cassio, providing his title, using words to elevate Cassio’s position in society has thus set in motion his own undoing. That one gifted with the power of prose as Iago is set upon a path of destruction is something to quietly admire in its cruelty. How does he manage to thwart Othello’s happiness is a tragedy

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worth of our unconditional pity for everyone involved. It can bring us to tears as Othello smothers his loving wife with a pillow, thus closing forever the passage of air and the production of her last words, words that could have saved her should she had not found herself at a loss on the situation that developed without the possibility to be averted. Othello even knows that, should he allow his wife to speak, she would charm him to stop his actions. He fears the hold of her words in his mind, so he arranges for it to be a silent death. Words also undo every single redeeming quality of Othello’s character, since he will most likely be portrayed from that moment on as an impulsive and jealous husband while forgetting that his actions kept Venice in fighting shape to face its adversaries. Thus he passes on to immortality as a flawed character, but also one that is filled with a torrent of human emotions. That the most prominent of those was jealousy is not his fault, but his eternal teaching to us, his witnesses.

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Conclusion and analysis

As the play comes to an end and the actors get ready to take their final bow, we are left wondering on the fate of those that did not die at the end of the tale. How their lives will carry on after witnessing such narrative of what was supposed to be a romance and happy ever after tale turning sour at the exposure of a base human emotion, strong in its wake, a powerful green-eyed demon as Iago calls it that corrodes the mind and body whilst undermining reason and common sense. We are sure that Cassio’s rule over Cyprus will be fair and just, being that he himself was the victim of poor self control and scheming ill-intentioned people such as Iago. Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, will most likely succumb to his sorrow of losing that which was most precious to him. He will be affected the most by the turn of events without even being on the island. The Duke of Venice will see his domains in dire need of assistance, since his go-to man has perished to his own weaknesses, and will perhaps be forced to retreat in order to secure other important aspects, like stable trade lines or valuable resources. An entire nation is brought to its knees by the heavy blow that is the loss of Othello. Iago has thus changed every single Venetian’s life with his words; he has brought up an age of strife for Venice, a word with the power to change the world.

Iago’s scheme is even brought down with a few words, changing his own machinations for the worse as his wife shatters his castle of cards and pays dearly for doing so. Should she remained silent, she would have averted Othello’s suicide and kept the Moor alive to command Venice defense.

And all of this images of sorrow come to us by the powers of words alone, since we know not if the story is based on actual events or Shakespeare merely told us of a world in his own mind, where the characters are inherently good save for a single, crippling flaw in their behavior. Every single character in the play is not real, but their emotions, which turn into our own, are as real as Desdemona’s love for her husband, even to the end.

The words from stories can and will shape our world, because there is not a single story in human history that fails to deliver some sort of emotional response. And thus, by being moved in such a way, our world will never be the same.

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Bibliography

William Shakespeare Complete Works – Edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen

Othello (Updated edition) – Edited by Norman Sanders The invention of the human – Harold Bloom Shakespearean Tragedy (Othello) - Bradley

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