Othello - Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library 209). Act 5, scene 1 In the dark streets of Cyprus, Roderigo attacks Cassio, who, uninjured, stabs Roderigo. The main reason Iago gives for plotting to destroy Othello is a suspicion that Othello may have had an affair with Emilia. He is horrified when, soon after, he discovers the suspicions Othello has had of him and the extent of Iagos villainy. Dive deep into the worlds largest Shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. A gallant, courteous gentleman, perhaps too gallant with the ladies at time, he has been friendly with Othello for some time, and acted as a go-between for him and Desdemona. Not always a negative trait to possess, the passion he exhibits is a passion for life, of enjoying every moment and living in the present, as evinced by his rollicking romance with Bianca, his cajoling with Iago, Montano, and the men of the watch, and his overall pleasantry with his superiors and the ladies around him. GratianoTodd Scofield Convinced by Iagos arguments, he takes his hopes of reinstatement to the lieutenancy to Desdemona. Desdemona pleads to Othello on Cassios behalf. Questions & Answers Why does Iago hate Othello? When sober, however, he is friendly with everyone, though he compares people to what he has known in Florence. Othello then appoints Iago to the lieutenancy. When Desdemona enters and Othello complains of an aching head, Desdemona offers to bind his head with her handkerchief. Othello - Act 5, scene 1 | Folger Shakespeare Library Iago acknowledges to Roderigo that Cassio knows not the division of a battle (I, i, 23), is without practice [in] all his soldiership (27), and is in, the opposite vein, a philosophizer, a great arithmetician (19). Janet Alexander GriffinArtistic Producer Michael Cassio - Wikipedia This observation demonstrates that these three main traitsgrandeur, self-control, and nobilityare key to understanding Othello's complex character, and even more helpful in understanding the contrasts between him and his subordinates. OthelloOwiso Odera BrabantioJeff Allin Cassio Character Analysis in Othello | SparkNotes As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice. Cassio leaves hastily in order to avoid speaking with Othello. Cassio is a young Florentine officer in Venice's army. Both men, too, have wounded reputations, but the different ways they choose to handle their situation shows the foil technique playing beautifully. Cassio approaches her, but she must now, because of Othellos anger, postpone her efforts on his behalf. Spencer, Theodore. Analyze the character of Michael Cassio in ''Othello'' by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare and the Nature of Man. With these opposite characteristics presented, Cassio might, at this point, seem more of a second antagonist to the hero. Emilia picks it up and gives it to Iago, who has often asked for it. Michael Cassio Timeline and Summary. He presents a moral balance, both positively and negatively, to the Moors own morality and sense of duty and justice, ultimately providing the audience with an exceptional character whom they can identify with and admire for his loyalty and steadfastness to his beloved leader and friend. She agrees. As Spencer says, Othello appears to all the world as a man who is not passions slave (128). Her anxiety about it increases when Othello asks her for it and then sternly rebukes her when she cannot produce it. Is all his soldiership. This news enrages Brabantio, who organizes an armed band to search out Othello. Cassios heritage and background, by contrast, remain a mystery; all one knows of him is gained from Iagos description of him as a Florentine who knows little of his trade and who holds a mistress (I, 1, 20). A prostitute Bianca sincerely lovers him. 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Barbara A. Mowat andPaul WerstineEditors, Folger Editions, In partnership with Simon & Schuster Audio. 1.1 Iago announces that Othello has recently chosen Cassio for his second-in-command. Cassio is a young Florentine officer in Venices army. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1949. Where will you that I go / To answer this charge? (I, i, 83-85). Cassio has physical beauty and grace; Othello has calculating finesse and wisdom. He is naive, incapable of holding his liquor, and has a hair-trigger temper when drunk. At Iagos suggestion, he and Roderigo, a former suitor to Desdemona, awake Desdemonas father to tell him that Desdemona has eloped with Othello. Harold Bloom goes so far as to say that Othello has a touch of Shakespeares Julius Caesar in himthere is an authentic nobility in the language of his soul (Bloom 445). His treatment of women depicts a slovenly attitude with romance, one that thinks of women as more of a plaything or passing fancy; this is highly contrasted with Othellos legitimate love and appreciation for women on the whole. Learn about the building renovation and start planning your visit. Katharine PittProduction Assistant Othello, hearing Cassio cry out, thinks that Iago has killed him, and departs to murder Desdemona. Moreover, the views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of Student Pulse, its owners, staff, contributors, or affiliates. Who is Cassio in Othello? - IvyPanda 5.1 Cassio's minding his own business when Roderigo tries to attack him. Find teaching resources and opportunities. Once the wars are done, he is named Governor of Cyprus by the Venetian Senate. Cassio, in the end, seems to represent the better man, the higher sophisticate in Othello's mind than his own self. Like many of the other characters in Othello, Cassio - another of Iago's victims - can be viewed from different perspectives. Othello has chosen him to be his lieutenant. Like Othello, Cassio offers himself as a loyal countryman, never anything but your servant (III, iii, 9). By the end of the play, he has realized that Iago is responsible for Desdemona's death, and he helps Othello understand Iago's treachery. Deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence. Cassio - PlayShakespeare.com He warns Othello against becoming jealous of Desdemona. But he slips into the role of a foil character through his similarities as well as his differences. Iago assures him it's a normal thing and asks to talk to him later. His emotional Dear general, I never gave you cause, (V, iii, 209) reveals his true heart despite the boyish immaturity that marks his character. Advertisement Characterisation Cassio Othello: Advanced - York Notes 1.2 Cassio shows up with a message to Othello from the Duke: get over here. Othello: Questions & Answers | SparkNotes While intelligent, he is not cunning, and Iago easily ensnares the unwitting Cassio in a plot to convince Othello that Desdemona has cheated on him with Cassio. Cassio arrives with orders for Othello: Othello is to meet with the duke and senators of Venice about a Turkish invasion of the Venetian colony of Cyprus. 2nd ed. Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=163, Walker, Veronika. Othellos is also a very self-controlled character. Othello - Act 3, scene 3 | Folger Shakespeare Library The hardships of his enslavement and the experiences of war have made him a calculating, reserved leader who looks at a situation from every angle, who never acts rashly or without understanding all sides. Iago suggests that Cassio turn to Desdemona to convince Othello to re-hire him. Cassio is described as Othello's "honourable lieutenant," and he is given this rank over Iago. Cassio. While Othello has to go back to Venice to get punished for killing his wife, Cassio gets to take his (military) position in Cyprus. Charlie Pilzer andAirshow MasteringRecording 3.1 Iago goes to Emilia and asks to be taken to Desdemona. Desdemona, still actively seeking to have Cassio reinstated, is worried about the loss of her handkerchief. Desdemona pleads to Othello on Cassio's behalf. Brabantio and his armed band come to seize Othello, who persuades Brabantio to accompany him to the duke, where Othello has been summoned and where Brabantio can present his case against . Cassio approaches her, but she must now, because of Othellos anger, postpone her efforts on his behalf. Othello then appoints Iago to the lieutenancy. All rights reserved. He can only neglect her rather than think of marrying her. Returning home from Biancas one evening before taking up his new position, he is set upon by a Venetian he does not know, and badly wounded. 3.3 Desdemona agrees to help Cassio get his job back. , Walker, Veronika. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero While some would argue that his murder of Desdemona is anything but self-controlled, the attack on his wife is an extremely calculated and planned one, as Othello seeks to rationalize his decision, slanting the proposition in the form of an execution of a strumpet, instead of the murder of an innocent. Other parts were played by members of the cast. Read a character analysis of Cassio and examine his significant quotes in the play. Jessica WitchgerMusician for introduction and closing music "Michael Cassio as a Foil to Shakespeare's Othello." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 2(02). 2.3 After Iago gets him drunk, Cassio fights with Roderigo, and then with Montano, who's just trying to calm him down. As he waits, Bianca, his lover, appears. Iago then leaves, although Roderigo asks him not to go too far in case he needs help killing Cassio. Critical approaches to Othello | The British Library In the streets of Venice, Iago tells Roderigo of his hatred for Othello, who has given Cassio the lieutenancy that Iago wanted and has made Iago a mere ensign. Cassio beats him off, but Iago secretly wounds him from behind. His presence and bearing, as previously noted, denote a majesty and nobility that is unfound in the common man, as noted by his subjects and subordinates. Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Contact, "All the World's a Stage": Shakespeare's Theatrum Mundi of Romance, The Role of Minor and Ephemeral Characters in Shakespeare's, The Perennial Perversion: Idolatrous Self-Worship in, Unity in Virginia Woolf and Hannah Arendt: Creating Reality in the Insensitive and Inaccessible, The Relationship Between Gender and Trauma in Donna Tartt's, The Past is Female: Exploring the Socio-Sexual Liberation of Historical Women in Carol Ann Duffy's, Fragile Aesthetics: The Problematics Behind Thomas Gainsborough's Landscape Paintings, Going in Circles: Temporal Mobility and Migrant Agency in Hamid's. It is left to him to decide what punishments will be inflicted on the man. One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damned in a fair wife, That never set a squadron in the field, Nor the division of a battle knows. In Act I Scene 1 we are offered a belittling portrait of him by the envious ensign; he is an inexperienced soldier, a mere arithmetician (I.1.18) who has been promoted beyond his deserving. Our doors are reopening in Fall 2023! Cassio, in the end, seems to represent the better man, the higher sophisticate in Othellos mind than his own self. Disclaimer: content on this website is for informational purposes only. Michael Cassio in Othello | Shmoop (Othello, overhearing, thinks they're discussing Desdemona.) RodrigoLouis Butelli Cassio then acts as an expansion of this similarity to Othello in the final scene; Othellos sense of justice has been manipulated and disintegrates into a desperate sacrifice of the one he loves to a perverted justice that has been twisted by the evil Iago. Iago positions Roderigo with a rapier (a type of sword) in a place where he will be able to ambush Cassio. As they exit, the handkerchief drops unnoticed by either of them. 1.1 Iago announces that Othello has recently chosen Cassio for his second-in-command. In his opening speech to the Venetian court, he reveals his ancestry and his original state as the king of the Moors. Cassio has found Desdemona's handkerchief in his room (placed there by Iago) and he asks Bianca to copy the embroidery work for him. Cassio in Othello by William Shakespeare - Study.com Like Othello, Cassio finds himself pitted against a slight on his reputation, but unlike Othello, Cassio pleads only the truth: that he never intentionally injured his beloved captain.