Act 1 Scene 1

Technique

Aspect of
Belonging
Racial prejudice,
lack of belonging
based on color

Quote

his Moorships
ancient Iago
(1.1.35)

Racial
adjectives,
description

Iago shows his

scorn for
Othellos race by
associating him
with lower class
citizens.

Belonging to self

I follow him to
serve my turn
upon him

Foreshadowing,
Metaphor

Iago serves
himself and his
own purpose and
foreshadows the
beginning
metaphor of the
master/servant
relationship.

visages of
duty
- Iago (1.1.42)

Link

Introduces a
major theme in
the play
duplicity
superficial face
(metaphor of
Iagos persona)
Belonging to self
instead of
society

In following
him, I follow but
myself. Heaven
is my judge, not
I for love and
duty, but
seeming so for
my particular
end

Foreshadow,
Duplicity
seeming and
being

Expression of
Iagos creed that
echoes and
anticipates
Iagos last words
to Othello.

I am not what I
am
Iago (1.1.60)
Racial prejudice,
lack of belonging
based on race

An old black
ram is tupping
your white ewe
your daughter
and the Moor
are now making

Iago reveals his

capacity to hide
his feelings and
motives so his
actions dont
reveal them.

Juxtaposition,
black and white
imagery, Animal
imagery

Othellos race is
indirectly
mentioned with
the imagery of a
black ram
(himself) and a
white (a colour

the beast with

two backs

that is
associated with
purity) ewe
(Desdemona).

-Iago (1.1.90)

This statement
compares
Othello to an old
black ram
which introduces
both animal
imagery and the
racial
connotation of
black versus
white. In
reducing Othello
to a
ram, Iago
demotes him to
a beast
Lack of
belonging to
society

Tying her duty,

beauty, wit and
fortunes. In an
extravagant and
wheeling
stranger of here
and
everywhere
-Roderigo
(1.1.135)

Exclusive
adjectives

Roderigo
expressed to
Brabantio that
his daughter is
now in the hands
of a stranger as
she married
Othello who
clearly doesnt
fit into Venetian
society.
Othello as an
African Moor in a
Eurocentric
society makes
him the
marginalized
other