Othello Terms

Allegory: A narrative that has 2 meanings one literal or surface meaning and the other
metaphorical (the characters and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities
An example of this is Othello's speech right before he kills Desdemona. Literary he is talking
about killing her but he metaphorically talks about blowing out a candle.

Allusion: Any reference, direct or indirect, to a person, place, event, or character in history,
literature, mythology, etc
Iago alludes to the roman god Janus, when talking to Othello.

Catastrophe: The concluding action of a tragedy, where the principal character meets with
death or other significant defeat.
The catastrophe in Othello is when Othello kills himself after he has injured Iago.

Catharsis: Purgation or purification of the emotions of pity and fear from the viewing of a
tragic drama
Emilia pities Desdemona after Othello starts mistreating her.

Characters: Living beings in a work of fiction

Othello and Desdemona are characters because they are in a work of fiction.

Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident or speech in the course of a serious fiction or
drama
Comic relief is seen in Othello when the clown shows up in act three.

Conceit: An ingenious and fanciful notion or conception through an elaborate analogy

showing striking parallel between two dissimilar things.

Iago uses this technique when yelling at Brabantio. He compare Desdemona and Othello to
animals.

Connotation: The suggested or emotional meaning of a word as compared with its

dictionary definition
This is seen when referring to Othello's race. Iago drops the word black into conversation about
Othello to see if people pick up on it and reveal what they really think about Othello.

Context: The setting or frame of reference in which an event takes place

The context for Othello is a play.

Effect: The impression made by a literary work on a reader or society

The effect of Othello warns readers against the dangers of jealousy and deceit.

Hamartia: The tragic flaw or error of judgment

Hamartia is present when Roderigo decided to trust Iago to help him court Desdemona.

Invocation: An address to a god or muse whose aid is sought

An Invocation is used when Emilia Wants the serpent's curse put on Iago.

Socratic Irony: Pretending to be ignorant when in fact the character is being cautious or
tentative
Iago pretends to be ignorant when Othello asks him about the fight between Cassio and
Montano, when Iago is really being cautious so people won't find out that he is manipulating
them.

Verbal Irony: Contrast between what is stated and what is suggested

Iago uses verbal Irony as a manipulation technique when trying to get Othello to confess his
insecurities. He says things like "think" showing that he states that he doesn't know what is
happening when he is really suggesting that Desdemona is a cheater.

Mood: The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the words images situations in a
literary work
The mood at the end of the play is somber.

Plot: The action that which happens in a literary work

The plot can be used to prove the theme of Othello.

Complication: smaller actions or events which confound and compound the original
problem
Roderigo wanting his money back was a complication.

Crisis: The turning point for better or worse in a play

Othello being shown "proof" of Desdemona cheating was a crisis.

Climax: A point of high emotional intensity often the protagonist and antagonist clash for
the last time
Othello discovering that Iago made him kill Desdemona for no reason was the climax.

Denouement: Falling action, the conclusion of a plot, the resolution

Othello stabbing Iago then killing himself was the denouement.

Recognition: The moment at which a chief character recognizes the happy or awful truth.
Everybody learning that Iago manipulated then was recognition.

Reversal: The thrilling change of luck for the protagonist at the last moment
Emilia revealing Iago's involvement with the handkerchief was his reversal.

Setting: A combination of locale, historical period, season or hour, and spiritual, ethnic and
cultural background
The locations and the time period in Othello are part of the setting.

Tone: The writers or speakers attitude toward his subject, audience, or himself
Shakespeare's tone in Othello is ironic.

Tragedy: A serious fiction involving the downfall of a hero or heroine

Othello is a tragedy.

Tragic Flaw: In a tragedy, the defect in the hero that leads to a downfall
Othello's trust and jealousy are his tragic flaw.

Tragic Irony: the most noble and most deserving person, because of the very grounds of his
or her excellence, dies in defeat.
Emilia dying was tragic irony.

Simile: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a
different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid
Emilia is as important as Desdemona is a simile. It is also an understatement.