SOLILOQUY AS AN INSTRUMENT OF

CHARACTER PAINTING IN OTHELLO

SOLILOQUY MEANS TALKING TO ONES SELF. During the Elizabethan tie!
!"lil"#u$ %a! regar&e& a! an "r&inar$ but a '"n(enient %a$ ") i*arting in)"rati"n t"
the au&ien'e "r ") &e(el"*ing the a'ti"n ") the *la$.
The real )un'ti"n ") !"lil"#u$ i! !el)+anal$!i! "r !el)+re(elati"n i.e. t" bring "ut the inner
!*ring ") an$ 'hara'ter *arti'ularl$ the her" ") the *la$. In Othell" there are !e(en
!"lil"#uie! ") Iag" , t%" ") Othell". In the )ir!t !"lil"#u$ A't I- S'ene iii- Iag" re(eal! the
!e'ret! ") hi! in&. .e tell! u! the *lan ") h"% he i! g"ing t" re(enge u*"n Othell" )"r
a**"inting /a!!i" an& *a!!ing hi "(er the *"!iti"n ") lieutenant. .e tell! u! h"% he
%ill !et b"th /a!!i" an& 0"&rig" "n De!&e"na- t" !er(e hi! *ur*"!e. Thi! !"lil"#u$
)urther "))er! u! an in!ight int" Othell"! 'hara'ter+h"% h"ne!t- g""&- !i*le an&
un!u!*e'ting he i! an& h"% ea!il$ he '"ul& be &u*e& b$ an$b"&$.
The !e'"n& !"lil"#u$ ") Iag" 1A't II- S'ene i2- i! n"thing but an elab"rati"n ") hi! )ir!t
!"lil"#u$- an& thr"%! !"e )re!h light u*"n the inner nature ") Iag". .e enti"n! that
he lu!t! )"r De!&e"na an& %ant! t" get %ith Othell" 3%i)e )"r %i)e4 be'au!e !"e %a$
"r the "ther it ha! g"t int" hi! in& that Othell" ha! !le*t %ith hi! %i)e Eilia.
The thir& !"lil"#u$ A't II- S'ene iii2 - th"ugh !h"rt $et *re*are! the au&ien'e )"r hi!
'"n!*ira'$ again!t /a!!i" 5 %h" he %ant! t" &i!gra'e an& &i! #uali)$ in the e$e! ")
Othell" b$ a6ing hi &rin6 an& a6e hi '"it a &i!gra'e)ul a't- *arti'ularl$ %hen
he i! a!!igne& %ith the 7"b ") 6ee*ing the %at'h "(er the /$*ru! an& al!" ")
aintaining *ea'e an& "r&er in the 'it$.
The )"rth !"lil"#u$ ") Iag" 1A't III- S'ene iii2 "))er! a gli*!e int" the !e'"n& !tage ")
Iag"! '"n!*ira'$ again!t /a!!i" an& Othell". .ere Iag" %ant! /a!!i" t" *re!!
De!&e"na t" *lea& hi! 'a!e be)"re Othell" %hi'h %ill in turn inten!i)$ Othell"!
!u!*i'i"n ab"ut her in)i&elit$ an& %ill 6ill b"th De!&e"na an& Othell" an& thi! i! %hat
ha**en! at the en& ") the *la$.
The )i)th !"lil"#u$ ") Iag" 1A't 8- S'ene i2- re(eal! h"% Iag" i! g"ing t" *"i!"n the ear!
") Othell" again!t /a!!i" an& De!&e"na. Thi! !"lil"#u$ !h"%! Iag"! 6n"%le&ge ")
huan *!$'h"l"g$- nael$ i) Othell" )in&! De!&e"na! han&6er'hie) in /a!!i"!
han&- he i! b"un& t" !u!*e't that De!&e"na ha! !"e illi'it relati"n!hi* %ith /a!!i"
an& thi! !u!*i'i"n lea&! t" the trage&$ ") the *la$.
The !i9th !"lil"#u$ i! "ne ") the !h"rte!t !"lil"#uie! ") the *la$ but it i! #uite !igni)i'ant
be'au!e %hen Othell" )all! int" a )ainting )it &ue t" hi! )it! ") anger- !"rr"% an& hatre&-
Iag" !a$! t" hi!el) that an$ a )""li!h hu!ban&! li6e Othell" 'an be ea!il$ le& t"
!u!*e't the in)i&elit$ ") their inn"'ent %i(e! li6e De!&e"na.
The la!t !"lil"#u$ ") Iag" re(eal! hi! )urther *"i!"ning the in& ") Othell" again!t
/a!!i" an& De!&e"na %hi'h le& t" Othell"! "!t &anger"u! &e'i!i"n+ur&ering b"th
/a!!i" an& De!&e"na.
The )ir!t !"lil"#u$ ") Othell" "n "ne han& re(eal! hi! blin& tru!t an& "n the "ther han& it
!h"%! the !ee&! ") !u!*i'i"n ab"ut De!&e"na! in)i&elit$ . %e )in& h"% Othell"
be'"e! '"n!'i"u! ") hi! a&(an'e& $ear!- he i! te*te& t" belie(e that %i(e! ") !u'h
en 'ann"t be )aith)ul t" their hu!ban&!.
The !e'"n& !"lil"#u$ ") Othell" i! "!t !igni)i'ant an& "!t *atheti'. .ere Othell"
hang! bet%een hi! %ea6ne!! )"r De!&e"na an& !u!*i'i"n an& 7eal"u!$ again!t her
in)i&elit$. Thi! !"lil"#u$ i! "ne ") the "!t *ain)ul an& i! a *!$'h"l"gi'al !truggle %hi'h
the huan in& 'an ne(er thin6 ") %ith the *a!!ing th"ught.
Thu! %e 'an !a$ that !"lil"#u$ hel*! u! in un&er!tan&ing the *la$ greatl$.