The cold streams ran by him, his eyes wept apace; O willow, willow, willow! The salt tears fell from him, which drowned his face: Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. The mute birds sat by him, made tame by his mones; O willow, willow, willow! The salt tears fell from him, which soften'd the stones: Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. Let nobody blame me, her scorns I do prove; O willow, willow, willow! She was borne to be faire; I to die for her love: O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland. 73. A joint-ring was anciently a token of troth-plight between lovers, like the piece of broken gold in the Bride of Lammermoor. Dryden has a minute description of it in his Don Sebastian :— "A curious artist wrought them With joints so close as not to be perceiv'd; · Yet are they both each other's counterpart: (You know these names are theirs,) and in the midst A heart divided in two halves was plac'd. Now, if the rivets of those rings enclos'd But, if they join, you must for ever part." ACT FIFTH. 11. A quat, in provincial could be made to smart. Scene I. usage, was a pimple, which by rubbing Roderigo is called a quat in the same manner that a low fellow was vulgarly termed a scab. To rub to the sense is to rub to the quick. Scene II. 1. Othello's act is caused by her supposed crime. Herein alone he finds his self-justification. 2. Steevens declares that there is " no classical authority" for chaste stars. But Othello has authority as good, perhaps, as classical, in the supposed unchastity of his wife, which is the cause of his present purpose, and which the purity of the stars withholds him from naming in their presence. No classical authority! The phrase itself is classical now. 21. this sorrow's heavenly:-Is of heavenward tendency. 65. A murder, etc. :-Some editors have managed to stumble at this passage. The language is indeed compressed, but the meaning seems clear enough. Othello goes about the killing of his wife as an act of religion, and he fears lest her perjury may excite his anger, and so corrupt the deed into an act of revenge. This is Johnson's explanation: "Thou hardenest my heart, and makest me kill thee with the rage of a murderer, when I thought to have sacrificed thee to justice with the calmness of a priest striking a victim." 82. Being done, etc. :-Othello regards the act as done, when the conflict between his love and honour is fully over, his resolution finally taken, and his hand raised to strike. To admit any pause in such a case, were but to prolong the suffering of the victim. 88. So, so:-At these words, the Othello of the stage is made to stab Desdemona. There is no such direction in any of the old copies; but still the stage-custom may be right; as, in the agony of the moment, and in his desire " not to have her linger in her pain," Othello's resolution not to shed her blood might be overcome. It seems more natural, too, that Desdemona should speak after being stabbed than after being smothered to death. 183. charm your tongue :-To charm is to still or hush as with a charm. Pliny informs us that favete linguis was the constant exclamation before any charm was applied. From this circumstance the phrase to charm a tongue, may have originated. 192. I thought so then :-That is, when she gave Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago; for even then Emilia appears to have suspected it was sought after for no honest purpose. 212. A thousand times:-An indefinite number. See a hundred times, III. iii. 292. 239. Strictly speaking, Iago cannot be called a notorious vil lain, as his villainy was not known. The meaning is egregious, as in IV. ii. 140. 253. The way of tempering steel is by plunging it red-hot into cold water; and the colder the water, the higher the temper attained. Steevens has shown from Martial and Justin that in Spain the waters of the Salo and the Chalybes, being remarkable for coldness, were used in tempering swords. As Toledo blades were famous all over Europe in the Poet's time, he might easily learn that they were of the ice-brook's temper without going to classical authorities. 286. I look down towards his feet:-Alluding to the devil's fabled cloven foot. Othello looks down towards Iago's feet to see if he has that sign of being a devil, but then concludes that he may be just as much a devil without it. 347. Coleridge remarks upon this passage: "Othello wishes to excuse himself on the score of ignorance, and yet not excuse himself to excuse himself by accusing. This struggle of feeling is finely conveyed in the word base, which is applied to the rude Indian, not in his own character, but as the momentary representative of Othello's." Whether Shakespeare meant an allusion to any particular story of an Indian, or to the Indians as generally described, is not quite clear; probably, the latter. Thus in Drayton's Legend of Matilda: "The wretched Indian spurnes the golden ore." So again in The Woman's Conquest, by Sir Edward Howard: "Behold my queen, who with no more concern Ile cast away then Indians do a pearl, that ne'er did know its value." 352. Aleppo:-It is said to have been immediate death for a Christian to strike a Turk in Aleppo. 361. Spartan dog:-The dogs of Spartan breed were among the most fierce and savage. Questions on Othello. 1. What is known of the early editions of Othello; of the date of its composition? 2. What can you say of the original stage Othello; of the sources of the plot? 3. What is the duration of action in this play? ACT FIRST. 4. How was Venice ruled at the time of the play; what was the office of Duke of Venice; that of Senator? 5. What was the Council of State; why had it been convened? 6. What of the Cyprus wars to which Iago refers; what was the Sagittary? (About 1470 Cyprus, the scene of the entire action of Othello, was annexed to Venice, and it continued under Venetian rule until about 1571.) 7. Where does Iago first make known his hatred of Othello; what cause was there for that hatred, as shown by Iago? 8. What impression is made by Iago's estimate of himself? 9. How account for Othello's influence over Desdemona; for Brabantio's reference of Desdemona's submission to Othello to witchcraft? 10. Describe Shakespeare's general treatment of witchcraft; how far does it reflect the superstitious mind of his age? II. Does the character of Roderigo include the sense of honour; what led him to hate Othello? 12. Why should Othello speak in the same passage of the Cannibals and the Anthropophagi? 13. With a timorous disposition, as appears later, how does Desdemona in this Act speak for herself so boldly? 14. Was Othello a negro? What answer to this is suggested by his calling himself (III. iii. 263, 387) black? What do we know of the Moors of that day? 15. Give a brief summary of the characters and action of Act I. ACT SECOND. 16. What are the conditions under which this Act opens? 17. What purpose is served by introducing the Turkish fleet and its destruction? 18. At first impression, what sort of a man is Cassio? 19. When Iago, in the soliloquy which ends Sc. iii., declares Othello to be of a constant, loving, noble nature, does Iago show that he is capable of compunction? 20. Interpret this soliloquy as a whole. 21. What does Cassio think of drunkenness? Relate his experience of it. How are we affected by his repentance? 22. How do you regard Iago's account to Othello of the incidents following Cassio's indiscretion? 23. What part does Iago wish Cassio to play; what part Roderigo? 24. How in this Act does Iago treat Roderigo; why? 25. Analyze the closing lines of Sc. iii. 26. What performance follows the purpose here outlined by Iago? 27. How does Desdemona impress Cassio? 28. Give a brief summary of Act II. ACT THIRD. 29. Interpret the opening of the Act-Clown, musicians, etc. 30. What does the Clown mean by his question about the instruments having been in Naples? 31. What tragic sequence does this light action prelude? 32. Outline the character of Emilia. 33. Did she understand her husband? 34. Do you gain any definite idea from Iago's speech to Othello (Sc. iii. 144-154); what does Othello understand from it? 35. What is the meaning of this (Sc. iii. 165-167) ?— "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on." 36. Was Othello justified in attaching such weight to the words of Iago beginning, She did deceive her father, marrying you? Was Desdemona's conduct in the matter cited reprehensible? |