Alternative transcript:

from him, as a result he may be feeling a sense of shame which is reflected in his choice of speech. Alternatively, it could be suggested that Othello's shift in attitude and persona is an attempt at manipulation. Othello is seemingly desperate to claw back his position of power, and while he was evidently the victim of lago's tricks, it can be assumed that Othello has learnt some aspects of manipulation from his experience. It is already clear that Othello's character has changed significantly since the beginning of the play which is perhaps down to the decline of his reputation due to the contextual insecurity of cuckoldery. In the wider play, the idea of professional jealousy is presented through lago's character. This can be linked to the sin of envy and sets the series of tragic events of the play into motion. lago primarily envies Cassio as he has been promoted by Othello to a position that lago has coveted, however he is also suggested to be envious of Cassio's 'superior' manners and social status. lago states that Cassio must be destroyed as the 'daily beauty in his life // That makes me ugly'. lago acknowledges his fear of losing power to another man and excuses the actions that he takes as a result of this anger which is created. By using the adjective 'ugly' to describe his own thoughts of revenge, Shakespeare highlights the harmful and destructive consequences of jealousy. He also showcases how the contextual fear of losing nobility in Renaissance Venice has a direct impact on many people around lago, and the insecurity of loss of power becomes the root cause for all the events which unfold. Another insecurity highlighted was that of infidelity and cuckold which is a key theme spread throughout the drama. In Othello's public monologue, Shakespeare uses the metaphor 'Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away' in order to possibly emphasise Othello's naivety to 'throw' away his relationship. The 'pearl', we assume, represents Desdemona, who throughout the tragedy, is viewed as a valuable asset to Brabantio and then to Othello. Further suggesting that Desdemona is objectified by the Venetian society and Othello, reflecting the patriarchal beliefs of that time. The noun 'pearl' has connotations of rarity and luxury, portraying Desdemona as precious - increasing the audience's distaste for Othello as he lost Desdemona due to uncertainty and jealousy surrounding cuckolderey. This contextual fear was prevalent in Renaissance Venice - men were extremely concerned with their honour and if their wife were to cheat they were deemed a 'cuckold' and consequently, their reputation shatters. Shakespeare arguably plays on this weakness to portray how pride can cloud one's judgement, leading to the downfall of even the most well-respected people, like Othello. Othello's sexual jealousy, which can be seen throughout the drama, is a response to feelings of genuine love as he has been manipulated by lago into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. lago also conveys sexual jealousy towards his wife Emila, however instead of acting on impulse he remains somewhat calm and calculated when acting on his suspicions which are fueled more from a fear of losing honour instead of love. This perhaps suggests that jealousy follows on naturally from hatred for his character. lago's sexual jealousy is prompted by rumours that 'the lusty Moor // Hath leaped into my seat' This further suggests that jealousy is prompted from competitiveness and possessiveness. We see this repeated when Othello's overpowering insecurity of infidelity takes hold, whereby he cannot bear the idea of Desdemona's 'stolen hours of lust' and he feels that he has been 'robbed' by Cassio. Unlike lago, Othello's jealousy is presented to be the flipside of his boundless love towards Desdemona which poses the debate of whether Othello's act of murder is more justified and in a sense more nobel. Both Othello and lago share covetousness: both have lost possession of something that they held dear and are both therefore feeling overwhelming fear despite the reasoning behind this fear contrasting greatly. A final fear which develops throughout the drama is that of otherness which heavily stems from the racist ideas that manifested themselves throughout Western civilisation at the time. At the end of his speech, Othello finishes with a sinister tone, contrasting with the calmer start. He states that he 'took by the throat the circumcised Dog, // And smote him thus.' This is significant as the description and focus on 'throat' mirrors the way Othello murdered Desdemona as well as creates a violent lexical field along with the verb 'smote' - the past tense of smite which means to strike sharply or heavily. By giving Othello a spiteful and aggressive end, Shakespeare adds to the drama while also signifying his desire to be remembered in a positive light. Othello essentially puts on a performance to make himself appear heroic, of which he was to a certain extent due to his participation in many battles. On top of this, Othello' internalised racism comes into light again as he references his Islamic background in the phrase 'circumcised dog' despite stating that he is a Christaian earlier on. However it could be suggested that he is attempting to prove his Christian credentials by mocking and turning his back on his previous beliefs, again to perhaps win over the favour of Lodovico once more. He repeatedly mimics the beliefs and values of Western culture, portraying how he is trying up until the very end to fit in with the Venetians and remove his 'otherness' within his identity. Despite his efforts, the Venetians still see him as an 'other', Shakespeare may have done this to showcase how no matter what actions he carries out, he will always have a disadvantage due to the prejudice that is placed upon him because of his racial background. Overall, in the tragic drama, insecurity is presented to be harmful and destructive. It is the foundation of the series of events within the drama, creating a snowball effect which perhaps highlights to the reader that jealousy and fear intoxicates the mind and causes a lack of judgement.