The passage is taken from Act 1, Scene 3, where the Venetian senate has gathered for an emergency meeting. Cyprus is under threat from the Turkish army and negotiations within the chamber are active and alive. Portrayed in real time, where the action advances from the last scene without noticeable pause, the late hour and urgent gathering of central characters creates tension, and alerts the audience to a sense of urgency.
In relation to the background and reasons surrounding the passage, the setting of the extract also provides a sense of ‘symbolic geography’ from which Venice relates to the play as a whole (Pacheco, 2012, p.20). This is very important as it establishes where the play is set and where the action moves from and to.
In the council chambers, Brabanito, (Desdemona’s father) uses provocative language and calls Othello a thief and an abuser. He accuses Othello
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Yet, it also highlights an ironic suggestion that Othello’s ‘life experience and history are broader’ than the surrounding ‘noble and approved good masters’ (1.3 229)
In order to further develop his honesty and sincerity, Othello utilises repetition, ‘Her father loved me, oft invited me, Still questioned me the story of my life’ (1.3 127 128). This use of reiteration suggests that Brabantio had in fact welcomed Othello and indeed begged him, ‘To th’ very moment that he bade me tell it-‘ (1.3 133).
It is Othello’s exotic depictions of ‘Cannibals that each other eat’ / ‘and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders’ (1.3 142 145) that intrigues not only Brabantio, but Desdemona. It would seem that Brabantio never discouraged his daughter from listening to Othello’s stories and ‘she’d with a greedy ear Devour up my discourse;’ (1.3 149 150). This suggests that marriage was not Othello’s fault and provides a parallel reason to shift blame onto Brabantio and