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Act III, scene iii: The garden of the castle.ĭesdemona decides that she wants to advocate for Cassio. Othello gives Iago some letters that need to be delivered back to Venice, which Iago is in turn supposed to give to a ship's pilot who is sailing back to Venice. By this point,"honest" has become tainted by its over-association with Iago it has no simple meaning and is a watchword for shady dealings. It is therefore ironic that he refers to Iago as "honest", since Iago is the complete opposite of everything Cassio is. However, the clown in Othello does not reappear he has less personality than Feste, if only because he gets just a brief appearance.Ĭassio seems to be one of the only "honest" people in the play he discloses his plans, his thoughts, and his concerns to Iago, omitting little or nothing. The fool-figure receives money, then goes to do his bidding this is a common set-up for comic relief.
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As in Twelfth Night, a man entreats a servant to fetch someone hither but since the servant is a clown, there is a bit of frustration and word-play before anything is done. The minor comic relief that is present is reminiscent of Feste's wit in Twelfth Night. Both of these differences make Othello one of Shakespeare's most focused, intense tragedies. Also, there are no subplots running through Othello, as in most Shakespearean plays. Even Hamlet had Polonius and the gravedigger to lighten up certain scenes, but in Othello, there is no relief from the tragedy that unfolds. Othello is unlike other Shakespearean dramas in that there is a scarcity of comic relief, which only appears briefly at the beginning of this short scene. Emilia comes out, and bids Cassio to come in and speak with Desdemona about his tarnished reputation. Iago enters, and Cassio tells him that he means to speak to Desdemona, so that she may clear things up with Othello. The third act begins with a bit of comic relief a clown is mincing words with a few musicians, then has a little wordplay with Cassio, who bids the clown to go and see if Desdemona will speak with him. Buy Study Guide Act III, scene i: Before the castle.
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