Othello - Act 1 Scene 3

What do we learn about views towards foreigners/moors?
Othello is labelled as 'the moor', 'thick lips' and 'foul thief' until scene 3 when he is referred to by his first name by the Duke. This shows that black people did not get the respect they deserved, even Othello who provided Venice a great service. Although Othello is recognised for his title as being the General of Venice, the colour of his skin indicates that he is not normal to the other characters in the play, leading them to make all kinds of assumptions such as when Brabantio accuses Othello of 'withcraft' for stealing Desdemona away from him. This is an example of Othello being labelled as a mystical negro stereotype because Brabantio cannot imagine Desdemona would choose him out of her own choice.
Additionally, the audience learns that black people were an object of curiosity to white people when Othello describes how he met Desdemona. He explains how Brabantio invited him to 'question' him about his life story. This suggests that he was not invited of an accord of friendship but more of an accord of interest in the unknown. This can relate to the present day when people are asked about their past by others, but we do not single out black people in this way.


What is ironic about Othello's claim that "rude am I in my speech"?
This occurs in the scene when Othello is admitting that he has married Desdemona. 'Rude am I in my speech' would suggest that you speak plainly and are unskilled in speaking which is something you would expect from someone who is living in a foreign country instead of their own. Othello says this as if to sound polite and to pardon himself incase he says anything offensive whilst being in court as he gives the impression that he is not good at confrontation, however his speech has quite the opposite effect. He manages to persuade the Duke and the First Senator as they believe what he is saying. It is the most ironic because he told Desdemona of his stories which evoked pity as he 'often did beguile her of her tears'. This means that she wanted to marry him because of the stories he told her meaning that he must be very good at speaking, thus adding irony when he says he is not.


What is startling about Othello's decision to let Desdemona speak on his behalf?
Othello is set in 1603 which was a very strong patriarchal society where women were known to be seen and not heard and where men had the dominance. The fact that Othello lets Desdemona defend him; 'let her speak of me before her father' suggests that Othello trusts her dearly and knows that she will not speak badly of him. This was rare because men would usually control their wives completely but Othello does not do this so that he can prove his innocence. Perhaps he does not seek to control Desdemona (in Act 1 Scene 3) because he is different to the other characters because of his race.


Using the Thinking question ('Othello's tragedy is that he lives according to a set of stories through which he interprets the world - an ideology - but it is a world that has been superseded. He cannot see that this is so, and the contradictions within his ideology destroy him. He is living the life of a chivalric warrior in a world run by money and self-interest'), what 'stories' does Othello tell in his speech to the senate?
Othello tells of his exciting adventures of travelling to different countries, battles, sieges and of his tragedy of being 'sold to slavery' and how he managed to escape from it. He tells of stories that normal Venetians could only dream to imagine and he submits himself to the Object of curiosity stereotype through this. He also explains how Desdemona fell for all this, and he could be doing this in hope that Brabantio and the Duke would pity him also and let him off.
He tells of the contradictions of what it means to be a great soldier - dignified and bravery against violence and jealousy. He basically lists out his downfall without realising it.