In Act 1, Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft to win his daughter Desdemona’s heart. He cannot accept that his daughter willingly married Othello and resorts to racist insults, believing that Desdemona would never choose him on her own accord. When Othello is brought before an “ad hoc” court of law for surreptitiously marring Desdemona, Brabantio essentially accuses him of using “witchcraft” as a means.
Brabantio believes that Othello must have enchanted Desdemona because he cannot accept that. In his first encounter with Othello in the play, Brabantio claims that Othello must have used witchcraft to manipulate Desdemona and get her to elope with him. Othello does not really deny being a witch, but instead qualifies his magic, explaining to the senators that he is not a witch.
Iago tells Othello that Brabantio badmouthed him, and persuasive techniques are used on Roderigo, Othello, and Brabantio. Brabantio is not able to have Othello arrested, but he accuses him of using magic and drugs on his daughter. His reasoning is that Othello’s blackness makes him such a powerful figure.
On May 19, 2022, Brabantio is convinced that his daughter has been bewitched and accuses Othello of subduing his daughter with the arts of witchcraft. When Brabanzio finds out that his daughter, Desdemona has married Othello, he accuses Othello of using witchcraft to make Desdemona marry him. This declaration is significant because witchcraft was a capital crime and the law on this topic was indeed “bloody”.
Othello is convincing in his defense of not using witchcraft to woo Desdemona, but the story of the Egyptian woman in Act 3 makes it appear that Othello was lying. The witch trials of Elizabethan and Jacobean England were a means to seize and consolidate both governmental and clerical power.
📹 Othello – Play Summary
Set in Venice, Italy, Othello is a tragedy written by Shakespeare in 1603. Adapted from a story by Italian writer Giraldo Cinthio, the …
What does Brabantio accuse Othello of using to seduce Desdemona?
Brabantio and his companions arrive on the scene, threatening Othello with violence and accusing him of using sorcery to seduce Desdemona. They argue that she would not have married him voluntarily. Brabantio requests the arrest and imprisonment of Othello, but places the Duke’s emergency meeting above these concerns.
What is the reason that Brabantio does not like Othello?
Brabantio’s animosity towards Othello is rooted in his status as his son-in-law. This is due to the fact that, during that historical period, individuals of African descent were perceived as inferior. Iago, a character in the play, offers support for this perspective by ridiculing Brabantio for allowing Desdemona to marry a black man.
Who accused Othello of witchcraft?
In Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, Brabantio accuses his son Othello of witchcraft.
Why does Brabantio tell Othello not to trust Desdemona?
The Duke uncovers Brabantio’s suspicions that his daughter, who was presumed to have been enchanted with magical potions, was reluctant to wed such a man.
How does Brabantio view Othello in Act 1?
In Act 1 of Othello, Brabantio suspects that Othello has used witchcraft to force Desdemona to marry him. This leads him and his men to search for him. Upon locating Othello, Brabantio levels accusations at him, claiming that he has wrongfully taken his daughter as his bride.
Why is Brabantio jealous of Othello?
In the text, Brabantio is partially jealous of the Moor for stealing his daughter’s love, while Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and slightly jealous of her relationship with Othello. Roderigo struggles with his hidden feelings for Desdemona and easily follows Iago’s directions due to his jealousy of Othello’s relationship with Desdemona. Iago reveals his plan of destruction, which includes jealousy as the key factor, by setting up an affair between Desdemona and Cassio.
What does Brabantio think of Othello?
Brabantio is displeased with Othello for eloping with his daughter, despite the fact that their marriage was the result of his resentment towards Othello’s race, rather than his actual character.
Why does Brabantio accuse Othello of witchcraft?
Brabantio charges Othello with the use of sorcery and magical potions to influence Desdemona’s decision to marry him.
Who accuses Othello of seducing Desdemona with witchcraft?
The roles are reversed, with Brabanzio accusing Othello of witchcraft and his own daughter blaming him for deceiving her father.
Who is most to blame for the tragedy of Othello?
Iago’s relentless manipulation in the tragedy significantly undermines Othello’s moral strength and faith in Desdemona, regardless of his motives.
Why is Brabantio convinced Othello used drugs and spells on Desdemona?
Brabantio’s perspective is shaped by a negative view of Othello and the assumption that Desdemona could love him of her own volition. This leads him to believe that the Moor has used drugs and spells on Desdemona.
📹 What’s the point of Brabantio?
A brief exploration of the significance of this character in ‘Othello’
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