Shakespeare s use of the myth of Mars and Venus PDF

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Very useful history notes from a top uc lecturer. I took these notes using particular fonts and colour coding which is very aesthetic and easy to follow. These notes are useful for exam preparation, information for essays and to help you become an A student....

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Shakespeare's use of the myth of Mars and Venus ●

Venus and Mars short-lived love story links to Desdemona and Othello’s love and this foreshadows that it will not last. Desdemona is Venus and Othello is Mars since he is a high-ranked soldier. Moor and Mars are similar which shows the link.

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Cyprus is a mythical place which symbolizes harmonious contrariety of the contrary forces of Love, as symbolizes by Venus (Aphrodite hence Desdemona) battling the force of War, as symbolized by the god of war, Mars ( hence Othello). A perfect balance of harmony could be born, as symbolized in the myth of Mars and Venus.

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When this harmony is ignored and not reached then destruction pursues, which is highlighted by Shakespeare in Othello. Thus, this was a warning to the warrior that Love and ‘amorous sensuality’ must not overcome the force of War, otherwise selfdestructive consequences follow, such as how the warrior becomes useless. As Othello says to the Senate that when he wanted to bring Desdemona with him on the campaign that he would not let, “light-winged toys / Of feathered Cupid” compromise his military duties during the defence of Venice from the Turks.

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When the “divine Desdemona” and Othello meet after the defeat of the Turks they represent harmony being created. By arriving to meet each other separately at Cyprus this shows their symbolic connection to the gods, by how they represent Love and Strife (War) combining together to make harmony. The triumph of Love is shown by how Othello exclaims to Desdemona, “O my fair warrior!” which shows her as an armed Venus armata (Love and War combined) Thus the harmony is created and peace from war by how Othello proclaims peace for Cyprus, since the Venetians had defeated the Turks represented by Othello and Desdemona’s loving relationship at this point.

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Iago is represented by the storm which separates Othello and Desdemona. He is the “foul and violent tempest” which “speaks aloud at land” referring to how Iago had already put his plan into motion as a “ruffian” by how he had already called aloud to Brabantio after Othello and Desdemona were married, so that the storm “hath ruffianed so upon the sea.”

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Iago represents hate (Strife=war+hate vs. Love) and he embodies human natures unstable order. He believes that Desdemona will breaks this harmonic balance as Othello's and “our great Captains Captain” Thus Othello will ignore the “indign and base advisories” and he will be overcome by Love which will ruin his war-like ability and functioning leading to strife and self-destructive consequences....