Following on from the beginning of Iago's plot top destroy Othello in act one : scene three, act two opens with Montano and two gentlemen awaiting Othello's arrival, scanning the stormy seas for a glimpse of the ship carrying 'brave Othello' . The anxiety between the three gentlemen emphasis's the romantic genre of act two.
Romance is a very important genre within act two.However, not direct romance (as in between Othello and Desdemona). The three men adore Othello - 'his bark is stoutly timbered'-,it could be suggested that he is their embodiment of the Greek demigod Hercules who was the illegitimate son of Zeus . Not only is Othello physically strong as was Hercules, he is also an illegitimate 'son' of Venice. Othello is seen as almost magical to the men,they believe that not even the Turkish fleet's ships could survive this storm yet Othello's will.
Perhaps the romantic genre of act two comes directly after we learn of Iago's plans in order to reinforce just how respected Othello is,thus making the audience more empathetic to Othello in the final tragedy.
Scarlett, well done, very interesting. You have analysed Act 2 as a romance, was has yielded some insightful results. However, don't forget to consider the genre of tragedy all together as this is the focus of this unit.
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