The power
of words
Sounds & Emotions
in Othello
When going through Emilia’s lines in Othello I highlighted all the words that I thought essential to develop her emotional journey in the play:
Text sourced from The First Folio (Digital facsimile of the Bodleian First Folio of Shakespeare's plays)
SPEAK, FREELY
WOOED, STEAL
NOTHING, TO PLEASE
CHIDE
JEALOUS
STOMACHS, FOOD
HUNGERLY, BELCH
JEALOUS, MONSTER
HONEST
SOUL
ABUSE
WRETCH
CURSE
CHASTE, TRUE
PUREST, WIVES
FOUL, SLANDER
BEWHORED
WHORE
WEEP
HANGED, VILLAIN
INSINUATING ROGUE
COZENING SLAVE
DEVISED SLANDER
VILLAINOUS KNAVE
NOTORIOUS KNAVE
SCURVY FELLOW
LASH, RASCALS
FIE
TOUCH
HEAVENLY LIGHT
DARK
GREAT PRICE
SMALL VICE
WHOLE WORLD, PITY
HUSBAND
VENTURE PURGATORY
WRONG
FAULTS
FALL, DUTIES
TREASURES, FOREIGN LAPS
PEEVISH JEALOUSIES
RESTRAINT
STRIKE US
DESPITE
GALLS, GRACE
REVENGE
SENSE, SEE, SMELL,
PALATES, SWEET, SOUR
AFFECTION
FRAILTY, ERRS
AFFECTIONS
DESIRES
USE
ILLS
INSTRUCT, ILLS
STRUMPET
FOUL
KILLED
HELP, SPEAK
SWEET MISTRESS, SPEAK
DEED
REPORT, TRUTH
ANGEL
DEVIL
HEAVENLY, TRUE
FALSE
HUSBAND
VILLANY
LOVE
FALSE
PERNICIOUS, SOUL
LIES
FILTHY
HURT
HELP, HELP, HELP
KILLED, MISTRESS, MURDER, MURDER
DISPROVE, VILLAIN
WIFE, FALSE
VILLAIN
SPEAK, HEART, FULL
LIE, ODIOUS, DAMNED, LIE
LIE, WICKED, LIE
CHARM, TONGUE, BOUND, SPEAK
MURDERED
VILLANY
SMELL’T, VILLANY
KILL, GRIEF
VILLANY, VILLANY
OBEY
KILLED, INNOCENT
SPEAK, LIBERAL,
HEAVEN, MEN, DEVILS, ALL
SHAME, SPEAK
FOUND
HANDKERCHIEF
MURDEROUS, COXCOMB, FOOL
GOOD, WIFE
CHASTE, LOVED, CRUEL
SOUL, BLISS, SPEAK, TRUE
SPEAKING, THINK, DIE
Sounds & Emotions
in the monologue Emilia
One of the steps to develop the monologue was focusing my attention on the words, their meaning and their sounds.
Thinking about the approach that I usually apply for Shakespeare’s plays, I used the Emotional Alphabet* to create Emilia’s journey through sounds.
Rhythm and sound given by the words’ consonants and vowels, guided me to feel the language and understand its power.
Writing sounds and words I connected physically and emotionally to Emilia consequently allowed me to create a starting point to then develop each line.
* The Emotional Alphabet was part of a Shakespeare workshop led by Kelly Hunter and attended at East 15 during our first term.
PROMISE
BROKE
TRUE
RULE
OBEY
FLESH
BLOOD
WORDS
FEELINGS
SPEAK
WRONGED
INNOCENT
LOVE
RUINED
FED
ROTTEN
HANDKERCHIEF
KILLED
VILE
TREACHEROUS
BLADE
REVENGE
BETRAYED
FREE
HATE
HURT
WORSHIP
ANCHORED
DARK
LIGHT
FIRE
SPARK
PASSION
DESIRES
NEEDS
ROOTED
SILENT
CHOKE
SWALLOW
SHAME
SPEAK
ACTIONS
CONSEQUENCES
ALIVE
DIFFERENCE
THINK
IGNITE
EVOLVE