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Work on, my medicine, work!

OK, so if Iago says this (Work on, my medicine, work), then is he suggesting that by deceiving Othello he is somehow 'curing' him? Or is 'medicine' in this case the same as poison? hmmmmmmmmmm

Reply 1

louinwonderland

OP

2

These are his words just as Othello falls into an epileptic fit, by the way...

Reply 2

Fiona87

louinwonderland

OK, so if Iago says this (Work on, my medicine, work), then is he suggesting that by deceiving Othello he is somehow 'curing' him? Or is 'medicine' in this case the same as poison? hmmmmmmmmmm

This quotation is more commonly perceived to represent Iago poisoning the mind of Othello. You can link it to when Iago says he will "pour this pestilence into his ear" etc.

Reply 3

louinwonderland

OP

2

But why the word 'medicine'? Previously we've had, as you said 'pestilence', 'plague', 'poisonous mineral', erm... etc. And now.... 'medicine'. When Iago used the word before, he said something like "not poppy nor madragora shall medicine thee to that sweet slumber thou owest yesterday"... Just read something about Iago the 'cynic', who wants to destroy beauty - i thought maybe Iago sees himself as 'curing' Othello from his lofty idealistic visions of the world.

But if medicine means simply poison then I'm just talking a load of crap. lol.

Reply 4

silence

16

i think throughout the word's usage, at least in latin, medicine has been to do with healing and beneficial. although you do hear stuff today like "give him a dose of his own medicine" in a negative context.

on one hand it seems like something in a negative context, because there is clearly a bad effect on othello's health, but at the same time, with iago being so deluded (u can clearly see this by the end of the play), he could quite easily see his lies as some kind of beneficial thing with good effects.

this might be of interest though - the last paragraph http://www.willamette.edu/~blong/ShakeO/IagosControl.html

Reply 5

Fiona87

I think it can be approached in a variety of ways, but I'm very much in agreement with what has been said, linking magic to medicine, as in the last paragraph from the link above! I see it as another part of a chain of events, which gradually break down Othello. If we have to question the use of "honest", then maybe this is another case where we should question how medicinal "medicine" is.

Reply 6

louinwonderland

OP

2

Great, thanks to both of you, especially for the link silence. It seemed like an anomaly to me, but hopefully I'll be able to use the extra info in the exam.

Most appreciated, thanks :smile:

Reply 7

naystar

2

It could be some kind of appearance vs reality thing- that it appears like something to cure to Othello, hence him taking it, but it actually works like poison once inside the body. Just a thought.

Reply 8

silence

16

i don't think othello actually takes physical substances - the substances 'poisoning' him are iago's lies

Reply 9

Jelkin

17

Perhaps Iago is simply being ironic?

Reply 10

lskdgjsj

10

I'm afraid none of these answers are quiet correct. The word medicine has been used since the fourteenth century to mean a drug used for something other than remedial purposes, as a 'cosmetic, poison, philtre, &c.' [OED] Shakespeare uses the word in this way several times, in Henry IV, for instance, and elsewhere in Othello.

Reply 11

Jelkin

17

But surely you can't be totally certain that that is right - a lot of Shakespeare is personal interpretation! Since Iago also uses 'medicine' to suggest something that heals - "not poppy nor madragora shall medicine thee to that sweet slumber thou owest yesterday" - it's fairly ambiguous.

Reply 12

Jelkin

17

Obviously, I could very well be wrong - please don't be mean! :smile:

Reply 13

Jenni_Kitten

2

Well yeah, this is why this paper is all about different interpretations. If you include a variety of possibilities, you're hitting the main AO, and any argument that can be supported is considered correct :smile:

Reply 14

lskdgjsj

10

Jelkin

But surely you can't be totally certain that that is right - a lot of Shakespeare is personal interpretation! Since Iago also uses 'medicine' to suggest something that heals - "not poppy nor madragora shall medicine thee to that sweet slumber thou owest yesterday" - it's fairly ambiguous.

You've slightly misquoted that; it's "Not Poppy, nor Mandragora..Shall euer medicine thee to that sweete sleepe, Which thou owedst yesterday"; the "ever" gives it a minatory quality, quite consonant with the interpretation of 'medicine' I gave above. Yes, interpretation is 'personal', or rather subjective, but that doesn't mean one should ignore the most obvious historical interpretation.

Reply 15

Jenni_Kitten

2

svidrigailov

Yes, interpretation is 'personal', or rather subjective, but that doesn't mean one should ignore the most obvious historical interpretation.

Maybe not in general terms, for this paper it doesn't matter because it's about different interpretations; any two will get you marks as long as you justify them. One interpretation isn't necessarily more valid than another, especially as this is English not History.

Reply 16

sophieliz

12

To be honest I think you are reading to much into this word. It clearly means poison in my opinion. There is a similar case of this in King Lear when Regan Poisons Goneril and when Goneril says she is sick, Regan snidely replies: If not I'll ne'er trust medicine (poison)

Reply 17

louinwonderland

OP

2

Thanks for all your opinions people; I'm glad it raised a bit of a debate :wink:

Anyway, it seems that 'medicine' does mean poison, but it is interesting that Shakespeare used that word (which is possible ambiguous) as opposed to 'poison' or 'pestilence' or whatever. As Jenni and Jelkin said, I can always argue that in the exam anyway.

Thanks again :smile:

Reply 18

Da Bachtopus

12

svidrigailov

the "ever" gives it a minatory quality

Perhaps we should consult a Theseusaurus.

Work on, my medicine, work!

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