What textual evidence from Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello shows the storm symbolizes forthcoming turmoil for the main characters?
The question of whether to read an event in a narrative as symbolic or literal is not one with a straightforward solution. Because Shakespeare died four centuries ago and left no written guide to his works, we cannot know what he intended. Even worse, in dramatic works we do not have a narrator to guide us through the story, only the voices of individual characters. Adding more complexity is the fact that many narrative elements can function on both real and symbolic levels. What textual evidence means in this context is close analysis of individual quotations to prove your point.
In the case of the storm, the strongest argument for its being symbolic would be that there is really no need in the plot for the Turkish fleet to be destroyed by the storm. For the plot to focus on the conflict between Iago and Othello , the Turkish fleet could...
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be delayed, or just not mentioned except as a distant threat. The lack of plot necessity for the storm suggests that it serves a symbolic purpose.
There are a few quotations you can use to support this claim. For example:
DES. I thank you, valiant Cassio.
What tidings can you tell me of my lord? ...
CAS. The great contention of the sea and skies Parted our fellowship.
But this same Cassio, though he speak of comfortAgain, the tempest is described as not only destroying the Turkish fleet, but separating the Venetians. This seems to imply that the physical storm acts to foreshadow the events and emotional storms (Othello's rage and Iago's duplicity) that will shatter the social environment.
Touching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly,
And prays the Moor be safe; for they were parted
With foul and violent tempest.
What does the storm symbolize for the main characters in Othello?
Incorrect perception is a theme within the play which is illustrated by the storm.
The destruction of the Turks lulls the characters into a false sense of security: the enemy is dead, therefore they can rejoice and celebrate. However, the Turks are not the real enemy - it is Iago and his evil machinations. The idea of judging by appearance, as happens with Othello, himself, is revealed to be flawed. Iago is trusted by many, not just Othello. Desdemona is revealed to be more wilful than her father anticiated, and Emilia puts her mistress before her husband when integrity demands so.
The literal, external storm that destroys the Turkish fleet seems to promise peace, safety, and happiness for most of the people on Cyprus. However, it is the figurative, symbolic storm inside of Iago that leads to tragedy for many different characters. Like the external storm, Iago is an agent of chaos and disorder. The external storm destroys the pagan Turks; the storm personified by Iago destroys many of the play's most admirable Christians. The external storm destroys the ambitions and reputation of the Turks as great military figures; the chaotic storm personified by Iago does much the same to Othello.
What does the storm that kills the Turks symbolize for the main characters in Othello?
My view is that the storm, while symbolic, is not quite as significant as the battle itself between Venetians and Turks, which represents the culture-clash theme at the heart of the play.
Othello himself, though an outsider—the Other—has given his loyalty and service to Venice. At the time Othello takes place, the principal conflict in which Europe as a whole was engaged was with the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, which was seen by Europeans in the same way the U.S. viewed the Soviet Union after World War II, as a threat to civilization and the survival of the western world.
This culture clash is mirrored in the internal conflict between Othello himself and the Venetians. Iago exploits the xenophobic and racist tendencies of the Europeans to bring about Othello's downfall. The juxtaposing of this bigotry with the civilizational clash between west and east (Europeans and Turks) is the irony at the center of Othello. In spite of his having become their military leader, the Venetians still do not trust Othello. At the close of the tragedy Othello again references the clash between cultures in saying that "In Aleppo once," he had killed a Turk who "traduced the state." Othello then kills himself, having been defeated by the very forces within the European society his union with Desdemona could have symbolized the defeat of.
The storm is a kind of pathetic fallacy that mirrors the jealous storm that will brew inside Othello once on Cyprus. There is much geographical symbolism in the play: Venice is represented by Iago, that which is white, Christian, civilized. Turkey is represented by Othello, that which is non-white, non-Christian, uncivilized. And Cyprus is represented by Desdemona; she is the island caught in the middle. She is the key to victory--whoever claims her, controls the Mediterranean, controls the island. Obviously, this is a sexist gender war. So, the storm is a symbol of Iago and Othello's battle to claim Desdemona. It is, as you mentioned, a symbol of destructive love, ambition, and reputation all by the males aimed at the females (Emilia and Bianca too, don't forget).
The storm is also a red herring; the Turks were such a worry to the Venetians in Act I. The Duke calls a special session of the Senate to discuss the war. In Act II, just as the battle begins, it ends--as if a God willed the Turks dead, a Deus ex Machina. So, Othello mistakenly thinks the war is over, but it is really just beginning. All of Venice in Act I was worried over the Turk (a representation of the dark side of Othello), and Othello thinks the Turk is no longer a threat. After his victory in court in Act I, Othello thinks of himself as part of the white, Christian, civilized world. He does not realize that Iago is exposing his darker half by preying on his jealous rage. Instead of fighting a conventional war with the Turks, Othello will fight a domestic war, and so the storm foreshadows the destruction to come. In the end, the storm (jealousy, hubris, sexism) destroys all.