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othello

othello. by William Shakespeare. Who would you trust?.

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othello

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  1. othello • by William Shakespeare

  2. Who would you trust?

  3. Othello is based upon the universal theme--love. with its “relentless emotional grip” on its audience Othello has never gone out of fashion like some of Shakespeare’s other plays. This is a tragedy based upon the destruction of a noble man and his marriage due to passion, hatred, envy, revenge and jealousy. Shakespeare also focuses on the theme of appearances vs. reality, showing just how ironic these two opposing elements can be. • THIS PLAY IS THOUGHT TO BE WRITTEN BETWEEN 1603 & 1604, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS FIRST PERFORMED IN FRONT OF JAMES I, WHO CAME FROM SCOTLAND TO RULE ENGLAND AFTER THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH I BECAUSE SHE DIED WITHOUT AN HEIR TO THE THRONE. THE PLOT IS TAKEN FROM A COLLECTION OF TALES BY THE ITALIAN WRITER GIAMBATTISA CINZIO GIRALDI (1565)

  4. CHARACTERS • You see, it is kind of complicated...

  5. THE ESSENCE OF THE PLAY • Has the Bard depicted human nature skillfully? • Is Othello’s character credible and true to life? • Do soldiers really behave as such? • Is the Othello a noble hero who is brought down by a devil? • Or is Othello flawed and self-regarding rather than inherently noble; perhaps weak and inadequate? • Does Iago operate without adequate motivation? • Is Iago bad, because he is bad? • Or is he an example of typical stage Machiavel who personifies rationality, self-interest, hypocrisy, and cunning, expediency “policie”? • Is Desdemona sheer goodness and purity, whose self-control and innocence are praiseworthy?

  6. THEMES • Jealousy vs Trust • Men & Women • Race & Color • Appearance vs. Reality • Difference & Outsiders • Love

  7. IMAGERY • Poison, Corruption & Disease • Hell and the Devil • Animals & Insects • The Sea & Military Heroism • Black & White

  8. LANGUAGE & STRUCTURE • Blank Verse & Prose • Dramatic Structure--claustrophobia & Tension • Irony

  9. Act 1Glossary

  10. ACT I, SCENE I • Setting: a street in Venice at night • Roderigo is displeased with Iago because he did not come through on his part of the bargain; convince Desdemona’s dad to allow him to marry her. Instead he finds out the Desdemona has defied her father and married a moor. Roderigo is now indignant that his money has been wasted. • Iago tries to restore Roderigo’s faith in him by telling him how much he hates Othello, for he has passed over Iago in promoting to lieutenant, by appointing Cassio instead. Now Iago wants revenge • This when Roderigo wakes up Brabantio to tell him his daughter had eloped.

  11. ACT I, SCENE I • The mood of this scene is one of conflict, intrigue and confusion • Othello is never really mentioned by name, so the audience is unclear as to who or what is causing all the conflict; the moor • Iago’s character is established in this first scene as being a “self-serving deceiver” and he looks like a mercenary taking money from Roderigo even though he knows Brabantio does not think Roderigo suitable to marry his daughter. He also is a cynical malcontent. • Iago is crude and unable to understand love or loving relationships. He has no tolerance for man who wears his emotions on his sleeve • Iago actually admires men who can exploit their masters and line their pockets by pretending to be honest and trustworthy.

  12. ACT I, SCENE I • Take a look and determine what Animal Imagery is used here and how it is used. Discuss your findings • Review Iago’s words one more time. What can you detect about his character by the why Shakespeare has him speak? What effect does this have on Roderigo? How does Iago manipulate him? • What effect do his words have on Brabantio? What is Iago able to accomplish here? • He loves to create chaos and trouble but also knows how to escape blame or trouble. Determine when we first learn about this “talent” of Iago’s. • Dramatic Irony exists in heaps throughout this scene. What are a few examples?

  13. Close Study: Act 1, Scene 1 • 1.What does the language of the lines 1-7 reveal about the moods and attitudes of Roderigo and Iago? • 2.Look at Iago’s language in lines 8-65. • *What does he reveal about himself by what he says and the tone and style he adopts? How does he reveal his attitude to the Moor? To Michael Cassio? • *How do you think Shakespeare might want us to react to Iago at first? • 3. How are Iago’s words in line 67-77 a response to Roderigo’s preceding remarks? How do they affect the impact of the play at this point? What is Iago’s advice? What are his tone and attitude? • 4. Lines 74-81. Roderigo says he’ll “call aloud”. What is Iago’s advice about how to do this and its implications? Why do you think Iago joins in? • 5. Lines 82-118. What can you tell of Iago’s attitude and intentions from the language and imagery he uses to describe the Moor and Brabantio’s daughter and their activities?

  14. Close Study: Act 1,Scene 1 • 5. (cont.) What responses to this situation does Brabantio show during the passage? • 6. Lines 119-139. What approach does Roderigo adopt to answering Brabantio? What language and imagery does he use to describe the Moor & Desdemona and their activities? How does this affect Brabantio? • 7. Lines 139-143. What is the impact of this reaction of a father to his daughter’s “revolt”? • 8. Lines 143-158. • why might Shakespeare have decided to have Brabantio exit at this point? • how does Iago’s explanation of his departure affect our view of him? • what do we learn about the Moor here? • 9. Lines 159-182. What does Shakespeare reveal about the state of Brabantio’s mind here? How does he do it? What do you think are Brabantio’s most significant thoughts about his daughter and the Moor? How is he reacting to her absence? Has the attitude towards Roderigo changed at this point? Can you determine why that would be?

  15. Scene 2 Act 1Glossary

  16. Close Study: Act 1,Scene 2 • Look at Iago’s first words in the scene. What is he saying? Why is he saying it? How is Shakespeare developing his portrayal of him? Look at key words and phrases. • What is the impact of Othello’s speech—only five words—after Iago’s speech? • In line 3, Iago says he lacks “iniquity”. In line 9, he speaks of the “little godliness” he has. Why does he speak like this?

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