Othello



Othello

Act I Focus Questions

Act I, Scene 1: Focus on establishment of plot, character, and themes.

A. Plot focus:

1. In what ways is the opening scene dramatic?

B. Characters:

Othello and Desdemona

Read the following quotations. Identify the character and explain what each of the quotations tells you about him/her.

1. “Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,

My very noble and approved good masters,

That I have ta’en away this old man’s daughter

It is most true; true I have married her.” (1.3.77-80)

2. “Rude I am in my speech,

And little blessed with the soft phrase of speech.” (1.3.82-83)

3. “I won his daughter.” (1.3.95)

4. “ I saw Othello’s visage in his mind,

And to his honors and his valiant parts

Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.” (1.3.248-250 )

5. “Let me go with him.” (1.3.255)

Close Reading: Read and annotate Othello’s speech (1.3.128-170). What do you learn about Othello and what do you learn about his relationship with Desdemona from the speech?

“Her father lov’d me, oft invited me,/still question’d me the story of my life...”

Consider the following in your answer:

• The length of the speech and the length of the thoughts (sentences).

• The images that Othello uses.

• The content of the speech.

Close Reading: What are the characteristics of Iago’s speech (1.3.330-424) and how does this contribute to his characterization? For each of the instances below, find a quote to support your point. “Virtue a fig…Seek thou rather to be hang’d in compassing thy job than to be drown’d and go without her”

|Characteristic |Example (written, include scene and line |Comment – what does it mean? Why it is |

| |number) |important? |

|Sardonic humor | | |

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|Frequent use of oaths | | |

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|Strong rhythms | | |

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|Images of bestial copulation | | |

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|Length of speech | | |

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|Analogies and metaphors | | |

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C. Theme – Love and the treatment of women

What attitudes toward women are displayed in this act? Consider:

• True love and respect

• Misogyny

• Patriarchy

What is Roderigo’s attitude to love?

What is Iago’s attitude to love?

Iago’s Soliloquy (1.3.403-424):

“Thus do I ever make my fool my purse…"

What do we learn about his character?

What do we learn about plot?

What is the purpose of a soliloquy? How and why does Shakespeare use it within the work as a whole?

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