WordPress.com



Questions on Othello 2002(a) “In Othello Shakespeare explores the nature of social prejudice”. How far does your reading of the play support this view? You should use as a starting point for your answer a close examination of Act 1 Scene 2 (from OTHELLO: Holla, stand there”) to Act 1 Scene 3 (down to “BRABANTIO: I have done, my lord”) (b) To what extent do you agree that in Othello Shakespeare presents “women as victims of men?” You should base your answer on a close examination to two or more appropriate sequences of your choice. January 2003 (a) Remind yourself of Act lV Scene 3 of Othello, the Willow Scene. Using an examination of this scene as your starting point, explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of Emilia’s relationship to her social superiors. Does she seem to you simply to play the role of a servant or does Shakespeare also make her integral to the structure of his tragedy? (b) “Shakespeare’s presentation of Othello, in his role both as general and as husband, makes it impossible for the modern audience to sympathise with him completely”. How do you react to this view? You should include in your answer at least two carefully chosen extracts from the text. June 2003(a) “To the Shakespearean audience, the notion of mixed marriage was not just unnatural, it was evil and would be punished.” How valid does this comment seem to you when applied to Othello? You should use as your starting point examination of relevant material from the central section of Act 1 Scene 3 from the entry of Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo and Officers to when theDuke says “Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.” (b) “In Shakespeare’s day it was central to contemporary assumptions about the nature of tragedy that the tragic hero himself should be noble. That is why this is Othello’s tragedy and not, for example, Iago’s.” How do you, as a member of a modern Shakespearean audience, react to this comment on Othello? You should include in your answer an examination of at least two extracts from the text. January 2004(a) “The society for which Shakespeare was writing knew only too well that power implies the ability to make victims of individuals.” Discuss the extent to which you consider this to be the case in Othello using as you starting point Iago’s soliloquy “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” at the end of Act 1 scene 3. (b) “Despite all the social and personal pressures on him, what ultimately destroys Othello is his own impulse towards self-destruction.” Consider this view of Shakespeare’s presentation of Othello through discussion of at least two carefully chosen extracts from the text. June 2004.(a) How far do you agree with the claim that "in Othello Shakespeare portrays a society where the greatest power is neither political nor military but lies in the persuasive power of language"?You should include in your answer some discussion of the dialogue where Iago keeps advising Roderigo to "put money in your purse". It is near the end of Act 1 Scene 3, lines 298 to 376 in the prescribed edition.(b) "In his tragedies Shakespeare presents a cynical view of a world where personal relationships are inevitably destructive."How far do you consider it appropriate to apply this judgement to Othello ? You should include in your answer textual discussion which addresses a minimum of two relationships. June 2005(a) "In the world of Shakespeare's play, the greatest suffering is reserved for those who take it upon themselves to become the avengers."How far do you think this view of Othello is justified? You should include in your answer some discussion of relevant material from Act III Scene 3.(b) "Othello portrays a world that has the same conviction as our own; that stupidity is more destructive than evil."How far do you find this an acceptable view of Shakespeare's tragedy? You should include in your answer an examination of at least two relevant extracts from the text.June 2006(a) "In Othello, Shakespeare portrays a morally chaotic world in which love can be even more destructive than hate."How far do you find this an acceptable view of Shakespeare's tragedy? In your answer, you should include an examination of relevant material from Act V, scene 2.(b) It has been argued that in Othello, Shakespeare demonstrates the need of those in power to obey the social and moral conventions of the day; if they do not, the state itself becomes threatened."What do you think about this interpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy? In your answer, you should include an examination of at least two carefully chosen extracts from the play.June 2007 (a) "In the tragedies, Shakespeare portrays a society in which there is one form of morality and justice for men and an entirely different one for women."How far do you consider this an appropriate criticism when applied to Othello? You should include in your answer some detailed discussion of appropriate material taken from Act IV, scene 3.(b) "In the tragic world of Shakespeare's plays, Fate is shown as invariably siding with the most malicious."How far do you consider this a fitting comment on Othello? your answer should include some discussion of lat least two carefully chosen extracts from the text. QUESTIONSOthello & Iago:?“Othello’s foolishness, rather than Iago’s cleverness, leads to the tragedy of Shakespeare’s Othello” (2008)“It is Othello’s egotism and lack of self-knowledge, and not Iago’s evil schemes, which ultimately bring about the tragedy at the end of the play““Othello is arrogant, impulsive and violent. While Iago sets up the conditions for tragedy to occur, it is Othello, ultimately, who we must hold responsible for the tragic events which unfold““A combination of Iago’s skill, Othello’s weakness and a measure of good luck, bring about the tragedy in Othello““Iago cannot be blamed for the deaths of Desdemona and Othello““We cannot blame Othello for being fooled by Iago. Everyone else in the play, including Iago’s wife, believes that he?is honest and true““Othello and Iago are both egotists, obsessed with proving how clever and capable they are, and hell bent on revenge when they feel they have been wronged“Othello:“Othello is the principal agent of his own downfall” (1994)“Othello is essentially a noble character, flawed by insecurity & a nature that is naive & unsophisticated” (1990)“Othello is a good man who is skilfully manipulated by Iago. For this reason, despite his credulousness, we continue to feel sorry for him““Iago’s schemes succeed, not because Othello is weak, but because he is so noble““Othello is a?noble hero who loses, but ultimately regains our sympathy““We do not approve of Othello’s behaviour, yet we nonetheless pity him““Othello is not a tragic hero; he is a gullible fool““Othello is not a tragic hero. He never really takes responsibility for his errors of character and judgement”“Despite his suffering, Othello learns little of himself or of human relationships“To what extent do you agree with Othello’s assessment of himself as an “honourable murderer” who “loved not wisely but too well“?“The collapse of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is the real tragedy of this play“Iago:“Iago is the real hero of Shakespeare’s play Othello”“Iago is a likable villain”“Iago is motivated by jealousy of others good fortune and by a lust for power”“Iago is a charming villain, but it is difficult to understand his motivation”“Iago is an evil villain with no redeeming qualities““While we are repulsed by Iago’s evil, we are fascinated by his ingenuity““Iago is the most evil but also the most fascinating character in the play Othello”Desdemona:“Desdemona is not a credible character, she is an unrealistic saint who does nothing to try and prevent her fate”“Desdemona is a woman, not an angel; she lives and loves with her whole person, both body and soul”“Desdemona’s dramatic function in the play is to act as a symbol of purity, innocence and goodness but this means that her behaviour is not always entirely believable”“Desdemona and Iago are at opposite poles in the play, Othello, the one representing pure love, the other hate incarnate“. (1986)Emilia / Bianca:?Discuss the importance of the character Emilia in the play as a whole. (1994)“Women are not presented in a very positive light in Shakespeare’s Othello“Cassio:“Cassio may be a ‘proper man’ but he is also an honest fool whose weakness plays no small part in the tragic death of Desdemona”All characters:“Shakespeare’s play Othello demonstrates the weakness of human judgement” (2008)“Shakespeare’s Othello presents the very best and the very worst in human nature”“Shakespeare’s Othello presents us with a dark and pessimistic view of human nature”“Shakespeare’s Othello presents us with a dark and pessimistic view of human relationships”“In the play Othello, naive, innocent characters are no match for the evil machinations of the world weary Iago“Themes:“The destructive power of jealousy is dramatically presented in Shakespeare’s play Othello”“Shakespeare’s Othello is concerned not so much with jealousy, as with misunderstanding”“Shakespeare’s play Othello powerfully portrays a world dominated by jealousy and revenge”“Evil ultimately conquers good in Shakespeare’s play Othello”“In Shakespeare’s play Othello, we witness a profound inability to distinguish between appearances and reality”“Appearances do not mask a sinister reality in this play, yet Iago manages to convince every character that there is more going on than meets the eye”“Love and hate are presented as opposite sides of the same coin in Shakespeare’s play Othello”“Shakespeare’s Othello initially questions, but then confirms racist stereotypes”“The role and status of women is dramatically explored in Shakespeare’s Othello”Open questions:“Shakespeare’s Othello remains relevant for a modern audience”“Despite the striking portrayals of goodness and nobility, the play Othello leaves the audience with a sense of dismal despair”Style questions:“Image of animals, images of storm and images of heaven and hell predominate in Othello” (1990)?“Irony is a powerful dramatic device used by Shakespeare to heighten the tragic dimension of his play Othello” (1998)Othello contains many scenes of compelling drama. Choose one scene which you found particularly compelling and discuss why you found it so. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download