Othello - lk115.k12.sd.us



Othello NAME_________________________________

Act 4

1. What trick does Iago use in Scene 1 to show Othello “proof” of Cassio’s affair with Desdemona?

Iago tells Othello to observe him while he talks to Cassio about Desdemona.  Meanwhile, Iago explains to the audience in an aside that he will question Cassio about Bianca, a prostitute who dotes on Cassio.  Othello hears Cassio's comments about Bianca and assumes he is making degrading comments about Desdemona.

By chance, Bianca enters and returns Desdemona's handkerchief (that Iago placed in his chamber).  Iago later points out to Othello that Cassio gave the handkerchief to "his whore."

2. Why did Othello strike Desdemona in public?

Desdemona's innocent references to Cassio slowly build until Othello snaps and strikes her.

She first talks to Lodovico about the rift between Cassio and Othello. Othello, pretending to read the letter from Venice, responds to her sarcastically.  Desdemona then mentions to Lodovico the love she bears Cassio, as Othello becomes increasingly angry.  Finally, she says she is "glad" when she finds out that Othello has been ordered to Venice, and Cassio will be in charge of Cyprus.  This last statement provokes Othello to strike her.

3. Who is Lodovico and what message does he bring to Othello?

Lodovico is an official from Venice.  He brings Othello a letter commanding him to return to Venice, leaving Cassio in charge of Cyprus in his place.

4. How does Iago explain Othello’s behavior to Desdemona?

Iago coldly assures her that Othello's "humor" is due to some business of state.

5. What does Iago try to persuade Roderigo to do at the end of Scene 2?

Iago tries to persuade Roderigo to kill Cassio.

He explains that Othello and Desdemona are planning to travel, leaving Cassio in charge of Cyprus.  If Cassio is "removed," they will not be able to leave.

Iago plans to visit Cassio at Bianca's and see that he leaves between 12 and 1.  This will provide Roderigo with the opportunity to kill Cassio.  Iago says he will be nearby to help Roderigo.

Roderigo demands "further reason" for killing Cassio before agreeing to Iago's plan and Iago agrees to supply it.

Who said it and what does it mean?

6. “My lord has fallen into an epilepsy.”

Othello has fainted, after Iago reminded him of the handkerchief and referred to Cassio and Desdemona in graphic sexual terms. In this quote, Iago lies to Cassio about Othello's unconscious state, saying that he had also had a "fit" yesterday and would recover shortly.

When Othello "falls in a trance" in this scene (one of Shakespeare's rare stage directions), it can be seen as symbolic of his tragic fall from greatness.

7. “She gave it to him, and he hath giv’n it his whore.”

Iago fuels Othello's jealousy by telling him that Cassio gave the handkerchief (Othello's first gift to Desdemona) to Bianca, his whore.

This explanation comes immediately after Othello observed Bianca angrily returning the handkerchief to Cassio, saying that it probably belonged to one of his mistresses.

8. “O thou weed

Who are so lovely fair, and smell’st so sweet,

That the senses ache at thee, wouldst thou hadst never been born!”

In Scene 2, Othello pretends to be a customer at a brothel and uses his charade to insult Desdemona and express his grief over her infidelity.

This quote poetically combines the ideas of love and loss.  The words beautifully express his heartbreak, and his emotional depth causes the audience to identify with him and pity him.

9. “If I do die before, prithee shroud me

In one of these same sheets.”

Desdemona tells Emilia to uses her wedding sheets as a shroud (a cloth used to cover a corpse), if she should die early.

This prophetic comment suggests that Desdemona suspects her death in imminent.  The reference to her wedding sheets emphasizes that, despite his treatment of her, Desdemona's love for Othello is undiminished.

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