1. In 1.1, why does Iago say he hates Othello? What are all the charges he makes against the general?

Transcription

1 Othello Study Guide Act I, Scene1 1. In 1.1, why does Iago say he hates Othello? What are all the charges he makes against the general? 2. Why does Roderigo hate Othello? 3. Why is the speech by Iago, lines 38 62, important in explaining what happens later? 4. Why should Roderigo pay particular attention to Iago s speech? 5. In 1.1, what is Iago s master plot to annoy Othello and Desdemona? 6. Find all the examples in 1.1 of Iago referring to the sex in terms of animals. 7. Find all the references in 1.1 of Othello as a devil. Find Iago s use of taboo words. 8. Explain the contrast in the way Iago and Roderigo speak to Brabantio. 9. How does Brabantio s attitude toward Roderigo change in the course of this scene? 10. What is Brabantio s explanation of why his daughter has run off with Othello? 11. Why does this scene begin in the middle of a conversation? Act I, Scene Iago says he almost stabbed a man who was repeatedly insulting Othello s honor. Who was that man? 13. Everyone says Othello is lucky to wed the daughter of the rich Brabantio, except Othello. Why is he not impressed? 14. Explain what happens between Iago and Cassio in the short time Othello is off stage in the Sagittary (lines 47 52) 15. List all of the negative comments or words Brabantio uses to describe Othello. 16. How does Othello react to the provocation of Brabantio s attack? 17. Find five places in 1.2 where Othello exercises authority. Act I, Scene At the beginning of 1.3 what do the duke and the council of Venice determine the Turks military objective to be? How does this relate to what happens later? 19. What is effective in Othello s first speech of justification (lines 76 94)? 20. Explain how the relationship between Othello and Desdemona began. Who first initiated the idea of love? 21. How do we know Othello s second speech of justification (lines ) was effective? 22. What makes the second speech of justification effective as a piece of language?

2 23. Why is Desdemona s response to her father s question at lines especially effective? 24. In this scene what does Desdemona tell us attracted her to Othello? What attracted her to him? 25. How does Desdemona argue that she should be allowed to accompany her husband to Cyprus? 26. What assurances does Othello offer the Council that he will take care of business, even if his wife is with him? 27. Explain Iago s parable of the garden (lines ). 28. Find all Iago s uses of the word love in this scene. What s unusual about them? 29. How does Iago manipulate Roderigo in the lines ? 30. What is the real reason Iago hates Othello? 31. Why is Cassio a particularly handy scapegoat for Iago s plot? Act II, Scene Describe how Cassio acts when he lands at Cyprus, especially when Desdemona comes ashore ( ). 33. Why does Iago verbally attack his wife at ? 34. According to Iago what is all the most accomplished woman in the world is good for? ( ) 35. Explain what Iago is talking about at How does Iago convince Roderigo that Cassio is in love with Desdemona? ( ) 37. What is ironic about Roderigo's response to this news at ? 38. In 1.3 we hear how Othello's life story helped win the love of Desdemona. In we learn Iago's reaction to the same story. What is it? 39. What has changed since 1.3, in Iago's explanation of why he wants revenge on Othello and others? ( )? Why has it changed? Act II, Scene In , what is Iago trying to get Cassio to do? Why? 41. How does Iago's personality change from the way he's behaved in the past? Why the change? 42. What is unattractive about Cassio's behavior as a drunk? 43. How does Iago manipulate the gentlemen of Cyprus to object to Cassio's behavior? 44. Look at Why did Iago use those particular words? 45. What new aspect of Othello's personality do we see in ? 46. Describe how Iago, while apparently defending his friend Cassio actually encourages Othello to take action against him? ( )?

3 47. Explain why Cassio reacts as he does at ? 48. Explain why Iago's advice at is a perfectly natural response? 49. In Iago's explanation of his revenge plot at are there any new motives for his behavior? Act III, Scene Is Desdemona's statement at surprising? How will it affect the outcome of the play? 51. Why does Desdemona push so hard for Cassio to get his job back? 52. Explain the passage at In what way are Othello and his wife operating at crossed purposes? 53. How does Iago manipulate Othello in the passage from line ? 54. How many times does Othello demand to know Iago's thoughts (or some variation on that theme) in the passage of ? Why doesn't Iago answer him? 55. How does Iago manipulate Othello in the passage from line ? (Where is the first mention of "cuckoldry" in this scene? 56. How does Othello appear to escape Iago's trap in the passage lines ? 57. How does Iago manipulate Othello in lines ? Why does Othello fall for the manipulation? 58. How does Iago manipulate Othello in lines ? 59. At what point in the play does Iago know for sure that he's hooked Othello? 60. What are the reasons Othello believes Desdemona may have betrayed him? What does he decide to do about the betrayal? 61. Why does Emilia take Desdemona's handkerchief? What does that tell us about the relationship between Iago and his wife? 62. Why is Iago upset at Othello's reaction at lines ? 63. How does Iago manipulate Othello at lines ? 64. How does Iago manipulate Othello at lines ? 65. In the sequence at how has Othello's attitude changed since we saw him last? 66. Explain why Othello threatens Iago at How do you think Iago feels when he is threatened with violence? 67. Where did Iago's "dream" ( ) come from? Why did Iago select the particular details that he chose? 68. How does the relationship between Iago and Othello change in the last 30 lines of the scene? How does Shakespeare physically show the shift in power? 69. What do you think may have been going through Iago's mind when he says, at line 472, "But let her live"?

4 Act III, Scene In , what does Othello mean by, "O, hardness to dissemble!"? 71. How does Emilia explain Othello's anger over the missing handkerchief? How effective a liar is Desdemona? 72. Is Othello's handkerchief really magic? Argue both "yes" and "no." 73. How does Iago control the communications between Othello and all the other characters? Why does Desdemona excuse her husband's anger? 74. Who is Bianca and what's her problem? What similarities does she have with Othello? Act IV, Scene In the first 30 lines of 4.1, how has the relationship between Iago and Othello changed since 3.3? 76. Why does Othello lose consciousness at ? How does Iago explain what happened? Why? 77. Explain how Iago stages the dual, simultaneous manipulation of Cassio and Othello at Do you think Iago anticipated Bianca's appearance at line 145? How is he able to use her arrival to further his deception? 79. What's different about Othello's attitude toward Desdemona lines ? What causes this change? 80. Explain what is happening in the sequence in lines ? Why "goats and monkeys!" 81. How does Iago manipulate Lodovico in the last 20 lines of 4.1? Act IV, Scene What does Othello mean when he addresses Emilia in lines ? 83. According to Othello what's the worst part of being a cuckold? 84. Where in 4.2 does Desdemona finally start to fight back? Explain her physical reaction right after Othello leaves at line Where in this scene does Emilia almost figure out what happened? Explain her husband's reaction to her speculations. 86. Who is the first person in the play to figure out Iago's duplicity? How is Iago able to manipulate this person, even after the truth is known? Act IV, Scene What is the point of this scene? 88. Explain the difference between Desdemona's and Emilia's attitudes toward adultery. 89. Explain exactly how Iago manipulates every single person who appears in this scene. 90. Explain the significance of Iago's lines

5 91. Why does Iago accuse Bianca of complicity in the attack on Cassio? How is he able to make the case against her? Act V, Scenes 1 & Contrast 5.1 and 5.2 in terms of characters' motivations, actions, pace of the events, and moral significance of the actions. 93. Based on your sense of 5.2 (what happens and why it happens), argue that Iago wins the battle for Othello's soul. Then argue that Othello wins the battle.