Othello

Act I

1. What conflicts do you already see beginning to emerge? Choose two quotes from Act I that expose these conflicts. Explain why each quote is significant and what it reveals about the characters.

In the very beginning, Iago right of the bat shows his hatred for Othello when he is talking about how Othello got the place of lieutenant. He says                                                                                                              "Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant) Off-capped to him, and by               the faith of man I know my price, I am worth no worse a place." He basically says that he was just                 as deserving, if not more, of the position that Othello had been granted.

• Another quote of Iago is "So it’s all decided. I've worked it out. With a little help from the devil, I’ll bring this monstrous plan to success." This quote shows the reader that Iago, from the get go, has something bad planned out for all.

2. Create three discussion questions of your choice based on Act I

• What would you do with your daughter if you were in Barbinto's place?
• Would Othello be better off without Desdemona?
• Why does Roderigo let himself stay in love with a person who he has no hope of getting?

3. In a paragraph each, analyze the character of Othello and Iago (so far).

• Othello is a very humble and honest man. He has worked very hard to have the job he has, especially dealing with all the accusations. He is very loyal, seemingly very brave and willing to do whatever it takes to do what is right for Cyprus. He also has a true heart of love for Desdemona, despite the forbidden love that her father disagrees upon, he truly loves her and does not want to lose her. Othello is also slightly blinded to his officer Iago who truly despises him.
• Iago comes across very shrewd and not afraid to say what he's thinking. He has an obvious grudge on Othello and even goes as far as planning to completely destroy everything about him. He is self centered and uses other people to get himself ahead. He does this by befriending them and then manipulating them with patronizing them.

Act II

1. Choose one of Iago's soliloquies (end of 2.1 or end of 2.3) and thoroughly analyze it. 

As you analyze think about the following questions:

1. What is Iago saying?

2. Figurative language?

3. How is his rhetoric? His tone?

4. What is he revealing? Revealing about himself?

• At the end of 2.1, Iago's soliloquy explains to the audience the reasons as to why he is acting out his plans. He accuses Othello of sleeping with his wife and so he is looking for revenge on the man.  He comes up with a ruse, saying that Desdemona, his "one true love" and Othello's wife, is having an affair with Othello's subordinate Cassio, in order to enrage Othello. Iago seems to have several different reasons for planing out this type of revenge on Othello, even claiming that Othello slept with his wife a long time ago. Although if Desdemona is Iago's true love, then one would not consider that he would really care for the fact that someone had slept with his current wife. He just uses this as an excuse to hate Othello even more and to justify his actions even further.

2. In Act II Iago launches his plan to destroy Othello. What is his motive? Jealousy? Racism? Is he opportunistic? A sociopath? All of the above? None of the above? Use TEXTUAL SUPPORT. 

• Iago certainly has a motive's. The first motive is revenge, at the end of Act II, Scene I. Iago says, "I love her too, not simply out of lust, but also to feed my revenge. I have a feeling the Moor slept with my wife. That thought keeps gnawing at me, eating me up inside. I won’t be satisfied until I get even with him, wife for wife." This shows that he wants to get revenge on the Moor for his affair with his wife.

3. Choose another character (from film, books, etc) that reminds you of Iago. Explain

• The Volturi in Twilight are similar to Iago in the fact they use information to twist coven's around and tear them apart, ultimately causing destruction to the members who don't have special abilities, They do this because they want vampire's with special abilities to make their coven stronger. 

3. Create two discussion questions from Act II that you would like to discuss with the class.

• Do you think Iago's plan work?
• Would you believe Iago if you were Othello?

Act III

1. What is a tragic flaw? What do you believe is Othello's tragic flaw? What is your tragic flaw? Explain.

• A tragic flaw is a flaw in a (main) character that ultimately brings the character to sorrow or ruin.
• Othello's suffering results mostly from his poor judgment.  He trusts the wrong people and mistrusts those who are most loyal to him (Desdemona and Cassio).  In Act 3, he sets aside his sensible, military side and falls prey to Iago's manipulation.                
• I have the inability to say no. If someone ask me to do something for them I put away everything I'm doing to do it for them. I usually end up having fifty task at one time and it ultimately breaks me. I suffer from it, my grades suffer from it, and those around me suffer by watching me go crazy from trying to make sure everything is perfect.                                                                 

 2. Below is the Shakespearean and modern version of Othello. Examine the quote about a good reputation. What does Iago mean through this quote? How valuable do you believe a reputation is? What is your reputation? What kind of name do you have amongst others? 

"A good reputation is the most valuable thing we have—men and women alike. If you steal my money, you’re just stealing trash. It’s something, it’s nothing: it’s yours, it’s mine, and it’ll belong to thousands more. But if you steal my reputation, you’re robbing me of something that doesn’t make you richer, but makes me much poorer."

"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing:

'Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed."

• Basically Iago means that reputations are all we have, as people. He also say's that people can take your money, but it doesn't matter because it will belong to so many people throughout the years. In his mind money is equal to nothing. However if your reputation is destroyed, it leaves you less of a person and the one who ruined it is basically king of the castle. It's great tfor the one who ruined it, but to the one who just lost their basic identity it's terrible. 
• I believe reputations are important in the world today. Basically because your reputation, whether it be false or true, is how people judge you. 
• My reputation is different with everyone I know. For example my reputation with Michaela, Mckayla, Izzy, and Emily is the geeky nerdy girl who knows way to many weird and unusual facts, but my reputation with Kassidy is the wild crazy weirdo who will do anything for a laugh. My reputation is also different with my family and teachers as well. To some I'm a wallflower with others I'm a goody goody who can do no wrong. I present my self differently with every person I know.

3. Connect this quote to another film/movie/book or to your own personal life. 

Ideas can be like poisons. At first they hardly even taste bad, but once they get into your blood they start burning like hot lava.

Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons

Which at the first are scarce found to distaste,

But with a little act upon the blood

Burn like the mines of sulfur.

• When I was younger people planted the idea in my head that I was too weird to be loved by anybody. Eventually I started to believe it and I fell into are dark hole which I couldn't get out of for a long time. I still to this day don't speak my mind about much when it comes to my opinions or feelings because I still fear I'll hear it again.

Act IV

1. In Act 4 we learn the character of Desdemona. Choose two quotes that you believe best illustrate her character. 

• "I’d never do such a bad thing, not for the whole world!"
• "I swear I have no idea why he stopped loving me. Here I’m kneeling to swear that if I ever did anything to destroy his love for me, either by thoughts or actions, or if I ever took pleasure in anyone else, or if I never did love him, or don’t love him now—even though he tries to shake me off—then I hope I have a life of misery! Unkindness is powerful, and his unkindness may kill me, but it’ll never destroy my love." 

2. How is Othello changing in Act 4? What is the effect of his public humiliation of Desdemona by slapping her?

• Othello has become everything Iago wanted. Othello now believe Desdemona is cheating on him and he is now planning to kill her.When he slaps her in public it gets Emilia concerned and it lets Iago know his plan is working. It also leads others to think he always acts this way or that he's slowly losing his mind. 

3. At the end of Act 4 we get a glimpse into the private world of women. How does Shakespeare portray this world?

• The women are curious, and talk about other women they think are less valuable than them, and wondering how some women could do such a thing. Shakespeare has portrayed them to be very emotional,

4. Analyze "The Willow Song". What is the literal meaning of this song? What does this song symbolize?

• "Willow Song" is about a woman who loves her husband dearly, but he is going mentally insane and she is afraid that he won't be around for her anymore. This is the same situation that Desdemona is in with Othello. He is slowly losing his wits and she's afraid that everything will be taken from her when he does. 

Act V

1. At the end of this scene we witness the murder of several characters. Did this ending satisfy you? Why or why not?

• I was satisfied with the ending because everyone in the end basically got what they deserved, Iago honestly could have suffered more but it's still a good ending. 

2. This play is considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time. Why is it so tragic (avoid the answer: they all died).

• Everyone dyeing had nothing to do with it being a tragedy, it was everything that led up to that. it shows how easy people can be manipulated and torn apart ending in the destruction of loved ones.

3. What does the handkerchief symbolize?

• The handkerchief is a symbol of many things; the main thing it symbolizes is the wedding sheets. To Iago, it is his seed and the instrument that puts his evil plan in motion. For Othello and Desdemona, it is a symbol of their undying love and also of Desdemona's faithfulness to Othello. To Cassio it's a symbol of undoing - it being in his possession ultimately leads Othello to the decision to let Iago kill him.

4. Examine Othello's last words. What do these words show us about him?

• His last words showed us how noble he was to the end. And how sincere his feelings for his wife were. After coming back to his senses, Othello makes the decision to take his own life. Instead of living with his guilt of killing his wife, he takes the burden of committing suicide, in hopes of proving that he was truly devoted to her and that the grief of killing her was just too much for him.