Othello Study Guide Questions

Othello: Study Guide Questions

ENG4U Toluwa Adams

Act I 1. a) Iago’s motivations for revenge were the fact that Othello did not choose him to be the lieutenant in spite of three noblemen putting in a g ood word for him and he was angry that Othello chose Michael Cassio, an accountant with little experience, in lieu of him. Iago’s plans for revenge were to stay by Othello’s side and faithfully serve him. He wanted Othello to trust him so that he could easily take advantage of him and wreak havoc in Othello’s life. An ex ample of appearance vs. reality is when Iago says that he is not who he seems. se ems. “I am not what I am.” (Act (Act I, Scene I, Line 71) b) Iago uses language to anger Br abantio by degrading Brabantio’s daughter Desdemona and his friend Othello as animals when he describes how they eloped. “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ Is tupping your white ewe.” (Act I, Scene I, Line 97-98) 97-98) He uses perverted lingo and that e nrages Brabantio, because one, it is the middle of the night and two Iago is saying terrible and explicit things about his daughter. “Because we come to/do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll/have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse,/you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have/coursers for cousins and jennets for germans.” (Act I, Scene I, Line 123-126) 123-126) 2. Othello: Othello is a very strong military officer. However, he is often mistreated because he is black. Othello is known for his military experience and his fortitude. “The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes/for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is/best known to you. And though we have there a/substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a/sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer/voice on you.” (Act I, Scene III, Line 254-259) 254-259) Desdemona: Desdemona is a beautiful young Venetian who is devoted to her husband Othello and loves him very much. She loved Othello so much that she deceived her father and gave up her old life just so she could go and elope with him. “That I did love the Moor to live with him,/My downright violence and storm of fortunes/May trumpet to the world.” (Act I, Scene II, Line 283-285) 283-285) Iago: A malicious man who harbours hatred and nurses grudges in his heart. He hates Othello and wants nothing but his downfall; even if it means that he m ust bring down innocent people as well. He only pretends to be loyal to Othello, that way he can take advantage of him. “I follow him to serve my turn upon him.” (Act I, Scene I, Line 45) He is twofaced and he pretends to be Roderigo’s friend when really all he wants is his money so he can carry out his evil schemes. “Thus “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse./For mine own gained knowledge should profane/If I wo uld time expend with such a snipe/But for my sport and profit.” (Act I, Scene III, Line 426-429) 426-429) Roderigo: A rich young Venetian who is easily manipulated by Iago and is in love with Desdemona. He does not like Othello much either, because he loves Desdemona but Desdemona loves Othello. He is so in love with Desdemona that he almost commits suicide after Othello wins the case in the court and Desdemona and Othello leave together. He is so despaired that he says he’d rather be dead than to live without Desdemona. “I will incontinently drown drown myself .” .” (Act I, Scene III, Line 347) “It is silliness to live, when to live is torment,/and then have we a prescription to die when death is/our physician.” (Act I, Scene III, Line 350-352) 3. Evidence that proves that Iago’s motives for wanting to destroy Othello are from pure malice is Iago says outright that he hates Othello; he wants to entangle innocent people (Cassio and Desdemona) with his evil plot, and he is basically living by the quote “Kee p your friends close, and your enemies closer.” He wants to become close to Othello only because that way it will be easier to ‘stab him in the back’. “He holds me well./The better better shall my purpose work on him./Cassio’ him./Cassio’ss a proper man. Let me see now:/To get his place and to plume up my will/In double knavery –How?  –How? how? –Let’s see./After some time, to abuse Othello’s (ear)/That he is too familiar with his wife.” (Act I, S cene III, Line 433-439) Iago

also calls for help from Hell and the devil to make his plan succeed, and anything from the devil is 100% pure evil. “I have ’t. It is engendered. Hell and night/Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.” (Act I, Scene III, Line 446-447) Act II 1. The storm at the beginning of Sc ene I can be seen as foreshadowing because Shakespeare pathetic fallacy was a common literary device that Shakespeare used. The weather in a scene is often a reflection of the mood, and by opening Act II with a storm, one can assume that the play’s following events will resemble that of a storm. 2. The vulnerability that Othello reveals to Desdemona is he is showing her his softer side. Othello is a strong military man and often has to put up a front and act strong and tough all the time. But Othello acts differently around Desdemona because he loves her so much. In his speeches to her he says that he is so happy to see her, and he compared her to the clam after a storm and said that he’ d want the strongest storm possible. “It gives me wonder great as my content/To see you here before me. Oh, my soul’s joy!/If after every tempest come such calms,/May the winds blow till they have wakened death,/And let the laboring bark climb hills of seas/Olympus-high, and duck again as low/As hell’s from heaven!” (Act II, Scene I, Line 199-205) In these speeches, Othello is opening up his heart to Desdemona and even “wearing his heart upon his sleeve.” Othello openly expresses his feelings for Desdemona thus making him vulnerable increasing the opportunity for him to get hurt. 3. a) b) By looking at his dialogue with Desdemona in Scene II , Act II, Iago has a very degrading opinion of  women. He is even disrespectful of his own wife Emilia, and insults her in front of Desdemona. “Sir, would she give you so much of her lips/As her tongue she oft bestows on me,/ You would have enough.” (Act II, Scene I, Line 112-114) He perceives women as noisy and lazy whiners. He says women are all the same, and whether pretty, ugly, stupid or smart; they all have the same tricks up their sleeves. 4. Iago strengthens his outer image of a loyal and good-hearted fellow in Scene III by acting as if he is a friend that is looking out for Cassio. He assures C assio that Othello will restore his position as lieutenant if he does everything in his power to try to convince Othello. Iago ‘advises’ Cassio to go to Desdemona and makes Cassio believe his logic and believe that if he asks Desdemona she will be his advocate and do everything in her power to convince Othello to give Cassio back his position because she is so kind. Iago convinces Cassio to believe that Desdemona has a great influence on Othello and Othello will listen to her because he loves her so dearly. This is true, but Iago is also getting Cassio to do all of t his because it is part of his master plan and he plants ideas of suspicion of Cassio and Desdemona in Othello’s mind, so when Desdemona inquires about Cassio and tries to g et Othello to restore his position, this just increases Othello’s arising suspicion about Cassio and Desdemona. “I tell you what you shall do. Our general’s/wife is now the general: I may say so in this/respect, for that he hath devoted and given up/ himself to the contemplation, mark, and denote-/ment of her parts and graces. Confess yourself/freely to her, importune her help to put you in your/place again. She is o f so free, so kind, so apt, so/blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice in her/goodness not to do more than she is requested.” (Act II, Scene III, Line 333-341) 5. A new dimension of Othello’s character that is revealed in Othello’s speech is his temper. He is very angry that this brawl started and he is even angrier that everyone is telling him a different story, it probably does not help that it is the m iddle of the night too, he just wants to get to the bottom of things so he can return to bed. He is also very angry with whoever started the entire thing and in his speech he

vows to cut off whoever it was, even if it were his twin brother if he had one. “Now, by heaven,/My blood begins my safer guides to rule,/A nd passion, having my best judgement collied,/Assays to lead the way. (Zounds, if I) stir,/Or do but lift this arm the best of you/Shall sink in my re buke. Give me to know/How this foul rout began, who set it on;/And he that is approved of this offense,/Though he had twinned with me, both at a birth,/S hall lose me.” (Act II, Scene III, Line 218-227) Act III 1. Shakespeare draws out Desdemona’s request at such length in or der to show some of her character traits. The traits that Shakespeare is emphasizing in this section is De sdemona’s genuine thoughtfulness and empathy for her friends and those she loves, and Desdemona’s persistence, she will continue to ask for something until her wish is granted, or until she hears the answer that she wants to hear. “Why, then, tomorrow night, (or) Tuesday morn,/On Tuesday noon, or night, or Wednesday morn./I prithee name the time, but let it not/Exceed three days.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 68-71) Desdemona is trying to negotiate with Othello because she promised Cassio that she would try to get him his position back and she wants Cassio to have his position as soon as possible. Another trait that Shakespeare is emphasizing is that Desdemona is true to her word, and if she makes a promise, she will by all means keep it. 2. The steps and techniques that Iago uses to stir up and enflame Othello’s rage is by implying that Cassio was betraying Othello, and then quickly say that Cassio could never do something like that. “Was not that Cassio parted from my wife”/“Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it/That he wo uld steal away so guiltylike,/Seeing you coming.” (Act III, Act III, Line 40-43) Iago also enflamed Othello’s rage by giving Othello limited information, and Othello gets angry because he feels that Iago is holding something back from him. “Nay, yet there’s more in this./I prithee speak to me as to thy thinkings,” (Act III, Scene III, Line 151-152) Another technique that Iago used is that he would warn Othello to not let this information bother him and not to become je alous, but of course this just made Othello worry more and become more jealous. “O, beware, my lord of jealousy!/It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/The meat it feeds on. (Act III, Scene III, Line 195-197) And finally, Iago would make up stories with very graphic details about Cassio and Desdemona just to e nrage Othello. One time, Othello began so angry that he had an epileptic seizure. “In sleep I heard him say “Sweet Desdemona,/Let us be wary, let us hide our loves.”/And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand,/Cry “O sweet creature!” then kiss me hard,/As is he plucked up kisses by the roots/That grew upon my lips; (then) laid his leg/O’er my thigh, and (sighed,) and (kissed,) and then/(Cried) “Cursèd fate that gave thee to the Moor!” (Act III, Scene III, Line 475-482) 3. Examples in Othello’s speech that show his loss of dignity exclaims that he’ll kill Desdemona and Cassio. “I’ll tear her all to pieces.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 490) “Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her, damn/her!/Come, go with me apart. I will withdraw/To furnish me with some swift means of death/For the fair devil.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 541-545) “Oh, that the slave had forty thousand lives!/One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 502-503) “Within these three days let me hear thee say/That Cassio’s not alive.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 537-538) Othello also says that he wants blood and he orders the love for Desdemona out of his heart and asks for his heart to be filled with vengeance. “Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!/Yield up, O love, thy crown and heart ed throne/To tyrannous hate!” (Act III, Scene III, Line 507-509) “O, blood, blood, blood!” (Act III, Scene I II, Line 512) An example that shows that Othello has lost his trust and confidence in Desdemona is when Othello asks for the handkerchief over and over again in an angry voice, and when she cannot present it he gets angry. “Fetch me the handkerchief! My mind/misgives.”(Act III, Scene IV, Line 103-104)

4. a) The significance that Othello sees in Desdemona’s moist palm is that a moist palm indicates a tendency towards love. He says that someone with a hand like her own must pray regularly, or else they will give in to temptation. “This hand of yours requires/A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,/Much castigation, exercise devout;” (Act III, Scene IV, Line 45-47) A moist hand also represents youth, and Desdemona is still very young, youthful and beautiful. b) The qualities of Desdemona that are emphasized in this scene are her unconditional love for Othello and her persistence. In this scene she is still inquiring about the restoration of position for Cassio. Another quality of Desdemona that is emphasized in this scene is her innocence and naïvetés. She thinks she knows Othello and says that he is not the jealous type. “Who, he? I think the sun where he was born/Drew all such humors from him.” (Act III, Scene IV, Line 31-32) But when he shouts at her in rage for the handkerchief, she sees an entirely different side of him, and uglier side of him. c) In this scene we learn about Othello’s j ealousy. It is ironic, because after Desdemona realizes that she has lost the handkerchief, she is at first dismayed but reassures herself that Othello will understand because he is not the jealous type. But when Othello begins to shout at her angrily and repeatedly asks her to show him the handkerchief , Desdemona’s beliefs about Othello are challenged. “Is not this man  jealous?” (Act III, Scene IV, Line 116) Act IV 1. Othello’s inner turmoil begins to affect his speech because Othello who was once rat ional and just, is now saying things that makes him sound bloodthirsty and seeking out revenge. “How shall I murder him,/Iago?” (Act IV, Scene I, Line 188-189) “Ay let her rot and perish and be damned/tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned/to stone.” Othello’s inner turmoil also cause him to verbally abuse his wife, Desdemona, by saying terrible things to her calling her derogatory terms which she has not even deserved. “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as he ll.” (Act IV, Scene II, Line 48) “I cry you

mercy, then./I took you for that cunning whore of Venice/That married with Othello. –You, mistress,/That have office opposite to Saint Peter/And keeps the gate of hell – you, you, ay, you!” (Act IV, Scene II, Line 103-107) (Act IV, Scene I, Line 200-202) Othello’s inner turmoil begins to affect his physical condition by causing him to have seizures. After Iago gives Othello more graphic information about Cassio and Desdemona, Othello cannot take it and he has an epileptic fit. “My lord is fall’n into an epilepsy./This is his second fit. He had one yesterday.” (Act IV, Scene I, Line 61-62) Othello’s inner turmoil affect his self-control when he strikes De sdemona. When Desdemona says that she cares for Cassio a lot, Othello snaps, he is appalled that De sdemona has no shame in saying that in front of him and when Desdemona ‘pretends’ to act clueless, he gets so angry that he loses all self -control and slaps her. ““I would do much/T’ atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio.”/“Fire and brimstone!”/“My lord?”/“Are you wise?”” (Act IV, Scene I, Line 254-258) 2. Iago further manipulates Roderigo, despite Roderigo’s growing anger and im patience by continuing to give him false hope. Iago always tells Roderigo that he will get Desdemona after he does this or that or something else. Roderigo, however is not very intelligent, be cause even after Iago has drained most of  his money out of his savings and nothing has changed between him and Desdemona, he has still not caught on to the fact that Iago is swindling him. In Scene IV, when Roderigo begins to say that he is beginning to suspect Iago, Iago quickly says something manipulative to throw Roderigo off. He ‘compliments’ Roderigo by saying that by suspecting Iago, it proves that he is smart; and that it may seem like he is ripping him off but he merely has to wait, because he has a plan that will ensure that Desdemona is his. “O, no. He goes into Mauritania and (takes) away/with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be/lingered here by some accident –wherein none/can be so determinate as t he removing of Cassio.” (Act IV, Scene II, Line 257-260) Iago manipulates Roderigo into doing his dirty work, killing Cassio, by convincing him that if he knocks out Cassio Othello won’t be able to take Desdemona

away. By manipulating Roderigo into killing Cassio, Iago ensures that Roderigo r emains loyal to him and he also keeps his promise to Othello, to kill Cassio. 3. Desdemona’s sincerity, loyalty and goodness are emphasized when she says that she still loves Othello, even after he treated her so poorly. “My love doth so approve him/That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns –” (Act IV, Scene III, Line 20-21) Desdemona is truly devoted to her husband, even though he is abusive; her love for Othello is blind. Most women wo uld have left Othello right after he slapped her but Desdemona loved him so much and was m uch too loyal to him for her to do that. 4. a) Emilia is important in advancing the plot because she gives Iago the handkerchief, which starts the entire chain of events. Emilia giving Iago the handkerchief is the initiating event in the plot. “What handkerchief?/Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona,/That which the Moor first gave to Desdemona,/That which so often you did bid me steal.” (Act III, Scene III, Line 352-354) With the handkerchief, Iago now has visual proof that Desdemona is unfaithful. b) Emilia provides a character foil to Desdemona by denying that she knows where the handkerchief is. ““Where should I lose (that) handkerchief, Emilia?”/“I know not, madam.”” (Act III, Scene IV, Line 23-24) 5. After Othello strikes Desdemona, she is shocked and does not know what she has done to deserve it. “I have not deserved this.” (Act IV, Scene I, Line 269) She then begins to cry, “Make her amends. She weeps.” (Act IV, Scene I, Line 272) and she leaves immediately when Othello tells her to get out of his sight, saying she does not want to further annoy him. “I will not stay to offend you.” (Act I V, Scene I, Line 277) What this tells us about her character is that she respects the ones that she loves, and her love for her husband is so strong that she will st ill stick by him even after he physically abuses her. In Act IV, Scene I, Line 284-292, Othello is implying that Desdemona’s was crying fake tears and she may seem obedient but she is just pretending, because she is not honest. When Othello was saying that Desdemona was obedient, it was almost as if he was saying this in a sarcastic tone. 6. Emilia’s attitude toward men is that they do not respect their wives and often mistreat them. They only use their wives for their ow n selfish desires. Emilia says that most men fail to realize that their wives are humans too, with feeling, desires, passions, strengths and weaknesses. She says that men are not loyal to their wives, or t hey become too jealous and prevent t heir wives from going anywhere and they hit their wives or even cut back from giving their wives their ‘allowance’. Emilia is saying that men take their wives for granted, and if they continue to mistreat their wives, then it is their own fault if their wife cheats on them. “But I do think it is their husbands’ faults/If the wives do fall. Say they slack their duties,/And pour out treasures into foreign laps;/Or else break out in peevish jealousies,/Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us,/Or scant our former having in despite.” (Act IV, Scene III, Line 97-102) Act V 1. The contrasts in setting in in Scene I and Scene II is that Scene I takes place in a dark alley where Iago and Roderigo are waiting for Cassio “Here, stand behind this (bulk.) Straight will he/come” (Act V, Scene I, Line 1-2); while Scene II takes place in Othello and Desdemona’s bedroom where Desdemona is peacefully sleeping. The contrasts in atmosphere and type of action in Scenes I and II are that in Scene I, the atmosphere is mysterious and the type of action is suspenseful and thrilling. Iago and Roderigo are quietly waiting for Cassio so that they c an victimize him in a surprise assault but Cassio is not easily taken by surprise and stabs Roderigo. ““I know his gait. ’Tis he!–Villain, thou diest!”/“That thrust had been mine enemy indeed/But that my coat is better than thou know’st./I will make proof of thine.”/“O, I am slain!”” (Act V, Scene I, Line 24-28) In Scene II, the atmosphere is eerie as Othello creeps up on the

sleeping Desdemona. The atmosphere is similar to that of a horror film, when the monster is about to attack a character. The action in this scene is sudden and shocking as poor Desdemona pleads for her life, but the ruthless Othello refuses to listen to her. ““O banish me, my lord, but kill me not!”/“Down, strumpet!”/“Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight.”” (Act V, Scene II, Line 98-100) 2. Othello’s brief appearance in Scene I show the depths to which he has sunk because when he thinks he hears Cassio crying out in pain because he is dying, Othello is happy. Cassio was once very c lose to Othello, but because Othello had let jealousy take over his mind, he was now rejoicing in his friend’s agony. Othello praises Iago for doing the deed and tells himself that he must become more like him. “’Tis he! O brave Iago, honest and just,/That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong!/Thou teachest me.” (Act V, Scene I, Line 34-36) Othello has lost all self-respect, dignity and conscience at this point as he ventures off to murder the wife that he once loved so much. 3. Shakespeare arouses pathos for Desdemona in scene II by having Othello arouse her from her sleep, which makes Desdemona vulnerable. When one awakens, they are still dazed and confused. When she sees Othello she relaxes and assumes that he is going to bed with her, but when Othello begins to talk of  killing and has a wild look in her eyes she becomes frightened. “And yet I fear you, for you’re fatal then/When your eyes roll so.” (Act V, Scene II, Line 44-45) Othello is not the kind, gentle, loving man that she married anymore; he has now become a jealous, revenge seeking, violent man. When he ruthless begins to accuse her with infidelity she tries to convince him of her innocence and that she was faithful to him the entire time but he will not listen. “And have you mercy, too. I never did/Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio/But with such g eneral warranty of heaven/As I might love. I never gave him token.” (Act V, Scene II, Line 73-75) Another way that Shakespeare arouses pathos for Desdemona is by Desdemona pleading for her life multiple times, and begging for Othello not to kill her. “O banish me, my Lord, but kill me not!” (Act V, Scene III, Line 98) His mind has been set and he is dete rmined to kill her. 4. Emilia redeems herself by setting things straight in the e nd. She tells Othello the truth and she betrays her husband by telling Othello of his Iago’s evil schemes despite Iago’s multiple warnings to be quiet. At this point I think Emilia is shocked that her husband could plan something so evil and she probably feels guilty because she played a part in the schemes which ultimately lead to Desdemona’s death. “'Twill out, ’twill out.—I peace?/No, I will speak as liberal as the north./Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,/All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak.” (Act V, Scene II, Line 260-263) She insists on telling Othello the truth and proving Desdemona’s innocence, even if it means that she will die, and she does die because Iago quickly stabs her be fore she can expose him anymore, but by then it is too late. 5. Othello believes that he is damned because he killed an innocent woman. He killed the woman that he loved because a conniving lowlife manipulated him into believing his wife wasn’t faithful. He let  jealousy consume him entirely. Othello realizes the evil he has done after he finds out that Iago had set up everything and framed Cassio and Desdemona; and he realizes t hat Desdemona was innocent the entire time. He is now enraged at Iago. “Are there no stones in heaven/But what serves for the thunder?  –Precious villain!” (Act V, Scene II, Line 281-282) Othello believes he is damned because of the terrible sin he had committed, he killed an innocent woman because he let jealousy corrupt his m ind. When he sees Desdemona’s pale, dead body on the bed he knows that he is going to Hell. “Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starred wench,/Pale as they smock, when we shall meet at compt,/This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, And fiends will snatch at it.” (Act V, Scene II, Line 323-326)

6. The outside world’s main reaction to Othello’s tragedy is to hate Iago. Most think Iago is evil and the devil himself, for manipulating these people and being responsible for the innocent lives t aken. “O Spartan dog,/More fell than anguish, hunger or the sea,/Look on the tragic loading of this bed./This is

thy work. –The object poisons sight.” (Act V, Scene II, Line 424-427)