| What genre does Othello fit into? | Tragedy |
| Shakespeare likes the ideas of ______ and ______, and how they fit into what 3 areas of life? | fidelity/infidelity; cultural, relational, and political issues |
| There are ___ married and ____ unmarried couples in this play. | 2; 1 |
| What positions do Cassio and Iago hold at the beginning of this play? | Lieutenant; Ancient (hard job, high death rate) |
| What is one of Iago’s biggest complaints against a specific character through the beginning of this play? | Believes Cassio is unqualified for the job of Lieutenant, partially because he is a Florentine so he cannot defend the land he is not from |
| At what point does Roderigo join with Iago? | Once he realizes that Desdemona and Othello are married, and that he cannot have Desdemona |
| Who says “Mere prattle without practice is all his leadership”?, and to whom is he referring? | Iago about Cassio |
| What does “Mere prattle without practice is all his leadership” mean? | He is not fit for his position, he is all talk and no experience |
| Who says “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”, and to whom is this character referring? | Iago about Iago |
| What does “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” mean? | Iago is serving Othello so that he may turn on him and not be faithful to him |
| Who says “Heaven is my judge…I am not what I am”, and to whom is this character referring? | Iago about Iago |
| What does “Heaven is my judge…I am not what I am” mean? | Iago announces that he will get his revenge in due time, and that he is not the man he appears to be |
| Who says “I must be found. My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, shall manifest me rightly”, and to whom is this character referring? | Othello about Othello |
| What does “I must be found. My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, shall manifest me rightly” mean? | Othello thinks his reputation will keep him from getting in trouble for anything |
| Who says “Look to her moor, if thou hast eyes to see…she has deceived her father, and may thee”, and to whom is this character referring? | Brabantio to Othello |
| What does “Look to her moor, if thou hast eyes to see…she as deceived her father, and may thee” mean? | Brabantio thought he had Desdemona figured out, but she is someone completely different; advice to Othello |
| Who says “The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so”, and to whom is this character referring? | Iago about Othello |
| What does “The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so” mean? | Othello is overly trusting, naive, and innocent; reads the surface; thinks people are honest just because they appear to be |
| Who says “I will a round unvarnished tale deliver”, and to what concept are they referring? | Othello about giving a true and complete account; I will tell the whole story honestly |
| Who says “To vouch this is no proof, without more wider and more overt test”, and to what concept are they referring? | The Duke regarding accusations; says he needs more than what he has in order to officially declare Othello guilty |
| Who says “Virtue! A fig! ’tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners”, and to what concept are they referring? | Iago about virtue and self-awareness; tells Roderigo that prayer will not help him earn Desdemona, but instead he must act; reap what we sow idea; mind tells body what to do and body cultivates |
| Who says “It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will”, and to what concept are they referring? | Iago about love; blood wants something so your will says you may have it; love is not real not an emotion, no chemicals, no hormones…just mental decisions |
| In addition to not promoting him, what new charge does Iago hold to Othello at the end of Act 1 scene 3? | Thinks Othello is sleeping with his wife; not 100% sure but treating it as such; more upset that Othello took a right to something belonging to Iago than he was about the alleged affair |
| What is the setting at the beginning of Act II? | Cyprus, the next Saturday |
| What happened in between Acts I and II? | Went to battle, but just saw remnants of the boats and did not have to fight; got separated in a storm on the way back to port |
| Why was Othello surprised to see Desdemona when he arrived to port at the beginning of Act II? | The plan was to wait 2 weeks then go, but Desdemona had nothing at home worth staying for so Iago took her over a week early plus Othello didn’t have to fight so he got back early |
| What two main characters do we meet in Act II? | Emilia and Cassio |
| At the beginning of Act II, what two characters have conflicting views on women? Who holds which belief? | Cassio-high respect for women, one to be a friend and grab their hand when giving them advice; Iago-tries to be funny talking to Desdemona but reveals that he has no respect for women |
| What was Desdemona’s state of mind at the beginning of Act II? What does this lead to? | very stressed about life; Cassio tries to comfort her which is why he was speaking very close to her and holding her hand |
| What are the purposes of the part in Act II? How long does said party last? | celebrate defeat over the Turks and celebrate Othello and Desdemona’s wedding; 6 hours |
| What was Iago’s “cleverness” that brought about the decision Othello made regarding Cassio? | intricate plans to set Cassio up; includes telling Montano that Cassio is an alcoholic and has to drink himself to sleep |
| What advice does Iago offer Cassio near the end of the party scene/act 2? | spend a lot of time talking with Desdemona, because she will hopefully talk to Othello on his behalf |
| In the trial of Cassio, what factors lead to the trial not working in Casiso’s favor? | Cassio waives right to speak since he is hurt; Iago does not share the full truth-shares some facts which are true, but does not provide full context |
| Who is the plaintiff in the trial of Cassio? | Othello and Montano |
| Who is the defendant in the trial of Cassio? | Cassio |
| What is the charge in the trial of Cassio? | dereliction of duty |
| Who is the witness in the trial of Cassio? | Iago and Montano |
| Who is the judge in the trial of Cassio? | Othello |
| What is the verdict in the trial of Cassio? | guilty, fired |
| Why was the trial of Cassio unfair? | Evidence was withheld, evidence was tampered with, there was intentional misleading of jury/judge |
| What is the main idea of Act III? | revealing Othello |
| What is the setting of the beginning of Act III? | Sunday morning, the day after the party |
| According to class notes, humans can be split into ______ parts. What are these parts? | 3; top (rational/will, reason, intellect), middle (emotions, humanity, morals, ethics), and bottom (animal, bestial, primal, loins) |
| Which character is susceptible to other traits? | Othello |
| What are Iago’s methods/strategies for persuading Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio? | offers up suspicions, doubts, and suggestive language for Othello to take hold of |
| Who says “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord….but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed”? | Iago |
| What does “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord….but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed” mean? | you can steal my money, but not my reputation; reputation is the only thing you have in life and once you lose it, it is hard to get it back |
| What counsel did Iago give to Cassio about reputation? | reputation is an idol, and it is false |
| Who said “Oh beware my lord of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on”? | Iago |
| Why does Shakespeare create plays like this one? | Frustrate people, and help us find the Cassio and Roderigo in our own lives |
| What does Othello believe is the power in Desdemona’s handkerchief? | it is a actual physical representation of her love for him |
| Who says “I would have it copied”, whom was this character talking to, and what was the object? | Cassio to Bianca; Desdemona’s handkerchief |
| Who are the two minor characters that make major impacts towards the end of the play? | Emilia and Roderigo |
| Why did Emilia not speak up sooner? | She knew she would have consequences if she were to speak up |
| What is the point of having Emilia and Roderigo play a major part in the end of the play? | nobody is minor; someone you think may not be capable of much (especially because of previous behaviors) may rise to the occasion |
| Who says “Work on, my medicine, work!”, and to what is this character referring? | Iago; Othello’s “epilepsy” |
| Who says “The Moor already changes with my poison. Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons, which at first are scarce….burn like the mines of sulfur”? | Iago |
| What does Iago use to refer to the frustrations of searching for evidence against Cassio? | idea of how medicine wears off so you take it again |
| Describe id. Which character represents this? | “I want it now”; Othello |
| Describe ego. Which character represents this? | “I need to do a bit of planning to get it”; Iago |
| Describe superego. | “You can’t have it. It’s not right.”; develops last, acts as mediator, morals/ethics, without this act selfishly |
| Which character used to have a superego, but as a result of how they were treated, lost it? | Emilia-based on how Iago treated her |
| Who says “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul” and to what are they referring? | Othello, killing Desdemona |
| How does Othello justify killing Desdemona? | Talks about protecting other men from her; honor killing; says it such as a prayer so that God will understand as well |
| How does Othello’s perception of killing Desdemona change as he talks to Emilia? | starts off as proud and almost braggy, wanting the credit; then he understands what he did and regrets it |
| Who is the plaintiff in the trial of Othello? | Lodovico, Othello, all |
| Who is the defendant in the trial of Othello? | Othello |
| What is the charge in the trial of Othello? | murder |
| Who is the witness in the trial of Othello? | Othello |
| Who is the judge/jury in the trial of Othello? | all, Othello |
| What is the verdict in the trial of Othello? | guilty |
| What is the sentence in the trial of Othello? | death, by his own hand |
| What is the last speech Othello makes before he dies? | speech of defense; making sure he goes out with a good legacy |
| What does Othello’s kiss represent? | betrayer, like Judas; I kiss you because I want to kill you |
“Othello”
July 12, 2019