Othello Act 5 Study Guide

Why do you think Roderigo is so willing to murder Cassio? Why do you think Iago convinced Roderigo to do it? He needs to kill Cassio to keep Desdemona in Cyprus. He is trying to get rid of Roderigo.
Why doesn’t Iago stay and kill Cassio after injuring him? Gratiano and Ludovico walk up.
What evidence proves that Othello still loves Desdemona? The one more kiss and one more kiss. He is trying to put off killing her even if its a few seconds. He says he doesn’t feel like it is a murder, its something he has to do. He is killing her to save her. She will continue to sin and lie if he does not kill her. He kills her to save her. Even though he will murder her, he will still love her after. He wants to put out the lights so he can not see him kill her.
Despite his apparent love for Desdemona, Othello still kills her. What do you think the reasons for this might be? Consider the fact that he no longer seems heated and rash in this last scene. He thinks he have to do it. He is doing her a kindness. He has to kill her in order to save her. It is a sacrifice.
Why does Desdemona respond, “Nobody; I myself,” to Emilia’s question of who did this to her? What is significant about this? She loves him so much. Even when she is dead, she still tries to protect him.
When does Emilia realize that her husband really is the root of the treachery? Be specific. When Othello said “Your husband. Honest Iago told me about her handkerchief.”
When do we get the sense that Othello plans to kill himself? Be specific. Othello has a knife. He tells Gratiano if I wanted to get pass you I could cut you down. Don’t worry, this knife is not for you.
Describe Iago’s final display of his evil. What does he do and why is it so terrible? He refuses to say why he did it. It is Othello’s dying wish. He displays his evil by speaking. His final display of evil is not speaking. Source of all his power/villainy is his words. Now he is not using his words and that is somehow even more evil.
Why does Othello wound Iago when he certainly could have killed him? He would rather keep him alive so he can suffer.
How would you describe Othello’s death? Did you agree with what he said? Was it enough to make you sympathetic? Did you understand his choice? Jot down any other general feelings or thoughts you had about it. It was sad. I felt sorry for him. Iago ruined his life because he hated him.
September 5, 2019