act 1

Question 1

I follow him to serve my turn upon him

Answer 1

Act 1 scene 1
- iago reveals he is following othello to get revenge on him

Question 2

I am not what I am

Answer 2

Act 1 scene 1
- iago reveals his deceptive nature immediately to the audience
- shakespeare does this so that the audience know what to expect from iago

Question 3

an old black ram is tupping your white ewe

Answer 3

Act 1 scene 1
- iago uses animalistic imagery to persuade brabantio to hunt down othello and desdemona
- othello and desdemonas sexual relations
- example of iago’s racism “black ram” and link to desdemona’s innocence

Question 4

making the beast with two backs

Answer 4

Act 1 scene 1
- iago describes othello and desdmonas relationship, referring to the missionary position they would be having intercourse in

Question 5

she deceives me past thought

Answer 5

Act 1 scene 1
- brabantio refers to desdemona

Question 6

I lack inquity to do me service

Answer 6

Act 1 scene 2
- iago claims that he lacks the evil disposition that would serve his purpose
- ironic because he’s already plotting something evil

Question 7

gentle Desdemona

Answer 7

Act 1 scene 2
- othello describes her saying he would give up his freedom for her

Question 8

enchanted on her foul charms

Answer 8

Act 1 scene 2
- brabantio accuses othello of witchcraft and black magic, link to the devil, racism

Question 9

valiant moor

Answer 9

Act 1 scene 3
- senator describes othello

Question 10

she lov’d me for the dangers I had passed, and I lov’d her that she did pity them

Answer 10

Act 1 scene 3
- othello mistakes love for sympathy and compassion
- boils down to everything revolving around his military position and someone understanding the struggles he’s gone through as a black man to get to this point

Question 11

a divided duty

Answer 11

Act 1 scene 3
- Desdemona says she has a divided duty between her father and Othello but she will give all her loyalty to her husband, just as her mother gave to brabantio
- similar to when Othello speaks of the handkerchief his father gave his mother - on both occasions it is the woman giving her undivided loyalty to the husband
- mirrors Othello’s divide between his life as a soldier and being a husband, however he devotes his loyalty to being a solder, even in his dying moments trying to justify his actions as the moral thing to do

Question 12

heat…..taint my business

Answer 12

Act 1 scene 3
- Othello says he won’t let Desdemona get in the way of his business life
- in reality it’s his business getting in the way of his love life

Question 13

she has deceived her father and may thee

Answer 13

Act 1 scene 3
- brabantio tells othello she might deceive him
- foreshadowing

Question 14

let housewives make a skillet of my helm

Answer 14

Act 1 scene 3
- othello says if he lets cupid “taint his business” to let this happen
- he goes to such extremities to prove that he won’t let love get in the way of his business, which is ironic considering it is his life has a soldier that gets in the way of him being a good husband

Question 15

be led by the nose as asses are

Answer 15

Act 1 scene 3
- iago says he will easily convince othello of his falsities

Question 16

rude am I in my speech

Answer 16

Act 1 scene 3
- othello says he is not good with words, he’s modest, he can resolve arguments

Question 17

But for my sport and profit

Answer 17

Act 1, Scene 3 (Iago’s soliloquy)
- sport - iago enjoys the manipulations of people, his fiendishness
- enjoys stage-managing, control of others
- arguably makes him evil? Fiendish?
- any redeemable qualities he has he uses in a bad way
- his ‘evilness’ is what makes the play entertaining - adds to the effect/experience as we cannot intervene
- iago plays a crucial role in making the tragedy a tragedy - audience enjoy iago on stage

Question 18

I know not if’t be true

Answer 18

Act 1, scene 3 (Iago’s soliloquy)
- he is going to treat the accusations of othello and emilia as though it’s true
- what othello ends up doing