Othello - acts and scenes

Question 1

act 1 scene 1 - Othello

Answer 1

QUOTES
One of the most open Iago is about his duplicity throughout the play
Our first impressions of the tragic hero is from the tragic villian - the audience’s expectations for the rest of the tragedy are formed.
Best Iago quotes!!!!
Beginnings of our view of Elizabethan customs regarding gender
Iago and Roderigo visit Brabantio and tell him about Desdemona and Othello’s elopement.
Iago dominates the scene through language and manipulation

Question 2

Act 1 scene 2 - Othello

Answer 2

Othello is summoned to the Duke’s council to resolve his conflict with Brabantio in his presence.
Despite transgressing Elizabethan norms of marriage and love involving receiving consent from the father regarding a marriage, Othello is still arrogant and set in his ways that he is morally sound.
Our first physical impression of Othello - the audience have a set perception of him already.
Othello is: pacifist, calm, placid, hubristic, assertive, dominating with few words / lines, egotistical
Iago is: sycophantic, attempting to dominate but fails, wants to weaponise desdemona to attack Othello, using others for his own gain due to a lack of status.
Desdemona is: used as a plot device.
Brabantio uses racial stereotypes of witchcraft to other Othello.

Question 3

Act 1 scene 3 - Othello

Answer 3

first appearance of Desdemona
the play becomes more politically focused despite Brabantio’s rejection of this shift
Brabantio’s description of Desdemona contradicts the audience’s impression of her and her assertiveness.
Othello allows Desdemona a voice to give her own testimony to their relationship - transgresses gendered norms.
Desdemona inserts herself into the political sphere - catalyst of the plot!!
Othello asserts that Iago is trustworthy - dramatic irony
Iago’s soliloquy explains his plot to weaponise Desdemona and Othello’s love for the rest of the play
Rise in conflict.

Question 4

Act 2 scene 1 - Othello

Answer 4

There is a shift in setting from Venice to Cyprus - transgresses Aristotlean conventions of a tragedy.
They are anxiously waiting for Othello’s ship in a storm - builds suspense and tension
Cassio compliments Desdemona highly - Truth to Iago’s testiment
Iago plots to ‘ensnare’ Cassio in his scheme - he has noticed a pattern and grabbed it.
Reunion between Othello and Desdemona

Question 5

Act 2 scene 3 - Othello

Answer 5

There is a celebration about them arriving in Cyprus
Iago explains to Roderigo the plan to make Cassio drunk
Cassio is fired and iago ‘consoles’ him

Question 6

Act 3 scene 3 - Othello

Answer 6

iago provokes Othello
Desdemona promises to help Cassio
Othello’s fragmentation of his mind
Iago frazzles Othello’s mind - makes him jealous and then warns him against it.
Desdemona drops the handkerchief
Emilia finds the handkerchief and takes it for Iago
Othello physically threatens Desdemona to Iago

Question 7

Act 3 scene 4 - Othello

Answer 7

othello asks Desdemona if she’s lost the handkerchief
Othello assures that theres magic in the handkerchief
Desdemona realises that Othello has changed
Bianca’s introduction

Question 8

Act 4 scene 1 - Othello

Answer 8

Othello ‘falls in a trance’
othello plots to murder cassio
othello strikes her

Question 9

act 4 scene 2 - othello

Answer 9

desdemona knows that she will be killed
she tries to preserve her vessel

Question 10

Act 4 scene 3 - Othello

Answer 10

Desdemona asks to be covered in her wedding sheets
Desdemona forbids anyone blaming Othello
Emilia criticises men - protofeminism

Question 11

act 5 scene 2 - Othello

Answer 11

Othello kills Desdemona
Othello finds out that Emilia stole the handkerchief for iago
Iago says that he will not speak another word
Othello argues that he is honourable
Emilia is killed
Othello kills himself
roderigo killed but they find the letter