Othello Study Guide

MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET

| |Biographical Information about the Author |
|Title: Othello_______________________________ | |
|Author: Billy Shakespeare_____________________ | |
|Date of Publication: either the 16th or 17th century | |
|Genre: Tragedy ____________________________ | |
| |He was born in 1564. He wrote very many plays and stories, including but not |
| |limited to Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. At 18 he married Holly Wood |
| |star Anne Hathaway. He is considered by many to be the greatest writer in |
| |recorded history. He had two children, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died when he |
| |was 11. He died on April 23 1616. |
|Historical Information about the period of publication | |
|King James the first disbanded the English Parliament. The first record of | |
|bottled spring water in England came into existence. King Charles X of Sweden is| |
|born. The Jamestown Massacre occurs when Algonquin kill 347 English colonists. | |
|Sumo wrestling becomes a professional sport in Japan. It was the middle of the | |
|renaissance, which was a rebirth in many fields. Its most notable advances were | |
|in arts. | |
| |Characteristics of the Genre |
| |A tragedy is a drama in which most major characters die. It usually is an unjust |
| |ending. It sometimes unresolved conflicts. Characters have a loss of innocence |
| |throughout the story. A person of high standings has a decay of power or glory |
|Plot Summary |
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|The play opens with Iago, an officer of the Venetian army, refusing (in the company of fellow officer Roderigo) to fully dedicate himself to the general of the |
|Venetian army- a Moor, Othello. He also claims his bitter resentment in the appointment of Cassio as Othello’s 1st lieutenant, saying how he believes Cassio to |
|have slept with his wife. Rodrigo and Iago then report to the senator, Barbantio, and reveal how Desdemona, Barbantio’s daughter, has married herself to the Moor, |
|Othello. Barbantio then accuses Othello of having abducted his daughter through means of sorcery and witchcraft. When approached by Brabantio, Desdemona claims her|
|love for Othello and Barbantio disowns her. After this, the officers their wives were assigned to Cyprus to defend it from the Turkish fleet. When they arrive, |
|Roderigo admits his love to Desdemona to Iago, who convinces him to liquidate his assets, making Roderigo Iago’s pawn. Iago later convinces Cassio to indulge in |
|alcoholic substance to incite a brawl between him and Montano. Disgusted by this outrage, Othello strips Cassio of his title as 1st lieutenant, destroying Cassio’s|
|good name. Iago convinces Cassio to then seek assistance with Desdemona to see if she will make it possible to revive Cassio’s positive reputation. Iago uses these|
|closed encounters between Cassio and Desdemona to incite doubt in the eyes of Othello. Iago takes possession of a handkerchief of valuable importance between |
|Othello and Desdemona and plants it in Cassio’s quarters. When Othello discovers the handkerchief had been in Cassio’s possession, his suspicions of the adultery |
|committed between Cassio and Desdemona are proven true in his eyes and he conspires to work with Iago to kill the both of them. Iago manipulates Roderigo to |
|attempt to kill Cassio in a street brawl, but Roderigo fails. Iago then kills Roderigo to tie up any loose ends that might have resulted had Roderigo been |
|questioned. During this time, Othello confronts Desdemona and, unphased by her presuming innocence, smothers her to death. Iago’s wife Emilia arrives a moment too |
|late and calls for help. When the governor, Lodovico, arrives with Iago, Cassio, and other official figures, Emilia explains what Othello had done. Othello admits |
|to his actions, saying how it was justified due to her adulterous actions. However, when he mentions the handkerchief, Iago’s wife realizes that Desdemona’s death |
|was on the hands of Iago. She exposes him, whereupon Iago kills her. Now convinced of Desdemona’s innocence captures Iago, but doesn’t kill him. Othello claims he |
|would rather Iago live in pain then die, and, instead of killing Iago, kills himself. Iago is taken away, where it can be implied that Cassio, the new governor of |
|Cyprus, will be personally involved in Iago’s torturing till the end of his life. That’s depressing. |
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|Describe the author’s style |An example that demonstrates that style |
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|Shakespeare uses an iambic pentameter. This writing is constantly|“This fellow’s of exceeding honesty, and knows all qualities with a learned spirit of human |
|filled with dramatic irony. He often allows a character to be |dealings. If I do prove her haggard, though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings, I’d |
|audible with his/her thoughts to inform the audience. The |whistle her off and let her down the wind to prey at fortune.” (pg. 1500 line 257-260) |
|unfolding of the events allow the audience to know and understand| |
|what is happening but still leaving the characters in the dark to| |
|allow for strong and dramatic foreshadowing. | |
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|Memorable Quotes |
|Quotation |Significance |
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|“Iago: you see this fellow that is gone before. He’s a |Iago is manipulating Montana into thinking that Cassio is an alcoholic and Othello is ignorant of |
|soldier fit to stand by Caesar and give direction and do but|Cassio's problem. This leads to Cassio’s demotion and unfriending which is a main cog in Othello’s |
|see his vice tis to his virtue a just equinox the long as |downfall. |
|the other tis pity of him I fear the trust Othello puts him | |
|in on some odd time of his infirmity will shake this | |
|island.” (pg 1484 line 101) | |
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|Iago “Men should be what they seem or those that be not, | |
|would they might seem none” (1496 line 127) | |
| |Iago is manipulating Othello into suspecting Cassio of deceit. He is able to make it seem like Othello|
| |is asking for his opinion. This is the major point where a wedge begins to be driven between Othello |
|Iago “To have a foolish wife” (1501 line 303) |and Cassio and a bond forms for Othello and Iago |
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| |He is mocking his wife because he hates women; however it’s ironic because she’s bringing him the key |
| |to his victory, also ironic because it’s mocking like this that helps her overthrow him later. |
|Iago “With her, on her what you will” | |
|(pg 1512 line 35) | |
| |This is Iago telling Othello of Cassio’s bragging about Desdemona and him doing it, The crass imagery |
| |is intended to work on Othello’s brain and cause a fit. |
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|Othello “I am not sorry neither I’d have thee live forin my | |
|sense tis happiness to die” (pg 1540 line 286) |Othello states his intentional reasoning for sparing Iago form death because, death would be release |
| |and now Iago has to stay behind and be tortured. |
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|Characters |
|Name |Role in the Story |Significance |Adjectives |
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|Othello |General of Venice marries Desdemona protagonist |His passion allows Iago to manipulate him into killing|Black, passionate, |
| | | |commanding, brave |
| | |Desdemona and firing Cassio. | |
| |Othello’s wife and friend to Cassio | |Pure, faithful, sweet |
|Desdemona | |She represents purity and faithfulness. She is the | |
| | |target of Iago’s deceit. Even when Othello has killed| |
| | |her she is still faithful. | |
| |Senator and Desdemona’s father | |Old, sullen, racist |
| | |He feels betrayed by Desdemona’s marriage to Othello | |
|Barbantio | |and warns him of Desdemona’s future “betrayal.” | |
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| |Antagonist who creates chaos and discord in the |He is able to poison Othello’s mind against Cassio and|Manipulative, self-serving, |
| |ranks of the officers of the Venetian army |Desdemona which leads to multiple deaths. |hateful, tricky |
|Iago | | | |
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| |Iago’s pawn and Desdemona’s Stalker |Iago is able to manipulate him using his love for |Gullible, lonely, naive |
| | |Desdemona to further his own goal of destroying | |
| | |Othello. He is one of the main causes of Iago’s | |
|Roderigo | |downfall. | |
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| |Othello’s lieutenant and close friend |Is honorable soldier and true friend but is vilified |Honorable, honest, friendly |
| | |to Othello by Iago’s deceit changing him into | |
| | |Othello’s target of jealousy | |
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|Cassio |Iago’s wife, Desdemona’s servant |She is at first very submissive to Iago’s demands but |Submissive, loyal, depressing|
| | |eventually her loyalty to Desdemona causes her to | |
| | |stand up and force Iago to face justice. | |
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|Emilia | | | |
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|Setting |Significance of opening scene |
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| |The play opens with Roderigo and Iago discussing, Othello. The scene opens in the|
| |middle of the conversation to give a sense of ongoing action. In this scene we |
|The setting is 16th century Venice and Cyprus. There is a war going on against |discover that Othello and Desdemona are secret lovers, that Roderigo is in love |
|the Turks. In Venice it is traditional to appoint a foreigner as general. This is|with Desdemona and Iago is a manipulative trickster out for himself, and is |
|why Othello, a moor, is the general. Additionally there is an extreme social |devoted to destroying Othello. This scene establishes each characters motives and|
|stigma about being a moor. Many consider them to be sorcerers and bad people. |the setting also it provides a view of future events. |
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| |Significance of ending/closing scene |
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| |The play ends with the deaths of Othello, Emilia, Desdemona, Barbantio, Roderigo,|
| |and the condemnation of Iago to continuous torture. The significance of this |
| |scene is it knocks the play into the genre of tragedy since the conflict is |
| |resolved by the death of hero and many innocent people. Othello also gives two |
| |signs that he still has his soul and is sorrowful because of the fact that he |
| |only wounded Iago instead of killing him and his speech about it being happiness |
| |to die. |
|Symbols | |
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|Desdemona is a symbol of purity. Black represents evil. The handkerchief is a | |
|symbol for loyalty. “Black rams tupping white ewes” represents evil black men | |
|having intercourse with innocent white women. Iago represents evil, Satan | |
|(deceiver), and mischievous villainy (like Loki). Casio is honor and valor. | |
|Emilia represents obedience and submission until the final act where she becomes | |
|symbolic of resistance and self-reliance. Roderigo represents vulnerability to | |
|influence a naivety. Othello represents strength, righteous passion, corruption,| |
|and unrighteous passion. | |
| |Old AP Questions |
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|Possible Themes |
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|Trusting in those who have not earned it can lead to disaster. Loyalties should not be shaken by another’s testimony. Faith is destroyed by jealousy. Selfish honor|
|can hold stronger ties than love. |
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|Passion can overwhelm logic and lead to suffering. True virtue and purity can survive others corruption. |
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|Submission of one person to another can aid in scheming. Murder destroys the soul. Deception once can lead to continued suspicions. Violence is not the answer. |
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|The truth will come out the end. Corruption will eventually be seen. Lies can only stand for so long. |
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