THE AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER
Resident Troupe 2006 Summer/Fall Season
Study Guides
Othello
The following materials were compiled by the Education and Research Department of the American Shakespeare Center. Special acknowledgement to: Colleen Kelly, Director
of Education and Research; Ralph Cohen, ASC Executive Director; Jim Warren, ASC Artistic Director; Jay McClure, Director of Theater Operations; Audrey Guengerich-
Baylor, Henrico County Schools; ASC Actors and Staff: Aaron Hochhalter, David Loar, Alvaro Mendoza, Anna Marie Sell, Matthew Sincell, Jeremy Fiebig; Education Artists:
Robert Gibbs, Sarah Henley, Camille Mustachio; and ASC Interns: Cassie Ash, Erin Davis, Heidi Grumelot, Becky Kemper, Donald Osborne and Katherine Robbins
YOUR ROLE AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER
1. In Shakespeare’s day, attending a play was an exciting community event. While waiting for the play to begin and
during intermission, audiences would eat, drink, visit with friends, and enjoy specialty acts featuring jugglers,
clowns, dancers, and musicians.
• At the Blackfriars, we offer the same kind of experience during our pre-show and
intermission entertainments. If you want to join in the pre-show fun, arrive up to a half
hour early. During intermission there will be more entertainment, but this is also the time
when you can stretch your legs, use the restroom, and purchase souvenirs and
refreshments (no outside food or drink allowed). At most modern theatres you are asked
not to bring food or drink back in the theatre with you, but this is permitted at the
Blackfriars.
2. In Shakespeare’s day, plays were performed either outdoors in the middle of the afternoon or indoors under
candlelight. This means that the actors could see the audience, the audience could see the actors, and the members
of the audience could see each other.
• At the Blackfriars, we perform with the lights on. As an audience member, you feel like
you are in the same room with the actors—like you are actually part of the play. This is
very different from seeing something at the cinema or in a theatre where the actors are lit
and the audience sits in the dark. You get the feeling that at any moment the actors might
start talking with you, and sometimes they will.
3. In Shakespeare’s day, there wasn’t such a pronounced division between the actors and the audience. The theatres
were small, and audience members sat close to the stage. Sometimes, in theatres like the Globe, they stood in
front of the stage in the pit. At other theatres they could sit on the stage itself.
• At the Blackfriars, there are many different places to sit (for some performances this
means different prices). Wherever you sit, let the action of the play draw you in. We have
benches that can be occupied as is or, for comfort, can include cushions and seat backs.
There are Lord’s Chairs and on-stage Gallant Stools very close to the action, and upper
balcony seating which may require you to lean forward to look over the rail. Do be
considerate, however, of others who are also trying to see.
4. In Shakespeare’s day, there were no electronic devices.
• At the Blackfriars, no electronic devices should be used by the audience during the
performance. Please don’t take pictures during the show. If you have cell phones, video
games, CD players, walkmans, or MP3 players please turn them off so that they don’t
distract the other audience members or the actors. No text messaging during the
performance. Remember, this is a live event, so don’t be a distraction. Part of your role as
an audience member is to make sure that seeing a play is an enjoyable community event
for everyone in attendance.
5. In Shakespeare’s day, the audience often changed seats, mingled, and walked in and out of the theatre (much like
a modern sporting event), but they always knew what was going on in the play—they knew the score. Who’d
want to miss the best part? The swordfight, the kiss, the bawdy joke…a new word that Shakespeare invented.
• At the Blackfriars, you may leave the theatre during intermissions and interlude
entertainments. Return to your seat before the play resumes--you don’t want to miss the
best part (or perhaps the part that might be on your exam). Unless it is an emergency, do
not leave the theatre during the play itself.
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6. In Shakespeare’s day, plays were meant to be seen and heard rather than read. In comparison to today,
Elizabethans spent more time speaking and listening to language rather than reading and writing language.
Figures of speech, for example, were more than a dramatic writing tool; they were meant to be spoken.
• At the Blackfriars, actors create stories through speaking words and embodying actions.
Attending a play is different than reading a play. We invite you to experience the play
through listening, seeing, feeling, thinking and imagining. Even if you know you are
going to have to write a paper or take a test about the play, don’t take notes and stay in
your brain. If you do, you really haven’t experienced what it’s like to attend a play.
7. In Shakespeare’s day, audiences were asked to use their imagination. There certainly were theatrical events that
used elaborate and expensive technical elements, but Shakespeare’s plays keep scenery, props, costumes, lighting
and special effects to a minimum. Instead of a cast of thousands, Shakespeare’s actors played multiple roles—
including young men playing all the female parts.
• At the Blackfriars, you will also need to use your imagination. Shakespeare’s words are
as powerful today as they were four hundred years ago. They tell stories that engage and
challenge all of the senses. We limit technical elements so Shakespeare’s words can
shine. Music and sound effects are always created live and in the moment of the action.
Actors play multiple roles and often those roles are cross-gender cast.
8. In Shakespeare’s day, people loved talking about where they’d been, what they’d seen, who they saw, and what
they thought about the plays—they voiced their likes and dislikes about the story and the actors.
• At the Blackfriars, you will have an opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes. After
the show you can talk with the actors about the story of the play, the characters, the
actor’s process, and anything else you might want to know about theatre, Shakespeare,
or the American Shakespeare Center.
“The Laughing Audience”
by William Hogarth, 1733.
Note the lighted sconces
that permit socializing and
a more communal response
to the show. The man at the
far right on the second row,
for example, appears to be
laughing at the laughter of
his fellow audience members,
while the gentleman in the
row above is clearly annoyed
with the shenanigans going
on behind him.
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STAUNTON’S BLACKFRIARS PLAYHOUSE
In 2001 the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor
theatre, opened its doors to the public. To commemorate this historic occasion, Shenandoah Shakespeare (now the
American Shakespeare Center) published Blackfriars Playhouse, a series of short essays by internationally renowned
scholars about the history, construction, and function of the London and Staunton Blackfriars, as well as the
companies that called them home. The following excerpt by Andrew Gurr, Professor of English at the University of
Reading in England and former Director of Research at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, is from that collection:
LONDON’S BLACKFRIARS PLAYHOUSE
The story of the original Blackfriars is a chapter—or rather a book—of accidents, a large volume that tells us about
the evolution of London’s first theatres. It is a story that runs alongside and ahead of Shakespeare’s Globe. The
Blackfriars was built in 1596, three years earlier than the Globe, and if Shakespeare’s company had been allowed to
use the Playhouse immediately, they would never have bothered to build the open-air theatre. Despite the depiction in
Shakespeare In Love of Queen Elizabeth attending the Rose Theatre, it was the Blackfriars that received the first-ever
visit by a reigning queen; Henrietta Maria, Charles I’s French spouse, went four times to see a play at the
Blackfriars.
By the 1620s and 1630s the Blackfriars had become the place for England’s high and mighty to see the best plays, in
the best society, complete with sea-coal braziers in the boxes alongside the stage to keep them warm. The Lord
Chamberlain himself, the Privy Councillor responsible for plays and court entertainment, had a personal key to one
of the boxes beside the Blackfriars stage.
After the long closure of theatres between 1642 and the restoration of a king in 1660, it was the idea of the indoor
Blackfriars that lived on rather than Shakespeare’s Globe. The Blackfriars’s chief imitator, the Cockpit, even
reopened briefly during the Restoration for use as a playhouse, but by then the need for the French type of theatre—
with a proscenium arch and a picture-frame stage—made the new players close off the boxes and tiers above the
stage, leaving the theatre’s capacity so small that it could not thrive. Only now, 405 years after it was first created,
and 392 years since Shakespeare’s company first started to use it, can the original Blackfriars once again come into
its own, as the best playhouse of Shakespeare’s time.
--Andrew Gurr
ACTOR TALKBACK SESSIONS AT THE BLACKFRIARS
At the end of each school matinee performance at the Blackfriars Theatre, the audience will have the opportunity to
meet a few of the actors and ask questions. During this twenty minute session, actors will be glad to discuss a range of
topics. They enjoy sharing their ideas about plot points and character relationships. You can also ask them about
costumes, props, or other elements that might not be in the written script, yet are important to the performance.
Perhaps you would like to know about the rehearsal process or how an individual actor made a specific choice about a
character. You may ask behind-the-scenes questions and discover how a quick change of clothes was handled or a
sound effect was made. Curious about the life of an actor? Go ahead and ask about how they got their start, where
they studied, or what other roles they’ve played. This is your time to find out anything you want to know about the
play, the actors, theatre, and the Blackfriars.
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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:
BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Based on baptismal records, most biographers agree that William Shakespeare was born on April 23,
1564, in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.
• William, the son of wealthy shop owner John Shakespeare, received a traditional education: up to ten
hours a day studying grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. He also
studied Greek and Latin on a daily basis. Although we have little proof of Shakespeare’s academic
career, the plays are evidence enough that Shakespeare was well versed in the language passed down
from the ancient classicists.
• In 1582, when he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. He had three children: Susanna
and twins Judith and Hamnet. Although no conclusive documentation remains about his whereabouts
between 1582 and 1594, we do know that by 1594 Shakespeare had left his family in Stratford and was
living in London.
• Throughout history, theatre companies have seldom enjoyed a good reputation. In early 16th Century
England, actors and their companies were thought of as lazy and dishonest:
o lazy because plays were performed during the day, which meant that a percentage of those
attending were “absent without leave” from work;
o dishonest because an actor on stage was pretending to be someone he was not, which meant that
he was lying.
• During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, however, there was a growing interest in play-going, so actors
were given the right to organize themselves into troupes under the protection of a royal patron or
sponsor. Shakespeare’s troupe secured the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain, therefore they became
known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
• Patronage changed after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, when King James VI of Scotland became King
James I of England. During the reign of James I, and continuing to 1642 when the Puritans closed the
theatres, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men were recognized favorites of the crown and known as The King’s
Men.
• Shakespeare often visited Stratford and bought a house there for his family. Unfortunately, his son
Hamnet died in 1596 at the age of eleven, possibly of the plague. At the age of 47 in 1611, Shakespeare
retired to Stratford, ending his tenure as a resident writer and actor with the company he helped form.
William Shakespeare died on his birthday on April 23, 1616. His wife, Anne, lived until the age of
sixty-seven. His two surviving children, Susanna and Judith, both married but left no family.
• Although Shakespeare’s family tree ended, his plays continue to carry his memory, and will do so well
into the future. Shakespeare wrote 35-37 plays, 154 sonnets, and contributed over 2,000 words to the
English language. Today his plays are performed in many languages including German, Russian,
French, and Japanese. As Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare once wrote, “…he was not for an
age, but for all time!”
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STUDY GUIDE INDEX
This study guide packet has been created to accompany the productions in the current season at The American
Shakespeare Center. Each play has its own separate guide with a number of resources, activities, and assignments created
specifically for that play, offering a broad range of materials for you to choose from as you plan your classes. Please feel
free to reproduce these pages as needed. Some activities and assignments can be completed after reading the text of the
play while others are based on specific choices in the ASC productions. Most activities can be adapted to serve either
individual or group assignments. Answer keys appear at the end of each guide. The following is a list of the materials you
will find in the study guide for each play.
Stuff That Happens In the Play
This is a description of the major events in the play to help guide students through general plot points.
Who’s Who
This is a list of the characters in the play, along with a short description of who they are and what they do.
Director’s Notes
This is a short essay written by the director of each ASC production for the season program, in which they give their
thoughts on the play.
Discovery Space Scavenger Hunt
These simple questions are to be used in conjunction with the ASC performance. Before attending the play, teachers
should assign each student one of the twenty questions to help them become more active viewers at the performance.
Rhetoric and Figures of Speech
This section focuses on the use language in the play. Examples of a particular rhetorical device or linguistic feature in the
text are followed by an activity that relates to the particular rhetorical device or figure of speech.
Viewpoints
This section of the guide contains activities and information built around a particular aspect of each play. A short
examination of a theme or topic is followed with a related assignment.
ShakesFEAR Activity
These classroom teaching ploys are excerpts from ASC Co-founder and Executive Director Ralph Alan Cohen’s book
ShakesFEAR and How to Cure It. Cohen developed these activities to help overcome students’ feelings of intimidation
toward Shakespeare’s plays.
ABC’s
This is a fill-in-the-blank assignment that tests students’ knowledge of the text. Answers can be drawn from a word bank
containing twenty-six words related to the play, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet.
Crossword Puzzles
The study guide contains a crossword puzzle for each play with answers taken from the text.
Actors’ Choice
These thoughts and observations made by ASC actors about their performance choices can either be used as prompts for
written responses or classroom discussion.
Getting Technical
This section of the guide is for use after the students have attended the ASC performance. It helps students to examine
how technical aspects of the production help to tell the story of the play, and prompts them to consider what technical
choices they might make if they were putting together their own performance.
Quizzes and Essay Questions
Each study guide contains one or more quizzes that teachers can use to test their students knowledge of the play, as well
as prompts for essays in response to the production and the text.
Answer Keys For Various Activities and Quizzes
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OTHELLO
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OTHELLO
CAST & CREW
Othello a general in the service of Venice Rene' Thornton Jr.*
Desdemona Othello's wife Sarah Fallon*
Iago Othello's ensign James Keegan
Emilia Iago's wife Celia Madeoy*
Cassio Othello's lieutenant Jake Hart*
Bianca Cassio's mistress Susan Heyward
Roderigo in love with Desdemona Paul Fidalgo
Duke of Venice Álvaro Mendoza*
Brabantio a Venetian senator, Desdemona's father David Loar*
Senator of Venice Matthew Sincell*
Senator of Venice John Harrell
Montano governor of Cyprus John Harrell
Clown Susan Heyward
Lodovico an emissary from Venice David Loar*
Gratiano Desdemona's uncle from Venice Álvaro Mendoza*
CREW
DIRECTOR Jim Warren
Costume Designer Erin M. West
Costumer Jenny McNee
Music Director Paul Fidalgo
Fight Choreographer Colleen Kelly
Assistant Director Jeremy Fiebig
Stage Manager/Understudy Bill Gordon
Production Stage Manager Jay McClure*
*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and
stage managers in the United States
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OTHELLO
STUFF THAT HAPPENS…
Stuff that happens IN the Play...
• Roderigo is distressed that his friend Iago has not told him that Othello the Moor has eloped
with Desdemona, the woman Roderigo desires.
• Iago says he hates the Moor because he chose Michael Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of
Iago.
• Iago encourages Roderigo to rouse Desdemona's father, Brabantio, and "incense her kinsmen"
about the elopement.
• Brabantio is outraged about the elopement, seeks out Othello to accuse him of using magic to
steal Desdemona, and threatens to take him to prison.
• Meanwhile, the Duke and senators have received word that the Turks are sending an invasion
fleet to Cyprus. They decide to send "valiant" Othello to fortify Cyprus. Brabantio arrives and
wants Desdemona to accuse Othello of wrongdoing. Desdemona publicly declares her love for
her new husband. The Duke declares that Othello must leave that night for Cyprus. "Honest"
Iago and his wife, Emilia, will later take Desdemona to Cyprus to join her husband.
• Iago convinces Roderigo to "make money," "sell all [his] land," and go with them to Cyprus
where Desdemona will surely tire of the Moor.
• Iago devises a plan to make Othello believe that Cassio is "too familiar" with Desdemona.
• Because of bad weather, Cassio's ship is first to arrive in Cyprus, followed by Iago and
Desdemona's ship and, finally, Othello's ship. Also because of the weather, the "wars are done,
the Turks are drowned."
• Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio; if Roderigo will pick a fight with
Cassio, then Iago will inflame the conflict into a mutiny, Cassio will be stripped of his office,
and Desdemona will be available for Roderigo.
• Iago puts his plan into action by getting Cassio drunk and inciting a public brawl. Othello stops
the brawl and strips Cassio of his office.
• As part of Iago's scheme to make Othello suspect that Cassio and Desdemona are having an
affair, Iago encourages Cassio to ask Desdemona if she will plead with Othello to restore
Cassio's office.
• Handkerchief mischief, epileptic fits, slapping, slicing, and smothering ensue.
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OTHELLO
WHO’S WHO
Othello- The Moor of Venice. Othello is the respected leader of the Venetian armies,
commander over Michael Cassio, a lieutenant in his army, and Iago, his ensign and advisor.
Othello is in love with Desdemona, the daughter of a city Senator, and he secretly marries her.
Othello is the object of Iago’s hatred.
Desdemona- Othello’s wife, Brabantio’s daughter. Desdemona falls in love with Othello after
repeatedly meeting him at her father’s house. She secretly marries Othello against her father’s
wishes.
Iago- Ensign to Othello. Iago is the most trusted friend and advisor to Othello, whom Iago hates.
He devises a plan to make Othello believe that Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with
Cassio.
Emilia- Iago’s wife, Desdemona’s servant. Emilia is a friend and confidant to Desdemona. Iago
exploits Emilia’s position in order to bring about Othello’s destruction.
Cassio- Lieutenant to Othello. Michael Cassio is a respected and honorable member of
Othello’s army. Iago manipulates Cassio and Othello both, in order to make Othello believe that
Cassio and Desdemona are having an illicit affair.
Bianca- Cassio’s mistress who figures into Iago’s plans.
Roderigo- A Venetian gentleman. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and convinced by Iago
that she is still attainable. Iago uses Roderigo as a pawn in his plot.
The Duke of Venice- Leader of Venice, Othello’s commander. The Duke is asked to determine
if Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is legal. He directs Othello to lead the armies in Cyprus.
Brabantio- Desdemona’s father and Senator of Venice. When Brabantio finds out that
Desdemona and Othello are married, he accuses Othello of using witchcraft to seduce his
daughter. He leaves Othello with a warning that Desdemona will lie to him as she lied to her
father.
Montano- Governor of Cyprus. Montano becomes injured by Cassio in a drunken brawl, and
later disarms Othello and puts him under guard.
Clown- The court clown. The clown acts as the initial go-between for Cassio and Desdemona
after Othello banishes Cassio for brawling.
Gratiano- Desdemona’s uncle from Venice who witnesses the results of Iago’s plans.
Lodovico- An emissary from Venice.
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OTHELLO
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Pick and Choose
In these days of Amazon.com and the proliferation of mega-bookstores, it is hard to imagine that buying a
printed copy of a play was once a difficult, if not unfathomable, notion. Before Guttenburg's invention of
movable type in the mid-fifteenth century, a book was about as expensive as a low-end S.U.V. is today. A
monk or scribe sometimes spent an entire year copying a manuscript. After Guttenburg, and certainly by
the time Shakespeare had become famous in the theatre world of the early seventeenth century, quartos
(in essence, Elizabethan paperbacks) were widely marketed at affordable prices. But plays were
considered live entertainment and were rarely available in printed form. Some of Shakespeare's plays
made it into print before his death in 1616; most did not.
Othello was probably written sometime between 1601 and its first recorded court performance on 1
November 1604. Most scholars speculate that it was written after Hamlet but before King Lear and
Macbeth. But Othello was not available in printed form until the quarto of 1622 (Q1); then, in 1623, it
appeared in the first "complete works" edition of Shakespeare's plays, the First Folio (F). The Folio
version has about 160 more lines than the Q1 version, and the two differ in hundreds of other ways:
single-word variants, longer speeches kept in or left out, and many differences in spelling and
punctuation. Because the Q1 version is thought by most scholars to have come either from Shakespeare's
own manuscript or from the copy of the text kept by the company stage manager, Q1 is considered a
"good quarto" and thus has as much "authority" (in the opinion of most scholars) as the F version, which
was compiled by two of Shakespeare's fellow actors.
When I first directed Othello in 1994, I used a text prepared by ASC co-founder, Dr. Ralph A. Cohen.
When I co-directed the play in 2000 with Jan Powell (Founding Artistic Director of Portland’s Tygres
Heart Theatre), we tended to choose the F version wherever Q1 and F varied. We leaned this way
because, on the one hand, the F version was printed later and may have corrected mistakes printed in the
Q1 version and because, on the other hand, it's possible that Q1 represents an earlier draft of the play and
that F is Shakespeare's rewrite. As I approached the text in 2006, I sifted through the options and ended
up not always deferring to F but instead choosing whichever variant provided a juicier image or better
helped tell this story of passions and betrayal, confusions and tragedy. More than anything, I want to let
the exotic and visceral emotions breathe as clearly and as vividly as possible. So I’ve chosen to include
some F passages not included in Q1, several of Roderigo's lines from Act II, for instance, in which he
describes Desdemona's elopement for Brabantio, and Desdemona's painful passion in the Willow song.
But I also chose to include most of Q1's "profanity" (oaths such as "Zounds," "'Sblood," or instances of
the word "God"), which was sterilized for the printing of F.
Editors and directors have wrestled for centuries over which version (Q1 or F) to choose for their editions
and productions; and to challenge Shakespeareans further, a second quarto of Othello, printed in 1630,
conflated Q1 and F. The moral of this essay is that no "sacred" or definitive edition of Othello exists now,
nor ever will. We will never know which word choices Shakespeare finally preferred or which variations
he would want us to perform today. The delight, of course, for any director is that Shakespeare wrote
some mighty fine lines from which to pick and choose.
Jim Warren, Director
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OTHELLO
DISCOVERY SPACE SCAVENGER HUNT
Discovery Space [di-skuhv-uh-ree speys], n. 1.
The curtained area at the upstage center portion
of an Elizabethan stage where something is
revealed to or discovered by characters or
audiences.
Instructions to Teacher: Shortly before attending the performance of Othello at
the Blackfriars Playhouse, assign each student one question from the following list
for which to find the answer as they watch the production.
1. The preshow ends with the song “Fragile.” In what two languages are the lyrics?
2. How many times is Iago alone with Roderigo?
3. How many times is Iago alone with Cassio?
4. How many times is Iago alone with Othello?
5. What prop does Iago carry to indicate that he is outdoors?
6. How does Brabantio’s costume indicate that it is night?
7. What is the predominant color of Iago’s costume?
8. Where does Othello stand in relation to Brabantio when Desdemona talks to the
Venetian senator?
9. What is the predominant color of Othello’s costume?
10. What military gestures does Othello use?
11. What prop does Desdemona lose?
12. Who finds the prop that Desdemona lost?
13. In what way does Iago change his voice when he addresses the audience?
14. Where on stage is Desdemona when she readies for bed?
15. Where does Emilia stand in relation to Iago when they discuss the handkerchief?
16. How are Emilia and Desdemona positioned during the “Willow Song?”
17. Which entrance does Othello use when he enters to kill Desdemona?
18. How does Othello die?
19. What happens to Iago at the end of the play?
20. Who is the last person on stage?
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OTHELLO
RHETORIC AND FIGURES OF SPEECH
Rhetoric [ret-er-ik], n. 1. The art or science of all
specialized literary uses of language in prose or
verse, including the figures of speech. 2. The study
of the effective use of language. 3. The ability to
use language effectively.
Through the use of rhetorical devices (or figures of speech), Shakespeare provides a
map to help an actor figure out how to play a character and communicate the story of the
play to the audience.
In Othello the character Iago uses language to deceive and manipulate the people around
him. Throughout the play, Iago says many things to get people to think and behave the
way that he wants, but in some cases the things that Iago does not say are just as
important as the things that he does say. Omission is a general rhetorical strategy
wherein certain things are left unsaid or unwritten. In Act 3, scene 3 of Othello,
immediately after Desdemona exits, Othello compliments her. In his response to Othello
and throughout the conversation that follows, Iago uses a certain kind of omission called
syllogismus in order to make Othello jump to conclusions.
Syllogismus (syl-lo-gis'-mus): The use of a remark or an image which calls upon the
audience to draw an obvious unstated conclusion.
Example:
Othello. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul,
But I do love thee! and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again
Iago. My noble lord—
Othello. What dost thou say, Iago?
Iago. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady,
Know of your love?
Othello. He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask?
Iago. But for a satisfaction of my thought;
No further harm.
Othello. Why of thy thought, Iago?
Iago. I did not think he had been acquainted with her.
Othello. O, yes; and went between us very oft.
Iago. Indeed!
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OTHELLO
Othello. Indeed! ay, indeed: discern'st thou aught in that?
Is he not honest?
Iago. Honest, my lord!
Othello. Honest! ay, honest.
Iago. My lord, for aught I know.
Othello. What dost thou think?
Iago. Think, my lord!
Othello. Think, my lord!
By heaven, he echoes me,
As if there were some monster in his thought
Too hideous to be shown.
In this conversation, Iago uses syllogismus to bring Othello to the conclusion that Iago
does not trust Cassio. Iago never actually says that he believes Cassio is untrustworthy, in
fact he takes great pains not to say it. Iago asks Othello questions about Cassio without
explaining why, and then answers with a surprised “Indeed!” when Othello answers.
Iago does not say that he is troubled by what Othello has just told him, but his
unexplained questions and strange reaction suggest that he is worried. As Othello presses
Iago to find out if he is troubled, his evasive answers such as “Honest, my lord!” or
“Think, My lord!” further imply to Othello that Iago is worried about something that he is
reluctant to discuss. Othello comes to the inescapable conclusion that Iago has
reservations about Cassio’s trustworthiness even though Iago never actually states as
much.
Activity
Write down a list of ten basic statements or conclusions such as, “the cat eats too much”
or “he is not trustworthy.” Write a second list using syllogismus to suggest the
conclusions from the first list without explicitly saying it, such as, “Did the cat eat all the
food again?” or “Some people trust him.” Find a partner in the class and see if you can
get them to guess your original conclusion by reading them your second list.
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OTHELLO
VIEWPOINTS:
ACTORS AND CRITICS REFLECT ON OTHELLO
1999 - Hugh Quarshie, Second Thoughts on Othello
“I think we have to accept that Othello is a seriously flawed play. But with some judicious
cutting and textual emendation… I think it would be possible to produce a version of the play
which shifts the focus away from race and onto character.”
c. 1830 - French critic Théophile Gautier on Ira Aldridge’s performance as Othello in Europe
“He was Othello himself, as Shakespeare had created him.... He produced an immense effect
and received interminable applause."
April, 11 1833 - The Times - on Ira Aldridge’s performance as Othello in America
"An experiment, and not a remarkably successful one, as the emptiness of the house
incontestably proved; was last night essayed here. The tragedy of Othello was performed, the
part of the Moor by an individual, of Negro origin… Such an exhibition is… not very
creditable to a great national establishment.
1959 interview with Paul Robeson
“Here is a part which has dignity for the Negro actor. Often we don't get those opportunities.
And I would say that my people will be very proud of my or any other Negro actor
appearing in such a part.”
1966 - John Dover Wilson (ed.) Othello
“Seeing Paul Robeson was like 'seeing the tragedy for the first time': 'the fact that he was a true
Negro seemed to floodlight the whole drama. Everything was slightly different from what I had
previously imagined; new points, fresh nuances, were constantly emerging; and all had, I felt,
been clearly intended by the author. The performance convinced me in short that a Negro
Othello is essential to the full understanding of the play’.”
René Thornton, Jr. – ASC Actor – 9/14/06
”Clearly, this country’s relationship to race is different then than now, which also affects how this play
is received. As a classical actor in the 21st century, I am not solely restricted to playing Othello and
Aaron the Moor.”
August 17, 1989 - Interview with Willard White in the Independent
“Trevor Nunn realised some 15 years ago that the lead must be played by a black actor. Not
only for political reasons, but for reasons of integrity to the play, and sheer theatrical
practicality…A play that's so overwhelmingly about male-female relationships needs a physical
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relationship between Othello and Desdemona. And with a white actor in black make-up that's the
one thing you can't have. If they touch each other, Othello [rubs] off on Desdemona."
1998 - Jude Kelly interview by Lyn Gardner for The Shakespeare Theatre regarding Patrick
Stewart’s performance as Othello
“When an all white or mostly white audience watches a black Othello, the reaction can be liberal
but patronizing. This production is a deliberate attempt to reverse that situation, to make white
audiences experience some of the feelings of isolation and discomfort that black people
experience all of the time in their lives.”
1999 - Hugh Quarshie, Second Thoughts on Othello, 1999
“If a black actor pays Othello does he not risk making racial stereotypes seem legitimate and
true? When a black actor plays a role written for a white actor in black make-up and for a
predominantly white audience, does he not encourage the white way, or rather the wrong way, of
looking at black men, namely that black men, or 'Moors', are over-emotional, excitable and
unstable, thereby vindicating Iago's statement, 'These Moors are changeable in their wills'
(I.3.346)? Of all the parts in the canon, perhaps Othello is the one which should most
definitely not be played by a black actor.”
René Thornton, Jr. – ASC Actor – 9/14/06
“In reviewing the perception of this play through the last century, I am particularly struck by
the portrayal of Othello as some sort of negative stereotype. I find this to be exactly the
opposite. I think what’s extraordinary about this play is the humanity that is shown through
Othello. It seems to me that we all know what its like to be jealous, and if you haven’t yet,
you will. Othello shows all of us what happens when we let that jealousy fester and corrupt
us. Iago is so powerful a manipulator that it is clear to see how any of us could be so caught
up in his elaborate web of lies, but at the end, Othello says it best ‘then must you speak of
one that loved not wisely, but too well, of one not easily jealous, but being wrought,
perplexed to the extreme.’ – this to me sums up Othello’s humanity and the passionate power
of this play.
In case you were wondering In case you were wondering
Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) was an African African American actor, Paul Robeson
American actor who became famous as (1898-1967) was a stage and screen
one of the first black actors to play the actor, famous for his performance of
role of Othello on the professional stage. Othello. He was also famous for his
He was rejected at home in the United performance of Joe in the film,
States, but he met with great success in Showboat. The Paul Robeson Foundation
Europe. “preserves and extends Paul Robeson’s
legacy of humanism, civil rights activism
and excellence in scholarship, athletics
and the arts.”
17
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VIEWPOINTS
Examining Characters’ Actions
In Othello all of the primary characters, either knowingly or unknowingly, help Iago to accomplish his plan to
undermine Othello. You are going to examine each of the characters’ actions and determine how they helped
Iago to accomplish his goal to bring about Othello’s downfall.
Activity
• As a group, choose one of the seven main characters of Othello (Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Emilia,
Michael Cassio, Roderigo, and Bianca) making sure each group has a different character. Your group will
analyze that character’s actions in the play.
• In your group, identify the ways in which your character’s actions help Iago to achieve Othello’s
downfall.
• Try to determine whether or not your character is aware that their actions will do harm to Othello. If you
decide that your character did not know that they were assisting Iago, then identify what motivations were
driving their actions.
• Present your explanation of the character’s actions to the class for further analysis and discussion.
Examine the Epilogue
Many of Shakespeare’s plays have epilogues where, at the end of the play, a character delivers a speech to the
audience. An epilogue can serve a number of different purposes.
• The epilogue can express the moral or point of the play, summing up important ideas and messages.
• The epilogue can express the specific point of view of the character delivering the speech, making the
audience consider the events of the play from that character’s point of view.
• The epilogue can help to reengage the audience or change their mood. If a play has been particularly
unpleasant or upsetting, then an epilogue can help to comfort the audience and reestablish a sense of
balance.
• Examine the purpose of epilogues from other plays
• As You Like It- http://www.bartleby.com/70/2054.html
• Henry IV, Part 2 - http://www.bartleby.com/70/2855.html
• Henry V - http://www.bartleby.com/70/2952.html
• The Tempest - http://www.bartleby.com/70/1151.html
Activity
Othello does not have an epilogue. In this activity you are going to consider what an epilogue for this play
might be like
• In small groups (2-4 people), write a ten to twenty line epilogue for Othello.
o Determine what purpose you want your epilogue to serve
o Identify specific themes from the play
o Consider which character is delivering the epilogue and whether that character is alive at the end
of the play or if they are they dead.
• Nominate a spokesperson (or devise a group reading) and perform your epilogue for the class.
DR. RALPH’S “SHAKESFEAR” ACTIVITY
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(adapted from Ralph Allen Cohen’s book, ShakesFEAR and How to Cure It)
Imagination versus Illustration in Othello
This ploy, suggested to me by Libby Page in Mary Baldwin College’s Masters of Letters
program, is an excellent one for all of the plays. The idea of the ploy is to have your students
imagine a scene from the play arid then compare their ideas to that of an artist who has illustrated
it.
(1) You will need to get an illustration of a famous scene from the play. Doing this is easy.
Shakespeare’s plays have inspired three centuries of engravings and paintings, and you
can quickly find some of them on the web.1 Copy or download an illustration of a scene
that you like and have it ready to show in some projection form. If you can find a second
illustration of that same scene by another artist, download that one as well.
(2) In class have your students look at the scene and read aloud the passage on which the
illustration you have selected (but not yet shown them) is based.
(3) Now ask your students to envision the moment in question and either write down a
description of what they are imagining or draw it. If you have them write it, make sure
that they include details in their description. For example, if they are imagining the
moment before Othello wakes Desdemona to murder her, they should say what he is
wearing, where he is in relationship to Desdemona, what the bed looks like, what things
are in the room.
(4) Now show the artist’s illustration you have selected.
(5) Ask them the following questions:
• What details of the artist’s rendering come directly from the text?
• What are the most surprising details in the artist’s rendering?
• Why are those details surprising?
• What mattered the most about the scene to the artist?
• How does the artist’s understanding of the scene differ from theirs?
• What do they like about the artist’s vision? What do they dislike?
(6) If you have a second illustration of the same moment, now show your students that one,
and, in addition to the questions above, ask them how the two artists differ in their vision
of the scene.
The two main virtues of this ploy are, first, that it gets your students thinking about the infinite
number of details that go into an interpretation of the lines and, second, that it makes clear how
different every interpretation can be. Because you are dealing with visuals that they all can see,
you will discover that even your most reticent students will feel free to speak up about things that
they notice.
1
One useful source for such illustrations is
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ABC’S
1. Desdemona fell in love with Othello listening to the stories he would tell when he visited ________’s house.
2. Desdemona’s uncle _______ is one of the men who find her dead at the end of the play.
3. Emilia is killed by _______.
4. _______ takes the handkerchief from Desdemona.
5. Iago tells Roderigo that in order to win Desdemona he first “put _______ in [his] purse.”
6. In Act 1, Scene 2 Iago tells Othello that he has often considered killing Roderigo, saying, “nine or ten times I
had thought to have _______ him here under the ribs.
7. In Act 1, Scene 1 Iago tells Brabantio that Othello has married Desdemona, saying, “_______, sir, you're
robb'd; for shame, put on your gown.”
8. In Act 1, Scene 1 Iago says that Cassio is a _______.
9. In Act 3, Scene 3 when Iago tells Othello that he saw Cassio wipe his beard with Desdemona’s handkerchief
Othello says, “Arise, black _______, from thy hollow cell!”
10. In Act 4, Scene 1 Iago describes Othello’s epilepsy, saying, “The lethargy must have his _______ course: if not,
he foams at mouth and by and by breaks out to savage madness.”
11. In Act 4, Scene 1 Iago tells Othello “And for Cassio, let me be his _______.”
12. In Act 4, Scene 1 Othello publicly strikes _______ .
13. In Act 4, Scene 1 Othello asks Desdemona, “Are you not a _______?”
14. In Act 4, Scene 3 Desdemona sings a song about a _______.
15. In Act 5, Scene 2 as Desdemona pleads with Othello for her life he tells her, “_______, and be still.”
16. In Act 5, Scene 2 Desdemona begs Othello to _______ her tomorrow.
17. In Act 5, Scene 2 when Othello explains that he saw Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief, Othello describes
it as “an _______ token my father gave my mother.”
18. In the final scene of the play Othello describes himself as “not easily _______, but being wrought, perplexed in
the extreme.”
19. In the final scene of the play Othello threatens Gratiano, saying, “Look in upon me then and speak with me, or,
_______ as I am, I will assault thee.”
20. Lodovico relieves Othello of his command and tells him that Cassio will rule in _______ instead of Othello.
21. Othello says that he is, “one who _______ not wisely, but too well.”
22. The Duke of Venice orders Othello to repel the oncoming invasion from the _______.
23. The last person that Othello kills is _______.
24. The Roman numeral for the number of beats in an iambic pentameter line is _______.
25. Throughout the play Othello refers to Iago as “_______ Iago.”
26. When Iago says, “thus do I ever make my fool my purse,” he is referring to _______.
a. antique t. Turks
b. Brabantio u. undertaker
c. Cyprus v. vengance
d. Desdemona w. willow
e. Emilia x. X
f. Florentine y. yerk’d
g. Gratiano z. zounds
h. honest
i. Iago
j. jealous
k. kill In case you were wondering
l. loved The word “zounds” is a fairly common exclamation in Shakespeare’s plays.
m. money It was an abbreviated form of the oath “by God’s wounds,” in reference to
n. naked Christ’s wounds from his crucifixion. The oath sometimes appears in
o. Othello Shakespeare’s plays as “s’wounds,” a contraction joining the words “God’s”
p. peace
and “wounds.” The word “zounds” removes the oath from its original form
q. quiet
even further, and is pronounced zoo-nds (not zow-nds).
r. Roderigo
s. strumpet
20
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21
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ACTORS’ CHOICE
David Loar – Brabantio and Lodovico in ASC’s Othello
On the challenges of playing multiple characters in Othello.
I’ve really never found playing multiple characters to be that big a deal, honestly. You
just have to make specific choices—as you always do, whether you’re playing one
character or 15.
René Thornton, Jr – Othello in ASC’s Othello
Describing the role of race in Othello.
While race is certainly a part of this play, it is something that the character Othello
doesn’t concern himself with – he’s much more involved with his love for Desdemona.
David Loar – Brabantio and Lodovico in ASC’s Othello
Describing what he admires about his fellow actor’s work.
The bravery of René Thornton Jr.’s bigness as Othello. The really great performers, I
think, are the ones who dare to be huge. That’s what drama is.
Questions
1. In Othello, David Loar plays two different characters, Lodovico and Brabantio. What did
Loar do in his performance that helped you distinguish between those two characters?
What did other actors in the play do to distinguish the multiple characters that they
played?
2. René Thornton. Jr, says that within the play, Othello does not concern himself with issues
of race. Do you agree with this analysis of the character? Are there any points in the play
in which Othello directly or indirectly addresses the issue of race?
3. Loar talks about the “bigness” of Rene Thornton Jr.’s performance as Othello. What do
you think he means by that, in what ways might Thornton’s performance be considered
big? Why is it important in the theatre for performers to make big acting choices, as
opposed to actors in other performance mediums?
In case you were wondering
To hear more about our shows from our
actors, visit the American Shakespeare
Center Podcast Central at
http://americanshakespearecenter.blogspot.com
22
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Source: Charles and Mary Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare
(Philadelphia: Henry Altemus Company, 1901)
Peggy Ashcroft and Paul Robeson in Othello: London, 1930
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GETTING TECHNICAL
CONSIDER THIS ABOUT COSTUMES IN OTHELLO:
• Does Desdemona’s costume change in her final scene of the play make her appear more vulnerable
for her confrontation with Othello? Why or why not?
• Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other
aspects of costume design in ASC’s Othello:
o what is reflected by the period and style of clothing?
o what is concealed and/or revealed about the character and the plot?
o what does the weight, feel, flow of the materials communicate (heavy, see-through, silky)?
o what color palette and intensity of color is used?
o how do you distinguish the characters from one another?
o how do you create relationships between the characters?
o how many costume changes are needed for each character?
o are there any special needs (such as blood, quick changes, etc.)?
• If you were asked to design your own production of Othello what kind of choices would you make
about costumes?
CONSIDER THIS ABOUT LIGHTING AND SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN OTHELLO:
• How does universal lighting (in which the audience and the actors share the same light) aid James
Keegan cultivate a relationship with the audience in his performance as Iago? How is this different
from a performance in which the actor cannot see the audience.
• Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other
aspects of lighting and special effects in ASC’s Othello:
o what time of day needs to be shown in the many scenes?
o what kind of environment/weather conditions?
o what mood needs to be set for the scene or moment (danger, comfort, etc.)?
o what actions are dependent on the light or effect (recognize another, keep warm, escape,
etc.)?
o what special effects are needed (such as: fire, explosions, magic, shadows, ghosts, etc.)?
o in what ways might you take advantage of actors and audience sharing the same light?
• If you were asked to design your own production of Othello what kind of choices would you make
about lighting and special effects?
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CONSIDER THIS ABOUT MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS IN OTHELLO:
• Describe Sarah Fallon’s performance of the “Willow Song”. How did it effect the scene and the play?
• Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other
aspects of music and sound effects in ASC’s Othello:
o what mood is set by the pre-show and interlude music?
o what music/songs did Shakespeare include in the text of the play?
o what music has been added to set a mood, or clarify or underscore the text?
o what actions are dependent on sounds (knock at door, alarum to battle, etc.)
o what special sound effects are needed (such as: clocks, birds, explosions, etc.)?
o what type, quality, and volume of musical instruments, human voice, or sounds?
o should any music or sounds be left to the imagination?
• If you were asked to design your own production of Othello what kind of choices would you make
about music and sound effects?
CONSIDER THIS ABOUT SCENERY, SET PIECES, AND PROPS IN OTHELLO:
• Props and set pieces are chosen to enhance the story, and some props have particular importance in
Othello. What props and set pieces would change the story if absent from the performance? Since
there are no elaborate sets or lighting how can you tell interior spaces from exterior spaces?
• Using the following list of questions as a guide, consider (through discussion or writing) other
aspects of scenery, set pieces, and props in ASC’s Othello:
o what particular period, style, or culture is represented?
o what color and texture of set pieces/props (rustic wood or polished plastic) are used?
o how many different locations are needed?
o how do you coordinate the changing of the set?
o what props are identified with a character (pipe, crown, cane, etc.)?
o what props are especially important to the plot (Macbeth’s head, Desdemona’s hankie, etc.)?
o what other props are needed (letters read, food eaten, swords, flags, etc.)?
o should any settings or props be left to the imagination?
• If you were asked to design your own production of Othello what kind of choices would you make
about scenery, set pieces, and props?
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QUIZ
Directions: Select the BEST multiple choice answer.
1. Desdemona’s father is
a. Gratiano d. Roderigo
b. Brabantio e. the Duke of Venice
c. Montano
2. Othello’s services are required to fight the
a. Spanish d. Turks
b. Flemish e. Normans
c. Moors
3. A sailor reports that the Turkish fleet is headed for
a. Venice d. Cyprus
b. Padua e. Scotland
c. Rhems
4. When Brabantio discovers his daughter is gone, he calls Othello a
a. weak lieutenant d. aspiring duke
b. shameless hussy e. hapless lover
c. foul thief
5. Cassio serves as Othello’s
a. lieutenant d. duke
b. ancient e. slave
c. governor
6. Brabantio claims Othello seduced Desdemona with help from
a. her servant, a woman named Emilia
b. potions and medicines bought of a mountebank
c. poetry composed by an enamored suitor named Roderigo
d. the seductive ploys of Bianca
e. his own advice
7. Othello claims Desdemona fell in love with him
a. because her father said she did “so wish to envenom that even the adder were mild in contrast”
b. because she enjoyed being “abus’d, stol’n and corrupted by spells and incantations”
c. since his swarthy moorish looks were to her “most delicious as the exotic fruit”
d. “for the dangers I had pass’d, and I lov’d her, that she did pity them”
e. since “frailty thy name is woman”
8. Brabantio learns of Desdemona’s relationship with Othello from
a. Cassio d. Iago
b. the Duke e. Othello
c. Roderigo
9. Iago incites Brabantio to anger by telling him that
a. “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.96-97)
b. Cassio deceived him in pretending to court Desdemona for himself
c. there is no place for so old a man in the Duke’s naval service
d. Othello said to his daughter, “Get thee to a nunnery”
e. Desdemona appears mild but “has a heart so bold it would make a gentlewoman weep”
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10. Iago hates Othello primarily because Othello (1.1. 29-34)
a. promoted Cassio to a position Iago envies
b. overcomes all difficulties, save those in the personal realm
c. slaps Desdemona when he is angry
d. aspires to one day govern Venice
e. intends to return to the service of the Moors
11. Roderigo has long been in love with
a. Desdemona d. Katherine
b. Emilia e. Ophelia
c. Bianca
12. Roderigo asks for help in his pursuit of Desdemona from
a. Cassio d. Lodovico
b. Montano e. the Duke
c. Iago
13. When the Duke asks Desdemona to whom she owes obedience, she says she
a. owes nothing to anyone, nor shall she ever
b. will put her love for Othello ever foremost, since he is her master and her lord
c. perceives a “divided duty”—to her father for her life and education; to her husband just as her
mother once offered her father
d. cannot decide between two such strong men and that as the Duke bids, so will she live alone.
e. is only able to do as the “Willow Song” suggests
14. When Othello is dispatched to Cyprus, Desdemona
a. cries and begs to be restored to her father’s good graces
b. thinks she will enjoy the good company of Emilia in Venice
c. remains silent since she plans to stow herself aboard the ship
d. asks permission of the Duke to go where her husband goes
e. says she will keep her own estate in Venice and await her noble husband’s return
15. The Turks are defeated when
a. Othello attacks them at sea and they are overpowered by his masterly onslaught
b. Cassio overwhelms them in a surprise attack which further endears him to Othello
c. a tempest brews and their ships are lost at sea
d. they decide they are outnumbered and hastily retreat
e. their general recognizes Othello and hands over his commission
16. Iago maneuvers Cassio’s fall from Othello’s favor by
a. convincing Roderigo to goad Cassio into a drunken brawl
b. seeing to it that the natives of Cyprus express their disfavor with him in a town meeting
c. putting him to battle against the Turks so that his battle inexperience shows
d. having him seem too intimate with Bianca
e. writing a letter in his hand to the Duke of Venice, appealing for the governance of Cyprus and
demanding Othello’s return
17. Throughout the play, Iago is repeatedly referred to as
a. honest d. black
b. virtuous e. contemptible
c. brave
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18. Throughout the play, Desdemona is repeatedly referred to as
a. honest d. black
b. virtuous e. contemptible
c. brave
19. When Othello questions Iago regarding the events of the brawl, Iago’s demeanor appears
a. hesitant to say anything against Cassio
b. eager to blame an old enemy
c. confused and unable to shed any lucid account of the events as they transpired
d. happy that all has come to light regarding the true nature of Cassio
e. too tired to be of any use, calling for Emilia to come get him home
20. Emilia unknowingly contributes to her mistress’s demise by all of the following EXCEPT
a. bringing Cassio to Desdemona so that he can beg her help with Othello
b. giving Desdemona’s dropped handkerchief to Iago
c. leaving Desdemona alone with Othello despite her misgivings that something is amiss
d. not confronting Iago until it is too late
e. informing Brabantio of his daughter’s love affair with Othello
21. During the courtship of Othello and Desdemona, _________ acted as their message bearer.
a. Emilia d. Lodovico
b. Cassio e. Gratiano
c. Roderigo
22. Iago is effective in spurring Othello’s jealousy because
a. he appears hesitant to reveal anything, claiming he fears a false accusation would harm his own
good name which he values more than any material good
b. he acquires multiple pieces of evidence for Othello before he insinuating an affair between
Cassio’s and Desdemona
c. Othello is a naturally jealous individual, easily threatened by any question to his own authority
d. he is familiar with Othello’s grandmother, and has heard stories of past betrayals
e. he knows that Othello is about to be replaced by Cassio as Governor
23. Name the speaker of the following quotation: “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed
monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (3.3.191-192).
a. Emilia d. Cassio
b. Iago e. Roderigo
c. Othello
24. Iago claims that the reason he tells Othello of his fears regarding Desdemona is because
a. she has told Emilia of her plans d. Cassio is about to be promoted
b. Iago loves Othello too dearly e. Brabantio arrives in Cyprus
c. Roderigo has paid Iago to do so
25. _______________ accuses Desdemona of losing her handkerchief.
a. Montano d. Cassio
b. Emilia e. Roderigo
c. Othello
Essay
In Act 2, scene 3 Iago says that his most evil actions look like good actions. Describe the moments in the
play where Iago’s evil actions look as if he is doing good. Who are the people in the play Iago does not
worry about looking good or honest for, and how does that affect his progression through the play.
28