Othello

Questions on
Shakespeare’s Tragedies

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. Folio. (The Norton Shakespeare: Tragedies, 3rd ed. 512-86.)

ACT 1

1. In Act 1, Scene 1, what reason does Iago give to justify his hatred of Othello, his resentment against the man? Does the cause that Iago identifies amount to sufficient grounds for the animosity he professes? Why or why not? Also, to what extent does Iago already seem like something more than a one-dimensional stage villain? What does he say to Roderigo that lends him a certain depth that we would not expect a stage villain to have?

2. In Act 1, Scene 1, how is Othello’s elopement with Desdemona described to her father Brabanzio, a Venetian senator? That is, what specific racial and cultural terms do Iago and Roderigo use to urge Brabanzio to track down Othello and seek justice against him? How does Brabanzio himself take the news, once he realizes that Desdemona has indeed secretly left home?

3. In Act 1, Scene 2, how does Iago initially present himself to Othello as the situation that he has partly created unfolds, with Brabanzio’s search party bearing down upon Othello to arrest him even as the Duke’s men summon him to a council of state over military matters? What first impression does Othello make upon us, the audience, by the manner in which he faces and speaks to those who apprehend him?

4. In Act 1, Scene 3, what is the emergent political and military situation facing the Venetian senators and the Duke when the two search parties arrive with Othello? What reports are they assessing at so untimely an hour? Briefly research the Republic of Venice and the commercial empire it commanded in the early 1570s — what has so captured the senators’ and the Duke’s attention at this point? How might this background impact the regard that these men have for the mercenary general Othello?

5. In Act 1, Scene 3, how does Brabanzio characterize the offense he accuses Othello of committing? Why does witchcraft or magic come into this characterization? Why, that is, does Brabanzio insist on leveling his accusation of elopement in such a context, rather than simply condemning the Moor for “stealing” his daughter without her father’s consent?

6. In Act 1, Scene 3, how does Othello confront the charge lodged against him? But more than that, how does he describe the specific manner in which he won Desdemona’s love? Consider mainly Othello’s performance as a speaker — what is it about his bearing, his skills in language and rhetoric (the art of persuasion), that makes him so compelling a figure for the powerful men he addresses? What wins over the Duke of Venice, even if it fails to move Brabanzio?

7. In Act 1, Scene 3, Othello stakes his life on Desdemona’s faithful recounting of their love’s development. How, then, does Desdemona explain and defend her love for this racially “other” stranger to Venetian ways? In what spirit, too, does she subsequently promote her right to accompany Othello on his naval expedition in defense of Cyprus (and of the Venetians who hold it)? What strengths does this young woman now show, when we get our first look at her? In what ways do she and her new husband seem to be an excellent match?

8. In Act 1, Scene 3, Iago counsels Desdemona’s admirer, Roderigo. What grounds for hope does Iago give Roderigo: how, that is, does he explain the nature of Desdemona’s affection for Othello, and why does he claim that their love can’t last? To what vision of love does Roderigo himself subscribe? (533-34, 2.1.212-42 is also relevant to this question if you are developing a paper on the subject.)

9. Towards the end of Act 1, Scene 3, Iago in soliloquy gives us, the audience, the most accurate sense of his plans and his state of mind that he can. How does he envision his plot against Desdemona and Othello unfolding? What further insight does he offer concerning his motive for undertaking the evil enterprise he is about to begin? To what extent does his current description square with what he told Roderigo about his grounds for hating Othello at the play’s outset?

ACT 2

10. In Act 2, Scene 1, as spectators anxiously await news in the Cypriot harbor of how the battle with the Turks has gone and whether Othello and his party have survived the high seas, Michael Cassio arrives and disembarks. What picture emerges of Cassio’s present relationship with and regard for his commander, Othello? In what style or manner does Cassio greet Desdemona as she, too, awaits Othello?

11. In Act 2, Scene 1, Iago arrives and joins the conversation, bantering in a suggestive fashion with his outspoken wife Emilia and with Desdemona, who participates in spite of her worries about Othello’s safety. How does Iago talk about Emilia, Desdemona, and women in general? And how do Emilia and Desdemona, in turn, answer his barbs and witticisms? What in these innocent conversations might be said to signal trouble for Desdemona and Cassio, and opportunity for Iago—what is Iago up to by way of furthering his plot to destroy Cassio and Desdemona?

12. In Act 2, Scene 1, Othello enters as a hero, now that the Turkish onslaught against Cyprus has been turned away. He addresses Desdemona joyfully, and is answered fairly. But is there anything unsettling about what Othello in particular says that might give us cause to doubt the happiness of these newlyweds in future? Explain. (The question can be responded to at this point, but returning to it after finishing the play might yield further insight.)

13. Towards the end of Act 2, Scene 1, how does Iago explain his plot to ruin Michael Cassio to Roderigo? What is Roderigo supposed to get as a benefit for participating in this plot? What exactly is Iago telling this foolish, love-sick man to do by way of furthering the plot? Finally, how does Iago also analyze for Roderigo the psychological and sexual bases that he believes ensure its success—why, that is, does he suggest that Cassio’s alleged love for Desdemona will ultimately meet with success?

14. In his final speech of Act 2, Scene 1—a soliloquy—how does Iago explain to himself the diabolical action that he is about to set in motion? How does he size up his “mark,” Othello? How does he justify to himself (if “justify” is the right word) this act of deception and betrayal? To what extent are his motive and ultimate objective entirely clear to him at this point? Are they the same as what he told us near the end of Act 1, Scene 3, or are they evolving? Explain. Finally, what does Iago’s soliloquy tell us about him—why does he feel the need to pursue such an extreme, disloyal course?

15. At the beginning of Act 2, Scene 3, Othello, having decreed in the previous short scene that the night should be a time of feasting in honor of victory and his own marriage, sets Cassio on watch to keep things orderly. As the scene unfolds, what tactics does Iago employ to bring this tidy plan to naught? What is the outcome, and how, misled by Iago’s deceptions, does Othello deal with the disgraceful situation that greets him when he arrives?

16. In Act 2, Scene 3, once the brawling and decision-making is done, how does Iago steer Cassio towards the path that will lead him to put himself and Desdemona in danger? How does he manage the despairing Roderigo and assess his own performance thus far? On the whole, how does Act 2 present to us Iago’s playwright-like powers of observation and improvisation? What are the raw materials he works with to shape people and events towards the course he wants them to take?

ACT 3

17. In Act 3, Scene 1, what role does the Clown play with regard to Michael Cassio’s suit to Desdemona (and through her Othello)? Productions of Othello sometimes cut this seemingly insignificant character altogether, but why might that not be the best idea for the coherence of the action? Explain why there’s a bit more to this Clown than “comic relief” in the taut, somber tragedy Othello.

18. In Act 3, Scene 3, in what manner does Desdemona, after speaking with Cassio about his desire to regain Othello’s good opinion and his lieutenancy with it, set herself to her new task? Characterize Desdemona’s performance as a piece of impromptu rhetoric, a sustained attempt at persuasion. How does Othello respond to this attempt as it unfolds, and how does he sum up his feelings about Desdemona immediately after she leaves with Emilia and he is alone?

19. In Act 3, Scene 3, discuss Iago’s rhetorical strategy in bringing Othello round to condemning Desdemona for adultery. To begin with, how does Iago take advantage of the immediate circumstance of Othello’s apparently catching sight of the departing Cassio? How does Iago turn this innocent leave-taking into something quite different? What suppositions, proverbs, and images does Iago plant in Othello’s head, and in what order? By what method does Iago keep his own wicked, self-interested motive from becoming plain to Othello, as it is to us?

20. In Act 3, Scene 3, in what ways does Othello betray his own susceptibility to the rhetoric of jealousy that Iago feeds him? What weakness or incapacity of judgment takes hold of Othello as he listens to his supposedly loyal subordinate Iago? At what point does Iago seem to have got under his skin? When Iago finally takes his leave, what deterioration appears to have taken place in Othello’s outlook on Desdemona and his marriage?

21. In Act 3, Scene 3, Emilia finds and takes up Desdemona’s handkerchief, and soon yields it up to Iago. Why is Emilia willing to do this favor for Iago, who has apparently been pestering her to steal the handkerchief from Desdemona? Based on what you have already gathered about the quality of the marriage between Iago and Emilia, what do you suppose is driving her actions in this matter of the handkerchief?

22. In Act 3, Scene 3, Iago leads Othello into such a passion that the Moor makes a “sacred vow” (555, 3.3.455) to accomplish his revenge upon Michael Cassio and Desdemona. By what steps does Iago drive Othello into this trap, and how does this resentful subordinate turn his general’s extreme declarations to his own account? What significance might be attributed to the fact that this intense scene takes the form of a religious act, a holy vow made by two men?

23. In Act 3, Scene 4, Othello manifests his famous obsession with the handkerchief he gave Desdemona. What underlies the power of this token—what history and qualities does Othello attribute to it, and why does its loss drive him nearly mad? How does Desdemona’s innocent urging of Cassio’s suit only make matters worse? What does Desdemonaapparently think of the handkerchief that Othello gave her, and what excuse does she make for Othello’s extremely perturbed bearing towards her?

24. In Act 3, Scene 4, Emilia and Desdemona discuss men’s treatment of women and, in particular, male jealousy. In what sense is Emilia a foil to Desdemona’s sensibility here and elsewhere in the play? What does Emilia understand about jealousy that the apparently younger, less experienced Desdemona does not?

ACT 4

25. In Act 4, Scene 1, Othello’s mental state continues to deteriorate due to his jealous rage, and he has a second epileptic fit in front of Iago and Cassio. How does Iago use Cassio’s conversation with the courtesan Bianca to further enrage Othello? What is the occasion for the meeting between Lodovico and Othello, and how does the latter’s strange and violent behavior during this meeting damage his reputation with the Venetian? How does Othello and Iago’s plot to do away with Desdemona and Cassio take firmer shape towards the end of this scene?

26. In Act 4, Scene 2, how does Desdemona try to defend herself against Othello’s frightening accusations and imprecations? What does she rely on to protect her reputation? How effective are her efforts, judging from Othello’s response to them?

27. In Act 4, Scene 2, how have Othello’s previous conversations with Iago (most recently in Act 4, Scene 1) influenced his ominous treatment of Desdemona in the present scene? How has Iago’s cunning opportunism helped make Othello deaf to Desdemona’s honest self-defense?

28. In Act 4, Scene 2, Iago, after brazenly lying to Emilia and Desdemona about his own part in driving Othello into a jealous rage, is beset by a very angry Roderigo. What is Roderigo angry about? How does Iago turn even this dangerous circumstance to his own advantage—that is, what plan does he hatch involving Roderigo and himself?

29. In Act 4, Scene 3, what does Desdemona’s singing of an old song of betrayal and abandonment suggest about her current state of mind? How, too, does she respond to Emilia’s spirited assault on men’s deceptive ways, and to her insistence that women should assert the right to be unfaithful if their husbands are first unfaithful to them?

ACT 5

30. In Act 5, Scene 1, what arrangements does Iago make to secure the final success of his plan to destroy Othello and Desdemona? What use does he make of Roderigo? Why does Iago keep reproaching Bianca over what happened to Roderigo and Cassio?

31. In Act 5, Scene 2, how does Othello represent both to himself and to Desdemona the motive and quality of his imminent act against her? At what point does Desdemona recognize that her attempt to save her own life is hopeless? What has rendered it so, and how does she react to this terrible realization?

32. In Act 5, Scene 2, how does Emilia unravel the diabolical plot which her husband Iago has visited upon Othello and Desdemona? In what sense does she attain tragic dignity here in the play’s concluding scene? Aside from Othello, what power is she defying when she reveals her husband’s evildoing and gets stabbed to death for it?

33. At the end of Act 5, Scene 2, Othello, while clearly stricken with remorse now that he understands he was duped by Iago, still seems concerned to present himself to onlookers such as Graziano and Lodovico in a dignified manner. How, then, does Othello want others to understand and report his character as well as his dreadful error (his crime), once he is dead? To what extent (if at all) does he, in fact, reassert his dignity in the manner of a tragic protagonist? Do you find Othello’s final statements and actions sufficient in this regard? Why or why not?

34. General question: if you have seen Oliver Parker’s film of Othello (starring Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob, Kenneth Branagh, and Anna Patrick), how well do you think it captures the movement and themes of Shakespeare’s text? What did you like about the film? What, if anything, didn’t you like about it, and why?

Edition. Greenblatt, Stephen et al., editors. The Norton Shakespeare: Tragedies + Digital Edition. 3rd ed. W. W. Norton, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-393-93860-9.

Copyright © 2012, revised 2024 Alfred J. Drake