Discussion questions from Othello Act 2 1. What sort of person is Cassio? What happens to him, and how does Iago plan to use the situation in his plan against Othello? Answer: The picture of Cassio we get from his Act 2 appearance is that he is Othello’s loyal, cultured and speaks in a civilized […]
Othello
Othello’s Blunder: Volume of pain in Shakespeare’s Othello
Why does Shakespeare subject Othello to pain? That soldiers are born to die whether in war or at home is what Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ seems to be trying to prove. Nothing can be worse for a military general than being made an object of sympathy and being called a weakling and a cuckold. Shakespeare subjects Othello […]
Women’s Role in Othello
Examine the female characters in the play. Do they share a common role in Othello? In Othello, Shakespeare has not portrayed the women in empowered roles. Even the wife of a general has to demonstrate unquestioned loyalty and submission to her husband. Despite her elevated status as compared to the other female characters in the […]
Othello Act 1 Discussion questions
Discussion questions from Act 1 of Othello 1. How does Shakespeare present the world of Venice in the first act, and how does he construct the interactions of his central characters (Iago, Othello, and Desdemona) with that Venetian world and with each other. How are these interactions complicated by the fact that Othello is […]
Major themes in Othello
An Analysis of the Main Themes in Othello Relationships can be painful: Whether it is Othello’s relationship with Desdemona, Iago’s with Emilia or Cassio’s with Bianca, personal relationships can be badly complex and painful and that’s what Shakespeare seems bent on proving. There are some important components of a strong relationship that make it long-lasting. […]