Questions: Act 5 Scene 2 lines 1-233

"Good gentleman, let me have leave to speak./ 'Tis proper I obey him - but not now!" Emilia [5.2.192-193]

Questions: Act 5 scene 2 lines 1-233

Answer in full sentences, with quotations. Type your responses and post to your blog.

1.What reasons does Othello give for having to kill Desdemona?

One of Othello's reasons for killing Desdemona is that he did not want other men to go through the same emotional turmoil as him. Whilst Othello is watching Desdemona sleep he says 'Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.'

Othello believes that Desdemona must die because it counts as doing the right thing 'I will kill thee and love thee after.' This is more of a moral battle for Othello. He feels as iaf this is the right thing to do, rather than what he wants to do. He is trying to be valiant and the words are put across to give the impression that he is really just trying to do the right thing by everybody else, rather than himself. 


2.What evidence is there to suggest that Shakespeare adhered to racial stereotypes in this scene? Consider:

• irrational behaviour
• emotions
• danger
• the 'mystical negro' stereotype
• representations of the 'other'

Othello believes that it is right for him to kill her. This contributes to the racial stereotype that black people are irrational as he isn't thinking clearly about the situation, 'yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.' This is irrational because he has based this whole situation on rumours that he has heard from Iago, but not actually looking for the truth or something factual. He also cannot control his emotions as he suddenly switches from being calm to being angered at Desdemona. 'Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my face?' Othello automatically assumes that Desdemona is crying for Cassio in front of his face, when she is really just crying because one of her friends has died. There is the element of danger within the scene as Othello strangles his wife, who has actually been innocent throughout the whole play- this promotes the stereotype that black people are dangerous.

3.Othello tells Desdemona that Cassio has confessed to sleeping with her (line 68). What was this 'confession' The confession was that Cassio had the hankerchief, which in Othello's eyes meant that Desdemona had given Othello's token of love to another man, therefore meaning that she cheated on him.

4.Emilia says "Good gentleman, let me have leave to speak./ 'Tis proper I obey him - but not now!" [5.2.192-193] what does this indicate about Emilia and society? Consider the circumstances the characters are in.
The society indicated at this point in the play is one within a Patriarchal society. this is supported by the fact that Emilia is apologetic for her behaviour, ''Tis proper I obey him, but not now.' This shows that Emilia should be obedient to her husband- because that was the polite and proper of a woman in a Patriarchal society. Emilia however defies that in this moment because she puts across to the other characters that this time, she has to speak and not obey her husband's orders.

5. How is Emilia presented in lines 125-233. Consider the language she uses, how she behaves and what she says to Othello and Iago.

Emilia is presented as a character who is enraged by what Othello has done- she is unapologetic in her behaviour and doesn't hold back in what she has to say to Othello and what she really thinks of him 'Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.' This presents her as a strong character who doesn't feel the need to follow the patriarchal rules put there by society. She also say that Iago, who is her own husband, should 'Rot half a grain a day!' This shows a strength of character within her and that she stands up for what she believes in despite who she's up against.

6. List all of the names Emilia calls Othello when she realises what he has done. How does this contrast with how Othello was portrayed at the start of the play?

• 'the blacker devil' (131)
• devil' (133)
• 'gull' 'dolt' (164)
• 'dull moor' (225)
•  'murderous coxcomb' (234)

At the beginning of the play, Othello was portrayed as a noble character and a well respected one. Although he was called a 'Moor' the adjective used to describe him was 'valiant'. whereas in Act 5 'dull' is used. This is a representation of his decline as the Tragic Hero because his downfall is prominent in this scene as Emilia's lack of respect is shown in a way that is far from subtle.

Othello and Iago Questions

1. According to Adrian Lester, how long has Othello been fighting for?
Othello has been fighting since the age of 7- he has seen a lot of the world.


2. According to Adrian Lester, Othello is not born into a 'sense of nobility', like those around him. How does Adrian Lester say this impacts the character?
This makes him very aware of how he appears to the Venetians. This makes his appearance very important to him- making him perhaps prideful and therefore has a need to not be made a fool out of.


3. What increases Othello's status in Venice?
The fact that he is married to the only child of an important Venetian


4.Why does Rory Kinnear say Iago is disgruntled with Othello?
Iago is disgruntled with Othello because he has been through the wars with Othello yet Cassio was chosen over him to be the lieutenant- a man who has not seen as much war. This angers Iago even more because not only a man he trusted let him down, but a man who is not as experienced as Iago, got ahead of him.


5.What do Othello and Iago have in common, according to Rory Kinnear?
Iago and Othello both started out at the bottom. The difference is that Othello's charisma and skill got him to the top- whereas Iago stalled and didn't try as hard as Othello and didn't have as much natural skill.


6. Around 4.20, Rory Kinnear lists some of the ways Iago aims to bring down Othello and Cassio. What are they?
subterfuge-deceit used in order to achieve one's goal.
Insinuation- an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad.
These are the words used to describe how Iago planned to bring Othello and Cassio down.

Casting Cassio

James McAvoy

For the role of Cassio I chose James McAvoy because he has performed in several West End productions, and received three nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor. This shows that he is comfortable with acting on a stage rather than just being on screen and he also has a good experience working on stage because he received nominations for his acting. He is from Scotland, but has portrayed an English accent within many films showing that he could be part of Othello in a convincing way. In 2003, McAvoy appeared in a lead role in Bollywood Queen, a British Indian take on the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, showing he has experience with being in Shakespearean productions.

Casting Desdemona

Lily James





For the role of Desdemona, I decided to cast Lily James because of her portrayal of Cinderella. In the film, she plays the role of elegance and innocence- these are qualities that Desdemona also possesses. She is only 27 years old which makes her ideal because Desdemona was originally casted as someone who is young. She has also been part of the TV series Downton Abbey, a historical period drama. This promotes the idea that Lily knows how to act in a manner that is different to the modern age. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama which is one of the world's leading drama school. This shows she has a good education when it comes to the arts and has most likely studied Shakespearean dramas.

Othello Act 3 Scene 3 Big Question 2

1. How do ideas about difference and otherness help Iago's manipulation of Othello in this scene? Consider:

Iago's manipulation of Othello is supported by the fact that Cassio helped Othello gain the love of Desdemona, 'so many a time, when I have spoken of you dispraisingly, hath ta'en your part!' This creates a sense of inadequacy for Othello because he needed someone else to help him gain his love which therefore weakens his self esteem. This helps Iago manipulate Othello because it has him believe that he is worthless on his own and needs other people to help in order for him to get what he wants and to succeed in life. This could mean that Othello listens to Iago more because he needs to have guidance from other people as he feels unable to make good decisions by himself- meaning that he is easy to influence through the use of manipulation because he is looking for answers from other people as opposed to himself.

Furthermore, Iago makes Othello feel that because he is so different to Desdemona, she couldn't possibly desire him for much longer. 'Not to affect many proposed matches of her own clime, complexion, and degree, whereto we see in all things nature tends.' This contributes to Othello feeling different and like an outsider because he is told that he is not a suitable companion for Desdemona and there are better suitors out there for her. All the while this is strengthening Othello's insecurities. This means Othello is more likely to believe what other people say as he sees for himself that he is not necessarily right for Desdemona which promotes Iago's manipulation of him because he has verbally broken Othello down.

Finally, getting Othello to spot his own weaknesses strengthens Iago's manipulative nature because it means Othello sees the issues through his own eyes, not just someone elses. 'I am declined into the vale of years.' This makes it harder to deny the idea that there is something between Cassio and Desdemona for Othello because he is telling himself that he has too many flaws. This helps Iago to achieve his personal manipulative goals because he breaks down Othello making it harder for Othello to stay rational in his thinking and not believe everything Iago is stating.

Casting Iago- Mads Mikkelsen

For casting Iago I would choose Mads Mikkelsen because he naturally portrays a devious look which is how Iago comes across within the play. I thought it was fitting to cast an older character because it plays on the idea that he is more trustworthy as the older you are the more knowledge you are deemed to have. This suits Iago because he is known as 'Honest Iago' to his friends and needs to be seen as someone you could trust.

Othello- Act 2 Scene 1

Othello- Act 2 Scene 1

1. Re-read Act 2 scene 1 lines 95-100. What sort of person is Cassio?
Cassio is presented as a person who is characteristically friendly and open with most people he meets. 'Let it not gall your patience, good Iago, that I extend my manners, 'tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy.' This section of the scene tells the audience that Cassio has been brought up this way, rather than him behaving in a flirtatious manner. Cassio is the sort of person who is light within his humour and respectful of those around him. This is shown through 'let it not gall your patience, good Iago' as he does not want to offend Iago in respect to his ease of emotion towards Iago's wife Emilia. This gives the impression that although Cassio does want to be open and friendly, he is not oblivious to other people's emotions and wants to make sure he doesn't take it too far, in this case with Iago, he reassures this by using subtle humour rather than to use blunt language that would possibly embarrass Iago. This shows that he is emotionally connected to those around him and is very aware of other people's wellbeing and emotions.

2. How does Iago plan to use Cassio’s character traits to usurp and ensnare both Cassio and Othello? (Lines 167-176 will help.)
Iago plans to use Cassio's good nature against him, 'I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.' This will make it appear as if there is something going on between Cassio and Desdemona creating a tension between Othello and Cassio and therefore resulting in both their downfall. To do this Iago needs to manipulate Cassio's actions into meaning something dishonest rather than something of innocence. This tells the audience that Iago has the intention to use Cassio's personality traits as a way to make him appear as a villain and a threat to Othello, which will ignite a fire and begin their downfall so that he is of higher ranking and succeeds in getting what he wants.

3. What does Iago tell Roderigo to do, and why does Iago say it will help Roderigo to win Desdemona’s heart? (Lines 249-278 will help you with this question.)
Iago tells Roderigo to get Cassio drunk and anger him so that a fight might start and Cassio will be caught in the wrong. 'Provoke him that he may.' Iago says this will help Roderigo to win Desdemona's heart because Cassio's reputation will be damaged and it is a man out of the way, which will lead Desdemona to fall for Roderigo.

4. What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in Act 2? What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?

In Act 2 we learn more about Iago's personality and his ability to manipulate other people. The effect given from his soliloquies is that we get to know the character more in depth therefore meaning we can truly understand his plans and actions, it shows us who he really is, rather than the mask that he has on for the other characters on stage. This means that there is dramatic irony as we know something that the characters do not. 

Othello- Act 1 Sc 3 In 45-225

• What do we learn about views towards foreigners/moors?

We learn that foreigners/moors are seen as outcasts, something 'different' to white people as they are stereotypically seen to be an object of curiosity. This is shown through Othello's words 'still questioned me the story of my life.' This part of the play shows that the views of coloured people included an air of curiosity, assuming that their lives were much more adventurous and different than their own. The white characters look down on the coloured people even when it is not obvious, but a more subtle approach to racism. This is presented through the use of stereotypes such as the idea that they possess supernatural abilities. 'Corrupted by spells and medicines bought of mountebanks.' Brabantio is suggesting that Othello has bewitched Desdemona into loving him, which supports the stereotype of black people being able in the art of witchcraft. This tells us that white people within this era presume that black people can conjure this ability just because of their skin colour.

• What is ironic about Othello's claim that 'rude am I in my speech?'

the irony within Othello's speech is that although he tries to suggest that he does not speak eloquently, he defies this and ends up speaking with much presence that the Duke can't deny his rights to marry Desdemona. The Duke states 'I think this tale would win my daughter too.' Which enhances the irony because not only did Othello 'woo' Desdemona with the stories about his life, but he also 'wooed' The Duke by telling him how he and Desdemona came to be in love. Meaning that Othello, despite the fact that he started off by saying he is not as fluent in his speech as the Florentines, has won the Duke's approval because of his speech.

• What is startling about Othello's decision to let Desdemona speak on his behalf?

Within this era, it would be unheard of to let a woman speak on the behalf of her husband. So because Othello suggests that Desdemona speaks on their behalf to ensure the safety of him and their marriage, is startling because the stake is high if the Duke is not won over. To leave this responsibility in a woman's hand in this period of time is a rarity which is what makes the whole situation unique. Also, Othello's trust and reliability on his wife is startling because it is the man who is supposed to speak for himself and his wife in this patriarchal society. His confidence in his wife is shown through 'Here comes the lady; let her witness it.' His trust in her is not common therefore making the decision to let her speak makes the situation increasingly rare.

• Using the thinking question above, what 'stories' does Othello tell in his speech to the senate?

Othello is speaking about his adventures that he has lived through in the past. These are the ones that lured Desdemona into falling in love with him. The fact that he has these stories plays on the stereotype that black people lived exotically and did things that white people would find extraordinary or wouldn't do. he also lived through slavery 'And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence, and portance in my travels' history' this shows he was not in control of his own life at one point and this enticed Desdemona to fall further in love with him as she felt empathetic towards his life and his stories.