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.