Reading Shakespeare‘s Othello
Content
 Experience of reading Othello in class
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issues to consider when planning
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negative experience
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positive experience
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testing
issues to consider when planning I
Parameters
 class
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19 students, 6th grade (Matura-class)
 level of English
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also consider interest in English > C-profile
 time frame
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8 weeks > 6 weeks + test, 1 lesson per week
 edition
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annotated version, side by side modern English or German, Reclam,
etc.
issues to consider when planning II
What is the aim of the reading?
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limited time > work with the actual text
be able to read & understand the original text
contextualise crucial scenes
have knowledge about the language used
know about the time the play was written in
compare different enactments of a scene (different stagings,
productions, etc.)
Focus on text; select 2-3 elements to work with throughout the text
(animal similes, Iago’s honesty, jealousy)
 at the expense of “fun projects”
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negative experience
 actual reading and comprehension
 first lesson:
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group-work:
show pictures of book covers and movie posters (book covers)
 task: What could the play be about ?, Name 3 emotions which are
important in the play.
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watch movie-trailer (trailer)
hand out and explain the book
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sections; annotations; III, 3, 45-60
introduce reading-companion > map first characters
start reading together (!) > demanded too much
audio book
lessonplan
lesson
read as HW
1
focus on
theory / background
introduction,
awake interest
2
I, 1-2
Desdemona‘s desicion
(character)
verse
the theatre (The Globe Th.)
3
I,3; II 1
Iago‘s soliloqui
dramatic irony
4
II, 2-3 (finish Act II)
5 (double
lesson)
III, 1-2
animal similes
> language
6
III, 3-4 (finish Act III)
Iago‘s plans
honesty
7 (double
lesson)
(IV) V, 1-2 end
(watch Act IV)
jealousy
questions
8
test
9
discuss test, watch movie “O” (Shakespeare taken to the 20th ct., American High School)
Shakespeare’s time
setting
What is a tragedy?
Freytag‘s Pyramid
compare to model
most lessons have 3 parts: comprehension, working with the text, theory
positive experience
 focus on one specific scene
 OHP & worksheet > audio book audio book
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Contextualising: Who is talking to whom?, What is this excerpt
about? / What is happening?, Can you place it in the play?,
Can you comment on the language (verse/ rhetorical devices)?
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How would you stage this scene?
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Watch different adaptations of the excerpt.
testing
 “literature comprehension test”
 Show that you can work with an excerpt of the original text
and that you have a good understanding of the text as a whole
and the language used in it.
 3 parts:
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A) Comprehension & Contextualising (excerpt) (22 points)
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B) Language & Structure (11 points)
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Paraphrasing, put into context, 2 specific questions
on 4 given lines explain the verse (blank verse, iambic pent.)
explain a theoretical term (“turning point”) and place it within the play
C) Themes & Characters (5 points)
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Explain the relevance of “jealousy”, give an example and explain how it is
important to the whole play
 1 lesson, use of a bilingual dictionary
conclusion
 too teacher-oriented (trying to make up time)
 time period very / too short > text in action only
presented, not by class itself
 good level of comprehension achieved by focusing on
text
 helpful to work with different audio / visual material