Agenda
 Continue
Notes over Othello
(9 Slides to get through)
 Assigning
Books to students who
were absent.
 Reading Act I Scene I
 Homework: Finish reading Scene
I if we do not finish it in class.
Important Dramatic Terms
Tragedy—a drama that typically depicts the
development of a conflict between the
protagonist and a superior force, such as fate,
circumstance, or society, and reaches a
mournful or ruinous conclusion.
Othello – A Shakespearean Tragedy

Othello is a Shakespearean Tragedy

It encompasses elements of tragedies such as:
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It ends with the death of numerous characters
including the title character
The protagonist is admirable, but flawed, with the
audience able to understand and sympathise with the
character.
The protagonist is capable of both good and evil
Free will is insisted upon – the protagonist must
always be able to back out of a situation or to redeem
themselves – but always towards their inevitable
doom.
Important Dramatic Terms
Tragic flaw—a defect in the protagonist that
brings about his or her downfall.
Hubris: derived from the Greek word hybris,
means “excessive pride.” In Greek tragedy,
hubris is often viewed as the flaw that leads to
the downfall of the tragic hero.
Tragic hero: the main character of great
importance to his state or culture and who is
conventionally of noble birth and high social
station, the ruler or an important leader in his
society.
Setting
Setting (time) · Late sixteenth
century, during the wars
between Venice and Turkey
Setting (place) · Venice in Act
I; the island of Cyprus
thereafter
Types of People in Othello
 Venetians
 Most
are noblemen and women
(Brabantio, Desdemona, Roderigo)
 Also, there are the nobles’ servants
(Emilia)
 Some are soldiers (Cassio, Iago)
 Others are part of Venetian government
(the Duke)
Types of People (cont’d)

Moors (Othello)
 Black
nomadic people of the northern shores
of Africa
 Othello is a Moor
 Discriminated against because of his race
 Othello has been accepted in some ways
because he is a Christian and a military genius
 Yet his marriage to Desdemona reflects the
prevailing view toward interracial marriage.
Iago
Iago is one of
Shakespeare’s most
 The name Iago is a
sinister villains, often
considered so because of shortened version of
the Spanish name
the unique trust Othello
“Santiago” or “St
puts in him, which he
betrays while maintaining James”.
his reputation of honesty  Saint James of Spain
was also known as
and dedication.
“St James the Moor
Killer” which seems
 Iago is a malcontent – he
appropriate within the
has a bitter and cynical
play.
view of the world around
him.
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Evil Women!
Misogyny – women
were distrusted
simply because
they were women.
At the time it was
assumed that
women would
cheat – it was part
of their nature!
The men in “Othello”
have differing views
of women – from
Othello who idolizes
his wife (Desdemona)
to Iago who sees love
as "merely a lust of
the blood and a
permission of the
will“.
The attitudes of the
audience at the time
are likely to have
been varied too.
The Cuckold
Any man whose wife
cheated on him (without
his knowledge) was
known as a cuckold.
The word derives from
“cuckoo” – the bird
known for laying their
eggs in another’s nest.
Cuckolds were
often described
as having horns
–a cuckold was
forced to parade
around his town
wearing antlers
as a sign of his
wife’s infidelity.
Act I Scenes i-ii pg. 27
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Reading Act I Scene i-ii
 Filling out Character
Matrices
 Each box represents a
relationship between
two characters.
 Keep this character
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matrix with you at all
times throughout our
study of the novel.
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We will be noting important
information regarding these
relationships, for example,
important events that happen
to them that bring them
together or tear them apart,
things they share or hate
together, or reoccurring
themes/symbols surrounding
them.
For the boxes where the relationship is
with a character and his/herself, we
will be talking about that character
individually and how they bring
them self down or characteristics
of their personality.
Questions Act I scenes i-ii
What was Iago's complaint in Scene I?
 Who was Brabantio, and why did Iago and
Roderigo awaken him in the middle of the
night?
 Why did Iago leave Roderigo at
Brabantio's house?
 What was Brabantio's reaction to Othello's
marriage to Desdemona?
 Why did the Duke send for Othello?
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Act I Scene iii
Working on Character Matrix
 Why did the Duke send for Othello?
 Brabantio complains to the Duke about
Othello's marriage to Desdemona. After
listening to both sides of the story, what
was the Duke's reply?
 What was Roderigo's complaint, and what
was Iago's reply to it?
 Watching Act I Scene iii movie clip.
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