English Education Study Program
Faculty of Language and Art
University of Indraprasta PGRI
1
William Shakespeare
OTHELLO
The Tragedy and Romance of Othello, the
Moor of Venice
Circa 1951
Introduction to Drama
Lecturer: Herlina Lindaria S., S. S., M. Hum
OTHELLO
1. Baby Chintya
201712500018
2. Lisna Latifah
201712500038
3. Egita Rizkitia
201712500057
4. Vitri Rejeki
201712500129
5. Zulfa Khoirunisa
201712500263
Summary

Othello is a black person from nothern
Africa who is a general (a Moor). Iago is
Othello’s ambitious friend. Othello
promotes the Michael Cassio to the
position of personal lieutnant and Iago is
deadly jealous. Iago begins an evil and
Malicious campaign against the hero.
Othello eloped with Desdemona. Plots
and murders ensue and Othello returns to
the castle to kill his innocent wife. He
eventually smothers her to death. Emilia
tells Othello the truth about the scheming
Iago. Othello wounds Iago, then kills
himself. Iago kills Emilia.
4
Setting; Place and
Time
Place
 Venice, Italy
 Othello is a general for the
Venetian army
 Cyprus, military isolation

Venetian army is at war
with the Turkish
Time
Late sixteenth century during the
war between Venice, Italy and
Turkish
5
Themes: Racism and Jealousy
 Theme
The incompatibility of military heroism, jealousy and love; danger of
isolation.
 Stereotypes of black men of the time :
o There are characters who are blatantly racist and say racist things
 Tragic hero themes :
o High sature
o Elicits pity
6
Characters
Confidant
Protagonist
Antagonist
“Iago”
“Othello”
“Iago”
Othello’s right-hand He is both insider and
outsider: a christian
man is Iago; on the
who is honored for his
surface a die-hard
friend and confidant, in battle skills but also a
black Moor and
reality comparable to
foreigner subject to
the devil himself.
overt racism and
hostility.
You can’t get much
more antagonist than
Iago is towards
Othello.
7
Characters
“Desdemona”
“Emilia”
“Roderigo”
Othello’s Wife
Iago’s Wife
Iago’s minion
8
Climax:
-Othelloo is very jealous and decides to kill his
wife.
-Emilia arrives, and explain that Desdemona’s
innocence, recognize that Iago is the behind
the tragedy, and than
Rising action:
Falling action:
Othello explains how he and
Desdemona fell in love. But Othello
was influenced by Iago to find out
the secret romance between
Desdemona and Cassio.
Plot Structure
Diagram
Othello is realizing that Desdemona’s
innocence. And Othello tries to kill
Iago but is disarmed by Lodovico.
Othello commits cuicide with a dagger,
holding his wife’s body in his arms
Beginning:
Starting from a fight between
Othello, Iago and Roderigo.
When Othello married
Desdemona and Othello
became a general
9
Catasthrope:
Othello and Desdemona was died.
Source The
Story
William Shakespeare based his play
on a story in Giraldi Cinthio’s Gli
Hecatommithi. This was a collection
of a hundred tales printed in Italy in
the Sixteenth Century. It is thought
that Shakespeare read the original
Italian version. The following
translation is by J.E. Taylor, and was
written in 1885.
1
2
3
Italian writer Cinthio
“Un Captino Moto”
1565
Desdemona is the only
named character
No English translation
existed
10
Style
Othello uses the language style like as a Millitary man.
Iago uses the language style like a craft and cunning.
Outstanding Feature of
The Play
Story development is began when Iago found Desdemona’s
handkerchief from Othello, then Iago took a handkerchief
in Cassio’s room. Cassio found the handkerchief and gave
it to Bianca.
11
Character in
Action
The example of character in action
in Othello is when Othello get
jealousy, He slap Desdemona’s
face.
12
Motivation of
Characters
•
Love
Love story between Othello, Desdemona,
and Roderigo.
•
Revenge
Iago wants revenge because he feels as a
white man it is more appropiate to be a general
than Othello .
•
Jealousy
Othello traped the words of Iago who said
that Desdemona had an affair with Cassio.
With that jealousy Othello killed his wife.
13
The Language
and Rethoric
 Language
Othello, like Shakespeare’s other
plays, is written in acombination of
verse (poetry) and prose (how we
talk every day). Reading Othello
often feels like reading a lengthy
poem, and that’s because
Shakespeare’s characters often
speak in verse.
14
 Rethoric
• Suspense
(act 1, scene 3, line 438): “After some
time, to abuse Othello’s ear...”
This creates suspense
because we as the readers
want to know how Iago is
going to corrupt Othello.
• Dramatic Irony
(act 3, scene 3, line 135): “I think
thou dost; and for I thou ‘rt full of
love and honesty...”
This is ironic because Othello
thinks Iago is a honest man
when in reality Iago is
scheming against him.
15
Allusion
(Act 3, scene 3,line442): “As Dian’s visage”
Othello is making reference to the goddess of chasity
Simile
(Act 1,scene 3,line 391-392):”Thefood that to him now is as luscious as locusts...”
In a simile Iago compares the taste of food tothe delicous tasteof locusts.
Metaphors
(Act 3,scene 3,line 441-445): “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black...”
This line is metaphore because Othello basically saying the Desdemona’s repuation was as white as snow.
Apostrophe
(Act 4,scene 1,line 54-58): “Work on,my medicine, work!...”
Inthis line Iago is talking to the “poison” that he planted in Othello’s mind which makes it an apostrophe because
he is talking to an object.
Huburis
(Act 3,scene 3,line 314): Tis the plague of great ones....”
In thuis line Othello is being very hubris because he is basically say that great people have to suffer more than
average people. He is showing his big ego and is using to convince himself why Desdemona would be unfaithful
to him.
16
Comic Relief
(act 3, scene 1, line 4-29)
this is comic relief because the clown is making fun of the musicians bad playing.
Paradox
(act 1, scene 4, line 238-239): “the robbed that smiles steasl something from the theif...”
this is a paradox because the duke advices brabantio to accept his decisions regarding Othello with good
humour instead of grumbling.
Symbol
handkerchief symbolizes Desdemona and Othello’s bond and marriage and once it is lost we see that their
marriage is coming apart.
Foreshadowing
(act 1, scene 3, line 333-334):” look to her, Moor, if though hast eyes to see, She has deceived her father, and
may thee.”
this line said by Brabantio foreshadows that Desdemona may deceive Othello since He deceived her own father.
17
Value
• Everyone in the play lies
• Desdemona lies about her handkerchief
•
Othello lies about why he’s upset with
Desdemona
•
Iago lies about Desdemona and Cassio
•
Emillia lied about where Desdemona’s
handkerchief
• Everyone trusted Iago and didn’t believe
each other
Beware of who
you trust
Listen to all sides
of the story before
making up your
mind
18
19