Othello and William Shakespeare LESSON 1 – EXPLORING THE SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY Words of the day: Evoke: verb – to bring something to mind; to inspire thought or feeling. E.g. Shakespeare evokes a sense of pity in Romeo and Juliet’s last moments Duplicity: noun – deceitfulness, two-faced. The state of being double. Adjectival form – duplicitous – the state of being two-faced. Act I, scene i Setting the scene Shakespeare’s settings are sparse, yet still provide so much information: Venice – a street at night What does this setting evoke? Act I, scene i Setting the scene Venice – a street at night 1. What does this setting evoke? Under the cover of darkness, shady characters emerge. Venice, a smuggler city with a vast network of canals. In this setting, Shakespeare evokes criminality, mischief and secrecy. Iago the Machiavel In 1532, Niccolo Machiavelli published a treatise on leadership titled The Prince. He detailed the ideas that the best leaders are more concerned with ease of rulership and maintaining power, rather than making moral or ethical considerations. Iago is considered a Machiavel because he places his own ambitions above all morality. First impressions of Iago – Line 1-93 Shakespeare begins the play with a secret conversation between Iago, the play’s antagonist and villain, and Roderigo, Desdemona’s prospective lover. Roderigo to Iago: “Thou tolds’t me thou didst hold him in thy hate.” Iago’s response: “Despise me if I do not.” – the stakes are high “Tis the curse of service.” “We cannot all be masters” “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/For daws to peck at.” “I am not what I am.” PAUSE - A closer look at the active duplicity of Iago – Line 1-93 “I am not what I am.” The audience is wary of Iago in this moment. He’s brazen. He’s devious. He’s incredibly intelligent, but very aware of it. From the outset, he is a character we love to hate. Iago continued – Line 1-93 Line 69-74 – Iago plots and plans. He makes demands. He is provocative. When Brabantio arrives: What does their conversation – “Thieves, thieves!” reveal about their perceptions of women? “Even now, now, very now, and old black ram/ Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise…” In this line, how does Iago manipulate Brabantio? Iago’s villainy in the language – Lines 93-116 Let’s make a close analysis of the scene from lines 93-116 What do we notice about Iago’s language here? Consider the function of iambic pentameter. Why might Shakespeare choose to write Iago’s language in prose? Roderigo’s monologue – 119-139 Write a list of words that Roderigo uses to describe Othello. Write a second list of words that he uses to describe Othello. What impression do we get from his word choice? 140-182 Upon discovering that Desdemona has left his home, Brabantio cries “It is too true an evil.” He later goes on to describe her behaviour as a “treason of the blood.” Desdemona has stolen away with, they suspect, Othello. Why might this be considered a treason of the blood? What might this reveal about gender and race in the world of Othello? Final reflections on the opening scene While the play is titled Othello, who has dominated the opening scene? What impression does this give you? Why might Shakespeare choose to introduce Othello and Desdemona through the eyes of other characters? What impact does this have on our understanding of them? Design the perfect villain What qualities would the perfect villain have? How would they look? How would they behave? What qualities do they share with Iago, as far as you know.
