Othello – Act V study guide
Name ___________________________________________ Period ______ Date ___________
Act V, scene i
1) Why do you think Roderigo is so willing to murder Cassio? What do you think Iago told him
to convince him it was imperative?
2) Why do you think Iago doesn’t stay and kill Cassio after injuring him?
Act V, scene ii
3) What evidence proves that Othello still loves Desdemona?
4) Despite his apparent love for Desdemona, Othello still kills her. What do you think the
predominant reasons for this might be? Consider the fact that he no longer seems heated and
rash in this last scene.
5) Why does Desdemona respond, “Nobody; I myself,” to Emilia’s question of who did this to
her? How is this ironic?
6) When does Emilia realize that her husband really is the root of the treachery? Cite the
line(s).
7) If Iago hadn’t drawn his sword against his wife, do you think that he would have been able to
talk his way out of the mess?
8) Cite the ending couplet from the play.
Overall –
9) Why do you think Emilia was willing to die to make known the truth about Desdemona’s
death and her husband’s part in the events?
10) Now that Othello’s dead, what will happen to his position and all of his goods?
Othello – Act V study guide
11) What ultimately caused Othello’s downfall? What might his “tragic flaw” be?
12) Chronologically, who was the first to die in the play?
Consider each of the following questions. They may be possible essay questions or upper-level
thinking questions on an exam. Be ready to discuss them all.
13) What is Iago’s true motivation for his destruction of Othello?
14) Look for examples of the extended metaphor comparing words to magic and/or potential
poison. Look especially in the following places: I, iii; II, iii; III, iii; and IV, i.
15) What are some possible themes for the play?
16) How might the tragedy (or tragedies) have been avoided?
17) Is Othello truly a tragic hero?
18) How might Desdemona fit as the tragic hero of the play?
19) Defend or refute the idea that Othello “loved only too well.”
20) Why doesn’t Othello confront Desdemona directly about her possible affair with Cassio as
soon as he has doubts? Why might that have been out of character for him?
21) How does illusion enter and re-enter the play?
22) Many Shakespearean tragedies include supernatural agents or occurrences. Is Othello a
stronger play for this absence? Does it lose any of its tragic force? How might the play be
different if it included scenes or characters with those elements?
23) Iago is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s darkest villains. Which of his acts is the most
sinister? Explain your choice.
24) Compare Shakespeare’s Iago to Iago in Disney’s Aladdin.
25) How might Othello’s demise be similar to Brutus’ in Julius Caesar?
26) How might this play relate to multiculturalism?