Contents
About the authors
vi
Acknowledgements
vi
Introduction
1
Who was Shakespeare?
1
Jacobean England
3
A day at the theatre, London 1605
6
Dates and sources
8
Settings
8
Shakespeare’s language
10
Important vocabulary
17
The characters
18
Act summaries and activities
19
Act 1
23
Scene 1 Thieves! Thieves! Thieves!
23
Scene 2 Brabantio confronts Othello
34
Scene 3 (Part 1) Invasion
42
Scene 3 (Part 2) Iago’s monstrous birth
52
Act 2
64
Scene 1 (Part 1) Victory and arrivals
64
Scene 1 (Part 2) A jealousy so strong
75
Scene 2 Victory celebration
80
Scene 3 (Part 1) Cassio: drunk then demoted
82
Scene 3 (Part 2) A reputation lost and a plan devised
93
Act 3
100
Scene 1 Clowning around
100
Scene 2 A man of letters
104
Scene 3 (Part 1) Beware the green-eyed monster
106
Scene 3 (Part 2) Black vengeance
117
Scene 4 The handkerchief!
129
Contents
Act 4
138
Scene 1 (Part 1) What Othello sees
138
Scene 1 (Part 2) Let her rot!
147
Scene 2 (Part 1) Strumpet!
154
Scene 2 (Part 2) Iago manipulates Roderigo
161
Scene 3 The Willow Song
166
Act 5
173
Scene 1 Murder in the dark
173
Scene 2 (Part 1) Put out the light
181
Scene 2 (Part 2) Iago’s darkness comes to light
192
General activities
Oral presentations / performance
204
Questions for debate
205
Creative writing
205
Illustration
207
Questions for discussion
207
Essay questions
208
Appendices
iv
204
209
To the teacher
209
A Shakespeare reading list
213
Vocabulary list
214
Image credits
217
Index
217
Contents
Support materials
History and criticism
The Turkish threat
40
What did Othello look like?
63
Iago and the Devil
98
Shakespeare’s clowns
100
A soldier’s life
104
Women, marriage and society
W
152
Othello as tragedy
202
Shakespeare’s themes & techniques
Thinking about Othello and race
24
Introducing imagery: animal imagery
33
Thinking about conflict and antithesis
41
A word about soliloquies and asides
51
Introducing similes, metaphors and conceits
62
A word about pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing
74
Thinking about characters’ fatal flaws
79
Introducing dramatic irony
81
Annotating a soliloquy
92
A word about puns
103
A word about hyperbole
116
More about imagery
127
The deterioration of Othello’s language
146
Thinking about the conflict between illusion and reality
164
A word about repetition in Othello
171
Props as symbols in Othello
179
Performing Act 5 Scene 2
189
Othello’s final speech
191
v
About the authors
Shane Barnes BA Dip Ed is currently Deputy Principal at Craigmore
Christian School, Adelaide. He has contributed several chapters to Great
Ideas for English in the Senior Years (SAETA, 2001) and has presented at
numerous SAETA and VATE workshops. Shane has been on marking and
moderation panels for senior secondary level English and Tourism, and was
nominated for a National Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007.
Aidan Coleman BA Dip Ed teaches English at Cedar College, Adelaide.
In 2004, he attended the prestigious Prince of Wales Shakespeare School
at Stratford-upon-Avon, and in 2005 his poetry collection Avenues &
Runways was short-listed for the New South Wales Premier’s Literary
Award. Aidan has been awarded the ASG Community Merit Medal and a
2006 National Excellence In Teaching Award.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the following people:
The South Australian English Teachers’ Association, for their ongoing and
generous support.
Dave McGillivray, who has appeared in many Shakespearean productions
(including the State Theatre Company of South Australia), for many
insights into the language and performability of Shakespeare.
Abbie Thomas,Walford Anglican School for Girls, for her helpful comments
and suggestions on the manuscript.
Tess Coleman for proofreading.
The staff at Insight Publications, especially Iris Breuer and Catherine
Lewis, for their sound advice and willingness to listen to our ideas, as well
as Robert Beardwood and Anni Dillon for their meticulous editing and
intelligent suggestions.
Our families, for their infinite patience, understanding, excitement and
support.
Insight Publications thanks the University of Birmingham for permission
to reproduce the image of Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud ben Mohammed
Anoun, Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I, 1600.
vi
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11/08/10 5:01 PM
Dates and sources
Shakespeare probably finished writing Othello in 1604. The first known
registered performance was in November of that year before King James I
at Whitehall. Othello was first published in 1622 as a Quarto (the Jacobean
equivalent of a paperback today). One year later, it was included in a book
that attempted to collect all of Shakespeare’s plays, a book we now refer to
as the First Folio.
In writing Othello, Shakespeare used ‘The Story of Disdemona of Venice
and the Moorish Captain’ from a book of 110 short stories, published in
1565 by the Italian writer and professor of philosophy, Giovanni Battista
Giraldi, commonly known as Cinthio. Shakespeare’s Othello shares many
of the basic details of this story but is much more expansive and complex.
In Cinthio’s story, the Moor (Othello in Shakespeare’s play) remains
unnamed, as does the evil Ensign (Iago).
In the original story, the Ensign is in love with Desdemona but
Shakespeare makes Iago’s motivations far more ambiguous.The narratives
of Cinthio and Shakespeare also differ greatly in their endings. In Cinthio’s
story, the Ensign is caught after murdering Desdemona with the Moor’s
consent. The story ends with the Ensign dying miserably and the Moor
being sent into exile. Shakespeare’s resolution, however, sees Othello
murdering Desdemona and then committing suicide.
Settings
Venice: Act 1
The opening act of Othello is set inVenice, a city in northern Italy consisting
of a number of islands in the centre of a lagoon. Locals who were fleeing
from barbarian invaders founded the city in the final years of the Roman
Empire. As the Roman Empire dissolved, Italy broke up into a number of
smaller states. During the Middle Ages, Venice became one of the most
powerful and wealthy city-states in Italy.
Because it was built in the middle of a lagoon,Venice’s streets were (and
still are) canals and most Venetians moved about the city in long, narrow
boats called gondolas. Not surprisingly, Venetian wealth and military
power was due primarily to its large fleet of ships.Venice dominated trade
between the Middle East and Europe, mainly in such luxury items as
silks and spices. Through her naval power, Venice also added a number
of islands, including Corfu, Crete and Cyprus, and significant areas of
the Balkans to her territory in mainland Italy. The Venetians won their
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I nsigh t Sh ake spea r e P l a ys
greatest naval victory, over the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto, in
1571, shortly after the time in which Othello is set.
Venice was a republic, which meant it was governed by the people
rather than by a monarch. In reality, a rich aristocratic class held power
and elected a Duke (called the Doge), often for life. After 1229, a Senate
of 60 members assisted the Doge in running the Republic. We see the
Senate in action in Act 1 Scene 3.
Venetian law was considered to be fairly liberal or tolerant compared
with other European nations. While the majority of Venetians were
practising Roman Catholics, heretics (people who deviated from the
orthodox faith) were rarely persecuted. In the minds of many Europeans,
Venice was associated with luxury and decadence. It was already famous
in Shakespeare’s time for its courtesans (prostitutes) and for massive
spending on art and architecture. Venetians were quick to adopt the
printing press and established the paperback format. By the late fifteenth
century, Venice was a leader in European publishing.
The signs of Venice’s decline were already apparent in Shakespeare’s
day. The ongoing war with the Ottoman Empire proved very costly,
and Venice’s problems were compounded by various international
developments, including Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Americas
(1492) and Portugal’s discovery of a sea route to India (1498). These
events, together with the rising naval power of Holland and England,
broke Venice’s monopoly on trade. Venice’s decline continued and by the
end of the seventeenth century, she was only a second-rate power.
Cyprus: Acts 2–5
The final four acts of Othello are set in Cyprus, an island located in
the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Syria. The island generally
experiences hot and dry summers, and productions of Othello usually
emphasise this climate.
Cyprus truly fits Cassio’s description as ‘this warlike isle’. Today, the
mountainous landscape is still dominated by the imposing castles and
forts left by the island’s various conquerors. Before the Venetians took
charge in 1473, the island had been ruled by Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians,
Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantine Greeks and Crusaders. Othello is set at
a time when the island was still ruled by the Venetians but was coming
under increasing threat from the Ottoman Turks. The Turks conquered
the island in 1570, when Shakespeare was six years old, with a force of
60 000 troops, and ruled in Cyprus until the mid-nineteenth century.
The island is also associated with romantic love. In classical mythology,
the goddess Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans) first came ashore on
W i l l i a m S h a k e s p e a r e ’s O t h e l l o
9
Cyprus, after being born out of the sea-foam. Aphrodite was the goddess
of beauty, love and sexual desire and, for this reason, Cyprus is often
called the Island of Love. When Othello and Desdemona come ashore,
they certainly are passionately in love, but Iago’s schemes will render the
island’s title highly ironic.
Shakespeare’s language
Shakespeare wrote with an astonishing command of the English language.
His lines are packed with puns, metaphors and ironies. He often uses words
and phrases that sound strange to a modern reader, and some words have
shifted in meaning since Shakespeare’s time. Sometimes he uses a different
word-order from what you might be used to, and his characters often
speak in poetry. Shakespeare’s language can, at times, be challenging, but
the reward is in the challenge.
Below are some tips on how to read the text and some of the main
features to look out for. At this stage in your schooling, you should be
relatively confident with terms like iambic pentameter and rhyming
couplet. Even so, practise reading the text aloud and enjoy the sound of
the language.
Tips for reading
It is vital not to pause at the end of a line if a thought or an idea continues
on to the next line. The following example from Othello illustrates this
point. Try reading it aloud, pausing at the end of each line.
[Context: Iago plots to use Desdemona’s handkerchief as a way to poison Othello’s thoughts
with jealousy.]
IAGO
I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin,
And let him find it.
it.T
Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ.
writ.This
This may do something.
The Moor already changes with my poison; (Act 3 Scene 3)
The most natural place in these lines to pause is where you see a
punctuation mark such as a full stop (.), comma (,) or semi-colon (;). In
this case, it is natural to pause at the full stops after ‘it’ and ‘writ’, at the
comma after ‘napkin’ and at the semi-colon after ‘poison’.
Read the lines again, this time pausing at punctuation marks rather
than at the end of each line. You will notice that the lines flow much
more smoothly now and that the meaning of the lines is clearer. Pause
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I nsigh t Sh ake spea r e P l a ys
for a little longer after ‘it’ and ‘writ’ than after ‘napkin’, as a comma does
not require as long a breath as a full stop. The key point to remember is
to pause in your reading only at punctuation marks, the same way you
would when reading a novel.
The dash
In this version of Shakespeare’s Othello, the dash (–) is a specific punctuation
mark. It is used to indicate interruptions to the flow of conversation in
several ways.
a Alternatingbetweenspeakingtoonecharacterandthen
another
[Context: Brabantio questions Roderigo as to the whereabouts of his daughter, Desdemona.
Interrupting his questioning of Roderigo, Brabantio issues commands to his servants.]
BRABANTIO
… Wha
Whatt said she to you? – Get more tapers;
Raise all my kindred – Ar
Aree they married, think you?
(Act 1 Scene 1)
b Becomingsidetrackedduringaconversation
[Context:While Brabantio questions Roderigo as to the whereabouts of his daughter, his
anxiety is indicated by the dashes in the text, showing that his thoughts are jumbled and
interrupted.]
BRABANTIO
… Now, Roderigo,
Wheree didst thou see her? – O unhappy girl! –
Wher
With the Moor, say’st thou? – Who would be a father! –
How
Ho
w didst thou know ’twas she? – O she deceives me
Past thought! …
(Act 1 Scene 1)
c Interruptinganothercharacter’sdialogue
[Context: Desdemona tries to defend the reputation of Cassio before Othello, her husband.
Othello’s interruptions, obsessing over Desdemona’s handkerchief, are indicated by dashes in
the text.]
DESDEMONA
You’ll never meet a more sufficient man –
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
I pray, talk me of Cassio –
OTHELLO
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
(Act 3 Scene 4)
The meaning of the dash (–) in the text is indicated by the context of
the dialogue. In all cases in this edition of Othello, it signals an interruption
of some sort.
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Language features
a Blankverseandiambicpentameter
Most of Shakespeare’s plays are written in blank verse, which is unrhymed
poetry written in a regular rhythm or meter known as iambic pentameter.
The majority of Othello is written in blank verse, so we will start with this
aspect in order to understand the rhythm of the text. For example:
OTHELLO
It gives me wonder great as my content
To see you here before me. O my soul’s joy!
(Act 2 Scene 1)
Set out like a poem (verse) rather than a novel (prose), there is
something else you might notice about these lines, besides the fact that
they do not rhyme.Take a moment to read them aloud. Can you hear the
rhythm in the words? Read the lines aloud once more. Can you hear the
regular heartbeat repeating itself in each line?
te-DUM, te-DUM, te-DUM, te-DUM, te-DUM ...
Shakespeare generally uses ten beats per line, divided into what are
called iambs. Each iamb contains one unstressed beat and one stressed
beat (te-DUM). As each line has five iambs, this forms the rhythm called
iambic pentameter (‘penta’ relates to a group of five, as in pentagon,
which is a five-sided shape).
This pattern is made clearer below, where the CAPITALISED letters
are a stressed or strong beat.They should be emphasised a little more than
the weaker beats:
IAGO
I’ll POUR this PEST-i-LENCE in-TO his EAR.
(Act 2 Scene 3)
Not only does Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter (five te-DUMs per
line) work across words (‘his EAR’, as written above) and within words
(as in ‘PEST-i-LENCE’ and ‘in-TO’ above), but also across speakers:
OTHELLO
DESDEMONA
O my fair warrior!
My
My dear Othello!
(Act 2 Scene 1)
Shakespeare emphasises the bond between Othello and Desdemona
by having Desdemona complete Othello’s line of iambic pentameter.This
is shown in the text by indenting Desdemona’s lines. Whoever reads the
part of Desdemona in this case should speak immediately after Othello
to complete the rhythm of the line. In this way, the heart of the play does
not stop beating.
You will not necessarily be able to pick this rhythm straight away, but
the more you read Shakespeare, the more you will develop a feel for blank
verse, and especially for the all-important iambic pentameter.
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I nsigh t Sh ake spea r e P l a ys
Having said this, the rhythm is quite irregular at times in Othello,
especially in comparison to Shakespeare’s earlier plays such as Romeo and
Juliet and Richard III
III.
b Rhyme
Despite the importance of blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) in
Shakespeare’s plays, some lines in Othello are actually written in rhyming
verse. There are two different forms of rhyming verse used throughout
the play.
i Rhymingcouplets
IAGO
I have’t! It is engendered! Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.
(Act 1 Scene 3)
Sometimes a rhyming couplet (two consecutive lines that rhyme)
helped the audience to know it was the end of the scene, and that they
could fidget a little. It might also have been a cue to the actors that they
were soon due on stage for the next scene. Structurally, it ties up a speech
neatly and makes a point memorable, as in the example above. Note, too,
that the rhyming couplet is still in iambic pentameter.
At other times, Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets to signal a shift
in tone in the midst of a scene; this is particularly notable in Othello.
By way of illustration, when Brabantio reports Othello to the Duke for
supposedly abusing Desdemona, the tension of the scene is relaxed when
the Duke responds to Brabantio in rhyming couplets:
DUKE
BRABANTIO
The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief;
He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.
So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile;
We lose it not, so long as we can smile.
(Act 1 Scene 3)
The Duke seems to trivialise Brabantio’s complaint, and Brabantio’s
overly polite reply to the Duke perhaps reflects this lighter tone. Iago’s
use of rhyming couplets in Act 2 Scene 1, in which he publicly invents
a number of witty proverbs for Desdemona, also contributes to a trivial,
more light-hearted tone, and serves as a useful contrast to his privately
aired thoughts of jealousy and malice.
iiSongs
At key moments in Othello, Shakespeare’s characters share their thoughts by
means of song (italicised in this edition), using different rhyming schemes
from the previously mentioned rhyming couplets. Iago’s drinking songs
(Act 2 Scene 3) seem particularly appropriate in establishing a sense of
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