Othello Essay
Rough Draft Revisions
February 2010
Period 1: How would you revise?
 Othello
is seen as the epitome of
all that is good and holy. He is an
honest man who fights for the
state of Venice.
Period 1: Here’s my revision
 The
citizens of Venice view Othello
not only as an honest man who fights
for them, but as the veritable
epitome of all that is good and holy.
Period 1: How would you revise?
 When
Emilia gives the handkerchief to
Iago she receives momentary attention,
but then she is tossed to the side again by
Iago because has no further use for him.
 Supporting Quote: “No, faith; she let it
drop by negligence, and to the advantage,
I being here took ’t up.” - Emilia, 3.3
Period 1: Here’s my revision

Emilia expresses her excitement to Iago over
the serendipitous circumstances by which she
procured the handkerchief: “No, faith; she let it
drop by negligence, and to the advantage, I
being here took ’t up” (3.3). When Emilia gives
the handkerchief to Iago, he gives her
momentary attention, but soon enough tosses
her aside when he no longer has use for her.
Period 1: How would you revise?
But, that was not the case, and with such a
simple error, Iago’s ingenious plan that took
him so much cunning planning and deceiving, all
comes down with a few words from Emilia.
 Supporting quote: “Iago, even more totally the
master of his play, is at last undone by
Emilia…willing to die for the sake of the
murdered Desdemona’s good name.” (Bloom
442)

Period 1: Here’s my revision
 But
that was not the case, and with such
a simple error, Iago’s cunning plan
unravels with a few words from Emilia.
As the great literary critic Harold Bloom
observes, “Iago, even more totally the
master of his play, is at last undone by
Emilia…willing to die for the sake of the
murdered Desdemona’s good name”
(Bloom 442).
Period 1: How would you revise?
 He
also hates Othello because he
thinks that Othello had an affair with
his wife.
Period 1: Here’s my revision
 He
also hates Othello because he
thinks that Othello had an affair
with his wife: “it is thought
abroad that ’twixt my sheets he
has done my office” (1.1).
Period 4: How would you revise
 There
can also be a case that Othello is
the major reason that Desdemona died
because he was the one who actually put
the pillow over her head. But, I don’t
agree with this because the only reason
he got the idea in his head was because
Iago put it there. Iago is very
manipulative and can make almost anyone
do or think what he wants.
Period 4: Here’s my revision

Some may argue that Othello is the major
reason that Desdemona died because he was
the one who actually put the pillow over her
head, but this line of logic is flawed. The only
reason Othello gets the idea in his head is
because Iago puts it there. Iago is very
manipulative and can make almost anyone do
or think what he wants, and indeed he does
when he contorts Othello’s mind.
Period 4: How would you revise?
 He
murdered what he called a “friend”,
but was really a tool, because he had no
further use of him. “I have rubb’d this
young quat almost to the sense…”
Period 4: Here’s my revision
 He
murders what he called a “friend,”
but who was really a pawn in Iago’s
game. Indeed, Iago rationalizes the
murder of both Roderigo and Cassio,
speaking in frank and measured tones
about how each “must die”: “I have
rubb’d this young quat almost to the
sense…” (5.1).
Period 4: How would you revise?
 Even
though it was his fault, I
don’t think his intentions at first
were for Othello to kill
Desdemona, maybe just for him
to hate her and break up with her.
Period 4: Here’s my revision
 Though
Desdemona’s death is
inarguably Iago’s fault, the antagonist
does not necessarily have death in
mind when he first plots against
Othello.
 You could then support this with
quotes from Iago’s early soliloquies.