Othello vs. “O” Analysis
Essay
Where to start if you need some
guidance 
Think of ONE event that stood
out to you in Othello.
What was the event? Type
it on your Word document.
 Example: One event that stood
out in Othello was when
__________________________.
Think of (or look-up in a thesaurus)
four adjectives that you can use to
describe that event.
 Type your adjectives at the
bottom (you’ll use them later)
 Examples:
 Evil  Malevolent; malicious
 Innocent  Blameless; upright
 Sneaky  Devious; shifty; sly
Who was involved in this event (from the
play or film version of Othello)?
 Describe the characters involved and how they were
involved (motives, actions, behavior, words spoken).
 What did Shakespeare want to reveal to us (the readers) by
using these characters?
 Did any of them change from the beginning of the play up
until this point? How?
 DETAILS. The more you type now, the less you’ll type later
.
 Example:

One character that Shakespeare used to show the negative affect
jealousy can have on a person was Othello. Othello was clearly in love
with Desdemona and trusted her with all of his heart at the beginning
of the play. However, after Iago planted the seed of jealousy in
Othello’s heart, Othello’s world turned to darkness.
Why did Shakespeare include this scene in
Othello (what purpose did it serve)?
 Type your response (don’t say “I think”—
state your opinion as a fact) on your Word
document.
 Think of what point would be proven in the
story by using this scene.
 Does it show a different side to any of the
characters?
 Does it build excitement, anticipation, or
curiosity?
 Does it represent Venetian society in the 16 th
century in a certain way?
 Example:
 Shakespeare used this scene to prove that
________________________________________.
Were any changes in society
revealed?
o Customs in America in 2001 were
obviously different compared to customs
in Venice, Italy in the 16th century?
-Type any differences you noticed (by
reading about/viewing) this scene in Othello
compared with this scene in “O.”
-Any similarities? List those too.
*EXAMPLE ON NEXT SLIDE*
Were any changes in society
revealed?
o
Example:
-In Venice during the 16th century, women were much
more submissive to their husbands than they are
today. That is not necessarily a good thing. For example,
when Iago is bad-mouthing Emilia, she does not
criticize him in public; she takes the mistreatment for
quite some time, which she should not have done. Even
though respect to men was crucial in the Venetian
society, she could stand up for herself in a respectful
way. In “O,” on the other hand, Emily still is treated poorly
by Hugo, but the intensity of the mistreatment is different,
as the relationships between men and women have changed
quite a bit.
Remember those four adjectives you found? Tie
them in somewhere in your paragraph now.
o Feel free to right click on a word such as
“good” and find a more suitable,
professional word to spice-up your
paragraph.
Back
Now, go through similar steps with the same
event in “O.”
If you answered the question for Othello, you must give the
other side from “O” as well.
o You will be typing directly under the Othello response.
-Example:
Shakespeare’s purpose is using Desdemona’s character
in the handkerchief scene was to reveal that even the
innocent may be targeted by those who are evil. Iago
clearly leads to the downfall of Desdemona’s life, despite
her upright, pure demeanor. In “O,” Desi is still portrayed
as a faithful girlfriend, but she definitely defends herself and
shows more defiance to her boyfriend, Odin. Her innocence
is not demonstrated as much because she is participating
in premarital sex, which would completely go against
Shakespeare’s version of Desdemona.
o