Othello Act 1 Study Questions

Name: Nelly Yu__________________________ Date: ____________________

ENG3UE AP                                                                                                                        Mr. Cimetta

Othello: Study Questions

Act I

1. How does the way Shakespeare begins the play immediately involve the audience?

• Shakespeare begins with an interesting argument between Iago, the ensign of Othello that secretly hates Othello in his heart and Roderigo who likes the Wife of Othello. They are plotting against Othello by telling Desdemona’s father Brabantio that her daughter had eloped to Iago. This event attracted audiences’ attention and made them want to continue reading to find out the outcome of this plot.  

1. What imagery does Iago use to describe Othello and Desdemona’s elopement, and what

     conflict does that imagery develop?

• Iago used imagery to provoke anger from Brabantio when describing the elopement.
• Iago described Othello as the thief that stole Desdemona away from Brabantio.

• Lines 86-88, 92, 94

• Iago used sexual and racial imagery as well form lines 96-101. By inferring to Othello as the black man that took Desdemona, a white girl away from her father.
• Iago is trying to use the anger and contempt from Brabantio to start fight with Othello.

1. How does Iago enlist the aid and the trust of Roderigo in the first scene?

• Iago gained the trust of Roderigo by telling him that he hates Othello due to the fact that Othello did not make Iago the lieutenant and expressed sympathy for Roderigo for the rejections he received from Desdemona. Since Roderigo loves Desdemona a lot, Iago is using that in favor to lure Roderigo on to the same boat as him to take revenge and plot against Othello.

1. What impending crisis do the duke and his senators face at the beginning of Scene 3?

• The Turkish ships are sailing to Cyprus.

1. Why is Brabantio’s suit against Othello balked?

• Othello convinced the Duke and senators that he and Desdemona are actually in love and he did not poision her or do her wrong in order to get her to marry him. In addition, the Duke and senators need the power and strength of Othello in fighting the Turkish at Cyprus right now.

1. How does Brabantio seem to feel about Othello?

• Before Othello married Desdemona, Brabantio liked and respected Othello and often invited him to his house to tell his stories.
• However, the feeling changed after Brabantio found out Othello married Desdemona. He thinks Othello is a thief that stole her daughter away from him and used some kind of witchcrafts because there is no way his young white daughter will like an old black man.
• The way Brabantio feel about Othello is racist.

1. How does Othello defend himself against Brabantio’s charges of witchcraft?

• Othello defended himself by explaining the reason Desdemona fell in love with him is because she pitied his tragic past and she is fascinated by the stories Othello told. Desdemona later testified Othello’s story and proved that there was no witchcraft conducted.

1. What kind of impression does Desdemona create in the third scene of the play?

• She created an impression of good nature and manner high noble maiden with strong love and loyalty for Othello.

1. How does Iago continue to manipulate Roderigo at the end of the act?

• Iago created a plan for Roderigo and persuaded him to further their plot against Othello using Roderigo’s desire for Desdemona.

1. What sorts of ironies surround Iago in the first act of the play?

• The irony is in the hatred of Iago towards Othello, but he still has to appear loyal and submit to Othello on the surface, but secretly he is plotting a horrible deed to ruin Othello’s life.  

1. How is Othello’s status as a “tragic hero” established in the first act?

• Since tragic hero is the protagonist of the story that has everything going well and smooth but then a sudden event occur and their life is changed completely in a tragic and unfortunate way. In this case, Othello fits into the status of tragic hero as he appear to be in good condition, with everyone honoring him for his strength and power and married to a pretty and noble white girl. However, underneath the surface, there is a horrible plot planned against him that might destroy Othello.

1. At the end of Act I, what have we learned about Iago’s motives in the play?

• Iago’s motives are to ruin Othello’s life and create a pitfall to fulfill his desire.