Analysis

  • Interrogate Othello

    In this video, actor Hugh Quarshie describes Othello as a very assured and confident man at the start of the play who is ‘completed’ by his marriage to Desdemona.

    One of the key questions for this character is:

    What persuades Othello to murder Desdemona?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the things that persuade him. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Look at the following scenes to collect evidence:

    • Act 3 Scene 3: Othello’s opinion of Desdemona completely changes in the scene. He starts declaring his love for her and ends up plotting her death. What factors play on his mind during this scene? Look specifically at the tactics Iago uses to convince him.
    • Act 4 Scene 1: Look at the demands Othello makes of Iago in this scene. What is it that finally convinces him that Desdemona is guilty. How important is the handkerchief? Take a look at his description of the handkerchief in Act 3 Scene 4 as well.
    • Act 5 Scene 2: Take a look at the reasons and justification he gives himself before he is about to murder Desdemona, and after she is found dead by Emilia.

    Point

    Othello completely believes that Desdemona has been unfaithful and he feels that he is being merciful by murdering her.

    Evidence

    ‘thou dost stone my heart, / And makes me call what I intend to do / A murder, which I thought a sacrifice’ (Othello, 5:2)

    Explanation

    As he prepares to kill Desdemona, Othello seems offended that Desdemona is continuing to defend herself and claims she is turning his heart to stone. This argument shows how unwilling he is to listen to her and how much he believes he is right, even arguing that his ‘murder’ is a ‘sacrifice’, which makes it sound almost godly.

    Point

    Othello is treated like an outsider by other characters and it’s possible he feels inferior to Cassio, making Iago’s lies seem believable to him.

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    Point

    Desdemona betrayed her father in order to marry Othello and he may think she would betray him as well and can’t be trusted.

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    As you explore Othello’s language, you’ll find more evidence for why he does what he does. We have pulled together some advice to help you explore this character in the Analysing Othello’s Language section.

  • Interrogate Iago

    In this video, Lucian Msamati describes Iago’s reasons for hating Othello as ‘much deeper, more dangerous, more emotional’ than racism.

    One of the key questions for this character is:

    Why is Iago so determined to destroy Othello?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the things that motivate and drive Iago. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Look at the following scenes to collect evidence:

    • Act 1 Scene 1: Take a look at the way Iago talks about hating Othello, at first to Roderigo and then alone on stage. What reasons does he give for wanting revenge?
    • Act 2 Scene 2: As Iago’s plan to exact revenge takes shape, what additional reasons does he give for hating Othello and making him so determined to destroy the general?
    • Act 3 Scene 3: In this scene, Iago can be seen convincing Othello that there is something happening between Desdemona and Cassio. How does Othello view Iago? Why might Iago want to destroy him?

    Point

    Iago is angry at being overlooked for promotion and that the position of lieutenant is given to a man he feels is less worthy than him.

    Evidence

    ‘Mere prattle without practice / Is all his soldiership – but he, sir, had th’election / And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof / At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds / Christian and Heathen, must be be-leed and calmed / By debitor and creditor’ (Iago, 1:1)

    Explanation

    Iago complains to Roderigo that Othello chose to appoint Cassio as his lieutenant even though he had seen proof on many occasions that Iago was the right man for the job. Iago dismisses Cassio as more inexperienced in warfare – a man who has studied war and knows the theories but not the practice. Iago uses terms like ‘debitor and creditor’ and ‘arithmetician’ to describe Cassio as dealing with numbers rather than the realities of war.

    Point

    Iago is jealous of Othello.

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    Point

    Iago enjoys the power of manipulating people to do what he wants them to do.

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    As you explore Iago’s language, you’ll find even more evidence to back up your case and find more arguments for why he does what he does. We have pulled together some advice to help you explore this in Language Interrogate.

  • Interrogate Desdemona

    In Act 4, Emilia says about Desdemona, ‘Hath she forsook so many noble matches / Her father, and her country, and her friends, / To be called whore? Would it not make one weep?’ As a wealthy heiress, Desdemona would have had many men wanting to marry her, including Roderigo who we meet in the play, but she chooses an unconventional match that she knows will separate her from her home, her friends and family. As the events of the play unfold, it is important for any actor playing Desdemona, and anyone writing about the character, to ask:

    Why does Desdemona love Othello?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the reasons Desdemona loves Othello. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Look at the following scenes to collect evidence:

    • Act 1 Scene 5: Take a look at Othello’s account of how they fell in love and why, as he explains to the Senate that he did not bewitch her.
    • Act 1 Scene 5: Look at how Desdemona talks about her relationship and marriage with her father. What kind of attitude does she have towards marriage and her husband?
    • Act 2 Scene 1: Explore the reactions of both Othello and Desdemona to one another’s arrivals in Cyprus. What can you learn about their relationship from their words and actions?

    Point

    He adores her.

    Evidence

    ‘Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee! And when I love thee not / Chaos is come again’ (Othello, 3:3)

    Explanation

    Desdemona feel confident that Othello loves her and promises to help Cassio get his job back because she is confident he will not deny her requests. When she has convinced him to talk to Cassio, he declares his love for her and says that if he stops loving her it will mean the end of the world.

    Point

    He is different and offers her adventure compared to life in Venice.

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    Point

    He is important and well respected.

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  • Interrogate Emilia

    Emilia seems to grow fond of Desdemona and knows her to be faithful to Othello. She defends Desdemona when Othello questions her and she loses her life exposing the truth about Desdemona’s fidelity to Othello at the end of the play. However, Emilia does steal Desdemona’s handkerchief and give it to Iago in order to ‘please his fantasy’, even though she does not know what he wants it for and he does not tell her or confide in her. Iago is particularly dismissive of his wife in the early scenes of Act 2 and their relationship is not close, with Iago suspecting that Emilia has had a relationship with Othello in the past. It’s really important, therefore, to ask the question:

    Why doesn’t Emilia speak up sooner about the handkerchief?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the things that cause Emilia to keep quiet. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Look at the following scenes to collect evidence:

    • Act 2 Scene 1: Explore how the two characters behave together when they arrive in Cyprus and are talking about marriage. How does Iago speak about his wife? How might this affect Emilia?
    • Act 4 Scene 3: In this scene between her and Desdemona, Emilia talks openly about the different ways men and women behave. What do you think she expects of Iago as her husband?
    • Act 3 Scene 3: Look at the moment when Emilia takes the handkerchief and then gives it to Iago. What reasons does she give? What do you think she imagines will happen as a result of her actions?

    Point

    She believes her husband is a good man and does not think he would want the handkerchief to do something bad.

    Evidence

    ‘My husband say she was false?’ (Emilia, 5:2)

    Explanation

    When she finds out that it was Iago who told Othello that Desdemona had been unfaithful with Cassio, she cannot at first believe it and keeps repeating the question ‘My husband?’

    Point

    Emilia has seen her own husband be jealous without cause and thinks Othello is jealous for other reasons unconnected to the handkerchief.

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    Point

    She thinks Desdemona deserves better than Othello.

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Teacher Notes

For each of the characters on this page we’ve asked some central questions. These are great questions to explore with students in mind maps, or as class debates.

The following activity explores the dynamic between Othello, Iago and Cassio throughout the play even further, looking at the ways in which they interact and why.

Hierarchy and hatred (2015)

The activity can be found on page 7 and takes approximately 40 minutes.