Othello Discussion Questions

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[edit] Discussion Questions on Othello – Student Generated

1. Iago is generally considered simply "evil," "villainous," etc. Try to explain why he behaves in the way he does. Try to use Feminism/ New Historicism do this.
2. What can we make of the fact that Iago, who would seem to have some problems with women, is married to the "loose-tongued" Emilia?
3. To what extent can ago be considered an "exteriorization" of some aspects of Othello's consciousness? Which aspects?
4. How is Roderigo important? Why, for example, does Iago keep telling him to "Put money in thy purse?"
5. Why is Othello so gullible? In other words, why is he so willing to accept lago's "reading" of situations? A related question: why doesn't Othello just confront Desdemona with his suspicions? Things to consider: Feminism, Jeanne's lecture, Alice Miller.
6. In Act IV, Scene iii, Desdemona seems to foresee her own death. How is this important?
7. Why doesn't Desdemona die right away? Pay attention to what she says during her brief "resurrection."
8. When she finally does die, what "work" does Desdemona accomplish for Othello? Look at V, ii, and think of Maurice Bloch's essay. What "trash" is Othello dumping on Desdemona? How does he make her "small" so he can be "big?"
9. Similarly, what "work" has lago accomplished through all of this? Lodovica tells Iago "Look on the tragic loading of this bed./This is thy work" (V, ii, 363-64). In Bloch's terms, what, besides Othello and Desdemona, has Iago "loaded" (or tried to load) on the bed?
10. OK, so why is Othello black? Consider: how does this culture seem to treat "foreigners?" why do only Brabantio and Iago seem racially prejudiced? Alice Miller; Cultural Materialism.
11. What is the status of race in the play? What is Shakespeare's attitude toward it?
12. Why have Iago figure? Why does he weave this plot? What's the point of the musicians at the beginning of III i?
13. Why does Emilia say in III iv (l. 23) that she doesn't know where the handkerchief is and then later expose her husband's scheme?

--MarthineSatris 18:33, 24 August 2007 (PDT)