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Cambridge University Press
0521618762 - Othello - Edited by Jane Coles
Excerpt

List of characters

The action of the play takes place in Venice and Cyprus.

Two men are in the middle of an argument. Roderigo accuses Iago of cheating him. Iago is angry about failing to gain the promotion that has gone instead to Michael Cassio.

1 A dramatic opening (in pairs)

In the theatres of Shakespeare's time there was no electric lighting and no stage curtain. The playwright had to signal the start of the play by means of a dramatic opening scene. Here, the noisy audience would be silenced by two men in the middle of a heated argument, with much swearing.

1. Read this opening conversation (lines 1-34) aloud. Try reading it in several different ways to find which way sounds best. Discuss which words in the script gave you clues as to how it should be spoken.
2. Film and theatre directors have chosen various ways in which to begin the play (see pp. 240-1 for a detailed activity exploring some of these). Think about ways in which you might want to set the scene, how you might have actors enter the stage, and what sound and lighting effects might suggest a street at night.
3. The play opens half-way through an argument. Make up what you think Iago and Roderigo have been saying before the play begins. End your dialogue on the first line of the play.

2 Michael Cassio - why does Iago dislike him?

Iago explains why he believes he has not been promoted to the rank of lieutenant (lines 8-27). Look carefully at the way Iago describes Cassio (lines 19-26) and pick out four key phrases which suggest why Iago is jealous of him.

Othello, the Moor of Venice

Act 1 Scene 1
Venice A street at night

Iago continues to complain about 'the Moor' and the system of promotion. He says he pretends to be a faithful officer, but follows Othello only to serve his own purposes.

1 First impressions of Iago (in small groups)

Read the page of script aloud several times, sharing out the lines.

On a large plain piece of paper, write IAGO in the centre (see the diagram below) and collect together any key things Iago seems to say about himself. Include anything that reveals something about his character or motivation. On the outer layer of the diagram explain in your own words what you believe each quotation might indicate about him.

When you have finished, join together with other groups and compare your sheet with theirs. Explain how and why you chose your particular words/phrases/lines.

Pool your ideas to produce one final diagram for display on your classroom wall.

Iago suggests a way of taking revenge against Othello. They shout in the street outside Brabantio's house, and tell him the news that he has been 'robbed'.

1 'BRABANTIO [appears] above at a window ' (in pairs)

Turn to page 186, where you will find an illustration of an Elizabethan theatre. It has a deep 'thrust' stage, with two exits at the back and a balcony above. Some of the audience stood crammed in 'the pit' (the 'groundlings'), others sat in tiers of seating around the walls, and a few even sat on the stage.

Talk together about how you would stage lines 68-93:

• on the Elizabethan stage
• on a modern acting space.

Think about use of lighting, and any props which seem appropriate.

2 Iago's role (in groups of three)

Take parts and read lines 68-143 (to 'Light, I say, light!'). Notice the differences in the way the three characters speak. Do Iago and Roderigo take an equal share in giving information to Brabantio? Now look more closely at the way Iago speaks:

1. Identify each occasion on which Iago uses the imperative form of a verb (lines 68-74).
2. Find any times Iago uses animal imagery between lines 68 and 92. What kind of animals are they and what are they doing? (This activity is continued on p. 8.)
3. On the previous page Iago has talked a good deal about himself - count how many times he uses the first-person pronoun in approximately ten lines of script (see lines 57-66).

Discuss what Shakespeare's use of language suggests about Iago and his relationship with the other men at this point in the play.

Brabantio suspects the two men are drunk. He learns Roderigo's name, but not Iago's. Iago obscenely tells him that Desdemona and Othello are having sexual intercourse and that his descendants will be mere animals.

1 Animals

Read through the script on pages 7 and 9. Identify any references to animals or insects in the dialogue. It may help you to know that a 'Barbary horse' is a North African breed, 'coursers' are racehorses, and 'jennets' are a breed of small Spanish horse.

Write down which characters make the comments, and what significance the choice of each animal image carries for you. Discuss what effect this choice of language might be intended to have. You will find further examples of this type of imagery on page 229.

2 Verse and prose

Brabantio and Roderigo speak in verse. When Iago interjects (at line 109), the script switches to prose. Read 'Verse and prose' on page 228, then suggest why Shakespeare gives Iago prose here.

3 A different perspective (in pairs)

Imagine you are two servants in Brabantio's house, intrigued by the commotion outside. What can you make of the rag-bag of information shouted by the two men in the street? Improvise a 'below-stairs' scene between the two servants.

Roderigo tells Brabantio that Desdemona has run away to live with Othello. Brabantio leaves to check if the story is true, saying he has already dreamt of such a happening.

1 Desdemona's flight (in groups of three)

Read Roderigo's report of Desdemona's secret departure from home (lines 119-36).

Mime her flight, using captions taken from Roderigo's story. Share your version with the rest of the class.

2 '. . . a gross revolt' (in small groups)

Desdemona has run away from home to marry a man of whom her father disapproves. There are several of Shakespeare's plays in which young people rebel against their parents' wishes (most famously Romeo and Juliet). Generally speaking, in Shakespeare's comedies the young people are eventually forgiven; in tragedies the situation ends with disaster for them.

Talk together about other stories you have read or films you have seen which include a similar plot element. How is the family split resolved in those stories?

3 Word association (in pairs)

In lines 119-39 Roderigo refers to Desdemona in positive terms (e.g. 'fair'), whereas he uses derogatory language to refer to Othello (e.g. 'gross clasps'). Identify all words/phrases he uses to talk about Othello and Desdemona. Discuss with your partner why you think he makes this distinction.