The Tragedy of Othello William Shakespeare Introduction Background Discussion Starters

The Tragedy of Othello William Shakespeare

Othello: Introduction Passion… Hypocrisy… Prejudice… Jealousy… Revenge…

Othello: Introduction Othello is a general, a military leader, in Venice hundreds of years ago. But he is an outsider because he is from another country—and of another race.

Othello: Introduction When Othello secretly marries the young, beautiful and noble Desdemona, her father, Brabantio, wants Othello to be arrested. But Desdemona loves Othello and doesn’t care that he is an outsider.

Othello: Introduction At the same time, the men in the army under Othello can’t be trusted. Cassio means well but is open to bad influences. Iago pretends to be Othello’s friend, but secretly resents him for passing him over for promotion.

Othello: Introduction Iago is determined to get revenge. He decides to attack Othello in his most vulnerable spot… his love for Desdemona.

Othello: Introduction Will Othello be able to see through Iago’s schemes? Or will jealousy and revenge turn to murder?

Othello: Background Othello is from North Africa, while Desdemona is from Venice, in Italy. Their marriage is a meeting of cultures and races.

Othello: Background Othello is sometimes referred to as “the Moor.” Moors are people with mixed Berber and Arab groups living in northwestern Africa. Shakespeare included Moorish characters in other plays: The Merchant of Venice and Titus Andronicus. He used them to represent outsiders.

Othello: Background Racism is an important concept in Othello, as is the idea of judging others on the basis of their appearance rather than what’s in their hearts.

Othello: Background The way a character speaks in Shakespeare’s plays signals the way his or her mind is working. It can also tell you what kind of person the character is. Othello often uses animal imagery. Desdemona often speaks about her faith.

Othello: Discussion Starters What groups are sometimes treated as outsiders in the United States today? Why are they seen by others as outsiders? How do others react to them?

Othello: Discussion Starters Othello depicts many problems that arise from jealousy and greed. Do these emotions still cause problems today? If so, what problems have you seen them create?