Example lesson 4: Othello Act 1, scene 1 Lorna Damms, William Ellis School

Act One, Scene One LQ: Can I comment on how key characters are presented in the opening of the play?

Two men meet up on a street 1. One of you is Iago and one of you is Roderigo. Both of you feel you have lost out on something (different things) and are angry. Improvise their conversation.

Two men meet up on a street 2. Now you are going to find out why they feel cheated. Roderigo: You had been keen to win the love of Desdemona but daren’t be too direct, so you had asked Iago to help you win her. Iago has spent quite a lot of your money doing this. It hasn’t worked. You think Iago has let you down. Iago: You deflect Roderigo’s anger by talking about how angry you are about your own disappointment – missing out on a promotion from the man you work for. You say three important men even tried to ensure your promotion. Your own anger takes over the conversation. Roderigo: Your complaints trickle away as Iago becomes more and more dominant. Start talking!

Two men meet up on a street 3. Carry on talking! It turns out that there is a common factor: Desdemona has gone off with the very man who has not promoted Iago. You have a common enemy whom you don’t name, though you refer to him repeatedly as ‘he’ and ‘him’. Roderigo: You have noticed that Iago is often in close contact with this unnamed man and say a version of this in an accusing way “Thou toldst me thou didst hold him in thy hate”. Iago: Your response to the accusation of being too close to this man who has disappointed you both should be a version of “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”.

Two men meet up on a street 4. Consider this new information. Iago and Roderigo: You are white. Your enemy is black. In the light of this new information, re-run a section of your conversation. A version of both the lines quoted below should still be included in your dialogue: Roderigo: Thou toldst me thou didst hold him in thy hate. Iago: I follow him to serve my turn upon him.

The opening dialogues 5. Gathering ideas. After watching three pairs perform, discuss your first impressions in your table groups. Make careful notes: on these ideas: How has Roderigo come across to you? How has Iago come across to you? Neither Iago nor Roderigo has mentioned their enemy’s name yet, so what is the effect of their frequent references to ‘him’, ‘he’, ‘that man’, etc.? What do you now expect that man to be like when he first appears on stage?