Assignment Major-11
College name:-
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maharani Shree Nandakuvarba Mahila Arts & commarce college (Nilambag chock) Bhavnagar
Name:-
Gohil janaviba sahdevsinh
Year:-T.y B.a (English)
Sem:- 5
Paper' name:- The study of drama
Credit:- 4
Professor name:-Aamena ma'am
Submission date:- 30/8/2025
🌸 Class assignment:-1
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• Class Activity:-
✨ Part 1: Match the Character to the Emojis
A. 👩🏻💍🌹🕊 ➡️ Desdemona (2)
B. 👩🏻🧠🗣🗝⚖ ➡️ Emilia (5)
C. 👲🏻🕷️🧠🤥🗡 ➡️ Iago (3)
D. 👩🏻✈️💸😢🔪 ➡️ Roderigo (6)
E. 👴🏻😠🏛 ➡️ Brabantio (7)
F. 👩🏿✈️⚔️💔 ➡️ Othello (1)
G. 👑⚖📜 ➡️ The Duke (4)
✂️ Part 2: Who Am I? (Emoji Riddles)
Read the emoji descriptions and write the character's name:
1.💃💅❤️🔥🪡🧵⬜ ➤ I am passionate and wrongly blamed for a handkerchief. I love cassio.
→ Bianca
2. 👴🔑🏠 ➤ I’m an elder from Desdemona’s family and help uncover the truth.
→Gratiano
3. 👔📜🛫 ➤ I’m a nobleman who travels from Venice to Cyprus with important orders.
→Lodovico
4. ⚔️🌊🤕 ➤ I’m a former governor of Cyprus who got injured but is respected.
→Montano
🧠 Part 3: Short Answers
Q(1). Why is 🗝 used to describe Emilia?
~Because she holds the key piece of evidence (the handkerchief) that reveals Iago’s plot.
Q(2). What emotion does 💔 suggest about Othello’s journey?
~💔 suggests heartbreak and deep emotional pain, showing Othello’s tragic journey of love turning into jealousy, loss, and sorrow.
Q(3). What does 🤥 suggest about Iago’s personality?
~🤥 suggests that Iago’s personality is dishonest and deceitful, as he constantly lies and manipulates others to achieve his selfish goals.
🎨 Bonus: Express Cassio in Emojis!
Cassio is a noble young lieutenant who values honor but makes mistakes. Think creatively: which three emojis best represent him?
Emoji(s): 🛡️🍷😊
Explanation:
🛡️ = Represents Cassio’s honor, duty, and role as Othello’s loyal lieutenant
.
🍷 = Shows his flaw of drinking, which leads to his downfall.
😊 = Reflects his charm, politeness, and well-liked personality.
***_MCQs on Othello by William Shakespeare_***
1. What is William Shakespeare often called?
A) The Father of Drama
B) The King of Poets
C) The Bard of Avon
D) The Legend of Language
Answer: C) The Bard of Avon
2. In which year was William Shakespeare born?
A) 1544
B) 1564
C) 1584
D) 1604
Answer: B) 1564
3. How many sonnets did William Shakespeare write?
A) 130
B) 144
C) 154
D) 160
Answer: C) 154
4. What type of play is Othello?
A) Comedy
B) Tragedy
C) History
D) Romance
Answer: B) Tragedy
5. In what language was the original story of Othello written?
A) French
B) Latin
C) English
D) Italian
Answer: D) Italian
6. What is the name of the Italian book that inspired Othello?
A) La Tragedia
B) De gli Hecatommithi
C) Vita di Otello
D) Racconti Italiani
Answer: B) De gli Hecatommithi
7. When was the first published version of Othello released?
A) 1604
B) 1616
C) 1622
D) 1623
Answer: C) 1622
8. Which collection included the second version of Othello?
A) Shakespeare’s Folio
B) The First Folio
C) Quarto Collection
D) The Bard’s Anthology
Answer: B) The First Folio
9. Which genre does not belong to Shakespeare’s categories of plays?
A) Comedy
B) Epic
C) History
D) Tragedy
Answer: B) Epic
10. Why is William Shakespeare considered highly influential?
A) He wrote in many different languages
B) He performed in royal courts
C) His works are studied, translated, and performed worldwide.
D) He invented the English alphabet
Answer: C) His works are studied, translated, and performed worldwide.
11. How many plays did William Shakespeare write (including collaborations)?
A) 29
B) 35
C) 39
D) 45
Answer: C) 39
12. What is a “quarto”?
A) A large theatre
B) A small book format
C) A Shakespearean actor
D) A poetic device
Answer: B) A small book format
13. In which year was Othello first written?
A) 1600
B) 1603–1604
C) 1610
D) 1622
Answer: B) 1603–1604
14. Why is Roderigo furious with Iago at the beginning of the play?
A) Iago has married Desdemona
B) Iago failed to secure Desdemona for him despite being paid
C) Iago lied about Othello's military victories
D) Iago publicly embarrassed him
Answer: B
15. Why does Iago claim to hate Othello?
A) Othello insulted Iago's father
B) Othello married Desdemona
C) Othello promoted Cassio over him
D) Othello was born a Moor
Answer: C
16. What action do Iago and Roderigo take to provoke Brabantio?
A) Kidnap Desdemona
B) Send a forged letter
C) Wake him to tell of Desdemona’s elopement
D) Attack his house
Answer: C
17. How does Othello defend himself against accusations of using witchcraft?
A) He claims Desdemona cast the first spell
B) He presents witnesses
C) He recounts tales of his life that won her heart
D) He denies marrying her
Answer: C
18. What ultimately convinces the Duke and Senate of Othello’s honesty?
A) Desdemona’s own testimony
B) Evidence from Cassio
C) Iago’s defense of Othello
D) A letter from Brabantio
Answer: A
19. What event eliminates the Turkish threat to Cyprus?
A) A Venetian pre-emptive strike
B) A Turkish civil war
C) A severe storm at sea
D) The arrival of Othello’s fleet
Answer: C
20. What minor gesture between Cassio and Desdemona does Iago use to manipulate Othello?
A) A kiss on the cheek
B) A handshake
C) Sharing a drink
D) Walking together
Answer: B
21. What advice does Iago give to Roderigo about Cassio during the celebration?
A) Challenge him to a duel
B) Steal from him
C) Start a fight to discredit him
D) Spy on his room
Answer: C
22. How is Cassio demoted?
A) He fails to deliver a military order
B) He is caught stealing
C) He wounds Montano during a drunken fight
D) Othello overhears him mocking Desdemona
Answer: C
23. What advice does Iago give Cassio after his demotion?
A) Flee the island
B) Ask Desdemona to speak to Othello
C) Challenge Othello
D) Blame Roderigo
Answer: B
24. How does Iago obtain Desdemona’s handkerchief?
A) He steals it from her room
B) Othello gives it to him
C) Emilia picks it up and gives it to him
D) Roderigo finds it and hands it over
Answer: C
25. What false proof does Iago give Othello of Desdemona's infidelity?
A) A letter Cassio wrote
B) A rumor from Roderigo
C) Cassio wearing Desdemona’s handkerchief
D) A drawing made by Cassio
Answer: C
26. What effect does jealousy have on Othello’s physical state?
A) He becomes mute
B) He faints
C) He experiences an epileptic seizure
D) He loses his eyesight
Answer: C
27. Why does Othello strike Desdemona in front of Lodovico?
A) She confesses to an affair
B) She says she still loves Cassio
C) She talks back disrespectfully
D) Lodovico announces Cassio’s promotion
Answer: D
28. How does Iago use Bianca to reinforce his plot?
A) He bribes her to lie
B) He lets her return the handkerchief Cassio has
C) He kills her as a warning
D) He frames her for poisoning Desdemona
Answer: B
29. What lie does Iago tell Desdemona to explain Othello’s rage?
A) That Othello has a mental illness
B) That Cassio insulted him
C) That Othello is troubled by political matters
D) That her father is gravely ill
Answer: C
30. Why does Roderigo agree to attack Cassio?
A) To gain military rank
B) To help Iago win Emilia
C) To stop Othello from leaving with Desdemona
D) To win Desdemona’s love
Answer: D
31. How does Iago cover his tracks after the attack on Cassio?
A) He frames Roderigo and murders him
B) He blames Bianca
C) He wounds himself and claims innocence
D) He disappears into the night
Answer: A
32. What claim does Desdemona make before dying?
A) That Cassio is the true villain
B) That she poisoned herself
C) That she committed suicide
D) That she never loved Othello
Answer: C
33. What final actions close the play?
A) Cassio becomes general, Iago is to be executed, and Lodovico returns to Venice
B) Othello escapes, Desdemona’s funeral is planned
C) Bianca inherits Othello’s house
D) Emilia survives and becomes a hero
Answer: A
34. What causes Othello to lose control of his actions?
A) Fear of war
B) Trust in Iago
C) Overconfidence
D) Lack of education
Answer: B
35. What does Desdemona’s loyalty represent in the play?
A) Foolishness
B) Political power
C) True love and innocence
D) Greed
Answer: C
36. How does Iago manipulate Othello’s military mindset?
A) Uses logic
B) Encourages peace
C) Turns love into a battle
D) Blames Cassio
Answer: C
37. How does Iago use the theme of “Appearance vs. Reality”?
A) He confesses all early
B) He shows his hatred openly
C) He pretends to be honest
D) He tells only truth
Answer: C
38. What object becomes a symbol of betrayal for Othello?
A) Sword
B) Necklace
C) Letter
D) Handkerchief
Answer: D
39. Why is Othello’s idea of justice flawed?
A) He waits too long
B) He uses logic only
C) He acts on anger, not truth
D) He forgives too easily
Answer: C
40. What does the play teach about judging people by looks?
A) Looks never lie
B) Trust only yourself
C) Outer appearance can deceive
D) Reality is always clear
Answer: C
41. Who originally gave the handkerchief to Othello’s mother?
A) A priest
B) A soldier
C) An Egyptian sorcerer
D) A king
Answer: C
42. How does Iago use the handkerchief in his plan?
A) He sells it
B) He drops it in the sea
C) He plants it with Cassio
D) He gives it to Desdemona
Answer: C
43. What animal is Othello compared to in the play?
A) Bear
B) Horse
C) Snake
D) Dog
Answer:B
44. What does animal language in the play mostly represent?
A) Humor
B) Military strategy
C) Prejudice and racism
D) Othello’s power
Answer: C
45. What does the symbolic use of animals reveal about Iago’s language?
A) It is poetic and beautiful
B) It reflects his love for nature
C) It shows his use of dehumanizing insults
D) It has no real meaning
Answer: C
46. What happens to the meaning of the handkerchief by the end of the play?
A) It is forgotten
B) It becomes magical
C) It symbolizes lies and jealousy
D) It is returned to Othello
Answer: C
47. Why does Iago hate Othello?
A) Othello insulted him
B) Othello married Desdemona
C) Othello didn’t promote him
D) Othello arrested him
Answer: C
48. Who is the "Moor of Venice"?
A) Cassio
B) Iago
C) Othello
D) Roderigo
Answer: C
49. What kind of person is Desdemona?
A) Proud and selfish
B) Kind and loyal
C) Brave but dishonest
D) Clever and suspicious
Answer: B
50. What does Iago do throughout the play?
A) Helps Othello and Desdemona
B) Spreads truth and peace
C) Tricks people and causes destruction
D) Marries Desdemona
Answer: C
51. Who is Emilia?
A) Desdemona’s sister
B) Cassio’s wife
C) Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s maid
D) The Duke’s daughter
Answer: C
52. What is Cassio’s main problem in the play?
A) He is secretly evil
B) He loses his job after a fight
C) He betrays Othello
D) He falls in love with Emilia
Answer: B
53. What does Roderigo want most?
A) To be a soldier
B) To marry Emilia
C) To become governor
D) To win Desdemona’s love
Answer: D
54. Who is Bianca in the play?
A) Othello’s cousin
B) A prostitute who loves Cassio
C) Desdemona’s maid
D) Iago’s second wife
Answer: B
55. What is Brabantio’s reaction to Desdemona’s marriage?
A) He celebrates
B) He forgives quickly
C) He is angry and shocked
D) He helps Othello
Answer: C
56. What role does Lodovico play at the end of the play?
A) He kills Iago
B) He gives Othello’s property to Graziano
C) He becomes governor
D) He marries Desdemona
Answer: B
🌸 Home Assignment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Othello by:~
William Shakespeare*
✨*About the Author*
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and one of the world’s greatest dramatists. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and several long narrative poems. His works explore themes of love, power, jealousy, betrayal, and the human condition, making them timeless and universally relevant.
Shakespeare’s plays are usually divided into three categories: tragedies (like Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth), comedies (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night), and histories (Richard III, Henry V).
Othello is one of his greatest tragedies, first performed around 1604. It reflects Shakespeare’s mastery in portraying deep emotions, complex characters, and moral dilemmas. His ability to capture human psychology and use powerful poetic language has made his works endure for over 400 years.
👉 In short: Shakespeare is called the “Bard of Avon,” and his plays, including Othello, continue to be studied and performed worldwide.
✨*Introduction*
Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603–1604. It is one of his most powerful plays, exploring themes of love, jealousy, betrayal, race, and manipulation. The story is set mainly in Venice and later in Cyprus, focusing on Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and his wife, Desdemona. Their love is tested and ultimately destroyed by the schemes of Othello’s ensign, Iago, who manipulates events to spark Othello’s jealousy and mistrust.
The play highlights Shakespeare’s deep understanding of human emotions, showing how insecurity and deception can lead even the noblest person to downfall. Because of its timeless exploration of jealousy and trust, Othello continues to be one of Shakespeare’s most studied and performed tragedies.
✨*Characters*
•Cassio
Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity.
•Emilia
Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.
•Roderigo
A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona.
•Bianca
A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage.
•Brabantio
Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret.
•The Clown
Othello’s servant. Although the Clown appears only in two short scenes, his appearances reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion of two meanings of that word in Act IV, scene i.
✨*Summary*
Othello begins on a street in Venice, in the midst of an argument between Roderigo, a rich man, and Iago. Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him win Desdemona's hand in marriage. But Roderigo has just learned that Desdemona has married Othello, a general whom Iago begrudgingly serves as ensign. Iago says he hates Othello, who recently passed him over for the position of lieutenant in favor of the inexperienced soldier Michael Cassio.
Unseen, Iago and Roderigo cry out to Brabantio that his daughter Desdemona has been stolen by and married to Othello, the Moor. Brabanzio finds that his daughter is indeed missing, and he gathers some officers to find Othello. Not wanting his hatred of Othello to be known, Iago leaves Roderigo and hurries back to Othello before Brabanzio sees him. At Othello’s lodgings, Cassio arrives with an urgent message from the duke: Othello’s help is needed in the matter of the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Not long afterward, Brabanzio arrives with Roderigo and others, and accuses Othello of stealing his daughter by witchcraft. When he finds out that Othello is on his way to speak with the duke, Brabanzio decides to go along and accuse Othello before the assembled senate.
Brabanzio’s plan backfires. The duke and senate are very sympathetic toward Othello. Given a chance to speak for himself, Othello explains that he wooed and won Desdemona not by witchcraft but with the stories of his adventures in travel and war. The duke finds Othello’s explanation convincing, and Desdemona herself enters at this point to defend her choice in marriage and to announce to her father that her allegiance is now to her husband. Brabanzio is frustrated but acquiesces and allows the senate meeting to resume. The duke says that Othello must go to Cyprus to aid in the defense against the Turks, who are headed for the island. Desdemona insists that she accompany her husband on his trip, and preparations are made for them to depart that night.
In Cyprus the following day, two gentlemen stand on the shore with Montano, the governor of Cyprus. A third gentleman arrives and reports that the Turkish fleet has been wrecked in a storm at sea. Cassio, whose ship did not suffer the same fate, arrives soon after, followed by a second ship carrying Iago, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Emilia, Iago’s wife. Once they have landed, Othello’s ship is sighted, and the group goes to the harbor. As they wait for Othello, Cassio greets Desdemona by clasping her hand. Watching them, Iago tells the audience that he will use “as little a web as this” hand-holding to ensnare Cassio (II.i.169).
Othello arrives, greets his wife, and announces that there will be reveling that evening to celebrate Cyprus’s safety from the Turks. Once everyone has left, Roderigo complains to Iago that he has no chance of breaking up Othello’s marriage. Iago assures Roderigo that as soon as Desdemona’s “blood is made dull with the act of sport,” she will lose interest in Othello and seek sexual satisfaction elsewhere (II.i.222). However, Iago warns that “elsewhere” will likely be with Cassio. Iago counsels Roderigo that he should cast Cassio into disgrace by starting a fight with Cassio at the evening’s revels. In a soliloquy, Iago explains to the audience that eliminating Cassio is the first crucial step in his plan to ruin Othello. That night, Iago gets Cassio drunk and then sends Roderigo to start a fight with him. Apparently provoked by Roderigo, Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage. Governor Montano attempts to hold Cassio down, and Cassio stabs him. Iago sends Roderigo to raise alarm in the town.
The alarm is rung, and Othello, who had left earlier with plans to consummate his marriage, soon arrives to still the commotion. When Othello demands to know who began the fight, Iago feigns reluctance to implicate his “friend” Cassio, but he ultimately tells the whole story. Othello then strips Cassio of his rank of lieutenant. Cassio is extremely upset, and he laments to Iago, once everyone else has gone, that his reputation has been ruined forever. Iago assures Cassio that he can get back into Othello’s good graces by using Desdemona as an intermediary. In a soliloquy, Iago tells us that he will frame Cassio and Desdemona as lovers to make Othello jealous.
In an attempt at reconciliation, Cassio sends some musicians to play beneath Othello’s window. Othello, however, sends his clown to tell the musicians to go away. Hoping to arrange a meeting with Desdemona, Cassio asks the clown, a peasant who serves Othello, to send Emilia to him. After the clown departs, Iago passes by and tells Cassio that he will get Othello out of the way so that Cassio can speak privately with Desdemona. Othello, Iago, and a gentleman go to examine some of the town’s fortifications.
Desdemona is quite sympathetic to Cassio’s request and promises that she will do everything she can to make Othello forgive his former lieutenant. As Cassio is about to leave, Othello and Iago return. Feeling uneasy, Cassio leaves without talking to Othello. Othello inquires whether it was Cassio who just parted from his wife, and Iago, beginning to kindle Othello’s fire of jealousy, replies, “No, sure, I cannot think it, / That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing your coming” (III.iii.37–39).
Othello becomes upset and moody, and Iago furthers his goal of removing both Cassio and Othello by suggesting that Cassio and Desdemona are involved in an affair. Desdemona’s entreaties to Othello to reinstate Cassio as lieutenant add to Othello’s almost immediate conviction that his wife is unfaithful. After Othello’s conversation with Iago, Desdemona comes to call Othello to supper and finds him feeling unwell. She offers him her handkerchief to wrap around his head, but he finds it to be “[t]oo little” and lets it drop to the floor (III.iii.291). Desdemona and Othello go to dinner, and Emilia picks up the handkerchief, mentioning to the audience that Iago has always wanted her to steal it for him.
Iago is ecstatic when Emilia gives him the handkerchief, which he plants in Cassio’s room as “evidence” of his affair with Desdemona. When Othello demands “ocular proof” (III.iii.365) that his wife is unfaithful, Iago says that he has seen Cassio “wipe his beard” (III.iii.444) with Desdemona’s handkerchief—the first gift Othello ever gave her. Othello vows to take vengeance on his wife and on Cassio, and Iago vows that he will help him. When Othello sees Desdemona later that evening, he demands the handkerchief of her, but she tells him that she does not have it with her and attempts to change the subject by continuing her suit on Cassio’s behalf. This drives Othello into a further rage, and he storms out. Later, Cassio comes onstage, wondering about the handkerchief he has just found in his chamber. He is greeted by Bianca, a prostitute, whom he asks to take the handkerchief and copy its embroidery for him.
Through Iago’s machinations, Othello becomes so consumed by jealousy that he falls into a trance and has a fit of epilepsy. As he writhes on the ground, Cassio comes by, and Iago tells him to come back in a few minutes to talk. Once Othello recovers, Iago tells him of the meeting he has planned with Cassio. He instructs Othello to hide nearby and watch as Iago extracts from Cassio the story of his affair with Desdemona. While Othello stands out of earshot, Iago pumps Cassio for information about Bianca, causing Cassio to laugh and confirm Othello’s suspicions. Bianca herself then enters with Desdemona’s handkerchief, reprimanding Cassio for making her copy out the embroidery of a love token given to him by another woman. When Desdemona enters with Lodovico and Lodovico subsequently gives Othello a letter from Venice calling him home and instating Cassio as his replacement, Othello goes over the edge, striking Desdemona and then storming out.
That night, Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore. He ignores her protestations, seconded by Emilia, that she is innocent. Iago assures Desdemona that Othello is simply upset about matters of state. Later that night, however, Othello ominously tells Desdemona to wait for him in bed and to send Emilia away. Meanwhile, Iago assures the still-complaining Roderigo that everything is going as planned: in order to prevent Desdemona and Othello from leaving, Roderigo must kill Cassio. Then he will have a clear avenue to his love.
Iago instructs Roderigo to ambush Cassio, but Roderigo misses his mark and Cassio wounds him instead. Iago wounds Cassio and runs away. When Othello hears Cassio’s cry, he assumes that Iago has killed Cassio as he said he would. Lodovico and Graziano enter to see what the commotion is about. Iago enters shortly thereafter and flies into a pretend rage as he “discovers” Cassio’s assailant Roderigo, whom he murders. Cassio is taken to have his wound dressed.
Meanwhile, Othello stands over his sleeping wife in their bedchamber, preparing to kill her. Desdemona wakes and attempts to plead with Othello. She asserts her innocence, but Othello smothers her. Emilia enters with the news that Roderigo is dead. Othello asks if Cassio is dead too and is mortified when Emilia says he is not. After crying out that she has been murdered, Desdemona changes her story before she dies, claiming that she has committed suicide. Emilia asks Othello what happened, and Othello tells her that he has killed Desdemona for her infidelity, which Iago brought to his attention.
Montano, Graziano, and Iago come into the room. Iago attempts to silence Emilia, who realizes what Iago has done. At first, Othello insists that Iago has told the truth, citing the handkerchief as evidence. Once Emilia tells him how she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago, Othello is crushed and begins to weep. He tries to kill Iago but is disarmed. Iago kills Emilia and flees, but he is caught by Lodovico and Montano, who return holding Iago captive. They also bring Cassio, who is now in a chair because of his wound. Othello wounds Iago and is disarmed. Lodovico tells Othello that he must come with them back to Venice to be tried. Othello makes a speech about how he would like to be remembered, then kills himself with a sword he had hidden on his person. The play closes with a speech by Lodovico. He gives Othello’s house and goods to Graziano and order that iago be executed.
✨*Theme*
1. The Incompatibility of Military Heroism & Love
Before and above all else, Othello is a soldier. From the earliest moments in the play, his career affects his married life. Asking “fit disposition” for his wife after being ordered to Cyprus (I.iii.234), Othello notes that “the tyrant custom . . . / Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war / My thrice-driven bed of down” (I.iii.227–229). While Desdemona is used to better “accommodation,” she nevertheless accompanies her husband to Cyprus (I.iii.236). Moreover, she is unperturbed by the tempest or Turks that threatened their crossing, and genuinely curious rather than irate when she is roused from bed by the drunken brawl in Act II, scene iii. She is, indeed, Othello’s “fair warrior,” and he is happiest when he has her by his side in the midst of military conflict or business (II.i.179).
The military also provides Othello with a means to gain acceptance in Venetian society. While the Venetians in the play are generally fearful of the prospect of Othello’s social entrance into white society through his marriage to Desdemona, all Venetians respect and honor him as a soldier. Mercenary Moors were, in fact, commonplace at the time. Othello predicates his success in love on his success as a soldier, wooing Desdemona with tales of his military travels and battles. Once the Turks are drowned—by natural rather than military might—Othello is left without anything to do: the last act of military administration we see him perform is the viewing of fortifications in the extremely short second scene of Act III.
No longer having a means of proving his manhood or honor in a public setting such as the court or the battlefield, Othello begins to feel uneasy with his footing in a private setting, the bedroom. Iago capitalizes on this uneasiness, calling Othello’s epileptic fit in Act IV, scene i, “[a] passion most unsuiting such a man.” In other words, Iago is calling Othello unsoldierly. Iago also takes care to mention that Cassio, whom Othello believes to be his competitor, saw him in his emasculating trance (IV.i.75). Desperate to cling to the security of his former identity as a soldier while his current identity as a lover crumbles, Othello begins to confuse the one with the other. His expression of his jealousy quickly devolves from the conventional—“Farewell the tranquil mind”—to the absurd:
Farewell the plum’d troops and the big wars
That make ambition virtue! O, farewell,
Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th’ear piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!”
(III.iii.353–359)
One might well say that Othello is saying farewell to the wrong things—he is entirely preoccupied with his identity as a soldier. But his way of thinking is somewhat justified by its seductiveness to the audience as well. Critics and audiences alike find comfort and nobility in Othello’s final speech and the anecdote of the “malignant and . . . turbaned Turk” (V.ii.362), even though in that speech, as in his speech in Act III, scene iii, Othello depends on his identity as a soldier to glorify himself in the public’s memory, and to try to make his audience forget his and Desdemona’s disastrous marital experiment.
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2. The Danger of Isolation
The action of Othello moves from the metropolis of Venice to the island of Cyprus. Protected by military fortifications as well as by the forces of nature, Cyprus faces little threat from external forces. Once Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo have come to Cyprus, they have nothing to do but prey upon one another. Isolation enables many of the play’s most important effects: Iago frequently speaks in soliloquies; Othello stands apart while Iago talks with Cassio in Act IV, scene i, and is left alone onstage with the bodies of Emilia and Desdemona for a few moments in Act V, scene ii; Roderigo seems attached to no one in the play except Iago. And, most prominently, Othello is visibly isolated from the other characters by his physical stature and the color of his skin.
Iago is an expert at manipulating the distance between characters, isolating his victims so that they fall prey to their own obsessions. At the same time, Iago, of necessity always standing apart, falls prey to his own obsession with revenge. The characters cannot be islands, the play seems to say: self-isolation as an act of self-preservation leads ultimately to self-destruction. Such self-isolation leads to the deaths of Roderigo, Iago, Othello, and even Emilia.
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3. Jealousy
Jealousy motivates the central conflicts of Othello: Iago’s resentment of Othello, and Othello’s suspicion of Desdemona. Iago is immediately revealed as a jealous character: in the first scene, he complains that Cassio has been promoted instead of him even though “I am worth no worse a place” (1.1.). He also later implies that his hatred of Othello is rooted in jealousy, since there are rumors of Othello having slept with Emilia. As Iago explains, even the hint of this possibility enrages him: “I know not if’t be true / But I for mere suspicion in that kind / Will do as if for surety” (1.3.). It seems that his jealousy is so intense that he does not need proof of this infidelity before punishing Othello for it. Appropriately, Iago decides to seek revenge by using jealousy as a weapon against Othello, “practicing upon his peace and quiet / Even to madness” (2.1.). Iago knows, perhaps from his own experience, that jealousy is a form of psychological torture which will constantly torment Othello. By making Othello feel the torments of jealousy towards Desdemona and her supposed lover, Iago causes Othello to suffer as much as he does.
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4. Deception and Treachery
In Othello, Othello simultaneously believes he is being deceived by characters who are honest while failing to see the deceit and treachery of characters who are tricking him. Othello refers to Iago as “honest” multiple times, showing that he is totally blind to the way Iago is tricking and manipulating him. Othello is so deceived by Iago, he believes Iago is actually incapable of lying: “I know thou’rt full of love and honesty / And weigh’st thy words before thou giv’st them breath” (3.3.).
While Othello is naively unable to see that Iago is deceiving him every step of the way, he is also stubbornly convinced that Desdemona is deceiving him even when she is being totally honest. Once Othello makes up his mind that Desdemona is guilty, all her claims of innocence only enrage him further because he is convinced that “this is a subtle whore / A closet lock and key of villainous secrets” (4.2.). Everything Desdemona does to prove her innocence comes across to Othello as further proof of her guilt. Othello’s inability to correctly identify who is and is not deceiving him makes him act rashly and ultimately lead to violence and tragedy.
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5. Justice
In Othello, characters justify their actions on the basis of deserving justice. The first character we see seeking justice is Brabantio, who is outraged that his daughter has married a man of a different race, and decides that Othello must have bewitched her. Brabantio asserts “I therefore apprehend and do attach thee” (1.2.77), seeking legal restitution for the perceived violation to himself and his honor. However, Brabantio’s apparent demand for justice is rooted in his racial prejudice against Othello, and his sense that he is owed obedience from his daughter. He only feels entitled to justice because social structures have placed him in a position of racial superiority to Othello and gender superiority to Desdemona. What Brabantio envisions as justice is the reassertion of his racial and gendered dominance and power over others.
As Othello becomes increasingly convinced that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him, he also feels entitled to seek a form of bloody, self-administered justice. As he tells Iago, “my bloody thoughts with violent pace / Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love / Till that a capable and wide revenge / Swallow them up” (3.3.). While there would have been legal procedures in place at this time for bringing charges of adultery against a spouse, Othello is not interested in seeking official forms of justice. He wants to punish his wife himself, and feels entitled to do so. When Iago suggests that Othello strangle Desdemona rather than poisoning her, Othello notes “Good, good—the justice of it pleases!”(4.1.). Othello’s violent plan to achieve justice is rooted in his sense that he has complete ownership and control over his wife, and that he can literally decide whether she lives or dies. Othello’s notion of justice depends on a system that is fundamentally unjust toward women, leaving them vulnerable to false accusation and violent actions.
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✨*Symbols*
1. The Handkerchief 🧣 – A symbol of love and fidelity between Othello and Desdemona, later twisted by Iago into “proof” of betrayal.
2. The Willow Song 🌿🎶 – Sung by Desdemona, it foreshadows sorrow, unfaithfulness, and her tragic fate.
3. Animals/Bestial Imagery 🐍🐏 – Used by Iago to dehumanize Othello, symbolizing racism and jealousy.
4. Light and Darkness 💡🌑 – Light often represents innocence and truth (Desdemona), while darkness suggests evil, secrecy, and Othello’s descent into jealousy.
5. The Sword/Weapons ⚔️ – Symbolize honor, masculinity, and ultimately the destruction caused by mistrust.
✨*Conclusion*
Othello ends tragically, showing the destructive power of jealousy, manipulation, and mistrust. Iago’s deceit leads Othello to wrongly believe that Desdemona has betrayed him, driving him to murder her in a fit of passion. When the truth is revealed, Othello is overcome with guilt and takes his own life, while Iago is left to face punishment. The conclusion highlights Shakespeare’s central themes: the vulnerability of love to suspicion, the devastating effects of unchecked jealousy, and the consequences of blind trust in false friends. Ultimately, the play warns of how easily human weakness can be exploited, turning nobility into ruin.
🌸Essay
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*A dolls house by:~
Henrik Ibsen*
✨*About the author*
A Doll’s House opens on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer enters her well-furnished living room—the setting of the entire play—carrying several packages. Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband, comes out of his study when he hears her arrive. He greets her playfully and affectionately, but then chides her for spending so much money on Christmas gifts. Their conversation reveals that the Helmers have had to be careful with money for many years, but that Torvald has recently obtained a new position at the bank where he works that will afford them a more comfortable lifestyle.
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