Othello Jeopardy

Act I Act II Act III Act IV Act V Drama-turgy

Who said it

& Significance

100 100 100 100 100 100 100

200 200 200 200 200 200 200

300 300 300 300 300 300 300

400 400 400 400 400 400 400

500 500 500 500 500 500 500

Act I 200

• The person who rats out Othello and Desdemona’s relationship to Brabantio and begins the rising action of the play

Act 1 – 200 ?

• Who is Roderigo?

Act I 100

The man Othello named his lieutenant

Act 1 100 Question

Who is Cassio?

Act I 300

• The first two secret acts of the play

Act I 300 ?

• What are the marriage between Desdemona and Othello and the hidden relationship between Iago and Roderigo to bring Othello to his downfall.

Act I 400

• The literary term used by describing Othello as “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”; “you’ll have your daughter daughter covered with a Barabary horse”; “your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs”

Act I 400 ?

• What is imagery?

Act I 500

• Brabantio believes that this is the only possible explanation why Desdemona would have married the Moor.

Act I 500 ?

• What is witchcraft or enchantment?

Act II 100

• These ships were tossed into the rocks and thus lost the battle for Cyprus before it was even begun.

Act II 100 ?

• What is the Turkish fleet?

Act II 200

• This person was entrusted by Othello to get Desdemona safely to Cyprus

Act II 200?

• Who is Iago?

Act II 300

• The metaphor Shakespeare uses to represent jealousy.

Act II 300 ?

• What is “a green-eyed monster”?

Act II 400

• The irony of Iago’s discussion on reputation with Cassio

Act II 400?

• Iago tells Cassio not to worry about his reputation because it is “an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving”; however, in order for all of his machinations to work Iago is completely dependent upon his “honest” reputation and therefore understands that one’s reputation is everything.

Act II 500

• The following lines foreshadow

Act II 500

• The solilquoy that reveals Iago’s ultimate plan and how he will discredit Desdemona and Cassio while at the same time poisoning Othello with his lies.

• You have one minute to use your book to read this to the class.

Act II 500 ?

• What is “And what’s he then that says I play the villain…So will I turn her virtue into pitch,/ And out of her own goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all” (II.iii.318-344).

Act III 100?

• This character provides the comic relief needed after Iago’s plot to destroy them all is revealed and is empolyed by Cassio to serenade Othello and Desdemona.

Act III 100

• Who is the clown?

Act III 200

• The way Cassio treats Bianca as opposed to how he treats Desdemona

Act III 200?

• Cassio demeans Bianca and talks about his relationship with her very graphically; however, he is nothing but respectful and gentlemanly in his comments to and about Desdemona. This reveals the different societal standards afforded the women as Cassio is representative of the upper class.

Act III 300

• This key symbol represents the love and later the distrust between Othello and Desdemona.

Act III 300 ?

• What is the handkerchief?

Act III 400

• Othello demands from Iago that Cassio be dead within this number of days.

Act III 400?

• What is 3 days?

Act III 500

• The way Othello feels about himself as revealed by the comment, “Haply, for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have, or for I am declined/ Into the vale of years”.

Act III 500?

• What is a lack of self-confidence?

Act IV 100

• Othello experiences this when he becomes so enraged by Iago’s lies and believes Desdemona to be unfaithful.

Act IV 100?

• What is a seizure or epileptic fit?

Act IV 200

• He is a general from Venice whose presence signifies as a reminder of the distance that Othello has come in his transformation from a respected general to a man tormented by jealous rage.

Act IV 200?

• Who is Lodovico?

Act IV 300

• This traces and represents Othello’s descent into madness

Act IV 300?

• What is Othello’s erratic speech patterns?

Act IV 400

• This causes Othello to strike Desdemona

Act IV 400?

• What is Desdemona’s explanation to Lodivico of the falling out between Othello and Cassio?

Act IV 500

• This is the reason Iago gives Roderigo to motivate him to murder Cassio.

Act IV 500?

• What is if Cassio is murdered they will have to stay in Cyprus longer and delay their return to Venice.

Act V 100

• Iago kills this man in order to protect his duplicity and then places the blame for the attack on this person.

Act V 100?

• Who are Roderigo and Bianca?

Act V 200

• The two reasons Iago wants Cassio dead

Act V 200?

• Iago says Cassio has a “beauty” in his life (integrity) that makes Iago look ugly, and if Othello confronts Cassio, Iago’s treachery will be revealed.

Act V 300

• The implication about how Iago is feeling from the aside, “This is the night/ that either makes me or fordoes me quite” (V.i.138-143).

Act V 300?

• What is the first sign of Iago’s doubt about his success? Iago has been most honest with the audience, and has never questioned his success until this moment, which leaves the audience wondering if events will unfold as he wants or if he will fail.

Act V 400

• This is Othello’s mood before he kills Desdemona as revealed in his soliloquoy.

Act V 400?

• What is contemplative?

• He thinks about her innocence and guilt rationally. He is resigned to killing her, and while he may not feel remorse for the crime he is about to commit, he does mourn the loss of Desdemona and his own life.

Act V 500

• Discuss the irony in Iago’s final statement, “Demand me nothing; what you know, you know:/ From this time forth I never will speak word” (V.ii.348-349)

Act V 500?

• This statement is ironic because throughout the play Iago uses language to accomplish his goal. Iago was able to manipulate people through his words. Now, when he should be using this talent to explain himself and extract himself from peril, he refuses to do so.

Lines 100

• “Speak of me as I am…Of one that loved not wisely, but too well;/ Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought,/ Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand,/ Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away/ Richer than all his tribe. . .” (V.ii.341-347).

Line 100?

• Othello• Othello’s final death speech is very eloquent and beautiful. He

addresses the motif of being seen for what one truly is and wishes nothing more for himself. By saying this, he recognizes himself for what he is, which is a man who loved too deeply and was unable to recognize the value of what he had in Desdemona because he was wrought incapable of rational thought due to Iago’s poisonous influence. His dying wish is to have speak this truth of him as well. In reality, that is all Othello ever sought and appreciated, truth and honesty. Additionally this also has biblical allusions to the Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ and “plays upon the image of Christ as ‘the pearl of great price’” that Judas threw away.

Lines 200

• “The world’s a huge thing; it is a great prize/ For a small vice. . .But for all the whole/ world? ‘Ud’s pity, who would not make her husband a/ cuckold to make him a monarch?” (IV.iii.65-72)

Lines 200?

• Emilia• This quote demonstrates Emilia’s pragmatic approach to

marriage and love as opposed to Desdemona’s romantic ideas of love, marriage and loyalty. For Emilia, fidelity is insignificant in comparison to wealth and power. Sex is a commodity that can be used by women to improve their status as well as their husband’s. For her, the ends justify the means as long as what is attained in the end is a worthwhile and important gain. This does not imply, however, that she was ever disloyal to Iago since we never see her put into a position to have to make that choice. Sex is not about love or romance; it is a currency to buy a kingdom.

Lines 300

• “And what’s he, then, that says I play the villain,/ When this advice is free I give and honest. . .” (II.iii.318-319)

Lines 300?

• Iago• In this soliloquoy, Iago’s tone is mock innocence.

He knows very well that he is playing the villain, but he mockingly justifies his actions by claiming that his pawns act of their own free will. He simply provides them with information that they can interpret in any way they want. While he claims to have no control of how they will interpret his advice, he is completely aware how they will perceive the situation based on the information he has given them. Iago is a psychological mastermind who expertly manipulates people.

Lines 400

• “Oh, I have lost/ my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of/ myself, and what remains is bestial ” (II.iii.249-250)

Lines 400?

• Cassio• Cassio feels despair at his loss of position and

Othello’s trust. As a gentleman, Cassio knows exactly how important his reputation in society is; it is part of what makes us human. Without a noble reputation, he is only a shell of a human, an animal. His reputation is a reflection of his soul, and having been stripped of it, he sees no way to repair the damage that has been done.

Lines 500

• “I am not merry, but I do beguile/ The thing I am by seeming otherwise” (II.i.123-124).

Lines 500?

• Desdemona• Desdemona says this as an aside to the audience

while they are waiting for Othello’s ship to arrive. This reveals her real feelings of dismay and worry over Othello’s safety despite the bantering display she feigns with Iago and Cassio over the women’s virtues. Because she is distressed over the thought of losing him, it shows the depth of her emotion and love for Othello. This reflects the ongoing theme of appearance versus reality in the play. While Iago hides his true self for his own selfish gain, Desdemona hides her fear to protect those around her, so they will not have to cater to her woes.

Dramaturgy 200

• This nation detested the Turks.

Dramaturgy 200?

• What is England or Italy?

Dramaturgy 100

• Ira Aldridge’s performance in this play earned him fame.

Dramaturgy 100?

• What is Othello?

Dramaturgy 300

• The age group that is usually effected by epileptic seizures.

Dramaturgy 300?

• What is 1-8 and 65+?

Dramaturgy 400

• This actor performed the role of Othello in 1930 in London and was the first black actor to do so in a major production since 1860.

Dramaturgy 400?

• Who is Paul Robeson?

Dramaturgy 500

• This actor played opposite Raul Julia’s Othello in 1991.

Dramaturgy 500?

• Who is Christopher Walken?