Othello Questions Act 1 & 2

Act 1: 

1. How does Shakespeare present the world of Venice in the first act, and how does he  construct the interactions of his central characters (Iago, Othello, and Desdemona) with that Venetian world and with each other? How are these interactions complicated by the fact that Othello is a Moor (and we'll have to puzzle out what exactly that means) and that Desdemona is a young women?

2.What sort of person is Iago, as he appears in act 1? Are you satisfied by the reasons he gives for hating Othello? What is Iago’s relationship with Rodrigo?

3.What sort of language does Iago use/ What sort of language does Othello use? What might be the significance of this difference?

4.What themes are starting to emerge? What examples/evidence do you have of these themes?

Act 2:

1. What sort of person is Cassio? What happens to him, an dhow does Iago plan to use the situation in his plan against Othello?

2.What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in act 2? What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?