Essay-style Questions: Othello
1. How appropriate is the opening scene of Othello to the drama that unfolds from it?
What follows is the outline of an examination answer, together with full introduction
and conclusion. In the left column is what you are trying to achieve in each
part of the essay; in the right are the details that you might look to include
for the particular question set.
Bear in mind, however, that there is no such thing as a "right" answer to exam
questions in English Literature: what you are being tested on is the ability
to use your knowledge of the set text to construct a coherent and plausible
argument. Be prepared to think on your feet rather than relying on others' opinions,
and be certain to answer the question fully.
Tip: Allow yourself up to 10 minutes to "brainstorm" an answer to the
question, a further five to plan the order in which you will offer the points
you have to make. Don't hurry to begin the essay itself - get all your thoughts
onto paper first, select and group them appropriately, then begin....
Introduction:
Responds to the question directly, picking out - and paraphrasing - the Establishes a brief overview of the scene and sets out the main areas |
Beginning as it does in darkness, and with conflict and confusion, Act I Scene I provides a fitting opening to the tragedy of Othello that proceeds from it. In the back streets of Venice, the Machiavel Iago gulls Roderigo into continued pursuit of Desdemona, and the two rouse and torment Brabantio, persuading him that his daughter has absconded with the Moor. The scene provides important early insights into the character and duplicitous techniques of the inscrutable villain, Iago, and introduces the audience for the first time to some of the play's principal themes and concerns: deception, judgement and prejudice. In Iago and Roderigo's malicious conversion of Brabantio from trusting father to ranting seeker of "justice", we also see Othello's own transformation from loving husband to wife-murderer subtly foreshadowed. |
The Malcontent:
Present the first element of your argument, suggesting what the scene List and briefly analyse other characteristics that are evident here |
In the opening scene, Iago displays many of the characteristics that are to epitomise his pivotal role in the progress of the tragedy. Perhaps his most revealing declaration at this early point is his proud boast "I am not what I am". Though Roderigo is evidently meant to take this as reassurance that Iago only feigns allegiance to Othello for his own ends, the deeper implications of Iago's words are soon to become apparent to the audience, for Iago is a self-serving malcontent who practises deceit whenever it is expedient... Iago is also revealed as manipulative, amoral and cruel in the extreme, |
Themes and Concerns:
Present the second element of your answer, linking it to the previous Present succinctly the other themes and concerns, giving brief examples |
Iago's skilful manipulation of Roderigo in Act I Scene I introduces one of a number of inter-linking concerns and themes that are prominent both in the opening scene and in the play as a whole: deception, prejudice and judgement. Iago deceives Roderigo; both talk of deceiving Othello; Brabantio feels bitterly deceived by his daughter... Iago and Roderigo's abrasive, racist language is a startling indicator The scene's opening exchange means that before we have met either character, |
Foreshadowing:
Present the final element of your answer, drawing a parallel between |
By the close of the first scene, Brabantio is referring to the man who has raised him from his bed as "good Roderigo" and, in his distracted frame of mind, insisting that he wishes he had been his son-in-law. Yet previously he had accused him of being drunk and crazed and of plotting "malicious knavery". In Brabantio's transformation from hatred and suspicion to affection and trust we see an ironic mirroring of the central dramatic action of the play as a whole, both metamorphoses occurring under the insidious influence of the treacherous Iago... |
Conclusion:
Sum up how you have approached and answered the question set and close You may want to throw in an additional thought or quotation, to round |
The opening scene provides an entirely appropriate beginning to Othello, offering as it does an intriguing first encounter with Iago, and an early exploration of the themes of deception, prejudice and judgement, which have a prominent place in the rest of the play. Towards the close of the action+, Brabantio's servants enter with torches. |