1.3

Question 1

“valiant othello… i did not see you; welcome, gentle signior” - duke

Answer 1

• othello is greeted warmly and is described as brave
• everyone else, even brabantio, fades into the background when othello is here
• this is totally different to the way othello is treat in the rest of society. this shows that in the military, othello experiences respect

Question 2

“it engluts and swallows all other sorrows” - brabantio

Answer 2

• brabantio suggests that his problem is bigger than anything else, including war, and it takes priority

Question 3

“you shall yourself read in the bitter letter” - duke

Answer 3

• the duke essentially promises brabantio that he can deal with whoever has taken desdemona, and he can punish them as he sees fit

Question 4

“the very head and front of my offending hath this extent and no more” - othello

Answer 4

• othello admits to being in love with desdemona
• he also says that this is all he has done, he has not poisoned desdemona or drugged her; what he has done is not wrong or evil

Question 5

“rude am i in my speech, and little bless’d with the soft phrase of peace” - othello

Answer 5

• othello stuggles to talk about his feelings, and he knows he will struggle to explain his story
• othello’s story ends up being told beautifully, showing othello’s modesty

Question 6

“to fall in love with what she feared to look on!” & “against all the rules of nature” - brabantio

Answer 6

• desdemona would have been taught to fear black people, this is why brabantio does not understand how she could ever love him
• this relationship is against nature, suggesting othello is not a normal person

Question 7

“to vouch this is no proof” - duke

Answer 7

• now that the duke knows it is othello, he no longer wants brabantio to punish him
• othello is exempt from punishment because he is a military figure

Question 8

“her father lov’d me… questioned the story of my life” - othello

Answer 8

• brabantio loved othello before he realised that he was involved with desdemona. this shows how othello was perceived from afar, as a stranger. when he becomes involved in their life, brabantio dislikes him
• brabantio enjoys hearing othello’s stories as they are exotic and wild, he is seen as a fascinating character

Question 9

“i spake of the most disastrous chances” - othello

Answer 9

• othello told brabantio wild stories of adventures
• it is likely that othello embellished these stories so that he was liked more; his worth is tied to this identity

Question 10

“with a greedy ear devour up my discourse” - othello

Answer 10

• othello shows how desdemona fell in love with him because of his stories, it was not his choice
• desdemona in fact fell in love with the stories, not othello

Question 11

“she lov’d me for the dangers i had pass’d, and i lov’d her that she did pity them” - othello

Answer 11

• othello felt seen and heard when he told desdemona these stories, she did not just see them as wild, she saw him and how he was affected by these stories
• othello perhaps feels insecure that her love came from him being a wild and exotic stranger

Question 12

“a divided duty… you are lord of all duty… i may profess due to the moor my lord” - desdemona

Answer 12

• desdemona feels conflicted between her father and othello.
• she is controlled and trapped by her father, but loves othello
• desdemona loves othello so much that she is willing to face the repercussions from her father

Question 13

“god be with you… i had rather adopt a child than get it!” - brabantio

Answer 13

• here, brabantio essentially disowns desdemona just because of her relationship with othello
• desdemona is now practically trapped with othello (even though she doesn’t mind this), as she now has no where else to go

Question 14

“hath made the flinty and steel couch of war my thrice-driven bed of war” - othello

Answer 14

• othello promises that he will prioritise the war and his duty over desdemona
• he asks for desdemona to be looked after while he is at war. at this point he does not ask for her to come to war with him

Question 15

“i saw othello’s visage in his mind… let me go with him” - desdemona

Answer 15

• desdemona believes she knows othello better than anyone else; she understands him and understand how the war will be from his stories
• she asks to follow him to war
• this will help iago’s plan, as desdemona is now close by but othello will be focused on the war
• this is the beginning of othello’s internal conflict: desdemona fell in love with him for his war-stories so she could fall in love with another soldier for the same reason

Question 16

“i will your serious and great business scant for she is with me” - othello

Answer 16

• othello agrees with desdemona but also promises that he will not be distracted by her at war
• he sees great importance and value in war (more than desdemona)

Question 17

“my ancient, a man he is of honesty and trust” - othello

Answer 17

• othello trusts iago to bring desdemona to cyrpus
• this shows that iago has deceived othello

Question 18

“your son-in-law is far more fair than black” - duke

Answer 18

• the duke says this to comfort brabantio - essentially telling him to put othello’s race to one side and look at his goodness instead
• this others othello, suggesting that he could not be equally black and good?

Question 19

“she has deceiv’d her father, and may thee” - brabantio “my life on her faith” - othello

Answer 19

• iago later uses this as evidence for desdemona’s unfaithfulness
• this is foreshadowing, as othello later dies because of her unfaithfulness

Question 20

“i will incontinently drown myself” & “to live is torment” - roderigo

Answer 20

• roderigo realises that he is even less likely to be with desdemona
• he loves her so much despite never knowing her

Question 21

“i never found man that knew how to love himself” - iago

Answer 21

• iago is breaking roderigo down so that he can build him back up and radicalise him
• he portrays himself as a helpful fatherly figure who wants the best for roderigo

Question 22

“it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it” - roderigo

Answer 22

• roderigo won’t stop loving desdemona but he also won’t break her and othello up, because he is too good

Question 23

“t’is in ourselves that we are thus or thus” - iago

Answer 23

• iago completely disregards the importance of the way we act, he tells roderigo he can simply choose to be good or bad
• this shows iago thinks he can be good despite his evil actions

Question 24

“you call love, to be a sect or scion” - iago

Answer 24

• iago tells roderigo that it is not love, it is lust
• this makes him irrational

Question 25

“i say, put money in thy purse” - iago

Answer 25

• this is where iago tells roderigo, a common man from venice, to follow them to the war in cyprus
• this is an absurd plan, but roderigo decides to follow him anyway (for lust or friendship?)