Act 1 Sc 2

Question 1

How does Othello’s first impression contrast with this scene when he is introduced?

Answer 1

• Othello speaks with a measured calm in blank verse in this scene.
• He is self assured and unworried. ‘Let him do his spite’ and ‘I must be found’ suggests this.
• He is brave and dignified and speaks of his service to the state ‘parts…title and..perfect soul’.
• Perhaps through this contrast, Shakespeare is challenging his audience to accept the moor as a worthy, noble man.

Question 2

What does Iago’s quotes that Othello has ‘boarded a land carrack and his ‘Foul charms’ suggest?

Answer 2

• This metaphor of piracy is degrading Othello, echoing other previous references to him being a ‘thief’
• The reference to the ‘foul charms’ that he has supposedly used to bewitch Desdemona makes a racial insult –> dehumanises Othello and conforms to the racial stereotype of black men.