Act 1 Scene 1 summary

Question 1

Foreshadowing

Answer 1

“O sir, content you. / I follow him to serve my turn upon him.” Iago to Roderigo about Othello
-Iago will cause problems

Question 2

Theme-jealousy

Answer 2

“That never set a squadron in the field, / Nor the devision of battle knows”
“Mere prattle without practice”
Iago to Roderigo about Cassio
-Iago has a motive for his action that fuels his jealousy

Question 3

Characterisation-Iago

Answer 3

“But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve / For daws to peck at. I am not what I am.”
Iago to Roderigo
-inversion of I am that I am showing his dishonesty

Question 4

Character relationships-Iago and Roderigo

Answer 4

“Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.” Roderigo
“Despise me if I do not” Iago
-how trusting Roderigo is and how manipulation Roderigo is

Question 5

Imagery

Answer 5

“an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe.” Iago to Brabantio
-Iago’s obsession with Othello’s race shows his obsessive need for revenge by picking out what makes Othello different out of spite

Question 6

Links - race

Answer 6

“Barbary horse” ( I, i)
“The Moor” (I, i)
-emphasises Othello’s insecurity of being different
“Haply for I am black, / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have” (III, iii)
-more susceptible to jealousy

Question 7

Links - Iago’s deceiving nature

Answer 7

-establishes deceiving nature which will later on lead to a lot of dramatic irony
-decision to get revenge leads to the plot of the rest of the play
“This is the night / That either makes me, or fordoes me quite.” (V, i)

Question 8

Links - Marriage

Answer 8

-Othello and Desdemona’s decision to get married give Iago the base to which he can form his plan
-Othello’s love for Desdemona makes him a vulnerable target
“Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again”

Question 9

Links - Iago reassuring Roderigo of his loyalty

Answer 9

-leads to Iago being trusted my Roderigo
-Roderigo doing anything Iago says so he can get Desdemona
-Roderigo helping Iago to execute his plan
-leading to Roderigo’s death where he finds out the truth
“O damn’d Iago! O inhuman dog!”

Question 10

Links - wake Brabantio

Answer 10

-leads to Brabantio planting the first seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind
“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father and may thee.”
-lead to Othello’s jealousy growing through the play