Appearance and Reality Essay

Question 1

Character Relationships

Answer 1

Iago and Roderigo

• Iago acts as if he cares for Roderigo buy he is just using him for money and to cary out his dirty work
• App. “No more of drowning, do you hear?”-Iago
• Real. “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” “snipe”-Iago
• appreciation-leads to Roderigo attacking Cassio for Iago
• “I have no great devotion to the deed, And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons-Roderigo
• and ultimately the death of Roderigo for trusting Iago

Question 2

Characterisation

Answer 2

Iago
-Iago gets everyone to believe that he is a trustworthy person but he is in fact the opposite
-App. “Iago is most honest.”-Othello
-Real. “I follow him to serve my turn upon him”-Iago
“I am not what I am”-Iago
-showing how evil Iago is and how blindly trusting Othello is
-appreciation-leads to Othello trusting Iago and believing his claims when there is almost no evidence behind them
-“Trifles light as air are to jealous confirmations strong”-Iago
-“Which at the first are scarce found to distaste but, with a little act upon the blood, burn like the mines of sulphur.”-Iago

Question 3

Plot

Answer 3

• Iago portrays Cassio and Desdemona’s relationship as an affair when in fact it is Cassio being polite
• “with as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio”-Iago
• “‘Tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy”-Cassio
• creates the entire base for the play which shows different characters evil side and gullible side
• appreciation-leads to Othello killing Desdemona as Iago is able to twist this plot point and turn it into something bigger
• “Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.”-Iago

Question 4

Theme

Answer 4

Jealousy
Othello’s jealousy is so strong that he allows little things to further confirm that Desdemona is unfaithful
-“With her, on her, what you will.”-Iago
-“Zounds, that’s fulsome!”-Othello
-“Work on, my medicine, work!”-Iago
-Othello’s mind fills in the blanks
-appreciation-leads to Othello killing Desdemona as he allows his jealousy to become all consuming and these tiny phrases act as confirmation and justify the killing
-“Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.”-Othello