Shakespeare/The Play
In what century did Shakespeare write Othello?
17th Century
Who is Othello's lieutenant, promoted ahead of Iago?
Cassio
What term do critics use to describe Iago's habit of directly addressing the audience?
Soliloquy / Aside
What is Othello's profession?
Military general
Othello is repeatedly called "the Moor" throughout the play instead of by his name. What device does this repeated labelling represent?
Epithet
Which theatre company originally performed Othello?
The King's Men
In which two locations does the play take place?
Venice and Cyprus
What common epithet is attached to Iago's name?
Honest
What nationality or background is Othello often described as?
A Moor / North African
The audience knows Iago is deceiving Othello long before Othello does. What overarching device sustains tension across the entire play as a result?
Dramatic Irony
What is the full title of the play?
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
What event forces the Venetian characters to relocate to Cyprus?
The Ottoman naval fleet
What critical term describes Iago's role as a schemer who manipulates other characters like pieces on a board?
Machiavellian
What stories does Othello tell to win Desdemona's affection early in the play?
Tales of his adventures, travels, and hardships as a soldier. His war stories.
When Iago says of jealousy, "It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on," what two devices are combined here?
Metaphor and Personification.
In what year did the first black actor play the character of Othello?
1825/1826
Why was Othello called "Moor"? Where does this title come from? (What country?)
It is a derogatory term used for anyone of a dark complexion, but stems from The Moorish Caliphate, a north African country.
Iago gives multiple, sometimes contradictory motives for his hatred of Othello throughout the play. Name three of those motives.
Acceptable answers:
- His hatred towards Moors
- His suspicion that Othello slept with his wife Emilia
- He was overlooked for promotion
What does Othello claim about the handkerchief's origin that reveals his belief in its magical significance?
He says it was given to his mother by an Egyptian sorceress and is woven with charms
Othello's speech grows increasingly broken and prose-like as his jealousy intensifies, in contrast to his earlier flowing verse. What language technique describes his initially elegant syntax?
Iambic pentameter
What significant word (and its variants) is the most common in othello?
Rules:
- No insignificant words such as "the", "he", "it", etc.
- No proper nouns, such as places, titles, and names (yes, including "Moor")
Honest - and its variants, such as "honesty"
It occurs nearly 50 times.
What is the name of the Author of The Prince?
(Spelt correctly)
Niccolo Machiavelli
Which modern Disney story made use of a character based on Iago?
Alladin
What does Othello ask to be remembered as in his final speech, despite his crimes?
A: Someone who "loved ___ _____ ___ ___ ___."
Someone who "loved not wisely but too well"
Identify 4 different devices in the following Iago quote:
"I am not what I am"
Biblical allusion - It inverts God's declaration in Exodus 3:14, "I am that I am."
Paradox/Antithesis/juxtaposition
Repetition
Dramatic irony
First person