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WorksheetsOthello
Total questions: 44
Worksheet time: 10hrs 17mins
What two reasons does Iago give for being upset with Othello at the beginning of the play?
Othello married Desdemona and took money from Iago.
Othello ran off with Emilia and cuckolded Iago.
Othello gave a promotion to someone else and cuckolded Iago.
Othello loves Desdemona and Iago wants her.
What does Roderigo want more than anything else?
Othello's favor
Desdemona's love
money
Iago's friendship
To whom is Iago referring when he says, “Thus do I make my fool my purse?”
Brabantio
Emilia
Ludovico
Roderigo
Othello is summoned to the Duke... Why does Brabantio go to the Duke?
because he’s been “robbed”-Othello stole Desdemona
he wants justice
he thinks Othello tricked Desdemona with magic
all of the above
How did Desdemona fall in love with Othello?
his looks
his stories
his money
all of the above
In what two places does this play take place?
Venice and India
Venice and England
Venice and Rome
Venice and Cyprus
Who is the protagonist of the play?
Desdemona
Iago
Othello
Cassio
Iago starts a rumor about Desdemona and Cassio. What does he basically say?
that Cassio has slept with Desdemona
that Desdemona has borrowed money from Cassio
that Cassio and Desdemona want to kill Othello
that Desdemona wants to kill Cassio
What is the result of Cassio’s drunkenness?
he is dismissed in disgrace
he is promoted
he is put in jail
he has to pay a fine
Who is the FIRST person Cassio turns to for help?
Iago
Desdemona
Othello
Roderigo
How does Iago plant the seed of jealousy in Othello?
he tells him outright that Cassio and Desdemona are in an affair.
he tells him to watch Desdemona when Cassio is around
he tells him he saw the two of them together in bed
he tells him Cassio has also slept with Emilia
Roderigo wants to go back to Venice and forget his pursuit of Desdemona. What does Iago say to make him stay?
"I’ll tell Desdemona you ran away.”
“You’ve gotten rid of Cassio and everything’s going to plan”
“You don’t have enough money.”
“I’ll tell Othello you want his wife.”
What is so special about the handkerchief Desdemona drops?
it was her first present from Othello
it has magic in it
it is an heirloom from Othello’s family
all of the above
Why does Emilia give the handkerchief to Iago?
he asks her to get it for him
she dislikes Desdemona
she wants to make a copy of it
she often steals things
Where does Iago put the handkerchief?
in Bianca’s house
in Desdemona’s bed
in Cassio’s room
In Othello’s hands
What is Othello’s opinion of Iago?
he’s deceitful
he’s carefree
he’s honest
he’s intense
In Cyprus, Othello promotes Cassio to what rank?
general
major
lieutenant
chief
What does Desdemona do when Othello asks her for the handkerchief?
she gives it to him
she lies about it
she tells him she lost it
she cries
When Cassio has the handkerchief, to whom does HE give it?
Desdemona
Bianca
Emelia
Othello
When Othello accuses her of being a whore, Desdemona turns to whom for help?
Emilia and Iago
Brabantio and Roderigo
Cassio and Bianca
the Duke and her father
Roderigo decides he’s had enough of Iago’s manipulations. What does he threaten to do?
tell Othello everything
tell the Duke everything
tell Desdemona everything
tell Cassio everything
What task did Othello give to Iago that Iago then gives to Roderigo?
killing Cassio
killing Montano
killing Brabantio
all of the above
What does it mean for a man to be made a “cuckold?”
his wife loves him
his wife dies
his wife is having an affair
he is a widower
What is the result of the second fight between Roderigo and Cassio?
Cassio is killed by Roderigo
Roderigo is killed by Cassio
both are wounded but Cassio later dies
both are wounded but Roderigo later dies
Iago tries to blame the fight on
Cassio
Desdemona
Bianca
himself
How does Othello kill his wife?
by stabbing her
by smothering her
by poisoning her
by strangling her
Who first puts the pieces together and points the finger at Iago?
Emilia
Bianca
Cassio
Othello
What happens to Emilia because of her accusations?
Othello kisses her
Cassio rewards her
Iago kills her
Montano marries her
What happens to Othello?
Cassio Kills him
He kills himself
Iago stabs him
he is hanged
What happens to Iago?
he kills himself
he is taken back to Venice
he is given to Cassio for judgment
he escapes
What is the definition of dramatic irony?
when a character says one thing but means the opposite
when something happens that is the opposite of what is expected
when a character spontaneously begins to rap Shakespearean style
when the audience knows something the character does not know
In Act 5, which character would most likely have said: “No, I will speak as liberal as the north. / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak” (5.2. 261-3)?
Iago speaking to Bianca
Othello speaking to Brabantio
Emilia speaking to Othello
Desdemona to Roderigo
As she lay dying, whom does Desdemona say is at fault for her murder?
Desdemona
Othello
Cassio
Brabantio
Which character said, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe.”
Othello
Iago
Desdemona
Emilia
Which character said, “'Tis not a year or two shows us a man: / They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full,/ They belch us.”
Othello
Iago
Desdemona
Emilia
Which character said, “I kissed thee ere I killed thee, no way but this, / Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.
Othello
Iago
Desdemona
Emilia
Which character said, “My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education. My life and education both do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of my duty,…
Othello
Iago
Desdemona
Emilia
Which excerpt from Act II, Scene i, best supports the inference that male characters in Othello display disdain (contempt) for female characters?
“Most fortunately: he hath achieved a maid
That paragons description and wild fame;
One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens…”
“O, behold,
The riches of the ship is come on shore!
Ye men of Cyprus, let her have your knees.
Hail to thee, lady!”
“Sir, would she give you so much of her lips
As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,
You’ll have enough.”
“Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor,
but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies:
and will she love him still for prating?”
Read the excerpt from Act II of Othello. In this scene, Iago is speaking to Othello of the brawl between Cassio and Montano.
Iago:
"Touch me not so near:
I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;
Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general.
Montano and myself being in speech,
There comes a fellow crying out for help:
And Cassio following him with determined sword,
To execute upon him. Sir, this gentleman
Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause:
Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Lest ‘y his clamour--as it so fell out--
The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather
For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
And Cassio high in oath; which till to-night
I ne'er might say before…"
In considering the events that transpired previously in the play, the audience knows that Iago's speech contains dramatic irony because_____________-
They know he truly does not care about offending Cassio, especially since he is still bitter about the promotion.
They are aware of his true cowardice and how unlikely it would be for him to attempt to diffuse an altercation involving Cassio.
They are familiar with his indolence and recognize his halfhearted attempts to pursue the injured man.
They understand that he is seeking to prove his worth to Othello by falsely accusing Cassio of being a violent drunkard.
In Act III, Scene iv of Othello, Emilia lies to Desdemona about the handkerchief she stole at Iago’s bidding. Which critical lens would most likely examine whether Emilia has self-autonomy or is operating under the authority of her husband?
Cultural
Feminist
Historical
Marxist
Read the excerpt from the play Othello.
Brabantio:
"It is too true an evil: gone she is;
And what’s to come of my despised time
Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!
With the Moor, say’st thou? Who would be a father!
How didst thou know ‘twas she? O she deceives me
Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:
Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?"
A cultural critical perspective would most likely ask which question about the text?
What personal connections can be made to Brabantio’s reaction-can it be interpreted as anger or grief, or does it include both possibilities?
How is Brabantio’s reaction shaped by society and that society’s expectations of familial relationships?
What does Brabantio’s speech imply about his views of a woman’s role, particularly that of his daughter?
Are there symbols or motifs in Brabantio’s speech that contribute to the play’s ongoing theme of deception?
Read the excerpt from Othello.
Brabantio:
"How! the duke in council!
In this time of the night! Bring him away:
Mine’s not an idle cause: the duke himself,
Or any of my brothers of the state,
Cannot but feel this wrong as ‘twere their own;
For if such actions may have passage free,
Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be."
Which question requires a reader to use a reader response perspective to analyze the excerpt?
How does Brabantio's social status prove useful in this excerpt?
What personal connections can be applied to the events in this excerpt?
How are political and economic forces being used to retain power and control in this excerpt?
What does the language in this excerpt reveal about the time when the play was written?
Read the excerpt from Othello.
Desdemona:
Shall’t be to-night at supper?
Othello:
No, not to-night.
Desdemona:
To-morrow dinner then?
Othello:
I shall not dine at home
I meet the captains at the citadel.
Desdemona:
Why, then, to-morrow night or Tuesday morn;
On Tuesday noon, or night; or Wednesday morn.
I prithee, name the time, but let it not
Exceed three days: in faith, he’s penitent...
Consider: A reader makes the following claim about this excerpt:
Desdemona’s persistent questioning of her husband is a mark of her social rank; she feels as if she can challenge him because she is of equal or higher class.
To make this claim, which critical lens is the reader most likely using?
Cultural
Historical
Marxist
Reader Response
Part II – Othello Unit Summative Writing Assessment
Although the word "honest" is usually used in an ironic way throughout the text of Othello, most characters in the play go through a crisis of learning who and who not to trust. Most of them, unfortunately, trust in Iago's honesty; this leads to the downfall of many characters, as this trust in Iago's "honesty" became a crucial contributor to their undoing.
Respond:
Choose ONE of the following characters: Othello, Emilia, Cassio, or Roderigo, and in a paragraph, show how his/her belief in Iago’s honesty proved to be his/her downfall. Make specific references to the play. Note which critical perspective (critical lens) you are employing in your analysis.
