Othello Focus scenes (08)

ENG3UI J. Rice

Jan/Feb 2008

Unit 2 – Power and the Art of Discourse

Othello

Focus scenes

These are the parts of the play we will be focusing on in our study of it. You should re-read them as much as possible, noting on your own any points of discussion or any questions you may have about their contents, language, or themes. Study of the focus scenes will be supplemented by outside readings, due on the same dates as the focus scene readings.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The focus scenes listed below are selected only as common starting-points for discussion. You are encouraged to bring to the discussion any other relevant material from the play that supports analysis of the theme or topics brought up by your classmates.

Supplemental Readings

You should read these items alongside your re-reading of the above scenes. You will be expected to refer to them in discussions of the play. However, you should not allow anything you read to dictate your interpretations, merely to inform them. Interpretations should always be based on close reading of the text, and supported by well-interpreted evidence from the text.

Act, scene and line numbers refer to the Oxford School Shakespeare edition.

Supplemental readings, unless otherwise noted, are in 50 Essays.

• • January 9 & 10 / January 8 & 11

    • • Theme: Perceptions of Othello (refer back to questions asked just before Christmas: What place does Othello have in Venetian society? Just how is Othello regarded by others around him?)

      • Text: Act 1 (overview with focus on relevant passages as selected by you)

      • Supplemental reading: “Just Walk on By” by Brent Staples (p. 404 – will be read in class)

  • January 14, 17 & 24 / January 15, 16 & 25

    • • Theme: Lying and honesty: truth, deception and manipulation in discourse

      • Text:

        • • discussions and perceptions of truth, deception, and loyalty in 1.3.60-end

          • Iago’s methods in 2.3 and 3.3

      • Supplemental Reading:

        • • Jan 16/17: “The Ways We Lie” by Stephanie Ericsson (p. 174)

          • Jan 24/25: “The Insufficiency of Honesty” by Stephen L. Carter (p. 104)

  • January 28 & February 6 / January 29 & February 5

    • • Theme: The language of love and lust – the women of the play

      • Text:

        • • Brabantio’s perception of Desdemona in Act 1

          • The conversations between Cassio and Montano and Cassio and Iago about Desdemona in Act 1

          • The wordplay between Iago, Desdemona and Emilia in Act 2

          • Othello’s behaviour in Act 4 scene 2

          • The relationship between Desdemona and Emilia

          • Emilia – how Iago sees her, how she sees herself, her role in the plot

          • Bianca – her portrayal (who is she? how is she treated?)

      • Supplemental Reading:

        • • Structure of Feminine Archetype: http://tinyurl.com/y8dm6cwz (explore the various links on this page)

          • Optional: “Men, Women, Sex and Darwin” by Natalie Angier (p.29)