Grade 11 Unit 2
Othello (The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, written approximately in 1603. The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago. Othello is a Moorish general in the Venetian army leading his army into a war with the Ottoman Turks over the island of Cyprus. Iago, however, is angry because Othello has promoted Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of him. Othello has secretly married Desdemona, a pretty and rich white Venetian, much younger than he is, against the wishes of her father. Iago maliciously provokes his master's jealousy until the normally stoic North African is forced to re-evaluate his marriage and his friendships.
Big Ideas:
Shakespeare’s tragedy depicts the human condition, the inevitable presence of evil in the world, and illustrates innate emotions (jealousy, envy, hate, etc.) akin to all of humanity.
Perception can shape behavior.
Language can express and distort the truth.
Pieces of literature stand the test of time because of their universal themes.
Literature can provide a window into the human condition and the human experience.
The playwright trusts his theme to be revealed by the unity of all the dramatic structures.
The tragic character must come to realize that he has caused his own fate.
Theater has been an important aspect of all cultures throughout history.
Effective writing involves drafting, refining, and understanding the various elements of persuasive, expository, and narrative styles.
Close reading of text allows for more effective comprehension and analysis.
Collaborative discussions build on other’s ideas and allow for democratic self-expression.
Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Prompts (choose ONE):
Iago is a master manipulator with psychopathic features who seems to have no conscience, no ability to perform good deeds and manipulates others for the joy of it. Your task is to look at a list of personality disorders and decide which disorder you think best fits Iago. You will use examples from the text to support your diagnosis (claim) about Iago. Provide at least three examples to back up your reasoning.
Just as there were no women on Shakespeare’s stage, there were also no Jews, Africans, Muslims, or Hispanics either. In 1969 the African-American political activist H. Rap Brown said he ‘saw no sense in reading Shakespeare’ because “it was obvious that Shakespeare was a racist.” However, Frederick Douglass when asked in 1892 to name his favorite authors, listed Shakespeare first. Your task is to decide whether you believe Shakespeare was racist and sexist or whether he was simply aiming to expose the racism and sexism of the time. You will use examples from the text to support your claim about Shakespeare. Provide at least three examples to back up your reasoning.
Othello is a tragedy in which the main character, Othello, is brought to ruins or suffers extreme sorrow as a consequence of one of his character flaws. Your task is to decide what was Othello’s greatest character flaw that ultimately led to his downfall. You will use examples from the text to support your claim about Othello. Provide at least three examples to back up your reasoning.
Themes are central to understanding Othello as a play and identifying Shakespeare's social and political commentary. In Othello, the major themes reflect the values and the motivations of characters. Your task is to decide what is one of the major themes in the play. You will use examples from the text to support your claim about the theme. Provide at least three examples to back up your reasoning.
Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca are all treated poorly amongst the other men in Venice. Discuss Desdemona’s and Othello’s love and how women were treated in Shakespeare’s time. You will use examples from the text to support your analysis of the misogyny and sexism in the play. Provide at least three examples to back up your reasoning.
How does Othello relate to present-day Islamophobia? What impact does that have today in the 21st century? Provide at least three examples from society and the play to back up your reasoning.
How does Shakespeare use the imagery of light and darkness in Othello to portray deeper themes of the text? Provide at least three examples from the text to back up your reasoning.
