1. Othello

4. How is dramatic suspense created? Contrast the amount of information possessed by the audience as the play proceeds with the knowledge that various individual characters have? What is the effect of such a contrast?

Dramatic suspense is created through Othello by the characters raising false questions and accusations in order to get what they want. This begins in Act I scene I as Roderigo and Brabantio accuse Othello of taking Brabantio's daughter by magic and kidnapping. Although the audience is not informed of the true marriage of the two until Desdemona confirms it in front of the duke, the suspense grows waiting for the true answer. Also, later in Act III as Iago tries to frame Cassio with Desdemona's handkerchief, the audience knows what has really occurred, but the question remains in if Othello will believe Iago, or his wife. Also, the audience is given information from characters alone on stage. In an aside on stage along, Iago accuses Othello of sleeping with his wife. The audience must consider an aside to them as factual information. Thus, inferences are made upon the villain's direct words to the audience. Although the audience may want to consider this as false, and build suspense out of these words, they cannot.