6. Othello

Emilia proves to be quite the dynamic character. She was once the obedient, subservient wife to Iago, but by the end of act V, she is defying her "master". As she tells the truth to everyone, and Iago tells her to be quiet, she refuses. This is quite different from the scene where Iago is describing the four different type of women, and he pushes her aside. That was the Emilia that listened to him, and was quiet when she was told. She is not only standing up to Iago in the final scene but to the Moor. She tells him the truth. She tells him that he should not have believed Iago. She calls the Moor a fool! (V.ii.245) There is no fear in her accusations because she knows Desdemona was innocent and a wonderful women. She is not afraid to tell the Moor this, a man who has been a soldier all his life. She even is willing to tell the truth until death. Like Othello in the final scene, she wants to be in heaven with her mistress, Desdemona (V.ii.261-265).

5. Othello

What functions are served by the minor characters?

In act IV, scene i Bianca helps in Iago's plan to destruct Othello and Desdemona's relationship without knowing it. Back in Act III, Cassio gave the handkerchief to her as a token of his love for her. The handkerchief was never given to Cassio by Desdomona, he found it. Yet, as Bianca walks in on the conversation, she believes Cassio's love to her is fickle, and that the handkerchief was essentially, just another prostitute. To her this means Cassio did not care for her at all. However, in Bianca's outrage, Othello takes everything in a different way. Not only did Desdemona cheat on him, but the man she was cheating with, did not care about her. This ultimately shows Othello's love for her. Although he plans to kill her, he wants someone who cares for her. But because he thinks Cassio does not care for her, he is even more outraged. All of this occurs just because of Bianca's entrance into the scene.

4. Othello

Once again, is the play a tragedy, comedy, melodrama or a farce?

I think it is fair to say through the ending of the play that Othello is definitely a tragedy. The killing begins when Iago tells Roderigo to kill Cassio. If he does this, Othello and Desdemona will have to stay in Cyprus longer, because they will have to find another governor to replace Cassio. (IV.ii.179-205) This is beneficial to Cassio so he will have time to "woo" Desdemona before she leaves for Venice. However, Iago, like everything else, was not going to keep his promise. When Roderigo goes to kill Cassio, Iago ends up trying to kill Cassio, and killing Roderigo. He sets it up as a frame story, to frame Roderigo. As all this occurring, Othello is attempting to kill Desdomona, and does. The main tragedy takes place in that after killing her, he learns the truth. He thinks he is an awful character, kisses her dead body, and dies with her. It was all the work of Iago. If only Othello would have believed his wife, and not the appearance around him, the tragedy would have never occurred.

3. Othello

I feel as if Othello is one of the more modern Shakespearean plays I have read. In all means, it could be one of those plays converted into modern times, and shown as a movie. It deals with many of today's situations like jealousy. Iago is jealous of Cassio because he wants his lieutenant position. Cassio is an honest man caught in all of this. Roderigo wants Desdemona, and was even going to marry her. Also, the appearances of everything are not what they really mean. For example, Cassio does not have Desdemona's handkerchief because she was cheating on Othello. Rather, he has been framed. Rumors have been started by Iago to get everyone to believe what he wants them too. Seems like a pretty common occurrence in life. The play Othello is its own common drama within itself. Ultimately, that is why Othello is a famous literary work. It's themes and plot are timeless and universal, and still apply to today.

2. Othello

2. Is the play a tragedy, comedy, melodrama or farce? Does it mingle aspects of these types of drama? How important to experiencing the drama is the audience's awareness of the classification of the play?

Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy. Without knowing this from outside sources, or information in the book, I would consider it a somewhat comedy. IN today's terms Many of the events that occur in the play are outlandish. For example,the idea that Desdemona was taken by magic and forced to marry Othello. But many scenes are also quite comical in today's terms like Iago describing all women as deceitful. And the whole set up of deceit itself. Iago may want to blame women for not being perfect, when he himself is the manipulator of everyone else.
It is somewhat important for the audience to know the classification of the play. A Shakespearean tragedy always results in some sort of death. In many of the plays I have read, one of the deaths has occurred early in the first acts. However, through act III no death has occurred. Thus, the audience and I are waiting for the true definition of a Shakespearean tragedy.

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.