Copy of Othello: Iago and Othello

Copy of Othello: Behind the Lines

Copy of Director Nicholas Hytner

Copy of Perspectives on Othello | Gregory Doran

Copy of Othello: Emilia and Desdemona

Copy of Exploring a Soliloquy

Copy of Exploring Scenes

Copy of What are Prose and Verse?

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monDAY, March 19 (4)

Choose one of the following topics. For the essay you may use one sheet of printed paper containing only a thesis and an outline of examples/evidence. This piece is worth 100 points. Please format according to MLA guidelines. Submit to turnitin.com by the end of class on Monday, March 19.

[A] In his review of the 2012 Young Vic production, New York Times critic Ben Brantley writes, “Nora is forced into devastating awareness of just how devious she’s become and how warped she has been by the subterfuge.” Write an essay that explores the extent to which Nora is forced into this awareness. Who forces her? Or is it an undoing she must own? What is the play’s greater idea about deceit?

[B] Choose one of the characters in the play. Trace that character’s understanding of and write an essay about what makes a fulfilled life in the eye of that character.

[C] Gregory Doran, the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, says that some playwrights will “stare with a very steady eye at some of the elements in our make-up which are ugliest.” Does Ibsen? What ugly elements of our make-up does he see, and what does the play suggest about the extent we can change them?

[D] One of the play’s great mysteries to me is why Torvald is so quick to forgive Nora after Krogstad returns the IOU. How do you explain his sudden reversal? You should use this prompt to discover some of Torvald’s more unattractive traits.

[E] Ibsen is famous for his artistic use of props. Write an essay that analyzes props and their artistic use in A Doll’s House. How are those props more than mere objects?

[F] The word “courage” repeats in the play, becoming associated with Mrs. Linde, Helmer, and Nora. What makes an action courageous or uncourageous, does the play suggest? Choose only one character to develop your thinking.

Tonight I'd like you to print, read, and annotate these selections of Machiavelli's The Prince, a Renaissance conduct book that makes the case for how someone could conceivably obtain and maintain power in what might not be considered the most ethical of ways.

tuesday, march 20 (5)

Shakespeare; Othello; Shakespeare's language; What's TRAGEDY, really?

Introduction to Othello: What kind of a play is it? What will our focus be?; Machiavelli's The Prince

Tonight you are to work through 1.1 of Othello. My recommended process for approaching Shakespeare is a little different from what you're used to doing. Because we're dealing with drama, particularly with very dense language, I encourage you to watch the corresponding scene as you read. While it's not required, I highly recommend you either (1) rent and watch in one sitting the entirety of OR (2) subscribe to watch in piecemeal the 2015 Royal Shakespeare Company production. It will set you back about $11 to rent or $14 to subscribe. If you do subscribe, please do remember to cancel the subscription once we are finished with our study of the play. Here's the trailer.

Once you watch the assigned section read the corresponding portion of this summary before moving to Shakespeare's text. Use that and only that summary. It's the best. Do you think Iago has a master plan? What do you anticipate being some of the themes in this play? How can you know so early on?

wednesDAY, march 21 (6)

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY

Othello, 1.1

Tonight you are to read 1.2. This is our introduction to the play's title character. What do you first notice about him? Is he how Iago described him in the previous scene? How does he speak? What personality traits do you attribute to him? In what sense is Iago in a balancing act in this scene? What does he need to accomplish?

thursDAY, march 22 (1)

Othello, 1.2

Tonight, please read 1.3.1-174. Discuss the nature of the geopolitical conflict described in the scene's opening lines. Pay particular attention to Othello's mastery of the English language in this section. It's setting us up for a marked contrast later in the play.

friday, march 23 (2)

Othello, 1.3.1-174

Using Hamlet's soliloquy from Act 1 scene 2 of Hamlet Paapa Essiedu suggests three key things to look for and explore whenever you are looking at a soliloquy for the first time, including Punctuation, Line Endings and Sounds.

monDAY, March 26 (3)

Set Othello, Assignment #1 with options

Set Othello, Final Essay

Tonight I'd like for you to finish 1.3 if you have not already. What is the relationship like between Othello and Desdemona? At this point does Iago have a clearly defined plan of attack? What is he doing to Roderigo? Also, watch the video to the right. You'll learn a little about the soliloquy, a device popular in Shakespeare's day--now largely out of fashion--that allowed the playwright to show the audience what the character was thinking. It's a way of getting inside the mind of your character who, because he is alone on stage, feels comfortable confiding his innermost secrets, desires, and in the case of Iago, plots. Watch how the actor navigates his way through Shakespeare's complicated verse, using a system you might use when you read it.

tuesday, march 27 (4)

Othello, 1.3, with a particular focus on Iago's soliloquy

Tonight I'd like you to read 2.1.1-207. Stop when Othello and Desdemona exit. Continue to think about setting. We've already discussed needing to get Othello out to a remote military outpost surrounded by enemies. But now Shakespeare adds the layer of a storm. Why?

What is the function of the scene between Iago, Emilia, and Desdemona as they wait for Othello? I've been very quick to dismiss this scene as unimportant in the past, but I think it shows you an awful lot about both I and D.

Describe the language used between Othello and Desdemona when he arrives safely. Characterize the way they define their love for each other. This is an important moment for the couple.

wednesDAY, march 28 (5)

Othello, 2.1.1-207

Tonight you are to finish 2.1. Notice the switch from verse to prose when O and D exit. I'll explain why in class. Let's pause at this point to really think about Iago's manipulative strategies, especially this very odd one with Roderigo at the end of the scene? How many synonyms can we come up with for Iagoing?

Then, of course, we have another great soliloquy, one we'll break down. How does Iago present himself? How have his motives evolved since the beginning of the play?

thursDAY, march 29 (6)

Othello, 2.1

I hope you have a Happy Easter! I'd like you to read 2.2-2.3.1-153. Stop when Othello enters. Why does Iago try to get Cassio to say untoward things about Cassio? Does he actually need him to?

What kind of a situation does Iago find himself in? Keep track of what he needs everyone to do and how he tries to remain out of it.

Watch what went into staging the brawl in the 2013 NT production.