Othello vs' O Analysis Essay

1
Othello vs. O Analysis Essay

• Where to start if you need some guidance ?

2
Think of ONE event that stood out to you in
Othello.

• What was the event? Type it on your Word
  document.
• Example One event that stood out in Othello was
  when __________________________.

3
Think of (or look-up in a thesaurus) four
adjectives that you can use to describe that
event.

• Type your adjectives at the bottom (youll use
  them later)
• Examples
• Evil ? Malevolent malicious
• Innocent ? Blameless upright
• Sneaky ? Devious shifty sly

4
Who was involved in this event (from the play or
film version of Othello)?

• Describe the characters involved and how they
  were involved (motives, actions, behavior, words
  spoken).
• What did Shakespeare want to reveal to us (the
  readers) by using these characters?
• Did any of them change from the beginning of the
  play up until this point? How?
• DETAILS. The more you type now, the less youll
  type later ?.
• Example
• One character that Shakespeare used to show the
  negative affect jealousy can have on a person was
  Othello. Othello was clearly in love with
  Desdemona and trusted her with all of his heart
  at the beginning of the play. However, after Iago
  planted the seed of jealousy in Othellos heart,
  Othellos world turned to darkness.

5
Why did Shakespeare include this scene in Othello
(what purpose did it serve)?

• Type your response (dont say I thinkstate
  your opinion as a fact) on your Word document.
• Think of what point would be proven in the story
  by using this scene.
• Does it show a different side to any of the
  characters?
• Does it build excitement, anticipation, or
  curiosity?
• Does it represent Venetian society in the 16th
  century in a certain way?
• Example
• Shakespeare used this scene to prove that
  ________________________________________.

6
Were any changes in societyrevealed?

• Customs in America in 2001 were obviously
  different compared to customs in Venice, Italy in
  the 16th century?
• -Type any differences you noticed (by reading
  about/viewing) this scene in Othello compared
  with this scene in O.
• -Any similarities? List those too.
• EXAMPLE ON NEXT SLIDE

7
Were any changes in society revealed?

• Example
• -In Venice during the 16th century, women were
  much
• more submissive to their husbands than they are
• today. That is not necessarily a good thing. For
  example,
• when Iago is bad-mouthing Emilia, she does not
• criticize him in public she takes the
  mistreatment for
• quite some time, which she should not have done.
  Even
• though respect to men was crucial in the Venetian
• society, she could stand up for herself in a
  respectful
• way. In O, on the other hand, Emily still is
  treated poorly
• by Hugo, but the intensity of the mistreatment is
  different,
• as the relationships between men and women have
  changed
• quite a bit.

8
Remember those four adjectives you found? Tie
them in somewhere in your paragraph now.

• Feel free to right click on a word such as good
  and find a more suitable, professional word to
  spice-up your paragraph.

9
Now, go through similar steps with the same
event in O.
Back

• If you answered the question for Othello, you
  must give the other side from O as well.
• You will be typing directly under the Othello
  response.
• -Example
• Shakespeares purpose is using Desdemonas
  character in the handkerchief scene was to reveal
  that even the innocent may be targeted by those
  who are evil. Iago clearly leads to the downfall
  of Desdemonas life, despite her upright, pure
  demeanor.

In O, Desi is still portrayed as a
faithful girlfriend, but she definitely defends
herself and shows more defiance to her boyfriend,
Odin. Her innocence is not demonstrated as much
because she is participating in premarital sex,
which would completely go against Shakespeares
version of Desdemona.