Character Introduction

OTHELLO

The Moor This is the name given to

the medieval Muslim inhabitants of Morocco, western Algeria, Western Sahara, Mauritania, the Iberian Peninsula, etc.

Term has also been used in Europe in a broader sense to refer to anyone of Arab or African descent, whether living in Spain or North Africa

Not a distinct or self-defined peopleGeneral of the Venetian

ArmySecretly married to

Desdemona

OTHELLO

Married to OthelloWealthy daughter

of Brabantio, a Venetian senator

Disappoints her father by marrying Othello

DESDEMONA

Venetian senatorFather of

Desdemona Is not happy that

Othello secretly married his daughter

BRABANTIO

The man on the leftIs in love with

DesdemonaHires Iago, the

man on the right, to help him get together with Desdemona

Will do anything to be with Desdemona

RODERIGO

The man on the rightFought beside Othello

for several years Has become a trusted

advisorUpset that he was not

promoted to lieutenant

Hates Othello and uses Roderigo in a plot against Othello

IAGO

Iago’s wifeDesdemona’s

servant and confidant

EMILIA

The man on the left

Othello’s trusted lieutenant

Will do anything out of honor and reputation

MICHAEL CASSIO

A woman in Cyprus

Is in love with Cassio

BIANCA

Definition of tragedy… A type of drama where the major

character undergoes a morally significant struggle that ends disastrously

Developed by Greeks but perfected by Shakespeare

Greek tragic hero lived, but suff ered terribly as a result of his flaws and mistakes

Shakespeare preferred to kill off all his heroes

OTHELLO AND TRAGEDY

Greater than average man

Falls short of perfection

Tragic flaw Causes hero to make

mistakes Catharsis (a moment of

realization that he caused his own diffi culties)

Downfall

TRAGEDY’S CENTRAL CHARACTER:

THE TRAGIC HERO

Aristotle wrote that the purpose of tragedy was to…Arouse the emotions of pity and fear in the

audience, which relied on our ability to relate to the character’s fl aws and mistakes.

Produce for the audience a catharsis of its own, where we experience the character’s pain, but safely.

This means that…Through tragedy, we are able to experience great

emotions with no threat to ourselves. Hopefully through watching a tragedy we can

learn from the mistakes of the hero and avoid a similar fate.

ARISTOTLE’S POETICS

Regarding Iago and Roderigo, who seems to be in control?

What has just happened?Who is Brabantio?What sort of person do you think the Moor

is?Why are neither Othello or Desdemona

mentioned by name in this scene?What sort of language does Iago use to

tell Brabantio that his daughter has eloped?

On what sort of fears and prejudices does Iago play?

OTHELLO 1.1.74-160

Text = surface meaningSubtext = the real meaningSubtext is conveyed by the following:Intonation (tone)StressPauseBody language: stance, gesture, eye

contact or eye avoidance

SUBTEXT: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT HOW YOU SAY IT!

Instructions:1. Do a round robin read through2. Discuss the speeches — make sure

everyone understands every line3. Assign parts — divide as necessary to

make sure everyone has lines to speak.4. Run through your scene and practice to

ensure an accurate interpretive reading.5. Use intonation, stress and pauses to

convey the subtext accurately!

RADIO PERFORMANCES — WHO IS THE BEST???