Background:
In Othello, many characters profess their “love” for each other, in many senses—marriage, loyalty, friendship. Almost all of these relationships fail in one way or another. Othello loves honest Iago only to be betrayed. Desdemona loves Othello and ends up murdered by him. Emilia and Iago’s marriage is certainly less than perfect. What drives these characters? Why do their personalities, their traits, lead to their ends?
Your Task:
In a 4-6 page, double-spaced, typed essay, examine one of the main characters from Othello. You may focus on one of the following topics:
- Examine Iago’s motives—why does he do what he does? Why does he not tell Othello his reasons?
Criteria for Success
- Your essay should include an analytical, arguable thesis statement that communicates your stance.
- Your essay should be clearly organized and flow from one paragraph to the next.
- Your paragraphs should begin with analytical topic sentence about the play, connecting clearly back to the central idea and providing an idea for the paragraph.
- Each paragraph should use plenty of specific information and explanation to develop your point, using information from throughout the play.
- Your information from the play should be analyzed; you should summarize only to support a more general point or to give context for a quotation.
- Your sentences should be well crafted and clearly stated.
- You should proofread your essay carefully checking for grammatical and surface errors.
Hints/Questions:
· Remember the “so what?” factor—you are explaining not only what you see in the play but also what you think is significant about those observations; how are these characters relevant to us? How do they help us understand something about the story, ourselves, others, or the world we live in?
· Tailor the essay question to your specific topic; in this length of paper, you cannot cover all the relationships. Choose a focus and make your thesis specific.
Othello Sources/Acts to Use (ONLY USE THIS SOURCE AND NOTHING ELSE; MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE QUOTES AND SOURCE THEM BY ADDING LINE AND ACT NUMBER THAT IS SAID):
ACT 1: https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=othello&Act=1&Scene=&Scope=act&displaytype=print
ACT 2: https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=othello&Act=2&Scene=&Scope=act&displaytype=print
ACT 3: https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=othello&Act=3&Scene=&Scope=act&displaytype=print
ACT 4: https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=othello&Act=4&Scene=&Scope=act&displaytype=print#a4,s3
ACT 5: https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=othello&Act=5&Scene=&Scope=act&displaytype=print