Hello everyone.

Welcome to a lesson where we'll be exploring act five, scene one of Othello.

I'm Miss Sutherland and I'll be teaching you today.

By the end of today's lesson, you would've explored the intensifying characterizations of Iago and Othello in act five, scene one.

We have four keywords for today's lesson.

The first one is depravity.

Depravity means moral corruption or wickedness.

And someone that is morally corrupt or wicked might be called depraved.

Symbolism.

Symbolism is when a image represents a wider theme or idea.

Poignant.

Poignant means evoking deep sadness or regret.

And treachery.

Treachery means betrayal of trust.

I'll give you a moment to pause the video and note down any of those keywords.

Excellent.

So in today's lesson we'll first be reading act five, scene one and making sure we understand that scene.

Then, we'll be digging deeper into Iago's character in this scene.

We'll be examining if his villainy intensifies in this scene.

So let's read act five, scene one together.

Let's just recap what's occurred before this scene to make sure we understand the context in which this scene occurs.

So before act five, scene one, act four, scene one sees Iago tell Othello that he will kill Cassio.

In act four, scene two, Iago continues his manipulation of Othello.

Iago convinces Roderigo that Cassio has been promoted to be the new governor of Cyprus, which means that Othello and Desdemona will be leaving the island.

He tells Roderigo that if he kills Cassio, Othello and Desdemona will have to stay in Cyprus, giving Roderigo time to make his move on Desdemona.

Act five, scene one is where the violence takes place.

So act five, scene one is where Roderigo attempts to kill Cassio.

And act five, scene one takes place at night.

I want you to discuss what the night-time setting of this scene could symbolise.

Pause the video and discuss that question.

The night-time setting of this scene could symbolise concealment, secrecy, and evil since all of these sinister, violent, and murderous events will take place in the dark.

Let's begin the reading.

Act five, scene one, Cyprus, a street.

Enter Iago and Roderigo.

Here, stand behind this bulk, straight will he come.

Wear thy rapier bear and put it home, quick, fear nothing, I'll be at thy elbow.

It makes us or it mars us, think on that and fix most firm thy resolution.

Be near at hand, I may miscarry in it.

Here, at thy hand, be bold and take thy stand.

Retires.

I have no great devotion to the deed, and yet he hath given me satisfying reasons, 'tis but a man gone.

Forth, my sword, he dies.

Iago, aside, I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense and he grows angry.

Now, whether he kill Cassio, or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, every way makes my gain.

Live Roderigo, he calls me to a restitution large of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him, as gifts to Desdemona.

It must not be.

If Cassio do remain, he hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly, and besides, the Moor may unfold me to him.

There stand I in much peril, no, he must die.

But so, I hear him coming.

Enter Cassio.

Roderigo.

I know his gait, 'tis he, villain, thou diest.

Let's zoom into this section.

What motive does Iago give for killing both Roderigo and Cassio? Pause the video and discuss that question.

Now, Iago's motive for killing Roderigo is that he'd have to pay Roderigo a lot of money back because Roderigo had given Iago money to woo Desdemona for him.

And Iago's motive for killing Cassio is that, firstly, Cassio is virtuous, making Iago appear ugly, and also that Othello might tell Cassio about the supposed affair, which might therefore give Iago away.

Let's check your understanding.

What reasons does Iago give for killing Cassio? Pause the video and discuss that question.

Well done if you said, there are two motives Iago has for killing Cassio.

The first is that Othello may tell Cassio what Iago has been saying about him, which will ruin the plan because if Othello starts talking to Cassio about him having an affair with Desdemona, Othello will soon realise that it is false, so Iago wants to stop any communication between Othello and Cassio.

The next reason why Iago wants to kill Cassio is because Cassio is virtuous.

He says that Cassio has a daily beauty in his life, and Iago cannot bear to be surrounded by this virtue because it highlights Iago's own nature, perhaps that he does not want to confront and this could link back to the idea of Cassio being promoted whilst Iago did not get that position at the beginning of the play.

Let's continue the reading.

Roderigo makes a pass at Cassio.

That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, but that my coat is better than thou know'st, I will make proof of thine.

Cassio draws and wounds Roderigo.

O, I am slain.

Iago from behind wounds Cassio in the leg and exit.

I am maimed forever.

Help, ho.

Murder, murder.

Falls.

Enter Othello.

The voice of Cassio, Iago keeps his word.

O, villain that I am.

It is even so.

I want you to discuss now what Othello believes Iago has done.

So Othello says, Iago keeps his word, what does Othello believe Iago has done? Pause the video and discuss that question.

In this scene, Othello believes Iago has indeed killed Cassio like he promised, but of course, Othello is not aware that Cassio is not actually dead.

Cassio says, O, help, ho, light, a surgeon.

'Tis he, O brave Iago, honest and just that hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong.

Thou teachest me, Minion, your dear lies dead and your unblest fate hies, strumpet, I come.

Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes are blotted, thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust's blood be spotted.

Exit.

Let's zoom into this section.

What does Othello think of Iago? Pay attention to, thou teachest me.

Pause the video and discuss.

If we look at this section, Othello believes Iago is honest and just.

Of course, we know that Iago is none of those things.

Indeed Iago is not brave either, having hired Roderigo to kill Cassio instead of him doing it.

Othello also now looks up to Iago, hence he says thou teachest me.

Othello is now going to mirror Iago's violent actions as Othello now wants to kill Desdemona.

Now, let's look at this section here.

What does the imagery here show about Othello's change since he first spoke of his wife? We have a little passage here from act one, scene three, where he spoke of his wife respectfully and showed the love between them and the reciprocity of their love.

So, what is the difference between how he speaks to her in act one, scene three and how he speaks about her in act five, scene one? Pause the video and discuss now.

Excellent, I heard some of you say that whereas in act one, scene three he speaks of her respectfully, he honours her, and he shows his love for her very openly, in act five, scene one, he talks to her in a cruel, harsh way using derogatory language.

He also uses very violent, bloody, brutal imagery to show how brutal and violent his thoughts are towards her and his feelings are towards her, which foreshadows how she will die at the hands of her lover.

Now, let's check your understanding of what we've just read.

Which line from Othello in the previous section uses dramatic irony? Remember, dramatic irony is when the character is not aware of the significance of what they're saying, but the audience is very aware.

Pause the video and answer that question now.

The line with dramatic irony is O brave Iago, honest and just.

The reason for that is because Othello does not know Iago's true nature.

He does not realise that Iago is the opposite of brave, honest, and just.

The audience, however, know exactly Iago's true nature.

The next question to check your understanding is, what does Othello say that foreshadows Desdemona's death? Pause the video and answer that question.

Othello says, thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust's blood be spotted.

Othello is saying to Desdemona, you have stained our marriage bed with your lust for Cassio, so now that same bed will be spotted with your blood.

Which obviously foreshadows that Othello is going to kill Desdemona on that same bed.

Now, I want you to read independently from enter Lodovico and Gratiano to the end of the scene and answer the following questions to check your understanding of the scene.

Your first question is, how does Iago feign ignorance to Cassio's injuries? So how does Iago pretend he doesn't know what's happened to Cassio? Number two, what does Iago do to Roderigo, and why do you think he does this? Question number three, who does Iago blame for Cassio's death? Number four, how does Iago deceive Emilia, his wife? Number five, what is significant about Iago's last aside? So you have five questions to answer as you read to the end of act five, scene one.

Pause the video, I hope you enjoy this scene.

Iago is really the master of manipulation in this scene, he convinces everyone that he has nothing to do with this bloodshed.

Let's go through the answers.

How does Iago feign ignorance to Cassio's injuries? Iago says, Cassio, may you suspect who they should be that have thus mangled you? So even though Iago is responsible for Cassio's injuries, he asks, who's done this to you Cassio? Which convinces Emilia and Bianca that he is innocent.

Number two, what does Iago do to Roderigo and why do you think he does this? Iago kills Roderigo.

Perhaps this is because of Roderigo's incapability to kill Cassio, not fulfilling his role in the plan and this angers Iago.

Or, maybe it's because Iago is worried that Roderigo may tell others about Iago's plans.

Either way, Iago could be said to have a motive for killing Roderigo.

Next question, who does Iago blame for Cassio's death? Iago blames Bianca for Cassio's death.

He says, I do suspect this trash to be party in this injury.

So what Iago is saying there is first of all he's calling Bianca trash, derogatory language there, being disrespectful to her, but he's saying she's a party in this injury, so she has something to do with what's happened to Cassio here.

And how does Iago deceive his own wife, Emilia? Iago convinces Emilia that Bianca is responsible for Cassio's death, leading Emilia to mirror Iago's derogatory speech, oh, fie upon thee strumpet.

And last question, what is significant about Iago's last aside? Iago's last aside, this is the night that either makes me or fordoes me quite, confirms his evil role in the night's events, foreshadows evil to come, but also reveals his fallibility because he knows he can become undone by these events.

So he's saying that if something goes wrong tonight, if I'm found out for committing this bloodshed, I will be led to my downfall, I will be ruined.

So perhaps this is the first moment we see Iago's vulnerability.

He's been in control the whole play, but in his scene he begins to falter.

Well done on answering those questions.

Let's move onto our next learning cycle where we'll dig deeper into Iago's character.

I want you to discuss, in that previous scene that we've just read, how does Iago appear? What's your opinion on him? Pause the video and discuss that question.

Here are what some students have said about Iago in act five, scene one.

One student said, Iago reaches the height of depravity in this scene.

He takes his verbal manipulations further into physical violence and murder.

Another student said, Iago shows his cowardice here.

He kills Roderigo and attempts to kill Cassio to protect himself as he knows his plan may be fallible.

A third student says, Iago is the epitome of treacherous.

He convinces Lodovico and Gratiano that he is moved by Cassio's death and that he kills Roderigo for justice.

And lastly, Iago could be said to expose his insecurity in this scene.

Which student do you agree or disagree with? Pause the video and discuss that question.

Let's answer this question to check your understanding of Iago in act five, scene one.

How can Iago be considered treacherous? Pause the video and answer that question.

Well done if you said, Iago could be considered treacherous in act five, scene one because he convinces other characters he is dismayed by Cassio's injuries, but of course he is the one that caused them, so he is not dismayed, and secondly, he convinces Othello he is brave, honest, and just, therefore, defying Othello's trust in him because he is not any of those things.

Now, I want you to annotate each idea with evidence to support or contradict it.

So for each quote.

So for each student's idea, find a quote that supports it and find a quote that contradicts it.

Don't worry if you can't find two quotes for each idea.

Find as many as you can.

Pause the video and start that task.

Let's go through some ideas.

So, for the idea, Iago reaches the height of depravity as he takes his verbal manipulations further into physical violence and murder.

Remember, depravity means moral corruption and wickedness, so we're trying to find evidence that Iago reaches the very height of corruption and moral wickedness.

Let's find some evidence that supports or contradicts it.

So, one idea is that Iago arguably could have been said to reach the height of depravity earlier in the play when he appears satanic, exclaiming, divinity of hell, and when, devils will the blackest sins put on.

His pour pestilence into Othello's ear seems more sinister than this.

Some supporting evidence for this idea is that Iago's violent rampage shows the height of his depravity as he now acts upon his vicious words and he directly harms other characters for his benefit.

This is intensified by Othello's claim that thou teachest me, Iago's violence is glorified by Othello.

So perhaps Iago does reach the height of depravity in this scene.

Let's look at some evidence for Iago exposes his insecurity in this scene.

Iago says one of his motives for killing Cassio is Cassio's virtue which makes him ugly.

It seems Iago may be jealous of Cassio which would be in line with his dismay at Cassio receiving the promotion he longed for.

Iago also asks for light twice in this scene, perhaps exposing his vulnerability and fear as he descends into darkness.

So the evidence on the left there support this idea that Iago indeed exposes his insecurity.

Let's look at some evidence that contradicts that idea.

Iago is fully in control in this scene, some may say.

He manipulates every character in some way.

He convinces Roderigo to attack Cassio, Othello that he is honest, and Gratiano and Lodovico that he cares for Cassio, he even tries to blame Bianca for Cassio's death.

So therefore, some may say that although Iago shows his jealousy, he is, nevertheless, still fully in control, thus is not entirely exposing his insecurity.

Let's go through what we've learnt today then.

The depths of Iago's depravity, treachery, and cowardice are revealed in his violence towards Cassio and Roderigo.

Othello's violent speech contrasts poignantly with his declarations of love in act one.

And night symbolises Iago and Othello's descent into darkness and foreshadows the evil acts to come.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson, thank you so much for joining me and I hope to see you again soon.