Exploration of the theme of appearances and reality in 'Othello'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can confidently explore the theme of appearance vs reality in ‘Othello’.
Key learning points
- Iago’s deceit is delivered by manipulation of perception.
- Iago defines his role as deceiver in Act 1, Scene 1: ’I am not what I am’.
- The language of the play refers to dreams, trances and visions to explore the unreliability of reality.
- Iago performs a role of a director, addressing audience and staging scenes, suggesting how reality can be manipulated.
Keywords
Deceit - the act of causing someone to believe something that is not true
Treacherous - involving deception or betrayal
Conceal - prevent something from being seen
Aside - a remark intended to be heard by the audience but not other characters
Common misconception
Appearance vs. reality is only shown through Othello believing his wife is unfaithful.
There are many moments in the play in which appearance and reality are manipulated
Teacher tip
Ask students how far Iago is responsible for other people believing his manipulated reality, or how far it is the fault of other characters' naive trust?
Equipment
You will need a copy of Shakespeare's 'Othello' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a symbol?
Q2.In Shakespeare's 'Othello', how does Iago deceive Othello?
Q3.How does Iago contribute to getting Cassio fired in 'Othello'?
Q4.In the play 'Othello', what is the moment Othello sees Desdemona's 'affair' with Cassio as 'reality'?
Q5.Is Desdemona what she seems at the beginning of the play 'Othello'? Explain.
Q6.How does ‘’I am not what I am’’ link to the theme of appearances vs reality in the play 'Othello'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which character appears inseparable from the theme of appearance vs reality in Shakespeare's 'Othello'?
Q2.How is Roderigo deceived in the play 'Othello'?
Q3.How does Iago paint a false depiction of Othello in Act 1 Scene 1 of 'Othello'?
Q4.In 'Othello', why is Othello's trance significant in helping Iago manipulate reality?
Q5.Which literary device is commonly used for Iago's speech and why is it significant in crafting the theme of appearance vs reality in 'Othello'?
Q6.In 'Othello', Othello states that he needs "ocular proof" to believe Desdemona's affair. How does Iago achieve this?
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploration of the theme of appearances and reality in 'Othello', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploration of the theme of appearances and reality in 'Othello', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'Othello' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.