New
New
Year 9

Introduction to 'Othello' and plot exploration

I can understand the plot and context of ‘Othello’.

New
New
Year 9

Introduction to 'Othello' and plot exploration

I can understand the plot and context of ‘Othello’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Iago is angry that he has been passed over for promotion, so pretends to love Othello whist plotting his downfall
  2. Iago tells Desdemona's father about her secret marriage to Othello which causes trouble but she defends her love for him
  3. Iago preys on Othello’s insecurity by planting Desdemona’s handkerchief – false proof of her betrayal - in Cassio’s room
  4. Iago manipulates Othello to the point where he murders his wife, as punishment for her supposed unfaithfulness
  5. Race and gender are key contextual ideas to consider in the play

Common misconception

We would react the same way towards the characters and events as would the Jacobean audience.

Explain that societal beliefs were different in the 1600s so a Jacobean audience would likely react differently to the events and characters

Keywords

  • Protagonist - A protagonist is the main character in a play.

  • Inciting incident - The inciting incident is an event that acts as the catalyst for the protagonist’s changing fate.

  • Resolution - The resolution is the end of the story where the problem is solved.

  • Catalyst - A catalyst is something that causes something else to happen.

  • Moorish - Moorish people were the North African people that ruled Spain from 711 to 1492.

Ask pupils what they already know about the Elizabethan/Jacobean era from previous learning on Shakespeare throughout KS3 to get them to make links and begin building on their knowledge.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which time period did Shakespeare live in?
1800s-1900s
Correct answer: 1500s-1600s
1100s-1200s
Q2.
What is a patriarchal society?
A female dominated society
Correct answer: A male dominated society
An equal society
Q3.
What is prejudice?
Treating everyone equally
Correct answer: Having a biased view on a group of people due to race, gender, religion etc.
Not judging other people
Q4.
Starting with the first, put the components of Freytag's pyramid in chronological order.
1 - Exposition
2 - Rising action
3 - Climax
4 - Falling action
5 - Resolution
Q5.
What three types of play did Shakespeare write?
history, tragedy and romance
history, drama and comedy
Correct answer: history, tragedy and comedy
Q6.
What is true of a tragedy play?
it must have a happy ending
it must be historically accurate
Correct answer: it must have a sad ending

6 Questions

Q1.
Who is Othello from Shakespeare's 'Othello'?
A soldier in the Venetian army
Correct answer: A Moorish general of the Venetian army
Iago's brother
Q2.
How does Iago manipulate Othello in 'Othello'?
Correct answer: Iago convinces Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him
Iago convinces Othello that his lieutenant, Cassio, is trying to usurp him
Iago convinces Othello that his wife's father wants to kill him
Q3.
What is tragic about the ending of 'Othello'?
Desdemona and Othello divorce
Iago kills Othello
Correct answer: Othello kills Desdemona and himself
Q4.
Who could be considered an outsider in the play 'Othello' and why?
Iago - he is a mere soldier in a society where rank is valued
Correct answer: Othello - he is a black general in a society where racial prejudice was rife
Cassio - he is a Turkish lieutenant in a society that disapproved of invasion
Q5.
In Shakespeare's 'Othello', how is Desdemona's father likely to react to her secret marriage to Othello and why?
he is likely to be delighted - Othello has high status as a general
Correct answer: he is likely to be annoyed that Desdemona did not consult him before marrying
Correct answer: he is likely to be apprehensive because Desdemona's marriage is interracial
Q6.
Which event in the play 'Othello' could be seen as the climax?
Iago plants seeds of Desdemona's cheating
Othello and Desdemona elope
Othello kills Desdemona
Correct answer: Othello sees that Cassio has Desdemona's handkerchief