New
New
Year 9

'Othello' and Aristotle's conventions of tragedy

I can explore how the structure of the play ‘Othello’ meets or subverts Aristotle's model for tragedy.

New
New
Year 9

'Othello' and Aristotle's conventions of tragedy

I can explore how the structure of the play ‘Othello’ meets or subverts Aristotle's model for tragedy.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Aristotle prescribed criteria for tragedy and comedy.
  2. Aristotle prescribed unity of time, place and action.
  3. The plot in a tragedy should evoke pity and fear in an audience and end with catharsis.
  4. A tragic hero - a man of noble standing with a fatal flaw and an error of judgement - must meet a demise.

Common misconception

A tragedy is simply a sad play.

Tragedies have specific conventions, such as a tragic hero and their hamartia, a tragic fall and elements of fate or the supernatural.

Keywords

  • Tragic hero - A central character that experiences a tragic downfall.

  • Hamartia - A tragic hero’s fatal fault or mistake that leads to their catastrophic end.

  • Peripeteia - A pivotal action that changes the protagonist’s fate from secure to vulnerable.

  • Catharsis - The process of releasing emotions.

  • Anagnorisis - A moment of insight where the tragic hero understands their fate.

Ask pupils to discuss other Shakespearean tragedies and comedies that they have learnt prior to this unit.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • 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.
Who is the protagonist in Shakespeare's 'Othello'?
Iago
Correct answer: Othello
Desdemona
Q2.
Starting with the first, put the five key parts of Freytag's pyramid in chronological order.
1 - Exposition
2 - Rising action
3 - Climax
4 - Falling action
5 - Resolution
Q3.
What is meant by the word 'patriarchy'?
Correct answer: a male dominated society
a female dominated society
an equal society
Q4.
In Shakespeare's 'Othello', why did Iago manipulate Othello?
Correct answer: Iago was angry that Othello did not promote him.
Iago was in love with Desdemona.
Iago was Othello's less successful brother.
Q5.
In 'Othello', why could Othello be seen as an outsider?
Correct answer: his race - there was a lot of prejudice against non-white people
his gender - it was a female dominated society
his authority - people did not like how much control he had
Q6.
In 'Othello', how does Desdemona go against her filial duty?
She hits her father.
She steals money from her father.
Correct answer: She marries someone without his permission.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is meant by 'hamartia'?
Correct answer: a fatal flaw or error of the tragic hero
a strength of the tragic hero
the moment the tragic hero faces a reversal in fortune
Q2.
Which is not a convention of a tragedy according to Aristotle?
Correct answer: Rise in fortune of a sympathetic central character
Audience feel pity and fear and end with catharsis
Follows someone of high status
Q3.
What does unity of place mean in the classical unities?
Correct answer: the events of a tragedy must take place in one location
the events of a tragedy take place in numerous locations
the events of a tragedy must start and end in the same place
Q4.
What is not a characteristic of a tragic hero?
has high status
has a hamartia
Correct answer: has an evil streak
is honourable
Q5.
In Shakespeare's 'Othello', when does Othello experience anagnorisis?
when he kills Desdemona
when he kills himself
Correct answer: when he finds out he was manipulated by Iago
when he is shown Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's possession
Q6.
What event in the play 'Othello' are the audience likely to experience catharsis?
when Othello kills Desdemona
when Othello remarries
Correct answer: when Othello kills himself