Iago, pretending to be Othello’s faithful supporter, warns Othello that Brabantio will attempt to break up the marriage. Othello is confident that his service to Venice and his noble descent will make all well.
1 Iago’s version (in pairs) In lines 6–10, Iago tells of the conversation he had with Roderigo. r Talk together about how this version compares with what was actually said in the previous scene. You could draw up two columns on a sheet of paper. In the first column, write down the key items of information given here by Iago; in the second column record how it was presented in Scene 1.
stuff essence contrived premeditated I lack … service sometimes I’m
Write about it
too nice for my own good
Opinions of Othello (by yourself )
yerked stabbed
We have heard a lot about Othello from other characters. Now we meet him for the first time, in the second scene of the play. r Look closely at Othello’s lines 17–28. Think about what he says and the way he says it. Does your impression of Othello differ now from the opinion you had formed based on the words of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio in Scene 1? Write a paragraph analysing the language of Othello’s first full speech in the play, and explaining what it suggests to you as a viewer or reader.
Stagecraft ‘Enter OTHELLO’ (in small groups) a If you were directing a production of the play, what effect would you want to create with Othello’s entrance? In Trevor Nunn’s 1990 Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production, the imposing figure of Othello (played by opera singer Willard White) was framed in a doorway illuminated by brilliant light. He was dressed in smart military uniform. In Janet Suzman’s 1987 Market Theatre of Johannesburg production, the physically slight figure of John Kani (playing Othello) was leaning against a wall, dressed in a flowing white shirt and brushing a rose against his lips. What impression do you think each of these directors was trying to make? b Create a tableau of the stage direction ‘Enter OTHELLO, IAGO and ATTENDANTS with torches’. Compare your ideas with other groups and talk about the effects of each tableau.
14
fast firmly, properly magnifico nobleman (Brabantio)
give him cable allow him signiory the Venetian government
provulgate make public siege rank demerits worth
unhousèd unrestrained circumscription restriction confine constraint For the sea’s worth for all the treasure in the sea