Othello Study Guide

What is Iago’s complaint in scene 1?
he was mad because he didnt get a promotion

Who was Brabantio, and why did Iago and Roderigo awaken him in the middle of the night?
brabantio- desdemonas father, and they wanted to tell him about othello and desdemonas marriage.

why did iago leave roderigo at brabantio’s house?
he didnt want othello to know he was involved

what was brabantio;s reaction to othello’s marrige to desdemona
she thought that she was forced to marry him

why did the duke send for othello
there was war taking place and he needed his help

brabantio complains to the duke about othello’s marriage to desdemona.

after listening to both sides of the story, what is the dukes reply
“I think this tale would win my daughter too”.

what was roderigo’s complaint, and what was Iago’s reply for it.
roderigo wanted desdemona also, and Iagos reply was to get over it

why did Iago want roderigo to anger cassio
he didnt want cassio to have his position

what was the purpose of iagos plan
he wanted to get revenge on othello for not giving him his rightful promotion

why did iago want cassio to drink more wine
he wanted cassio to be drunk when roderigo came to talk to him later

what lie did iago tell montano about cassio
he said that cassio had a drinking problem

why did othello strip cassio of his rank
he thought that he wasnt fit for his position, he wasnt responsible

why did Iago want cassio to ask desdemona for help in restoring, othellos faith in cassio
because if desdemona and cassio are together then Iago can say something and have something to work with when they are together

why didnt iago simply tell othello right away that desdemona and cassio were having an affair
to plant the seed of dought

what thing did emilia find and give to Iago? what did Iagos intend to do with it
Handkerchief
Give it to Cassio to plant in his apartment

what is iagos reply when othello demanded proof of his wife’s disloyalty
He spoke to soon and it might not be true
Saw him wipe handerkerchief and heard him talk about Desdemona in his sleep

what did othello decide and command at the end of scene3
Kill Cassio and Desdemona
Iago as new lietentent

what was emilias relationship with iago? desdemona?
Iago- wife who treats her badly but still tries to please him
Desdemona- “maid”

who had the handkerchief at the end of act 3? why?
Bianca- the prostitute which means white in spanish which means pureity but yet shes a prostitute
Cassio gave it to her

after iago lied and told othello that cassio confessed going to bed with desdemona, what advise did he give the overwhelmed othello?
To kill Desdemona and he will take care of Cassio

how did iago trick othello into thinking cassio was gloating and bragged about his affair with desdemona
Iago makes Cassio talk about Bianca so it looks like Cassio is talking about Desdemona

why was bianca angry with cassio
She thinks Cassio has been unfaithful

how did biancas return with the handkerchief help iago
It shows Othello that Bianca as the Handkerchief that she received from Cassio

why did othello his desdemona
Because she unknowingly says something that makes Othello believe that she is having an affair with Cassio

what was lodovico’s reactionreaction to othelo;s behavor towards desdemona?how did iago explain othellos behavor to lodovico
Lodovico is very surprised that the noble Othello hit Desdemona.

Iago explains to Lodovico that Othello’s behavior is actually much worse than that

why did othello ask emilia bout cassios affair with desdemona, and what was her reply
Because Emilia is always with Desdemona and her reply is that Desdemona will never be unfaithful to Othello

to whom does desdemona turn for help after othello calls her a strumpet
Iago

why did iago tell roderigo to kill cassio? why did roderigo consent to it?
Because Venice made cassio governor…Roderigo consents to think about it because he is desperate to get to Desdemona

how could iago gain from roderigo’s death? cassio’s
nothing could be traced back to him if he were dead

what happened when cassio and roderigo in the fight?
cassio gets wounded, roderigo is also wounded

what did iago do after he wounded cassio
He runs away