OTHELLO DAY 2English 12

Warm up 1

As you come in, take a card.

1s head to the desks closest to the computer lab

2s head to the desks closest to the wall with slanted windows

3s head to the desks in the center

Please grab your journals. I confess I didn’t even look at them. I will collect a little further into Othello

Imagine: you are the screenwriter

1. Two men are talking. One, whom we will call the lover, has a girlfriend. The other whom we will call the friend, tries to plant seeds of doubt in the lover about the girlfriend's loyalty.

• In your journals, write some of the dialogue for this conversation. How might he plant doubt? How might the lover respond?

Warm up part 2• Two men are talking. This time the friend tries to convince

the lover that his girlfriend has eyes for a particular man.• Again write some of the dialogue

The Love Triangle

Othello (the lover)

Iago (the “friend”)

Desdemona (the girlfriend)

In Othello• The lover is black and the girlfriend is white• There is a significant difference in the social background

between the two

Today’s Objectives• To begin to understand why it is important to learn about

Othello.• To begin to understand the plot of Othello and the

relationships between the characters.

Today’s Agenda• Announcements:• Agenda:

• Othello Background• Act 1 Scene 1

All I’m asking you to:• Open your mind• Try your best• Have fun

Actor’s Circle

1. We will read one line of text at a time, regardless of where the sentences end

--As we read, underline words and phrases you don’t understand.

Actor’s Circle continued• 2. Now we will read full sentences. Read until you come

to a full stop (period, exclamation mark, etc.)• In your journals write:

• What’s happening in this scene? Who are these people?

Actor’s Circle continued3. Now read by parts, but still going around the circle. Read until

your section of dialogue is done.

Response Questions #1• 1. What is going on in these scenes? Who are these

people and what are they doing?• 2.Who are Roderigo and Iago? What kind of people are

they? Who’s in control? What has just happened? What about Brabantio’s daughter—how do you picture her? Why is it that neither Othello or Desdemona is mentioned by name in this scene?

• What sort of language does Iago use to tell Brabantio of his daughter’s elopement? On what sort of fears and prejudices is Iago playing?

Voices for the characters• What are the differences between the readings? How do

these differences affect your impression of the character

Homework• Read all of Act 1 scene 1 and answer the following

questions• Why do Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio hate the man they are

discussing? • What reasons does Iago give for continuing to follow his master?• What kind of person do you expect the man they discuss to be?

How do you imagine him? Count the number of times “Moor” is used in 1.1 can you draw any conclusion?

Works CitedJamieson, Lee. "Common Phrases Invented by Shakespeare." About.com -

Shakespeare. 2009. About.com. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://shakespeare.about.com/od/shakespeareslegacy/a/Common_Phrases.htm>.

Kemmer, Suzanne. "Shakespeare's Legacy." Shakespeare's Legacy. 2003. Rice University. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/history/shakespeare.html>.

"She's the Man." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Feb 2009, 09:06 UTC. 24 Feb 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=She%27s_the_Man&oldid=269097522>.

Smith, Bruce R. "Shakespeare, William." Shakespeare, William. 18 Nov. 2002. Glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,. 23 Feb. 2009 <http://www.glbtq.com/literature/shakespeare_w,9.html>.