Act 2 Questions

Act 2

1.	What sort of person is Cassio? What happens to him, and how does Iago plan to use the situation in his plan against Othello?
2.	What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in act 2? What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?

Othello Act 1 Scene 1 TASK

Publish answers to your blogs

Act 1

1.	How does Shakespeare present the world of Venice in the first act, and how does he construct the interactions of his central characters (Iago, Othello, and Desdemona) with that Venetian world and with each other. How are these interactions complicated by the fact that Othello is a Moor and that Desdemona is a young women?
2.	What sort of person is Iago, as he appears in act 1? Are you satisfied by the reasons he gives for hating Othello? What is Iago's relationship with Roderigo?
3.	What sort of language does Iago use? What sort of language does Othello use? What might be the significance of this difference?

Today's Lesson - Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Click on the image and complete the questionnaire.
You need to do this for both your teachers.

Next, download the worksheet on what we have learnt about Othello so far, and answer the questions before posting you work onto your blog.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwqZRopnG_XKUWFJRkRCamtiS0E/view?usp=sharing

Buying Othello

If you are yet to buy a copy of the play, I have created a list of 3 options.


With Shakespeare texts you get what you pay for, the extra money often gets you better explanations and translations - not to mention critical views.


The play


Cheapest


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Othello-Wordsworth-Classics-William-Shakespeare/dp/1853260185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076604&sr=8-1&keywords=othello




Most Expensive


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Othello-Arden-Shakespeare-Third-William-Shakespeare/dp/1903436451/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076604&sr=8-5&keywords=Othello




Clearest


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Othello-Cambridge-School-Shakespeare-Gibson/dp/1107615593/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076604&sr=8-7&keywords=Othello




Study Guides


York Notes


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Othello-York-Notes--Level-Advanced/dp/1447982258/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076604&sr=8-3&keywords=Othello


CGP


http://www.amazon.co.uk/-Level-English-Text-Guide-Othello/dp/184762670X/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076604&sr=8-12&keywords=Othello


Othello Sourcebook


http://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Shakespeares-Othello-Sourcebook-Literature/dp/0415227348/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452076995&sr=8-3&keywords=othello+sourcebook

Research for Classical Tragedy, or Aristotle's theory of tragedy

A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.

In the lessons this week, you are going to produce an information sheet about Classical Tragedy (Aristotle's theory of tragedy).  It needs to be logically and clearly presented, as well as detailed.  i.e imagine that you are going to use it to teach someone all about Classical Tragedy.

It needs to contain answers to the following questions:

1. What is the definition of Classical Tragedy?
2. Where and when did the concept of Classical Tragedy originate?
3. What are some of the earliest examples of classical tragedies, and when were they written?
4. Who was Aristotle, what was he known for, and when was he alive?
5. When did Aristotle write his study of tragedy, entitled Poetics?
6. What, according to Aristotle, is the aim of tragedy?
7. What are the 6 component parts of tragedy, according to Aristotle? List them in order of importance.
8. According to Aristotle, what makes a good tragic structure, or tragic plot?
9. What is the role of the tragic hero in Aristotle's theory of tragedy, and how important is the tragic hero in Classical Tragedy?
10. Define the following elements/ingredients of Classical Tragedy:
1. Hamartia
2. Tragic flaw
3. Hubris
4. Peripeteia
5. Anagnorisis (recognition)
6. Catharsis

The following websites will help you to answer these questions; click to access the sites:

SparkNotes on Aristotle and Poetics

Cliffsnotes on Aristotle and Poetics

Quizlet on dramatic elements of tragedy

NOTE: you may need to use some other websites to help you to answer the questions.