Year-long Essential Question: What powers control our lives? Is it fate?

Is it
society? Is it our own free will? How do these powers interact?

Project Packet #4

Othello: Pride, Love, and Jealousy

Term Calendar
Monday

Tuesday

November 9thth

November 16

th

November 23

th

November 30th

December 7

th

PROJECT PACKET
#4 DUE
December 14th

December 21st

Wednesday

November 10th

November 17

th

November 24

th

Thursday

Veterans Day
November 11th

November 18

th

November 12th

November 13th

Independent
Reading
Open House
November 19th

Act 1 Scene 1
November 20st

Independent
Reading
December 1nd

December 2rd

Thanksgiving
November 26th
Work Day
Independent
Reading
December 3rd

Independent
Reading
December 8th

Work Day
December 9th

Work Day
December 10th

Acting Day
December 15th

December 22

nd

Half-Day
November 25th

Friday

December 16

th

Holiday Break
Begins
December 23rd

December 17

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Holiday Break
December 24th

January 5th

January 6th

January 7th

January 8th

January 12th

January 13th

January 14th

January 15th

January 19th

January 20th

January 21st

TERM 2
PORTFOLIO DUE
January 22nd

NAME:
1

Thanksgiving Break
November 27th
BENCHMARK #2 &
NOTEBOOK QUIZ
December 4th

Early Release
December 11th

BENCHMARK #3
December 18th

Holiday Break
December 25th

January 9th
TERM 2
PORTFOLIO
ASSIGNED
January 16th

January 23rd

Unit 4 Project Goals

SWBAT to translate Shakespearean language into their own words.

SWBAT to analyze dramatic text and identify the literary devices of figurative
language and dramatic irony
SWBAT write a commentary about literature that invites response from
readers.

Project Assignments (score out of 120 points)

Creditwillonlybegivenforassignmentsthatarecompletedandstampedbytheendofthe
periodonThursday,December14th

RequiredAssignments1
1)CompleteaSceneStudyforAct_,
Scene__,lines_________
2)CompleteaSceneStudyforAct_,
Scene__,lines_________
4)Writeananalysisparagraphin
responsetooneoftheattached
prompts.
4)Writeasecondanalysisparagraph
inresponsetooneoftheattached
prompts.
5)Writea12pagecommentaryabout
ActIorIIofOthello
6)Writea12pagecommentaryabout
ActIII,IV,orVofOthello
8)Writearesponsetothewebsite
discussionpostPride,Love,and
Jealousy(bclarm11.weebly.com)
9)ScenePerformance(seeSceneStudy
sheet)Extracreditformemorizing
linesandspecialdramaticflair!

All Required Assignments must be completed in order to get any points for
Extension Assignments
2

ExtensionAssignments
9)Respondtoaclassmatesstoryon
thewebsitediscussionpageusing
thissentenceframe:WhileIagree
that_______,Ialsothink________
10)Writeanadditionalcommentary
aboutOthello(anyactorscene)
11)Haveapassarounddiscussion
withatleasttwootherpeopleusing
yourcommentary.
12)Writeabookreviewforabook
youhavereadthisyearontheclass
website:bclarm11.weebly.com(goto
theWriteandReadBookReviews
tab!
Writeapageormoreentryina
BigIdeabook.Remembertoinclude
thetitleandauthorofthebookyou
arediscussing

Total Project Score: _______________/120 points

All stamps are worth 10 points

Commentary
Writing Purpose: To spark discussion and response from your audience
Topic: Write about what you are reading in Othello.
What to include:
Include any and/or all of the following. Remember, whatever you write about
should make people want to respond and write back to you!
Questions you have about the play or the characters in the play
Thoughts you have about pride, love, or jealousy, based on this part of
the play
Things you wish you could say to the characters
Personal connections you are making with the text
Questions you have for your readers

Example Commentary

Title: Ego with Iago (Act 1, scene 1)

In the very beginning of Othello (act 1, scene 1) Iago is telling Roderigo how angry
he is about Othello making Cassio his (Othello's) lieutenant. Iago shows distain2 for
Cassio when he sarcastically calls him a great "arithmetician" and compares Cassio
knowledge of facts and numbers to Iago's actual achievements in battle. This makes
sense to me so far. Basically Iago is saying that he has more actual battle
experience and is a better fighter and solider than Cassio, like when he says "And I
whom his eyes have seen the proof (Act 1, scene 1, line 29). In fact, here he seems
to be expressing disbelief because he feels like Othello actually saw him (Iago) in
action, and then still choose Cassio as lieutenant. However, I don't totally think Iago
is a reliable source of information here, because in line 45 he says, "I follow him to
serve my turn upon him." In this line Iago is saying that he is going to pretend to
follow Othello, but only so that he can "turn upon him," which basically means that
he is going to hurt Othello in the end. I think this is both sneaky and cowardly.
Basically, Iago is saying that he is going to act fake in order to get his revenge. If he
were actually willing to go into battle and fight, wouldnt he be willing to tell Othello
what he thinks directly in Othello's face? I'm starting to wonder if Iago is as good a
solider as he thinks he is.
This is also making me think about what people do when their ego or pride is hurt.
Basically, Iago's pride is hurt, because he thinks he is better than Cassio, but Othello
thinks Cassio is better than Iago. Iago feels that he has worked harder than Cassio,
and that no one is recognizing him. This makes me think about what lengths people
will go to in order to get attention, or the get noticed. I think that people generally
want praise, and that when others give them praise they feel valuable. But when
they are ignored, people get hurt, and start to question their value. In Iago's place
this is making him want revenge. But I wonder if what he really wants is to matter
to Othello, even if the only way he can matter is to do something horrible.

disrespect
5

Scene Study
As Caleen Sinnette Jennings (an award-winning actress and director) wrote,
"Shakespeare's plays were written for actors to perform in front of an audience.
They were meant to entertain and to communicate important ideas about the
human condition and the nature of existence. To read these plays is good. To
watch others perform the plays is terrific. To perform the words one's self is
positively life-altering!"
SceneStudyPurpose:
Tocloselystudy,analyze,andperform,scenesfromOthello
inordertomoredeeplyunderstandtherolesoflove,
jealousy,andprideintheplay,andinourownlives.

Scenes to Choose
From

a) Act 2, scene 1, 308334

b) Act 3, scene 3, 170249

c) Act 4, scene 1, 185231

d) Act 5, scene 2, 310341

SceneStudySteps:
1)Selectoneofthefollowing
setsoflinesandaskateacher
foracopyoftheselines
2)Readthesceneoutloud(finda
partnertoreadwithyou!)
3)Writea23sentencesummaryof
whatishappeninginthescene
4)Rewritethelinesthe
charactersaresayinginyour
ownwords.Inordertodothis
youwillneedto
a.Lookupwords/phrasesyou
dontknow
b.Readcarefully,andreread
tomoreclearlyunderstand
whatthecharacteris
saying

ScenePerformance!
1)

Findclassmate(s)whowanttoactouttheother
rolesinthisscene.

2)

Writeactingnotesinwhichyouexplainwhat
gestures,facialexpression,andstancesyou
willuse.Youractingbuddiesshoulddothisas
well!

3)

Actoutyourscene(withanyoneelseyouworked
with).Youcaneitheractduringclassacting
timeoryoucangetsomeonetorecordyour
performanceonvideotosendtoMs.Levey
Pabst/Ms.Shaprio!

Analysis Prompts for Scenes from Othello

a) Lines: Act 2, scene 1, lines 308-334

Prompt: Look at the diction Iago uses when describing Othello in these lines.
What does this diction revel about Iago?

b) Lines: Act 3, scene 3, lines 170-249

Prompt: What does the figurative language in these lines suggest about the
nature of jealousy?

c) Lines: Act 4, scene 1, lines 200-231

Prompt: What does the figurative language in these lines suggest about
Othellos inner conflict?

d) Lines: Act 5, scene 2, lines 310-341

Prompt: What does the figurative language in these lines suggest about who
Othello blames for his situation?

Othello Overview
Key Terms for the Play as a Whole
Moor: The word Moor now refers to the Islamic Arabic inhabitants of North Africa
who conquered Spain in the eighth century, but [in Shakespeares time] the term
was used rather broadly in the period and was sometimes applied to Africans from
other regions (Spark Notes,
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/othello/context.html).
Cypress: An island nation in the Mediterranean Sea
Venice: A city in Italy that is built on the water with canals with gondolas (small
boats pushed by gondoliers)
Turks: People from the country of Turkey
Citadel: A military fort. Much of the play takes place around or in the Venetian
Citadel in Cypress.
Act 1, Scene 1
Iago tells Roderigo that he is angry because Othello has passed him over in favor of Cassio. They awake
Desdemona's father, Brabantio, to tell him she has eloped with Othello. Brabantio sends for Othello.
Lines to read: Act 1, scene 1, lines 1-175
Vocabulary
Remedy (n): a medicine or solution
Visage (n): a persons face
Duty (n), Duteus (adj): Duty is an obligation, Duteus is not something people currently say, in this place it
means people who fulfill their obligations to their masters/bosses.
Malicious (adj): mean, with bad intent, que malo
Lascivious (adj): offensively sexual, Robin Thicke did a lascivious dance at the MTV music awards
Rebuke (v): to give sharp disapproval
Embark (v): to set out on a journey, we are embarking on a voyage to the moon!

Act 1, Scene 2
Brabantio goes to collect Othello and charge him for eloping with Desdemona, but at the same time, Othello is
asked for by the Duke. So Othello and Brabantio go before the Duke.

Act 1, Scene 3
They meet with the duke. When Brabantio claims Othello has stolen his daughter, they send for Desdemona at
Othello's suggestion. She explains that she married for love. Othello is stationed in Cyprus to deal with a Turkish
fleet. Desdemona will go with Othello to Cyprus, she though will travel with Iago. Roderigo (a former suitor of
Desdemona) is suicidal at the news of her marriage to Othello, but Iago tells him not to worry, that Iago is hatching
a plan to ruin the marriage and secure Iago his job above Cassio.
Lines to read:
Act 1, scene 3, lines 90-240
Act 1, scene 3, lines 342-447
Vocabulary
Siege (n): a military action in which the military surrounds a place
Imminent (adj): coming soon. At the end of the term, portfolio is imminent.
Foe (n): enemy. if you are not my friend, you are my foe.
Discourse (n): conversation or other exchange of ideas
To woo (v): to flirt, get together with, spit game
To Perceive (v): to understand, to see or sense

Act 2, Scene 1
They arrive at Cypress. The Turkish fleet of ships has been destroyed, so there is no war to be fought. Iago puns
with Emilia and Desdemona before Othello arrives. Iago begins convincing Rodrigo that Desdemona is falling for
Cassio. Iago plans also to set Cassio up by having Roderigo bother Cassio purposefully so that Cassio will
overreact creating a disturbance for the town, and Othello will have to demote/fire Cassio.
Lines to read:
Act 2, scene 1, lines 199-334
Vocabulary
Satiety (n): fullness, lack of hunger
Abhor (v): to hate, hate, hate, hate a lot
Compel (v): to make someone do something, the pizza after school compelled her to stay and do her work
Requisites (n): requirements, requisite skills for being on the team are, you have to be able to shoot and run
Embrace (v): to hug
Rash (adj): impulsive, quick, when Im hungry I make rash decisions, like to run the red light on the way to
McDonalds
Provoke (v): to give rise to a reaction (usually negative), my little sister used to provoke me by singing the
song that never ends, but when I hit her, I was the only one who got in trouble.
Gnaw (v): to bite like a dog gnaws at a bone.
Egregiously (adv): ridiculously, obviously bad. Its one thing to cut class, but it is egregious to cut class
AFTER you said good morning to your English teacher in the hallway.

Act 2, scene 2
Harald announces Turkish defeat and party!

Act 2, scene 3
Iago gets Cassio drunk. While starting the night watch (patrol), Cassio and Montano fight. Montano is killed. Iago
gets others to call out that there is a riot and ring the bells, which wake Othello and Desdemona. Othello fires
Cassio. Iago plays like he is on Cassio's side--not telling Othello directly that Cassio was responsible for the fight
and counseling Cassio about what to do to get back on Othellos good side. Iago tells Cassio to ask Desdemona to
help him regain his position with Othello. Iago leaves the scene also planning to set Othello up to catch Cassio and
Desdemona together.
Lines to read:
Act 2, scene 3 all lines (in film)
Vocabulary
Discretion (n): speaking and acting in a way that is thoughtful and avoids conflict. Even though I told you
how to get into the movies for free, use some discretion when you talk to other people about it. I
dont want my cousin to get in trouble or loose her job.
Revels (n): PARTY! (in an old fashioned way) [revel (v) means to enjoy]
Quarrel (v, used as noun here): fight
Isle (n): island
Infirmity (n): illness or weakness
Virtue (n): good, honorable quality, the opposite of vice
Vice (n): bad, evil behavior, the opposite of virtue
Rogue (n): dishonest man
Pursue (v): to follow, I pursued a law degree OR When the robbers jumped out of the car, the police
pursued them on foot.
Immortal (adj): cannot die (the opposite of mortal, Immortal Kombat would be less bloody)
Despise (v): to hate, to abhor
Importune (v): to ask, to beg. I importune you to do your homework and pass this class so you can have a
different ELA teacher next year!
Wit (n): Intelligence

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Act 3, scene 1
Cassio hires a Musician to play for Desdemona and Othello as is custom after a marriage. A clown comes and
makes fun of it. Iago again, offers to help Cassio by getting him in touch with Desdemona. Emilia comes and tells
Cassio that Desdemona has been telling Othello to rehire him.

Act 3, scene 2
Othello leaves to walk around with Iago and Gentlemen

Act 3, scene 3
Cassio pleads his case to Desdemona. When Othello and Iago enter, Cassio quickly exits. Iago insinuates that
Cassio leaves because he has been pursuing Desdemona. Desdemona tries to get Othello to take Cassio back.
Othello has a headache, and Desdemona tries to help him with her handkerchief. It falls on the ground. Emilia
takes the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. When Othello returns from dinner, he tells Iago he is not convinced that
Desdemona is unfaithful, but he is tormented by not knowing. Iago then gives him proof--one that he has seen
Cassio dream about making out with Desdemona, and two that he has seen Cassio with Desdemona's
handkerchief. Othello then declares vengeance on Desdemona and gives Iago the post of lieutenant.
Lines to read:
Act 3, scene 3, all lines
Vocabulary
Reconciliation (n): getting back together, coming together again after a disagreement,
Conceit (n): a belief or idea
Frank (adj): plain, without frills, honest
Loathe (v): to hate, despise, abhor
Token (n): a symbol or a keepsake, a symbolic gift
Negligence (n): failure to take care of something, running the carnival ride without seatbelts, was negligent
Tranquil (adj): calm. First period is tranquil compared to last period.
Slander (v): to speak poorly of someone, to spread hurtful, false rumors
Foregone Conclusion (n): an ending that cannot be avoided

Act 3, scene 4
Othello is upset with Desdemona but she does not understand why. He asks to see her handkerchief and lays into
her when she admits she has lost it. Bianca comes to visit Cassio. Cassio tells her he doesn't want to be seen with
her because it might not look good to the authorities he is trying to persuade to take him back. He has found
Desdemona's handkerchief because Iago placed it in his room. He likes it, though he does not know who it belongs
to. He asks Bianca to sew a copy of it.

Act 4, scene 1
Iago gets Othello to hide and observe a conversation between Iago and Cassio. Cassio talks about how
uninterested he is in Bianca, but Othello doesnt know hes talking about Bianca. Then Bianca enters with
Desdemona's handkerchief, upset that Cassio would ask her to copy a handkerchief she believes he got from
another woman. Lodivico enters with news from Venice: orders that Othello return to Venice and instate Cassio in
his position to oversee Cyprus. When Desdemona expresses joy at this, Othello slaps her. He has also made plans
to suffocate her (on Iago's suggestion) and for Iago to kill Cassio.
Lines to read:
Act 4, scene 1, lines 200-231
Vocabulary
Perish (v): to die
Undertaker (n): a person who prepares dead bodies for burrial

Act 4, scene 2
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Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore despite Emilia's protest. Iago tells an upset Desdemona not to worry
about it. Roderigo complains to Iago that Desdemona has (ironically) shown no interest in him. Iago counsels him
to kill Cassio, since Othello is preparing to leave Cypress with Desdemona, placing Cassio in charge (If Cassio
cant take charge, then Othello and Desdemona would stay, thereby giving Roderigo a chance with her).
Lines to read:
Act 4, scene 2, lines 26-123
Act 4, scene 2, lines 133-198
Vocabulary
Affliction (n): something that causes suffering
Grim (adj): depressing, dark, sad
Cinders (n): remains of fire, hot ashes
Conceive (v): think
Weep (v): to cry
Insinuating (v): suggesting, giving clues

Act 4, scene 3
After dinner, Othello tells Desdemona to go to bed and to dismiss Emilia. Desdemona has had her wedding sheets
laid out and speaks of suicide. Emilia philosophizes about why women might cheat on their husbands.

Act 5, scene 1
Big scene when Iago's plots come together. Iago convinces Roderigo to attack Cassio. Roderigo tries to attach
Cassio and misses. Iago jumps in to fix it, and gets Cassio's leg. Cassio fights back and gets Roderigo. Lodivico
and Grantiano respond to the calls. Iago returns as if he is new to the scene. He blames Cassio's attack on Bianca,
who also arrives at the scene.
Lines to read:
Act 5, scene 1-150, 235-435
Vocabulary
Resolution (n) decision, commitment
Gait (n): the way a person walks
Maimed (adj): without a limb, injured
Valiant (adj): brave
Malice (n): evil, a want to do bad deeds

Act 5, scene 2
Othello suffocates Desdemona. Emilia enters (to tell Othello about the murders in the street) and finds out what
happened. At first, Emilia does not believe that Iago is behind the murder. When she discovers that he was behind it
all, she outs his stealing of the handkerchief. He then kills her and runs off. As others chase Iago, Othello kills
himself.
Lines to read:
Act 5, scene 2, all lines
Vocabulary
Solicit (v): to ask
Perjury (n): a lie under oath
Grounds (n): as in grounds of an argument, the basis of a belief or argument, the reasons for something
Iterance (n): something said
Odious (adj): smelly and ugly and yucky
Mad (adj): insane
Gratify (v): to bring pleasure or satisfaction
Amorous (adj): with love, romantic, sexual
Trifle (n): something small, not worth much attention
Notorious (adj): Well-known for a bad reason (notorious, no, no, notorious)
Impediments (n): obstructions, things that get in the way
Ensnared (v): to get tangled up, or trapped

12