Millie Houlton – A LEVEL English Literature
Flipped learning – Othello: ACT 3
Othello - Act 3, Scene 3
Part 1 Lines 1 – 89 (Exit Desdemona and Emilia)
1) The scene begins in medias res. What has Desdemona just been asked and
by whom?
The scene begins with Desdemona promising she will do all she can to help
Cassio win back Othello’s loyalty & win his position, as lieutenant, within the
army back.
“Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do / All my abilities in thy behalf”
2) Both Emilia and Desdemona say something about Iago. Both quotes are
dramatic irony. Find the two quotes.
Desdemona – “Oh, that’s an honest fellow” -> saying how Iago, Emilia’s
husband, is such a good man. Yet we know this is not true as he is constantly
plotting his revenge on Othello and wanted Cassio to be in the brawl & lose his
status all along.
Emilia – “I warrant it grieves my husband / As if the cause were his.” Emilia is
saying to Desdemona that Iago is so upset about Cassio’s problem with Othello
that you would think it is his own. This is ironic as we know that Iago is plotting
to ruin Cassio and wanted this to happen all along.
3) Look at Desdemona’s lines 19 – 28. Comment on some of the imagery that
she uses to reassure Cassio.
Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here
[20] I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it
To the last article. My lord shall never rest,
I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience.
His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift,
[25] I’ll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio,
For thy solicitor shall rather die
Than give thy cause away.
On line 20-21 Desdemona is promising Cassio that she will help him, by speaking
to Othello and sharing his side of the story by pleading his innocence. In this
section “I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, / If I do vow a friendship,
I’ll perform it” Desdemona is saying to Cassio when she vows to help someone
, she doesn’t like to give up until she has accomplished and succeeded in what
she has set out to do. Therefore he can rest assured that she will stand by him
and not just make an empty promise to pacify Cassio. This is supported by the
quotation on line 22 “My lord shall never rest,” as Desdemona is telling Cassio
that Othello will not have a minutes peace, as Desdemona will always be
persuading him that Cassio deserves a second chance as he was under the
influence of alcohol, which caused him to commit the bad deed.
In the quotation “His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift, / I’ll intermingle
everything he does” Desdemona is saying to Cassio that she will defend him so
often, that Othello will believe that his bed has become almost like a conference
room, where they cannot avoid talking about Cassio. Othello will not be able to
get away from the topic of Cassio and potentially gets bored of hearing about it,
so Desdemona will get her wish and not stop until Othello listens and gifts Cassio
with his role in the army once again.
When Desdemona states “For thy solicitor shall rather die / Than give thy cause
away” she is telling Cassio directly that she will be his advocate and is willing to
plead his cause and protest his innocence to Othello. She is also saying she
would rather die, than let herself give up on Cassio as she knows he is not a bad
man and has always been a friend to Othello.
4) How does Iago take advantage of Cassio’s leaving before Othello comes in?
Iago sees Cassio leaving and states “Hey! I don’t like that”, which grabs Othello’s
attention. When Othello asks if it was Cassio seen leaving his wife, Iago tries to
twist the situation by saying “He wouldn’t sneak away looking so guilty when he
saw you coming”. This phrase from Iago makes Othello suspicious of Cassio and
wonder what has been going on and the reason for Cassio to be sneaking away
from his wife, Desdemona, as if he doesn’t want to be seen.
5) How does Desdemona seem to foil Iago’s suggestion in her first lines to
Othello?
Desdemona foils Iago’s plan to make Othello suspicious because as soon as
Desdemona greets Othello, she openly says she has been speaking to his
Lieutenant, Cassio who is a man suffering from Othello’s anger and
disappointment. “A man that languishes in your displeasure.” She then pleads
with Othello to try and patch things up with Cassio and he says “Not now, sweet
Desdemona. Some other time.” [55] yet he doesn’t get angry but instead still
acknowledges he will speak to Cassio, at some point because she wants him too.
“The sooner, sweet, for you.”
6) How is the harmony between Othello and Desdemona conveyed?
Flipped learning – Othello: ACT 3
Othello - Act 3, Scene 3
Part 1 Lines 1 – 89 (Exit Desdemona and Emilia)
1) The scene begins in medias res. What has Desdemona just been asked and
by whom?
The scene begins with Desdemona promising she will do all she can to help
Cassio win back Othello’s loyalty & win his position, as lieutenant, within the
army back.
“Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do / All my abilities in thy behalf”
2) Both Emilia and Desdemona say something about Iago. Both quotes are
dramatic irony. Find the two quotes.
Desdemona – “Oh, that’s an honest fellow” -> saying how Iago, Emilia’s
husband, is such a good man. Yet we know this is not true as he is constantly
plotting his revenge on Othello and wanted Cassio to be in the brawl & lose his
status all along.
Emilia – “I warrant it grieves my husband / As if the cause were his.” Emilia is
saying to Desdemona that Iago is so upset about Cassio’s problem with Othello
that you would think it is his own. This is ironic as we know that Iago is plotting
to ruin Cassio and wanted this to happen all along.
3) Look at Desdemona’s lines 19 – 28. Comment on some of the imagery that
she uses to reassure Cassio.
Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here
[20] I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it
To the last article. My lord shall never rest,
I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience.
His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift,
[25] I’ll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio,
For thy solicitor shall rather die
Than give thy cause away.
On line 20-21 Desdemona is promising Cassio that she will help him, by speaking
to Othello and sharing his side of the story by pleading his innocence. In this
section “I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, / If I do vow a friendship,
I’ll perform it” Desdemona is saying to Cassio when she vows to help someone
, she doesn’t like to give up until she has accomplished and succeeded in what
she has set out to do. Therefore he can rest assured that she will stand by him
and not just make an empty promise to pacify Cassio. This is supported by the
quotation on line 22 “My lord shall never rest,” as Desdemona is telling Cassio
that Othello will not have a minutes peace, as Desdemona will always be
persuading him that Cassio deserves a second chance as he was under the
influence of alcohol, which caused him to commit the bad deed.
In the quotation “His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift, / I’ll intermingle
everything he does” Desdemona is saying to Cassio that she will defend him so
often, that Othello will believe that his bed has become almost like a conference
room, where they cannot avoid talking about Cassio. Othello will not be able to
get away from the topic of Cassio and potentially gets bored of hearing about it,
so Desdemona will get her wish and not stop until Othello listens and gifts Cassio
with his role in the army once again.
When Desdemona states “For thy solicitor shall rather die / Than give thy cause
away” she is telling Cassio directly that she will be his advocate and is willing to
plead his cause and protest his innocence to Othello. She is also saying she
would rather die, than let herself give up on Cassio as she knows he is not a bad
man and has always been a friend to Othello.
4) How does Iago take advantage of Cassio’s leaving before Othello comes in?
Iago sees Cassio leaving and states “Hey! I don’t like that”, which grabs Othello’s
attention. When Othello asks if it was Cassio seen leaving his wife, Iago tries to
twist the situation by saying “He wouldn’t sneak away looking so guilty when he
saw you coming”. This phrase from Iago makes Othello suspicious of Cassio and
wonder what has been going on and the reason for Cassio to be sneaking away
from his wife, Desdemona, as if he doesn’t want to be seen.
5) How does Desdemona seem to foil Iago’s suggestion in her first lines to
Othello?
Desdemona foils Iago’s plan to make Othello suspicious because as soon as
Desdemona greets Othello, she openly says she has been speaking to his
Lieutenant, Cassio who is a man suffering from Othello’s anger and
disappointment. “A man that languishes in your displeasure.” She then pleads
with Othello to try and patch things up with Cassio and he says “Not now, sweet
Desdemona. Some other time.” [55] yet he doesn’t get angry but instead still
acknowledges he will speak to Cassio, at some point because she wants him too.
“The sooner, sweet, for you.”
6) How is the harmony between Othello and Desdemona conveyed?
