NOTE: No questions this time around, but we'll have another in-class writing when you arrive in class. So please read Act 3 by Friday's class, and try to think about some of the ideas we discussed in class, such as :
* Whether Iago is the "fool" of the play, and how he continues to play this role--or, who he plays it with and who he doesn't (Desdemona but not Othello?)
* Iago's reasons for revenge...are they supported by his actions in Act 3? Contradicted?
* Does Iago actually lie and make up fabrications about Desdemona...or does he merely hint things and let Othello fill in the rest? In other words, is Iago more to blame, or Othello?
* Is Cassio actually in love with Desdemona? Is Iago telling a half-truth when he 'lies' to Othello? Should Othello be worried? Does Desdemona herself betray any affections towards him in her language (or how she speaks it?)
ALSO, think about some of the following:
* What information do you feel ultimately turns Othello from loving husband to jealous cuckold? He tells Iago that he'll only believe when he sees prooft, but does Iago ever really offer it?
* Does Othello become more stereotypical in Act 3? Does Shakespeare offer a more racist portrait of a moor that his audience would expect? Would his portrayal in these later acts make it more and more difficult to stage today?
* What kind of woman is Emilia as she emerges from the shadows in Act 3? Is she more on Desdemona's side, or her husband's? Do you think she's in on the plot, or has Iago kept her mostly in the dark (given what he thinks of women in general)?
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