Othello, Day 2: Act 1, Scene 2
Lesson plan for day 2 of the Othello unit. Iago the two-faced Janus, Brabantio's charge of witchcraft, and the first look at Othello's self-control.
ENGLISH 12 AP - Language and Literature:
Daily Plan
UNIT: Othello
DAY: 2
Assignment to have been completed: Students should have read Act 1.2 of Othello. They should also have completed the corresponding study questions.
Activities:
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A. Discuss Act I.2 of Othello. Use the following questions to direct discussion and my answers to evaluate that discussion. The numbers in parentheses indicate line numbers at which the appropriate text may be reviewed and read aloud. Please indicate how far you get in each class.
Scene 1.2
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1. In line 33 Iago swears by Janus, the Roman god with two faces. Explain the appropriateness of this allusion in Iago’s case.
Iago is two-faced himself, that is, a hypocrite. Janus was the god of beginnings and endings, looking both forward and backward. Iago, too, looks forward with his schemes while looking backward at what he perceives as wrongs.
In the preceding lines, Iago has been reporting his disgust for Brabantio’s suspicions, though he himself has planted them in the old man’s heart himself.
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2. What seems to constitute Brabantio’s essential objections to Desdemona’s marriage to Othello?
He believes that Othello has bewitched her [63 - 79].
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3. What qualities of Othello’s personality have already emerged? What evidence points to each?
He is a man of monumental self-control [17-19]. He is a highly-regarded general and a man of royal descent [21 - 22]. He loves Desdemona dearly [25 - 28]. He commands respect and admiration [31 - 32].
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Assignment for next class meeting: Read Act 1.3 of Othello. Complete the corresponding study questions.