Othello extract question plan: Act 4 Scene 1

The extract is from Act 4 scene 1 and is significant at showing Othello's tragic downfall. Before this scene, Othello has become victim to Iago's lies and mainpualtion, resulting in him believing that Desdemona has cheated with Cassio. In the extract, we see how this has affected Othello's relationship with both Desdemona and Cassio through Shakespeare's use of dialogue, stage directions and characterisation.

• Desdemona's blindness to Othellp's anger with her 
• 'sweet Othello' - she is completley unaware that Othello is upset with her 
• dramatic irony - the audience know why Othello is being aggressive with Desdemona, but she is unaware
• 'my lord?' - repeats multiple times, emphasises her confusion 
• has an impact on the climax of the play
• link to: Act 3 scene 2
• Othello lies to Desdemona, telling her he has a sore head and cannot join her at dinner

• Othello's tragic downfall 
• becomes more violent and aggressive towards Desdemona 
• stage directions - 'striking her'
• first time Othello has experienced any real violence and in particular towards Desdemona 
• dialogue - 'O devil, devil!' - feelings towards Desdemona have changed since they arrived in Cyprus
• significant because it shows how his character has changed as a result of Iago's manipulation and lies 

• Desdemona is a tragic victim
• Lodovico refers to her as 'an obedient lady' - suggests that she only does as she is told and has no real power of her own 
• 'for the love I bear to Cassio' - gullable to believe everything she is told 
• significant to the play as a whole because it further emphasises how Desdemona could be argued to have less power than that of the other characters in the scene 

To conclude, the extract is significant at building tension to the final climax of the play in Act 5.