Othello extract question plan: Act 5 Scene 2

The extract is taken from Act 5 Scene 2 and is the ending climax of the play. Before this, Desdemona has tragically been killed by Othello and Iago's manipulative nature has been revelaed. Othello is sent into a frenzy as we see his tragic dwnfall reach its climax.

• Throughout the whole play, Othello's tragic downfall has been progressing due to the manipulation of Iago
• Othello kills himself - 'stabs himself' 
• stage directions 
• prop, the knife 
• significant as it brings the play to a dramatic close
• link to: Act 3 Scene 4 (the beginning of his fall)
• Othello becomes increasingly angry at Desdemona for not having the handkerchief
• Othello's dialogue and imperatives - 'Give me your hand'
• Change in tone- poetic and romantic in Act 1 Scene 2, he now appears angry and disappointed in Desdemona 
• Desdemona's blindness is also significant here

• death as a tragic aspect is significant at ending the play
• setting - 'falls on the bed, and dies'
• Desdemona has just died on the same bed that Othello falls on
• Shakespeare did this to show that Othello and Desdemona always loved each other
• tragic because their love has ended tragically and abruptly 
• link to: earlier in Act 5 scene 2
• Desdemona is killed by Othello
• her last dying wish - 'commend me to my kind lord' suggests that she understands why Othello has done what he has done 
• Significant because it further emphasises Desdemona's biggest tragic flaw of total blindness 

• Othello presented as a tragic victim
• dialogue - 'of one not easily jealous, but being wrought perplex'd in the extreme'
• shows how Iago's manipulation has made Othello feel jealously, something he has never really experienced before 
• link to: Act 3 scene 3
• - Othello becomes enraged, and arguably jealous, when Desdemona does not stop talking about giving Cassio his job back
• she seems desperate to please Cassio - 'why then, tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn; on tuesday, noon or night; on Wednesday morn!'
• Othello does not use pet names anymore because he becomes so frustrated and jealous 

To conclude, the extract is significant to the play as a whole because it provides a climactic ending to Othello's tragic downfall.