Act One Scene Three Questions (in 226-386)

Act One, Scene Three (In 226-386)

1.Why do the Senators listen to Desdemona and what does she persuade them to do?

They listen to Desdemona because of her father's importance and because of their respect for Othello. She persuades them to let her go with Othello so that they can have their wedding night together and so that they can be together because they've just got married. She also tells them that her love for Othello is genuine and that she wasn't drugged or didn't have magic used on her.

2. What praise (though simultaneously racist comment) does the Duke afford Othello?

He says to Brabanito: "your son-in-law is far more fair than black" and by doing this he could be trying to say that although he's black it could be worse and because it's Othello he's more like white than black. This is a compliment to Othello because the Duke is trying to help him in the sense that he is trying to get Brabantio to accept him.

3. What is significant by the rhyming couplet used by Brabantio?

It's foreshadowing the end of the play when he says the last line of it "She has deceived her father, and may thee." Iago tells Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him near the end of the play so by Brabantio saying this to Othello, it already makes us question Desdemona's loyalty and perhaps will make Othello question it too which makes what Iago says to Othello about Desdemona seem more believable.

4. What is ironic about Othello's retort and his subsequent description of Iago?

He describes Iago as being "honest" which the audience will already know isn't true so this is ironic because we see that Othello clearly trusts Iago so later, when he tells him that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him, he's likely to believe it if he is of the opinion that Iago is "honest".

5. Why is Roderigo so distraught and how (and why) does Iago convince him to keep going?

Roderigo is so distraught because he wasn't expecting Desdemona to confess her true love for Othello because of what Iago has previously told him. Iago convinces him to keep going by manipulating the situation and what has happened so far. He also convinces him with an ulterior motive of taking his money because he keeps repeating "put money in thy purse" throughout his speech to Roderigo on why he should keep going. He promises him that if he keeps giving him money then he will help him to win Desdemona.

6. Focus on Iago's soliloquy what reasons does he give for wanting revenge against Othello?

The reasons he gives are that he heard rumours that his wife had cheated with him and he says he doesn't know whether the rumours are true and even if they'e not he just doesn't like Othello and therefore wants revenge anyway. He manages to make the audience believe that Othello deserves this revenge too because 'the audience becomes complicit in Iago's intention'.