Othello

    AQA
    GCSE

    William Shakespeare's 'Othello' is a Jacobean tragedy set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey. The narrative follows Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, who secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of a senator. Iago, Othello's ensign, enraged by being passed over for promotion and driven by a hatred for the General, orchestrates a complex web of deception to convince Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful with his lieutenant, Cassio. As the action moves from the order of Venice to the isolation of Cyprus, Othello succumbs to consuming jealousy, leading to the murder of his innocent wife and his own tragic suicide upon discovering the truth.

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    Learning Objectives

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    • Understand key concepts related to Othello
    • Apply knowledge of Othello to exam questions

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    • "You have a good understanding of the key themes in Othello, but could strengthen your analysis with more specific textual references."
    • "Your evaluation of Iago's soliloquies is insightful; consider how Shakespeare uses these to reveal his villainy."
    • "Ensure you are directly addressing the prompt in every paragraph, linking your points back to Shakespeare's presentation."
    • "A more structured approach, with clearer topic sentences for each paragraph, would enhance the overall argument."

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