Othello Study Guide Questions
ACT I
1. What is Othello’s position in society? How is he regarded by those who know
him? By his own words, when we meet in Scene ii, what traits of character does he
manifest?
2. How do you account for Brabantio’s dismay on learning of his daughter’s
marriage, despite the fact that Desdemona has married a man so generally honored
and admired?
3. What was Iago’s view of human nature? In his fondness for likening men to
animals (as in I, i, 49-50; I, i, 90-91; and I, iii, 380-381), what does he tell us about
himself?
4. What reasons does Iago give for his hatred of Othello?
5. In Othello’s defense before the senators (Scene iii), how does he explain
Desdemona’s gradual falling in love with him?
6. Is Brabantio’s warning to Othello (I, iii, 293-294) an accurate or an inaccurate
prophecy?
