Othello (Shakespeare) practice questions and exam guide

The 'green-eyed monster' image identifies jealousy with:

1. The restless sea, forever changing and impossible to predict
2. A predator that mocks the very meat it feeds on, toying cruelly with its prey
3. A hidden serpent whose bite is felt long before it is seen
4. A slow fire that consumes everything it is allowed to touch

Answer: B — A predator that mocks the very meat it feeds on, toying cruelly with its prey

A/C/D) Wrong. B) Correct — the image emphasizes that jealousy consumes its host while it pretends to nourish.

The attack on Cassio in Act 5 is botched because:

1. Othello unexpectedly steps in and stops it
2. Lodovico happens to be nearby and raises the alarm
3. Bianca's sudden cries draw the night watch running
4. Roderigo's own blade fails against him

Answer: D — Roderigo's own blade fails against him

A/B/C) Wrong. D) Correct — the chaotic street fight removes Iago's chief tool and witness in one stroke.

Lodovico's closing line gives orders for:

1. Iago's immediate execution, ordered on the spot without a formal trial
2. The torture of Iago to force a confession, and the seizure of Othello's fortune for Gratiano
3. A period of public mourning proclaimed across the garrison town of Cyprus
4. A formal pardon for Bianca, absolving her of any part in the killings

Answer: B — The torture of Iago to force a confession, and the seizure of Othello's fortune for Gratiano

A) Reversed. B) Correct — Iago is to be tortured; Gratiano inherits as Brabantio's brother. C/D) Wrong.

Iago's theory of jealousy in 3.3 is that:

1. Jealousy reveals a deeper truth that reason alone cannot uncover
2. Jealousy is a noble passion that protects what a man rightly owns
3. Jealousy manufactures its own evidence and feeds on suspicion instead of fact
4. Jealousy is a curable weakness that fades once the truth comes out

Answer: C — Jealousy manufactures its own evidence and feeds on suspicion instead of fact

A/B/D) Wrong. C) Correct — the diagnostic precedes and prepares the application to Othello.

The willow song originates with:

1. Desdemona's own mother, who sang it in her youth
2. A maid named Barbary, whose lover went mad
3. Othello's father, who taught it to him as a boy
4. Bianca, who learned it from sailors passing through Cyprus

Answer: B — A maid named Barbary, whose lover went mad

A/C/D) Wrong. B) Correct — a song inherited through women, sung by a woman about to die.

Iago's primary technique in the temptation scene is to:

1. Make blunt, direct accusations that leave no room for doubt
2. Bring in supposed witnesses to back up his claims
3. Display forged letters that seem to prove the affair
4. Hesitate and hint, then withdraw, so Othello demands more

Answer: D — Hesitate and hint, then withdraw, so Othello demands more

A) The opposite. D) Correct — withholding gives the lie its weight. B/C) Not used here.

Cassio's reaction when Desdemona lands safely at Cyprus is:

1. Suspicion, since he privately distrusts the timing of her sudden arrival
2. Effusively courteous, kissing her hand and praising her beauty
3. Coldly formal, offering only the briefest and most dutiful greeting he can manage
4. Complete silence, offering no greeting at all

Answer: B — Effusively courteous, kissing her hand and praising her beauty

A/C/D) Wrong. B) Correct — Iago notes the gesture and stores it as ammunition. The courtesy itself becomes evidence.

Othello's wounding of Iago after the truth comes out is meant to:

1. Kill him outright for what he has done
2. Mark him clearly for the execution to follow
3. Simply disarm him before the guards arrive
4. Test whether Iago is a devil

Answer: D — Test whether Iago is a devil

A) He cannot. D) Correct — the gesture is theological: Othello looks down to see if Iago is supernatural. B/C) Reductive.

The play's treatment of manipulation argues that:

1. Bold, outright lies are what ultimately persuade a suspicious mind
2. Half-truths and silence persuade more than open lies
3. Real persuasion requires the threat of force to back it up
4. Genuine trust, once formed, can never really be broken

Answer: B — Half-truths and silence persuade more than open lies

A/C/D) Wrong. B) Correct — Iago's craft is the play's classic case for rhetoric as villainy.

Othello's speech as he enters with the light contains the phrase:

1. "The sun itself has died, and darkness reigns"
2. "The night belongs to me until the dawn"
3. "My soul is dark, and justice now sleeps"
4. "Put out the light, and then put out the light"

Answer: D — "Put out the light, and then put out the light"

A/B/C) Wrong. D) Correct — the doubled image equates the lamp and Desdemona's life, knowing only one can be relit.

Emilia learns the truth about the handkerchief when:

1. Othello explains his evidence to her directly
2. Bianca finally confesses her part in the whole scheme
3. Iago himself breaks down and confesses everything at last
4. Lodovico produces a letter that proves Iago's guilt

Answer: A — Othello explains his evidence to her directly

A) Correct — Othello's mention of the handkerchief detonates Emilia's recognition. B/C/D) Wrong.

Iago's speech is densely populated with animal imagery to:

1. Display his own cleverness and learning in front of less-educated listeners such as Roderigo
2. Flatter Roderigo by making his rivals sound crude and unworthy
3. Echo medieval bestiaries that Elizabethan audiences would have recognized easily
4. Reduce other characters to beasts, casting Othello as a "black ram" and Desdemona as prey

Answer: D — Reduce other characters to beasts, casting Othello as a "black ram" and Desdemona as prey

A/B/C) Wrong. D) Correct — the bestial register dehumanizes and isolates targets in advance of action.

The opening scene?

Iago + Roderigo wake Brabantio at night to report Desdemona's elopement with Othello. The play opens already inside Iago's scheme. Race is foregrounded in 'old black ram' invective.

Who is Iago?

Othello's ensign (ancient). The play's antagonist + arguably its most extensive role. Drives the plot through deception. Refuses to explain himself at the end.

Who is Emilia?

Iago's wife + Desdemona's attendant. Steals the handkerchief at Iago's request. Discovers the truth at the climax + exposes Iago + dies.

What is Iago's stated motive?

Multiple + shifting: passed over for the lieutenancy (Cassio promoted instead), suspicion Othello slept with Emilia, sheer hatred. Shakespeare deliberately overdetermines.

Date + period?

Written c. 1603-04 during Shakespeare's tragic period. First performed at court Nov 1604. Published 1622 quarto + 1623 First Folio.

Who is Roderigo?

Wealthy Venetian who loves Desdemona. Iago strings him along + uses his money + eventually kills him. Comic + tragic dupe.