Thinking about 'Othello'

 

Here are 10 exercises on quotations in Othello. They are designed for pair-work 15-minute sessions in class, but work perfectly well for individuals. You need to know the play well, so these are for revision at a late stage of study. The purpose is to make your mind work hard: retrieving factual details, certainly, about the sequence of the play, individual quotations and so on, but more importantly know making you think and create connections, and have a debate with a partner.

You don’t need to write on the original sheet itself: just take a piece of paper and jot down your responses. When finished find the quotation in context from the text itself, and then fill in any gaps.

Othello - full play quotation revision

A revision series using quotations from Othello, by Act, is here. 

On this post you can see all 67 quotations together from all five Acts, below.

Set the Quizlet in flashcard study mode, and click top right to ‘answer with definition’, and then try to recall the missing word. Click to find the answer and for some notes on the significance of the quotation.

Most importantly, think about how the quotation can be used, what it tells us about a character/theme, in what way it resonates elsewhere in the play. 

Othello, Act 5 - quotation revision

The fifth in a revision series using quotations from Othello, by Act.

Set the Quizlet in flashcard study mode, and click top right to ‘answer with definition’, and then try to recall the missing word. Click to find the answer and for some notes on the significance of the quotation.

Most importantly, think about how the quotation can be used, what it tells us about a character/theme, in what way it resonates elsewhere in the play. 

 

Othello, Act 4 - quotation revision

The fourth in a revision series using quotations from Othello, by Act.

Set the Quizlet in flashcard study mode, and click top right to ‘answer with definition’, and then try to recall the missing word. Click to find the answer and for some notes on the significance of the quotation.

Most importantly, think about how the quotation can be used, what it tells us about a character/theme, in what way it resonates elsewhere in the play. 

 

Othello, Act 1: quotation revision

 The first in a revision series using quotations from Othello, by Act.

Set the Quizlet in flashcard study mode, and click top right to ‘answer with definition’, and then try to recall the missing word. Click to find the answer and for some notes on the significance of the quotation.

Most importantly, think about how the quotation can be used, what it tells us about a character/theme, in what way it resonates elsewhere in the play.

 

  

 

 

Resources for 'Othello'

 Here are some resources for teachers and pupils of Othello:

• The Othello 2020 project from Red Bull Theater in New York was ‘a multi-part initiative of Red Bull Theater to provide an engaging and educational experience for all who are interested in Shakespeare’s Othello and and its relationship to the world in which we live today … [and] is seeking to deepen our exploration and understanding of the intersection of race and classical theater.’ Particularly recommended is a detailed exploration of Iago’s psychopathy by the actor Patrick Page.
• Patrick Huff has a fine Twitter thread here, drawing together some resources, and a YouTube playlist.
• INOTE has started English podcasts, including two on Othello (so far) here.
• An excellent talk by Arielle Battice-Wedderburn at the 2020 Team English conference: ‘Othello & historical ideas of blackness’ (her slides are here).
• The first podcast in Emma Smith’s Oxford University lecture series is on Othello, and of course the chapter on her book This is Shakespeare is essential reading (my notes on the Othello chapter).
• As usual, the British Library resources are worth looking at: articles, items from the collection (including the Cinthio source).
• The BBC’s Shakespeare Sessions has a full-length audio version, and discussions by Islam Issa (‘What it means to be a Moor’) and Hugh Quarshie (‘Looking for the Moor’: is the play racist?).
• A Folger Shakespeare discussion on ‘Othello and blackface’: there’s also a transcript.
• Ayanna Thompson in a Bloomsbury podcast on the play: she wrote the introduction for the revised Arden3 edition. This discussion has a particularly strong focus on race.

'King Lear' quotation retrieval grids

Here are some exercises on quotations in King Lear. They are designed for pair-work 10-minute sessions in class, but work perfectly well for individuals. You need to know the play well, so these are for revision at a late stage. 

The purpose is to make your mind work hard: retrieving factual details, certainly, about the sequence of the play, individual quotations and so on, but more importantly know making you think and create connections. You don’t need to write on the original sheet itself: just take a piece of paper and jot down your responses. [Line numbers are from the Everyman edition Tragedies, Volume 1].

'King Lear' quotations: Act 5

The fourth of a series to help learn and think about quotations, and to use as retrieval practice.

Try to remember the missing word in the definition flashcard, and then click to see the answer and some comments. Set the card to show definition first, and in flashcard mode. 

'King Lear' quotations, Act 4

The fourth of a series to help learn and think about quotations, and to use as retrieval practice.

Try to remember the missing word in the definition flashcard, and then click to see the answer and some comments. Set the card to show definition first, and in flashcard mode. 

'King Lear' quotations, Act 3

The third of a series to help learn and think about quotations, and to use as retrieval practice. Try to remember the missing word in the definition flashcard, and then click to see the answer and some comments.

Set the card to show definition first, and in flashcard mode. 

'King Lear' quotation Quizlets: Act 2

The second of a series to help learn and think about quotations, and to use as retrieval practice. Try to remember the missing word in the definition flashcard, and then click to see the answer and some comments.

 Set the card to show definition first, and in flashcard mode. 

'King Lear' quotation Quizlets: Act 1

The first of a series to help learn and think about quotations, and to use as retrieval practice. Try to remember the missing word in the definition flashcard, and then click to see the answer and some comments.

 Set the card to show definition first, and in flashcard mode.

Willis Memorial Prize for Shakespeare 2020

Congratulations to Eliza Somerville, winner of this year's Willis Memorial Prize for Shakespeare, and to Sinead Cleary and Shannon Dent, who were awarded Commendations for their entries. In addition, Fourth Formers Marcus O'Connor and Oscar Sternberg gained Distinctions with fine entries from Fourth Form.

The paper asked candidates to consider the tricky complex Sonnet 71 ('No longer mourn for me when I am dead') and then the 'memorability' of the plays. Candidates ranged widely across Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar. Thanks and well done to all who entered, especially in these 'distanced' days. But Shakespeare draws us together...

'Hamlet' quotation practice grids

Here are 15 exercises on quotations in Hamlet. They are designed for pair-work 10-minute sessions in class, but work perfectly well for individuals. You need to know the play well, so these are for revision at a late stage. 

The purpose is to make your mind work hard: retrieving factual details, certainly, about the sequence of the play, individual quotations and so on, but more importantly know making you think and create connections. You don’t need to write on the original sheet itself: just take a piece of paper and jot down your responses. 

Take 10-15 minutes, and when finished find the quotation in context and then fill in any gaps.

Hamlet quotations: all 5 Acts

Quizlet tests for retrieval practice on quotations from Hamlet. Here, the entire play, with quotations jumbled by Act (total of 97).

Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others?

Hamlet quotations, Act V

Quizlet tests for retrieval practice on quotations from Hamlet. Here, Act 5.

Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others?

Hamlet quotations, Act 4

Quizlet tests for retrieval practice on quotations from Hamlet. Here, Act 4.

Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others?

Hamlet quotations, Act 3

Quizlet tests for retrieval practice on quotations from Hamlet. Here, Act 3.

Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others?

Hamlet quotations: Act 1

The first of a series of Quizlet tests for retrieval practice on quotations from Hamlet. Here, Act 1. 

Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others?
 

Classic Shakespeare

Gresham College has a phenomenal high-class series of videos on all sorts of subjects. Over the last year or so, Sir Jonathan Bate, one of the world's greatest authorities on Shakespeare, has lectured on the playwright, and currently six of these lectures are available online. 

For instance, above is Bate on 'Shakespeare's London and Ancient Rome'. Gresham's also provide a PDF transcript of these lectures, and the presentations. Wonderful.