Hamlet
Othello POINT 4
In his ominous self-appointed role of dispenser of justice, Othello interrogates Desdemona about the handkerchief before he kills her, ‘That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee,/ Thou gavest to Cassio’. He will not listen when she denies it, ‘I never gave him token’. Only after her murder, Emilia reveals the truth, that she ‘found by fortune and did give my husband’. She confesses he ‘begged of me to steal it’. The audience is distraught that the truth has emerged too late. This creates a very dark and edgy atmosphere. The best example of irony in my second text is …
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
Shakespeare effectively uses dramatic irony and the recurrent motif of the embroidered handkerchief to build tension in this poignant tragedy. The audience has been gripped by the foreknowledge given by Iago in his soliloquies and asides and watch horrified, yet helpless, as the naive characters, Desdemona, Cassio and Othello, are manipulated by him. This is similar to/different from …
Sample Paragraph: POINT 3
Iago uses the handkerchief, Othello’s first love-token to Desdemona, to ‘ensnare’ them all in his web of deceit. He manipulates Othello’s thinking by linking it to Desdemona’s fidelity. Iago lies, saying that he saw ‘Cassio wipe his beard’ with it and then accuses Desdemona directly, ‘It speaks against her’. There is a growing sense of discomfort as Othello’s gullibility horrifies the audience. He has just seen the very same handkerchief in Desdemona’s hand when he complained that he had ‘a pain upon my forehead’. Iago ‘poisons’ Othello’s mind through a devious association. He links Desdemona giving the handkerchief to Cassio with her giving her affection to him, both untrue. The atmosphere grows increasingly uncomfortable as the formerly articulate Othello descends into incoherence, ‘Handkerchief – confession! – handkerchief!’ He collapses onto the ground in an epileptic fit while Iago’s ‘medicine’ does its ‘work’. The mood of malevolent evil shocks the audience. A similar/different effect is achieved through the use of a recurring motif in both my other texts …
Examiner’s Comment
Š Well-sustained top-grade response that maintains focus on the question.
Š Effectively developed point about the importance of the handkerchief in creating tension.
Š Expression is varied and clearly controlled – and there is close engagement with the text.
Š Rounded off with a comparative approach.
Remember!
Modes overlap. Literary Genre often influences the reader’s understanding of Vision and Viewpoint, Cultural Context, and Theme or Issue in texts.
Useful Comparative Links Successful comparative answers include clear links between texts.
The following phrases might be useful in pointing out similarities and differences between texts.
Similarities Š Both authors take a similar approach. Š The two stories have much in common.
Differences Š These two texts could not be more different.
Š These two key moments illustrate contrasting aspects of …
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Exam Techniques
Using Othello as a Comparative Text: Literary Genre
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