What Is The Pivotal Scene In Othello
Desdemona’s role as Othello’s wife proves to be a weighty factor in the unsuccessful conversion of Othello. As Jane Hwang DeGenhardt discusses, a crucial aspect of the culture during this era was the idea concerning the “threat of Islamic conversion” which is “in light of England’s increased commercial engagement with the Ottoman empire” (84). In other words, the fear of the idea of “turning Turk” led to resistance from Christians, and this development was frequently represented on stage with Othello as no exception. As DeGenhardt explains:
In each of these plays, Islamic conversion is figured as the direct result of sexual intercourse between a Christian man and a Muslim woman, Conversely, Christian resistance is exemplified through the chastity …show more content…
Students will be placed into groups of three to four students, and will select a scene in which they believe is a pivotal scene in Othello. As a group, students perform a close reading of their selected passage. They will be instructed to annotate their selection, highlighting and noting important aspects of language and actions, as well as the specific impact that these aspects have on the scene and piece as a whole. Students will then create a movie scene based on their selection. The teacher will encourage students to consider the influence of tone, camera angle, lighting, etc. and how they emphasize and tell the overall story. The teacher will provide students with a video camera, costumes, one class period to record their scene, and one period to edit and finalize the performance. Students will be allowed and encouraged to use creativity with their projects. Students can portray a scene as serious or satirical, depending on what the feel best conveys the message of the scheme. Students will also be encouraged to incorporate their pre-reading knowledge into the scene. For example, students may include an improve comment referring to Othello as Judas, Desdemona as a lamb, or draw attention to Iago’s statement, “I am not what I am,” and it’s coordination to the Bible. It will be clear to the class that text such as the Bible will be referenced as a piece of literature that encompasses literary devices such as allusions and symbols. The Bible will not be discussed or debated on a theological
In each of these plays, Islamic conversion is figured as the direct result of sexual intercourse between a Christian man and a Muslim woman, Conversely, Christian resistance is exemplified through the chastity …show more content…
Students will be placed into groups of three to four students, and will select a scene in which they believe is a pivotal scene in Othello. As a group, students perform a close reading of their selected passage. They will be instructed to annotate their selection, highlighting and noting important aspects of language and actions, as well as the specific impact that these aspects have on the scene and piece as a whole. Students will then create a movie scene based on their selection. The teacher will encourage students to consider the influence of tone, camera angle, lighting, etc. and how they emphasize and tell the overall story. The teacher will provide students with a video camera, costumes, one class period to record their scene, and one period to edit and finalize the performance. Students will be allowed and encouraged to use creativity with their projects. Students can portray a scene as serious or satirical, depending on what the feel best conveys the message of the scheme. Students will also be encouraged to incorporate their pre-reading knowledge into the scene. For example, students may include an improve comment referring to Othello as Judas, Desdemona as a lamb, or draw attention to Iago’s statement, “I am not what I am,” and it’s coordination to the Bible. It will be clear to the class that text such as the Bible will be referenced as a piece of literature that encompasses literary devices such as allusions and symbols. The Bible will not be discussed or debated on a theological