"Othello" - Act II Study Guide Assignment - Due April 4

“Othello” Act II Unit Test

SHORT ANSWER STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Why did Iago want Roderigo to anger Cassio?

2. What was the purpose of Iago's plan?

3. Why did Iago want Cassio to drink more wine?

4. What lie did Iago tell Montano about Cassio?

5. Why did Othello strip Cassio of his rank?

6. Why did Iago want Cassio to ask Desdemona for help in restoring Othello's faith in Cassio?

Othello - Multiple Choice Study/Quiz Questions Page 3

Act II

7. True or False: Iago wanted Roderigo to anger Cassio. He thought this would show that

Cassio was undisciplined and then he would be relieved of his duty. This would allow

Roderigo a better chance of getting Desdemona, since Othello and Desdemona would have to

stay longer until a replacement for Cassio could be found.

A. True.

B. False.

8. True or False: Iago was encouraging and using Roderigo in order to get revenge on him

(Roderigo) for a wrong that Roderigo's father had done to Iago's father, although it happened

many years ago, Iago had sworn revenge, and saw his chance now.

A. True

B. False

9. How did Iago cause Cassio to be argumentative?

A. Iago discussed politics with him, and purposely disagreed about everything.

B. Iago made insinuating remarks about Cassio's marital status.

C. Iago encouraged Cassio to get drunk.

D. Iago teased Cassio about his weight and age.

10. What lie did Iago tell Montano about Cassio?

A. He said Cassio had two illegitimate children.

B. He said Cassio was stealing money from Othello.

C. He said Cassio had lied about this qualifications to get the position he currently held.

D. He said Cassio was drunk every night, and would probably be drunk in a moment of

crisis.

11. What was the result of Iago's crafty explanation of Cassio's fight with Roderigo?

A. Othello stripped Cassio of his rank.

B. They were both put in jail for a month.

C. Roderigo was banished from the city for a month.

D. Othello branded them all as troublemakers and refused to listen to them.

12. Why did Iago want Cassio to ask Desdemona for help in restoring Othello's faith in Cassio?

A. He feels remorse for what he has done.

B. If she would take up Cassio's cause, it would appear as though she would favor him.

That would advance Iago's plot to make Othello jealous beyond reason.

C. Iago has been secretly plotting with the Ottoman to overthrow the present

government. He thinks that if he can weaken the ranks by having them worry about

personal problems, the Ottomans will have a better chance of winning the war.

D. Brabantio has offered to pay him a large sum of money to break up the marriage.

VOCABULARY - Othello : Act II

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues

Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the

sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the sentence means. 

1.Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death, Stand in bold cure.

2. If after every tempest comes such calms, May the winds blow till they have wakened death!

3. . . . they say base men being in love have then a nobility in their natures more than is

native to them . . . .

4. When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favor, sympathy in years, manners and beauties, all which the Moor is defective in.

5. Besides, the knave is handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green minds look after.

6. . . . and the impediment most profitably removed without the which there were no expectation of our prosperity.

7. . . . Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me For making him egregiously an ass And practicing upon his peace and quiet Even to madness.

8. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant General, that upon certain tidings now arrived, importing the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph -- . . . .

Ohello Vocabulary for Act II Continued

II. Determining the Meaning - Match the words to their dictionary definitions.

____ 1. surfeited                         A. the condition of being overfilled or overgratified

____ 2. tempest                         B. total ruin; damnation

____ 3. base                                     C. requirements

____ 4. satiety                         D. conspicuously offensively

____ 5. requisites                         E. violent storm

____ 6. impediment                         F. common; low in station

____ 7. egregiously                         G. something in the way; a hinderance

____ 8. perdition                         H. fed to excess