Unit Test "Othello" Act I Due March 16, 2011 via email

DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST - WRITE YOUR ANSWERS ON LOOSE-LEAF IN COMPLETE SENTENCES WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE TEST

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS- MAKE THEM LONGER FOR MORE CREDIT

“OTHELLO” Act One

1. What was Iago's complaint in Scene I?

2. Who was Brabantio, and why did Iago and Roderigo awaken him in the middle of the night?

3. Why did Iago leave Roderigo at Brabantio's house?

4. What was Brabantio's reaction to Othello's marriage to Desdemona?

5. Why did the Duke send for Othello?

6. Brabantio complains to the Duke about Othello's marriage to Desdemona.

After listening to both sides of the story, what was the Duke's reply?

7. What was Roderigo's complaint, and what was Iago's reply to it?

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ QUESTIONS

Write your answers out in paragraph form with evidence from the text

Act 1

1. What was Iago's complaint in Scene 1?

A. Another officer of the same rank was receiving higher pay.

B. Roderigo cheated during a card game and won.

C. Cassio got the promotion that he wanted.

D. He doesn't like the new uniforms that Othello has chosen. He thinks they make the

soldiers look like weak women.

2. Who was Brabantio?

A. He was Othello's ensign.

B. He was the previous governor.

C. He was the squadron commander.

D. He was a senator and Desdemona's father.

3. Why did Iago and Roderigo awaken Brabantio in the middle of the night?

A. His wife was seriously ill.

B. A marriage was taking place that involved his family.

C. Thieves had destroyed his fields and orchards.

D. There was a plot to murder him that night as he slept.

4. True or False: Iago left Roderigo at Brabantio's house because he didn't want to be seen as

being against Othello.

A. True.

B. False.

5. What was Brabantio's reaction to Othello's marriage to Desdemona?

A. He was joyful and wished them well.

B. He remained impartial.

C. He was outraged.

D. He was not please personally but thought it was good politically.

6. Why did the Duke send for Othello?

A. The Duke wanted to know which soldiers to promote.

B. The Duke wanted to send Othello to Ottoman to fight.

C. The Duke wanted to give Othello a medal for heroism from his last campaign.

D. The Duke wanted to congratulate him on his marriage.

7. Brabantio complains to the Duke about Othello's marriage to Desdemona. After listening to

both sides of the story, what was the Duke's reply?

A. He agrees to annul the marriage.

B. He remains impartial, saying a man's personal life is his own business.

C. He reprimands Brabantio for being a petty gossip and troublemaker.

D. He says he thinks Othello would win his daughter under the same circumstances, and

tells Brabantio to make the best of the situation.

8. What was Roderigo's complaint?

A. He was passed over for a promotion.

B. He was love sick and depressed over Desdemona's marriage.

C. He wanted to go and fight with Othello's army, but was told to remain at home.

D. He didn't think the Duke was aggressive enough in his stand against the Ottoman

Empire.

9. What was Iago's reply to Roderigo's complaint?

A. He told Roderigo to straighten up and act like a soldier.

B. He told Roderigo to forgive and forget.

C. He told Roderigo they would work together for revenge.

D. He told Roderigo to pray to the gods for guidance, then to do whatever they

suggested

I. Matching/Identify

____ 1. Bianca                         A.Tells of the letters found in Roderigo's pockets

____ 2. Emilia                         B. Othello's wife

____ 3. Desdemona                         C. The jealous Moor

____ 4. Roderigo                         D. Iago's wife

____ 5. Iago                                     E. Brother of Brabantio

____ 6. Cassio                         F. Cassio's mistress

____ 7. Othello                         G. Desdemona's father

____ 8. Lodovico                        H. He was passed over for a promotion

____ 9. Gratiano                         I. Othello thought he was having an affair with Desdemona

____ 10. Brabantio                         J. He is love-sick for Desdemona

Quotations: Explain in detail the significance of the following quotations.

1. I am not what I am. (Ii65)

2. So please your Grace, my Ancient,

A man he is of honesty and trust.

To his conveyance I assign my wife. (Iiii284-286)

3. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him. (Iiii374)

1. What did Iago do to Othello? Why?

a. Iago made Othello believe Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio.

b. Iago had an affair with Desdemona to make Othello jealous.

c. Iago made Cassio have an affair with Desdemona to make Othello jealous.

d. Iago helped Roderigo start an affair with Desdemona because Roderigo loved her and

Iago wanted revenge.

2. Why did Roderigo join Iago?

a. Iago threatened to kill him if he didn't cooperate.

b. Roderigo was in love with Desdemona; he wanted her for himself.

c. Iago was Roderigo's superior; he had to do what he was ordered to do.

d. Othello had treated Roderigo unfairly, too, and Roderigo wanted revenge.

3. What was Cassio's role in Iago's plan?

a. Cassio was an unsuspecting victim; he was a bit lecherous, saw the opportunity to have

an affair with a beautiful woman, and went along with Iago's plan for his own

gratification.

b. Cassio, like Roderigo, was under Iago's command. Even though he didn't want to go

against Othello, he had to follow Iago's orders.

c. Cassio didn't like Othello, either, and was happy to join in the scheme for revenge.

d. Cassio was an unsuspecting victim. He didn't have an affair with Desdemona; Othello

just thought he did.

VOCABULARY - Othello : Act I

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 underlined words mean on the lines provided.

1. But he, as loing his own pride and purposes, Evades them, with a bombast circumstance

Horribly stuffed with epithets of war.

2. 'Tis the curse of service, Preferment goes by letter and affection, And not by old gradation,

where each second Stood heir to the first.

3. You shall mark Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave That doting on his own obsequious

bondage Wears out his time, much like his master's ass, For naught but provender . . . .

4. My house is not a grange.

5. But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier, To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor ---

6. If she be in her chamber or your house, Let loose on me the justice of the state For thus

deluding you.

7. 'Tis yet to know -- Which, when I know that boasting is an honor, I shall promulgate -- . . . .

8. Who'er he be that in this foul proceeding Hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself And you

of her, the bloody book of law You shall yourself read in the bitter letter . . . .

9. A natural and prompt alacrity I find in hardness, and do undertake These present wars against

the Ottomites.

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

____ 1. bombast A. farm; grainery

____ 2. preferment B. deceiving

____ 3. obsequious C. promotion

____ 4. grange D. lecherous

____ 5. lascivious E. eagerness; quickness

____ 6. deluding F. puffed-up; pompous

____ 7. promulgate G. officially announce

____ 8. beguiled H. diverted; taken away; also charmed or delighted

____ 9. alacrity I. fawning; showing servile compliance