Cambridge OCR A Level · English Language and Literature (EMC) - H474

Shakespeare: Othello: Practice Questions

3 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 3 written questions with worked solutions. All on Shakespeare: Othello.

6 questions18 marksFree, no account
Question 1
1 mark

In Act 1 of Shakespeare: Othello, the Duke and senators command Othello to lead the Venetian forces to which location to defend it against the Ottoman fleet?

Question 2
1 mark

In Shakespeare: Othello, how does Iago utilize his soliloquies to manipulate the dramatic irony of the play?

Question 3
1 mark

When Iago responds to Othello’s questions with echoes (e.g., Othello: "Is he not honest?" Iago: "Honest, my lord?"), which linguistic concept from pragmatics is he primarily exploiting to create suspicion?

Question 4
2 marks

Identify the primary dramatic function of Iago's soliloquies in the opening act of Shakespeare's Othello.

Write your answer out first, then check it against the worked solution.

Question 5
6 marks

Analyze the pragmatic strategies Iago employs in Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello, specifically his use of paralipsis and hesitation, to manipulate Othello’s internal monologue.

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Question 6
7 marks

Critically evaluate the role of stichomythia and shared lines in the interactions between Othello and Iago in Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello.

Your analysis should address:
a) How the pacing of the dialogue reflects the shift in power and the psychological infiltration of Othello's mind.
b) The way in which Iago uses 'the silences' and hesitant fillers to plant suspicion without making direct accusations.
c) How this scene functions as the 'turning point' of the play's dramatic structure through its linguistic intensity.

Write your answer out first, then check it against the worked solution.

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