Exploration of the theme of race in 'Othello'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate the significance of race in the play ‘Othello’.
Key learning points
- Race cannot be considered a theme in the same way that jealousy and love are themes but it must be considered.
- Othello's racial identity is undefined but being an outsider makes him vulnerable to Iago's machinations.
- Before Othello, Black characters in Elizabethan drama were often villains; the presentation of a noble Moor was new.
- Imagery of black and white, light and dark is regular, suggesting colour is important in the play.
Keywords
Dislocate - move something from its place or position
Prejudice - an unfair opinion about a person or a group not based on actual evidence
Xenophobia - extreme dislike or fear of foreigners
Insular - ignorant of cultures, ideas or people outside of one’s own experience
Common misconception
Othello acts in the way he does simply due to his hamartia: jealousy.
We must interrogate why Othello is targeted by Iago, how his outsider status makes him more susceptible to manipulation and insecurity.
Teacher tip
Ask students what they think is most to blame for Othello's downfall.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Shakespeare's 'Othello', which character dehumanises Othello at the beginning of the play?
Q2.In 'Othello', what epithet do characters use to describe Othello that marks him out as an outsider?
Q3.In 'Othello', what does Brabantio say that shows his stereotyping of Othello?
Q4.Which belief was held in Jacobean England about race?
Q5.What happens to Othello in Act 3 Scene 3 of 'Othello' that suggests the play is at its peripeteia?
Q6.How does Shakespeare subvert racial stereotypes in Jacobean England through 'Othello'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does it mean if Jacobean society was insular?
Q2.Which idea was embedded in the cultural consciousness of Jacobean England?
Q3.What reveals that Othello has fully internalised the racial stereotype that black equates to sin by the end of the play 'Othello'?
Q4.In 'Othello', how does Othello's outsider status make him more vulnerable to Iago's machinations?
Q5.What happens to Othello as the play 'Othello' progresses?
Q6.What does the image of Othello killing the 'malignant Turk' as he kills himself in his final soliloquy in 'Othello' suggest?
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploration of the theme of race in 'Othello', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Exploration of the theme of race in 'Othello', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'Othello' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.