Othello Act 5 Summary Response-Redo
Connor Peterson
Summary:
- Topic sentence: title, author, strong verb, main idea
Othello Act 5, written by William
Shakespeare, demonstrates how acts of revenge have many negative consequences.
- Supporting ideas to prove main ideas
In Act 5 of Othello, Shakespeare
illustrates how Iago’s plan for revenge leads to his own demise. Iago’s
obsession with revenge results in not only his own self-destruction, but the
deaths of those he manipulates.
- Explanation of ideas
Iago’s plan for revenge has started to reach its
abrupt end when Roderigo attempts the murder of Cassio who fails and ends up
killed by Iago. Hearing the screams of murder, Othello believes it is time to
kill Desdemona for her unfaithfulness, which was not true but manufactured by
Iago in order to seek revenge against Othello. Iago’s downfall eventually comes
when Emelia confesses that she found the special handkerchief and gave it to Iago.
This finally provides evidence of Iago’s revenge plot and exposes his destructive
actions to the other characters.
- Concluding sentence: restate main idea
Act 5 of Shakespeare’s Othello, portrays
how acts of revenge have a negative outcome and result in the demise of
multiple characters.
Response:
- Topic sentence: title, author, strong verb,
agree/disagree (correctly portrays/ incorrectly portrays), because
___________ and ______________
Othello Act 5, written by William
Shakespeare, correctly presents the negative consequences of revenge because
many of the characters Iago manipulates in his attempt carry out his revenge
scheme end up dying and Iago will soon join them.
- Claim 1: Roderigo’s trust in
the scheming, revengeful Iago eventually causes his own death.
- Set-up
From the beginning of the play, Roderigo has put his trust in Iago
because he believed Iago could help him win the love of Desdemona. At this
time, Iago knew he needed Roderigo for his plan of revenge to be successful so
he led him on until the time came for Roderigo to take the fall for Iago’s
actions. While doing this, Roderigo realizes that Iago has not been trying to
help him win over Desdemona afterall, but has been manipulating him so Iago can
extract his revenge on Othello.
- Evidence: After Iago stabs Cassio in the leg, Iago goes over to
the wounded Roderigo to finish him off so he will not be able to reveal Iago’s
secrets. “Oh damned Iago! O inhuman dog!”, (Shakespeare 5.1. 229).
- Explanation of quotation to
prove claim Roderigo, in his
last moments, finally realizes that he was being played by Iago. However,
by then it was too late because he was already taking one of his last
breaths. Iago’s obsession with revenge ended very tragically for
Roderigo.
- Counterclaim 1: However,
one might consider that even though Roderigo trusted the wrong person,
Iago demonstrated some compassion at times to Roderigo and tried to help
him.
- Set-up As Scene 5 begins, Iago coaches Roderigo how to kill Cassio.
Iago gives Roderigo good advice so his ambush of Cassio will be
successful.
- Evidence: At the beginning of Act 5, Iago tells Roderigo, “Here, stand behind this bulk, straight will
he come. Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home. Quick, quick! Fear
nothing. I’ll be at thy elbow. It makes us, or it mars us. Think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution”, (Shakespeare 5.1.
223).
- Explanation of quotation to
prove counterclaim Iago tells Roderigo how
to hide from Cassio, how to stab him, and encourages him to be brave
because Roderigo is Iago’s friend and Roderigo is willing to help Iago
seek revenge. Roderigo asks Iago to stay close to him and Iago agrees
because he wants to ensure Roderigo completes the job.
- What are the strengths/ flaws of this argument? Use the
rebuttal progression
One used to think that Iago had Roderigo’s best
interests at heart. One cannot deny he helps Roderigo by acting as his
go-between with Desdemona. However, as the reader sees, it is much more
complicated than that. Iago held grudges against people who may never have
wronged him or may have only slightly wronged him. Iago was a master liar and
manipulator and people died as a result of his revenge-driven scheme. The
losses that fueled Iago’s desire for revenge were minor compared to the losses
he inflicted.
- Concluding sentence: restate main idea
In Act 5 of Othello, Shakespeare expertly portrays
how revengeful actions can have extremely tragic consequences.