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C L A S S R O O M AC T I V I T Y
Struggle of the Soul: A Close Look at Inner Life in Otello
IN PREPAR ATION
Some commentators have described Otello as a battle for the soul of its title
For this activity, students will need
character. At the very least, the heart of the opera is Otello’s struggle to decide
the reproducible resources available
at the back of this guide as well as the
whom—or what—to trust: Desdemona or Iago, love or jealousy. But in an opera
audio selections from Otello available
online or on the accompanying CD.
Please note: Step 3 of this activity discusses
the use in Otello of concepts from Roman
Catholic thought and the work of Charles
Darwin. All pertinent information is included
in the activity plan and the reproducible
pages. It is also summarized in the sidebar
Big Ideas. While this activity may be more
appropriate for older students, no prior
knowledge of Catholic religion or Darwin’s
theories is expected. (Please also note that
the activity doesn’t advocate any particular
position. The point is rather to appreciate the
use of these ideas by Verdi and Boito.)
as swiftly paced and as magnificently scored as this one, it can be difficult to catch
the subtle manipulations and linguistic clues woven into the encounters of the
three central characters. Similarly, students may not recognize hints planted by the
composer and librettist through references to ideas that were familiar to the original
audience. This activity offers students a chance to appreciate Otello’s plight by
paying close attention to his, Desdemona’s, and Iago’s words. Students will:
• Compare and contrast Otello’s statements about himself across the timespan of
the opera
• Examine his encounters with Desdemona and Iago
• Consider core beliefs expressed by Desdemona and Iago in Otello’s absence,
including religious and scientific beliefs familiar to 19th-century audiences
• Develop their own interpretations of the effects Desdemona and Iago have on
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Social Studies (Psychology/Human
Relations)
Otello’s feelings and behavior
• Formulate their own views as to whether it’s Iago or Desdemona who wins the
“battle for Otello’s soul”
Language Arts (use of literary and
cultural antecedents)
STEPS
Otello may be a man of action, but Otello, the opera, is all about talk. It’s about
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
gossip and lies and truth-telling, about listening and eavesdropping and miscon-
• To explore language as a means
both of personal expression and of
manipulation
struing, about believing what we hear and hearing what we expect to hear. Unlike
Shakespeare, Verdi and Boito also incorporate religious and scientific ideas, including
core beliefs of the Roman Catholic church and thoughts relating to the work of
• To consider the psychological effects
of ambiguity and misinformation
Charles Darwin. In this activity, students will join an expedition into the storm of
words and ideas that rages around Otello: in spite of his power and stature, he is
• To compare and contrast
perspectives based on
fundamentally different value
systems
• To analyze the use of cultural and
literary antecedents in an original
work of art
• To employ both empathy and
buffeted by the words of those closest to him. What do they tell Otello, and how
do they say it? How do their words affect his understanding of himself, his needs,
and his impulse to act? Above all, what do those nearest Otello say when he’s not
around—and how might their beliefs affect him, if only he knew about them?
STEP 1: OTELLO’S OWN VOICE
Otello, a general in the army of Venice and governor of the Venetian colony on the
analysis in assessing characters’
behavior
island of Cyprus is, by title and reputation, a powerful man. But Verdi and Boito, like
• To become familiar with the key
characters in Otello, the unspoken
issues in their relationships, and
the genius of Verdi and Boito
in depicting these for the opera
audience
human being. In this step, students will consider three key moments, one from
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Shakespeare before them, make less definitive claims to his strength as a private
each act, that reveal the distinction between Otello the public giant and Otello the
private man.
Play each of the musical excerpts, then discuss the incidents, encouraging
students to offer their own impressions of the voices, instruments, and sounds they
hear. Texts and translations are provided on the reproducible The Power of Words,
where space is also provided for student notes. The third incident is broken up into
two tracks.
COMMON CORE ELA
College and Career Readiness
Standards for Language: Grades
6-12
Knowledge of Language
Track 1 (Act I): The opera opens in the harbor of Cyprus, an island colony of the
city-state Venice. A terrifying storm threatens the Venetian navy, at sea returning
from battling the Turks, but the storm subsides. Venice has been victorious. Otello
appears, safe in port. He sings with great confidence, modestly sharing credit for
3. Apply knowledge of language to
understand how language functions
in different contexts, to make effective
choices for meaning or style, and to
comprehend more fully when reading or
listening.
his victory with nature and the storm. The assembled respond with a grand ovation.
This is the public Otello.
Track 2 (Act II – “Ora e per sempre addio sante memorie”): By the middle of
Act II, Iago has planted enough doubt about the relationship of Otello’s beloved
Desdemona to Cassio that the private Otello is ready to scuttle the public one. He
is willing to give up his public accomplishments. His martial melody befits a general,
but the text could barely express greater despair. Otello implicitly, dramatically,
grants personal feelings precedence over public stature. Here is the private Otello.
Track 3 (Act III – “Dio! Mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali della miseria”): Iago’s manipulations have dramatically increased Otello’s suffering and his suspicion of Desdemona.
By this point in Act III, he is all but broken. He expresses his devastation in both
words and the gasping, monotone quality of his music.
COMMON CORE ELA
College and Career Readiness
Standards for Speaking and
Listening: Grades 6-12
Craft and Structure
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs,
and larger portions of the text (e.g., a
section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate
to each other and the whole.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
HISTORY IN THE SCHOOLS
Historical Thinking Standards for
Grades 5-12
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
Track 4: As this monologue continues, Otello reveals even more about the gap
F. Appreciate historical perspectives.
between the public hero and the man within. With growing vocal power, he refers
Standard 3: Historical Analysis and
Interpretations
to losing the one thing that calms his soul: Desdemona’s smile. The halting vocal line
gives way to passionate melody as he admits that this great leader, defender of his
A. Compare and contrast differing sets
of ideas.
people, has always relied on this single “ray of light” simply to live.
STEP 2: THE VOICES OF HIS FRIENDS
In this step, students will consider two scenes in which Otello exchanges thoughts
with those closest to him: Desdemona and Iago. Again, the reproducible provides
texts, translations, and space for notes.
SCENE #1: The first scene is a snippet from the duet that closes Act I, an extended
musical number that establishes the deep love of Otello and Desdemona—the very
bond Iago intends to break. The short selection here is the only moment during
the entire nine-minute duet when the couple sing together, sharing a thought in
harmony. That alone would provide reason to pay careful attention, but it’s equally
interesting that the text here is an almost exact translation of a passage from
Shakespeare’s play.
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Track 5: Otello speaks first, summing up the characteristics upon which their love is
founded. Desdemona, he says, fell in love with him due to—of all things—his misfortunes; he was drawn to her by her piety. Desdemona repeats his thoughts almost
word for word. They both repeat, alternating phrases. Then they repeat again, both
at once.
Notice that the description of Otello as a man whose life is about struggling with
trouble, and that of Desdemona as a deeply pious woman are not merely ideas
about which Otello and Desdemona agree. They are personality traits enacted
throughout the opera. Otello always experiences misfortune. Desdemona is always
faithful—even when Otello’s hostility makes it hard. So their statements aren’t only
in agreement, but undeniably true. The same cannot necessarily be said when it
comes to conversations between Otello and Iago.
SCENE #2: Otello talks with Iago more than with any other character in the opera.
Each conversation is remarkable, both for individual textures and for the part it plays
in hastening Otello’s decline. Act II, Scene 3 includes an early highlight. Here Iago
first raises questions about Desdemona’s fidelity. Students will enjoy untangling the
messages, spoken and unspoken, that he and Otello exchange.
Track 6: Iago asks Otello an apparently simple question: Did Cassio know Desdemona
before he, Otello, did? Otello replies, “Yes,” adding, reasonably, “Why do you ask?”
Iago has planted the seed of mistrust, but students will notice how innocent the
conversation still seems. Iago even brushes the matter away. This, as so often in real
life, only boosts Otello’s interest.
Track 7 continues the pattern of Iago’s remark in Track 6, “Il mio pensiero è vago
d’ubbie, non di malizia”—it was just a vague, random thought, no malice intended.
Skillful at saying one thing and conveying the exact opposite message, and having
stirred Otello up, Iago now warns him against being jealous. Do students find this
tactic believable? Why? How would they explain the psychological mechanism at
work here?
Iago continues in Track 8—until Otello explodes. Here the newly risen doubts of
the private Otello crash into the impetuosity of the public Otello, the man of action.
What does he mean when he says “Otello observes his supreme laws?” (Most likely,
that he is committed to justice.) Does Otello seem capable of calmly considering
“proof”? What do students think Iago might do with Otello’s insistence on proof?
The answer to this question comes promptly, in Track 9: Iago uses the possibility—
and unavailability—of proof to toy with Otello even further. “I don't yet speak of
proof,” he says, “but munificent Othello, be vigilant!”
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At this point, students should look back over their notes: How would they characterize Otello’s relationship with Desdemona (e.g., loving, comfortable, relaxed,
unguarded, dependent)? Is this consistent with Track 4, where Otello recalled
Desdemona’s smile as the ray of light that sustained him?
How would they characterize Otello’s feelings toward Iago (e.g., aggressive,
combative, yet trusting—and just as dependent)? How does Otello manage the
conflict between his sense of Desdemona’s love and his sense of Iago’s loyalty?
There are no correct answers here, as long as students can support their positions.
STEP 3: IAGO AND DESDEMONA BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
An interesting aspect of the Otello–Desdemona–Iago triangle is that Otello expresses
anguish (as in Track 3) and is able to describe himself in terms of public accomplishments (as in Track 2), but seems entirely without self-awareness. He responds in the
moment, reflexively, but with little reflection. The same cannot be said of either of
Verdi and Shakespeare
Over his long career, Giuseppe Verdi looked to a wide range of sources—the
Old Testament in Nabucco, Victor Hugo in Ernani and Rigoletto, Friedrich
Schiller in Luisa Miller and Don Carlo. But Verdi admired no writer more, and
none inspired him more than William Shakespeare. The English playwright
and the Italian composer, three centuries apart, were both, in one writer’s
words, “creative volcanoes”—prolific and versatile, insightful in bringing
history to life, as capable of heartbreaking tragedy as of wise, witty comedy.
Shakespeare’s works dominated the English stage in the 19th century,
though often in heavily cut or revised versions. His popularity spread across
Europe—and, in particular, to Italy. Giuseppe Mazzini, the intellectual father
of modern Italy, called him “the prophetic soul of the wide world dreaming
on things to come.” Verdi himself could not read English, but his love for
Shakespeare, in Italian translation, led to the creation of his opera Macbeth as
early as 1847. Three years later, he began a never-fulfilled quest to bring King
Lear to the operatic stage, which haunted him to the end of his life.
It was Shakespeare, who—at the instigation of Arrigo Boito—brought Verdi
out of retirement three decades after Macbeth. As discussed in this guide,
Shakespeare’s Othello inspired Verdi to weave a new, seamless tapestry of
sound and story that changed the face of Italian opera. This Otello would
have been a magnificent capstone to any career. But when Boito suggested
one more story adapted from the Bard, Verdi reached even higher—and created the only comic opera of his mature
career. His Falstaff, based on The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV, zeroes in on the operatic essence
of Shakespeare’s philosophical glutton as brilliantly as Otello had on the fatally jealous general. Its premiere in 1893
would be Verdi’s final bow.
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his intimates. Behind closed doors, so to speak, Iago and Desdemona both voice
A scene from Act III
PHOTO: KEN HOWARD/METROPOLITAN OPERA
their thoughts in musical solos that specify their core beliefs. These pieces share
three important characteristics:
• Neither has a parallel in Shakespeare. They are pure Verdi and Boito.
• Both are rooted in concepts of Roman Catholic thought.
• Both depart in interesting ways from the Catholic statement of belief.
Verdi and Boito use Catholic forms of prayer as a foil against which to characterize
the values of Iago and Desdemona. By looking at how they adapt these ideas into
their work, students will identify the moral positions of the characters. In the case
of Iago, the opera also pits scientific ideas made famous by Charles Darwin against
Catholic beliefs. (These philosophical issues are summarized in the sidebar Big
Ideas.)
Before listening closely to the two arias, have students listen to Tracks 10 and 11.
Each includes the orchestral introduction to one of the arias. Which one do students
think introduces Desdemona and which Iago? (Track 10 begins Iago’s Credo, Track
11 begins Desdemona’s Ave Maria.) Why? What do they hear in the music in terms
of tone, rhythm, or instrumentation? How do these selections make them feel?
To listen to the full arias, divide the class into two groups if possible, having one
examine Iago and the other, Desdemona. Then, in Step 4, the groups can exchange
findings. (If this is not practical, or if it’s difficult to have each group listen to a
different musical selection, feel free to continue the activity as a whole-class lesson.)
Iago
Verdi and Boito didn’t want to leave audiences in any doubt about Iago’s position,
so they provided a bit of information early in Act I. During a conversation with a
Venetian courtier, Iago prefigures the entire arc of the opera, defining himself as
Otello’s enemy (Track 12).
But it is the fascinating Act II aria known as the Credo that provides full evidence
of Iago’s core beliefs. It is more than a statement of views. In fact, it is also a kind of
parody. From its repetitions of the word “credo”—“I believe”—to the overall structure of its argument, the piece presents Iago’s dark worldview by way of mirroring
the traditional statement of Roman Catholic beliefs known as the Apostles’ Creed.
(See the sidebar Big Ideas.)
The reproducible I Believe presents the Italian text of Iago’s aria, an English translation, and an English version of the Apostles’ Creed. In the fourth column, students
can jot down their observations about differences between Iago’s views and those
of the Church. A guide to those differences follows. (Note: Students do not need any
advance knowledge of Catholic thought for this activity. Their challenge is to interpret and compare the ideas in the text provided, the Apostles’ Creed, with those in
Iago’s Credo.)
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The geopolitics of Otello are not fundamental to the plot, but a lack of knowledge can interfere with students’ understanding. The opera unfolds on Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean. Otello, as governor of Cyprus, serves the
city state of Venice. As the opera begins, he has just won a victory, on Venice’s behalf, against the Turkish navy. In Act III,
a delegation arrives to honor his service by calling Otello home to Venice. Cassio is to take his place governing Cyprus.
This story unfolds before a true historical background. Venice was an independent power from the 11th to the 16th
century. Its adversary for control of Mediterranean trade was Turkey, ruled by the Ottoman sultans. The island colony of
Cyprus was a key outpost of Venetian power, making it the object of Ottoman attack. Late in the 16th century, Turkey
would capture parts of Cyprus, weakening not only Venice’s dominion but its tax base and economy at home. On the
verge of collapse, the Venetian state ceded Cyprus to Turkey in 1571. Even today, the island is under dispute. While
called the Republic of Cyprus, it has de facto been divided since the 1970s into a Greek state in the south and a Turkish
one in the north.
Otello’s original audiences in 19th-century Italy were primarily Catholic and would
have immediately noted the Credo’s resonance as a commentary on Christian faith.
They would also have heard about the then–recent ideas of Charles Darwin, the
English naturalist, especially the notion that humans, like all species, are an outcome
of evolution and natural selection. Verdi and Boito would probably have expected
audiences to recognize the way Iago pits the scientific view against the understandings of the Church.
Parts of Iago’s Credo allude to Catholic beliefs not specifically mentioned in the
text of the Apostle’s Creed, but associated to it by reference to events and prophecies in the Bible. These references will likely be unfamiliar to some students. All
the information needed is included in the track-by-track listening guide below. A
summary can be found in the sidebar Big Ideas.
Track 13: The Catholic creed begins with a statement of belief in God the father and
in His son, Jesus Christ. Iago turns this on its head, claiming belief in a god, but one
who is cruel and hateful. It’s a shocking statement that brings Verdi’s music to a full
stop so the audience can take in the blasphemy.
Unmentioned in the Creed, but familiar from the Biblical book of Genesis, is the
view that man was created in God’s image. By accepting this view, but in the context
of his “cruel god,” Iago further distances himself from Christian faith.
Track 14: The Apostle’s Creed emphasizes that all creation was made through God
the father and Jesus Christ. (The term “consubstantial” is not needed to understand
Iago’s position. It refers to the Catholic concept that God the father and Jesus Christ
are one.) Iago, on the other hand, insists on a starkly scientific, and in Verdi’s day,
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Big Ideas
Writing in late-19th century Italy, Giuseppe Verdi and Arrigo Boito knew their audiences would
be familiar with a good deal of background knowledge on things they referred to in their opera,
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some of the concepts Verdi and Boito would assume operagoers will recognize:
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Roman Catholic belief
Scientific concepts
The libretto of Otello refers to concepts from two
important Catholic texts: the Apostles’ Creed and
the Ave Maria. They can be found on the reproducibles I Believe and Pray For Us, respectively. Key
ideas include:
• the belief in a single God who loves and wants
the best for humankind (Apostles’ Creed)
• the belief that God created all things (Apostles’
Creed)
• the belief that God created humankind in His
own image (an idea from the book of Genesis in
the Bible, not specified by either Catholic text)
• the belief in an afterlife
• the belief in a final judgment in which all
humanity will be either saved or condemned.
Implied here is a fundamental belief that life has
purpose (Apostles’ Creed)
• the importance of believing in God and the
Church’s teachings (Apostles’ Creed)
• the importance of turning to the Virgin Mary, the
mother of Jesus Christ, for spiritual support (Ave
Maria)
• the belief that all human beings are implicitly
sinful, but can be cleansed through prayer (Ave
Maria)
• the belief that Mary hears, and will respond to,
the sincere prayer of sinners—which includes all
humans who turn to her (Ave Maria)
The 18th and 19th centuries were periods of tremendous growth and interest in science. Much of this
development involved experiments: carefully designed,
reproducible activities intended to test a narrowly
defined scientific notion. Another aspect was (and
remains) the formation of theory: overarching ideas
intended to explain a set of discoveries and experimental findings.
One influential body of theory was advanced by
the British biologist Charles Darwin. He argued that
variety among living species, as well as evidence from
the fossil record, was best explained as indicating that
all species—from microscopic organisms to human
beings—evolved along a chain of descent. This descent,
Darwin contended, was the result of “natural selection”:
species better suited to their environments manage to
survive; those less able to cope disappear.
Religious leaders across the Western world called
Darwin’s explanation blasphemy. As they read the
Bible, all species were created by God over a period
of six days; they did not evolve naturally in a process
stretching across eons. In particular, the notion that
humankind had descended from other species contradicted the Biblical statement that humans were created
by God, independently, in His own image. These
perceptions of conflict between scientific thought and
religion, unintended by Darwin, contribute to the views
expressed by Iago in his Credo.
relatively new understanding of man’s origin: biological development within a chain
of evolutionary descent that began with microscopic life.
Iago implicitly refers to Darwin’s theory of descent through natural selection. But
he slanders science as well as religion by alluding to evolution as evidence that he
was “born vile” and suffused with “primordial slime.”
Track 15: The Creed next offers a succinct statement of the fundamental Christian
belief in the miraculous birth of Jesus, his suffering, his crucifixion, his resurrection,
FUN FACT: Otello,
Verdi’s first new opera
in 16 years, was so
eagerly anticipated that
streets surrounding
the opera house were
closed down the day of
the premiere.
and the Last Judgment. Iago, who has already rejected the possibility of miracles,
takes a direct swipe at religious faith, snidely referring to “a widow in church.”
The Creed describes Jesus as coming forth from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin
Mary. Iago, in parallel, declares that evil goes forth from him, for no one’s purposes
but his own.
Track 16: The Creed mentions the promise of a Last Judgment. Iago ridicules justice
altogether, comparing it to the mockery of a court jester.
Insisting that all human experience (“tear, kiss, glance, sacrifice, and honor”) is
pointless, Iago attacks a message implicit in the Creed: that divine judgment will
result in redemption for some, eternal punishment for others.
Track 17: Here again, the Creed praises an aspect of God, the Holy Spirit, as the
giver of life. Iago speaks instead of life’s pointlessness.
Track 18: The Apostles’ Creed concludes with the great hope of Christianity—the
promise of a glorious afterlife. Iago simply denies it.
Track 19 provides a complete, uninterrupted recording of the Credo.
Students in the Iago group (or, if the class hasn’t been divided, the group as a whole)
should develop a set of words and phrases to describe Iago as he reveals himself
in the Credo. Possibilities include: cynical, nihilistic, careless, provocative, without
hope, hateful. They’ll use these terms in Step 4, comparing Iago to Desdemona and
exploring both characters’ influences on Otello.
Desdemona
Through most of Otello, the audience learns little more about Desdemona than that
she is beautiful, that she loves Otello deeply (Track 5), and that her strong sense of
fairness motivates her to plead Cassio’s case in front of her husband. Only in Act IV,
as she recites her bedtime prayer, do we get a glimpse of her innermost thoughts.
Like Iago’s Credo, Desdemona’s aria is based on a Catholic prayer that would
have been extremely familiar to Verdi’s original audience, the Ave Maria (Hail Mary).
Unlike the Credo, it is not a parody, but the text includes a number of additions,
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providing a window into Desdemona’s heart. The reproducible Pray for Us presents
the Italian text of Desdemona’s aria, an English translation, and an English version
of the Catholic Ave Maria. In the fourth column, students can jot down their observations about differences between the operatic version and the original prayer. A
FUN FACT Arrigo Boito
thought the opera’s
villain so important and
so distinct from that
of Shakespeare that he
recommended the opera
be called Iago. Verdi
refused.
listening guide follows.
Track 20: The aria begins with the same words as the prayer. It’s apparent these are
very familiar to Desdemona.
Track 21: Any thought that this is mere careless recitation disappears as soon as the
name of Jesus crosses Desdemona’s lips. The word seems to launch her into spiritual
flight. She pours stores of empathy into a prayer for those who now kneel before
the Virgin—a reference that doesn’t appear in the original. This begins the middle
section of the aria in which Verdi and Boito embellished the traditional prayer.
Track 22: The original Ave Maria asks the Virgin Mary to pray for “us sinners.”
Desdemona goes farther: she sings of the innocent and weak, but also of the mighty,
with telling empathy (“who are also forlorn”). Students might stop here and consider
whom Desdemona is thinking about—perhaps her own troubled, powerful spouse,
Otello.
Track 23: Desdemona’s thoughts now wander far from the general “sinners” of the
original prayer to those oppressed by insult and wickedness. To whom could she be
referring here? Herself?
Track 24: As Desdemona returns to the traditional text, the thoughts expressed in
Tracks 22 and 23 seem to have changed her attitude. The calm, almost monotone
recitation of Track 20 is gone. Her prayer has become an impassioned, personal call
upon the mercies of the Virgin—particularly when she arrives at the last words, “the
hour of our death.” She pleads desperately, “prega per noi”—“pray for us.” As she
does, Verdi and Boito expertly turn words from the original prayer into an expression of a crucial aspect of Desdemona’s character: she is incapable of thinking of
herself alone.
Track 25: The traditional Ave Maria ends here with a simple “amen.” Verdi’s version
drifts into an interlude of strings, with Desdemona uttering the first and last words
one more time, “Ave Maria” and “nell’ora della morte” (“at the hour of death”)—
creating the impression of her silently repeating her prayer. The aria ends with a
final “ave” on floating, rising pitches, followed by a pensive “amen" and shimmering
strings.
Track 26 provides a complete, uninterrupted recording of the Ave Maria.
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Students in the Desdemona group (or, if the class hasn’t been divided, the group as
a whole) should also develop a set of words and phrases to describe Desdemona
as she reveals herself in the Ave Maria. Possibilities include: pious, loving, compassionate, in pain, worried, empathic, unselfish. They’ll use these terms in Step 4,
comparing her to Iago and exploring both characters’ influences on Otello.
STEP 4: THE BATTLE FOR OTELLO’S SOUL
Begin this step by comparing the terms students generated to describe Iago and
Desdemona. Then, as a class, develop a set of words and phrases to describe Otello.
Possibilities include: confident warrior, troubled husband, jealous partner, possessive, sees things as black or white, gullible, uncertain whether to trust or not.
With these verbal portraits at hand, students can begin to discuss the “battle for
Otello’s soul.” For instance:
• How does a person like Desdemona affect someone like Otello?
• How might a person like Iago affect him?
• Do Desdemona’s and Iago’s arias reveal anything about them that they have kept
from Otello?
• Would Otello have felt or acted differently if he himself had heard Iago’s Credo?
• Would he have felt or acted differently if he had heard Desdemona’s Ave Maria?
• Given the strength of his love for Desdemona, expressed in Tracks 4 and 5, why
would Otello have been so taken in by Iago’s plot?
To close the discussion, students may enjoy offering their own views on this conflict.
In classes where students are not yet familiar with the ending of the opera, they
can offer (and defend) hypotheses about who will win Otello over in the end—Iago
or Desdemona. If students do know how the opera ends, they can consider both
Otello’s murder of Desdemona and the regret he expresses when he learns of her
innocence: Who “won his soul” in the end?
FOLLOW-UP
As follow-up, students may enjoy an imaginative exercise based on one of the
questions raised in Step 4: Would Otello have felt differently if he had known the
thoughts expressed in either the Credo or the Ave Maria? Students can write a
letter in the voice of Otello either to Iago or to Desdemona, after overhearing one
or both of their arias. How does this new information affect his thoughts or feelings
about his officer and/or his wife? How will this knowledge influence their relationships going forward?
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