Teaching "Othello"

Term Paper # 99193

Education
Education > Teaching Methods
Shakespeare > Othello

Teaching "Othello"

A look at how a teacher might approach teaching a sixth grade class William Shakespeare's "Othello".

1,123 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how teaching a text as complicated as "Othello" is not easy and looks at how a teacher should approach this work with the idea of making it accessible to a sixth grade class. In particular, the paper explores issues like "teaching structure", character development, theme and how students should cite evidence to support their conclusions. It concludes that in the final analysis, while Shakespeare is a challenging work, a well-organized pedagogical approach can allow novice students to gain an appreciation for the work and for the important ideas contained therein.

From the Paper:

"Theme is another matter that can be taught in any classroom discussion. Assuming that the text is written at a grade-six level, the focus should rightly shift to the question of honor and why Othello is eager to shout down Desdemona in the final scene of the play even as she attempts to explain to him the error of his ways (Othello, Act 5, Scene 2 lines 1-200). The students should be asked what is wrong with this sort of thing and they should be asked if they kind find other instances in the play where Othello's considerable pride and stubbornness get in the way of his judgment. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Kass, Sarah. "The Trials of Othello". Journal of Education, 176.1 (1994): 85-100.
Shakespeare, William. "Othello". The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. 2003. Shakespeare-Literature.com. 3 Aug. 2006 <http://www.shakespeare-literature.com/Othello/index.html>