Empowerment and Oppression: The Roles of Women in Othello

Empowerment and Oppression: The Roles of Women in Othello

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you should understand the roles of the women in Othello and the concepts of empowerment and oppression.

What do you already know about the roles of women in Othello?

Introduction to Othello

Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, set in Venice. It explores themes of love, jealousy, betrayal, and societal roles.

Character Analysis: Desdemona

Desdemona is Othello's wife, portrayed as a loyal and innocent woman. Her character reflects societal expectations and gender roles.

Character Analysis: Emilia

Emilia is Desdemona's maid and Iago's wife. She challenges traditional gender roles and speaks out against oppression.

Empowerment in Othello

Identify instances of empowerment in the play, such as when Emilia confronts Othello and speaks up for Desdemona.

Oppression in Othello

Explore examples of oppression in Othello, including Othello's distrust of Desdemona and the manipulation of Emilia by Iago.

Class Discussion: Gender Roles

Facilitate a discussion on the societal expectations placed on women in Othello's setting and how they relate to contemporary society.

Reflection and Conclusion

Reflect on the roles of women in Othello and the themes of empowerment and oppression. Summarize key takeaways from the lesson.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.