Othello

Grade Levels

Excerpt

Through viewing Orson Welles’s, Laurence Olivier’s, and Oliver Parker’s film versions of Shakespeare's Othello, students will see how one director interprets the text of the play. 

Students will see the choices that each director makes to bring the visual elements to the screen. 

Sample answer to guide student discussion: The film opens with a split shot of a man’s head. It is upside down and the eyes are closed. The camera pulls back and a piano can be heard playing single notes. We soon realize that the man is dead and is being carried in a funeral procession. As the procession moves, we can see that there is a dead woman also being carried. As the funeral passes, guards are pulling a man in chains through the crowd. The man is thrown into a metal cage. The cage is hoisted up the sides of the castle. There are several shots of the funeral from the caged man’s point of view. We also see a shot of two well-dressed men, blessing themselves. The funeral passes, and the screen goes to black.

About

Lesson Plans for Films are currently available for four of Shakespeare's most popular plays: Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. Each lesson plan also includes an introductory unit on Shakespeare on Film.

These lesson plans are designed to be used in conjunction with the watching of a film version of the play. Each lesson plans covers 3-4 popular versions of the play. 

The author of these lesson plans, exclusive to eNotes, is Janet Costa, MA. Ms. Costa, while at the Shakespeare Institute, specialized in Shakespeare on film. Each lesson plan contains daily lessons, with discussion questions and answers, activities, and handouts.