9.1.2

Genre

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Genre: Love and Tragedy

The love story and the dramatic tragedy come together to make the overall narrative about a love story that goes terribly wrong because of outside influences.

Love and tragedy

Love and tragedy

  • As we know from above, the play may simultaneously be described as:
    • A Love Story.
    • A Dramatic Tragedy.
  • These two elements come together to make the overall narrative about a love story that goes terribly wrong because of outside influences.
Love story

Love story

  • Amongst the love story aspects are moments of:
    • Romantic and passionate love between Othello and Desdemona.
    • Restrictions put on love by society and the resistance to such restrictions.
    • Platonic love.
    • Love being defeated by suspicion and jealousy.
    • Lessons in how not to conduct love for the New World.
Tragedy

Tragedy

  • Amongst the dramatic tragedy are moments of:
    • Insight after is too late to alter things.
    • The claustrophobic nature of the tragedy.
    • The quest for revenge.
    • The domestic nature of the actual tragedy.
    • The way a single tragedy causes a domino effect elsewhere.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

1.1

Introduction

1.1.1Specifications
1.2

Background

1.2.1Shakespeare1.2.2Love1.2.3Tragedy1.2.4Historical Context
1.3

Othello

1.3.1Setting1.3.2Social Issues
2

Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1

Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure2.1.2The Exam
2.2

Scene One

2.2.1Key Events2.2.2Key Themes2.2.3Key Ideas
2.3

Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events2.3.2Key Themes2.3.3Key Ideas
2.4

Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events2.4.2Key Events 22.4.3Key Themes2.4.4Key Ideas
3

Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1

Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events3.1.2Key Events 23.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy3.1.4Scene Two: Events
3.2

Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events3.2.2Key Ideas
4

Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1

Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two4.1.2Scene Three4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas4.1.4Scene Four
5

Act Four

5.1

Scene One

5.1.1Key Events5.1.2Key Ideas
5.2

Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events5.2.2Key Ideas
5.3

Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events5.3.2Key Ideas
6

Act Five

6.1

Scene One

6.1.1Key Events6.1.2Key Ideas
6.2

Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events6.2.2Key Ideas
7

Character Profiles

7.1

Major Characters

7.1.1Othello7.1.2Iago7.1.3Desdemona7.1.4Emilia7.1.5Cassio
7.2

Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio7.2.2Other Characters
8

Key Themes

8.1

Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love8.1.2Love 28.1.3Tragedy8.1.4Tragedy 2
8.2

Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private8.2.2Appearance & Reality
9

Writing Techniques

9.1

Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure9.1.2Genre9.1.3Form & Language9.1.4Language & Imagery
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy10.1.2Traditional10.1.3Modern & Contemporary
10.2

Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach10.2.3Marxist Approach
11

Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1

Specification A

11.1.1Specification A11.1.2Love Through the Ages
11.2

Specification B

11.2.1Specification B11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy
12

Issues of Assessment

12.1

The Exams

12.1.1AOs12.1.2Mark Scheme

Practice questions on Genre

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  1. 1
    Features of a love story in _Othello_:Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Features of a tragic drama in _Othello_:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    Which of these is NOT a feature of a love story in _Othello_?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Which of these is NOT a feature of a dramatic tragedy in _Othello_?Multiple choice
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Structure

Form & Language