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1. There are many scholars who examine the idea of ‘witchcraft’ in Othello. Do you

think that Othello attracts Desdemona using enchantments of any type? If he does,

what does this say about his character? If he does not, how does he make

Desdemona fall in love with him? How is this method different from witchcraft?

In Shakespeare’s times, the belief in witchcraft was a common thing. In the play Othello,

witchcraft is evident where Brabantio accuses Othello of practicing charms on Desdemona.

Nadeem and Saleem (19) cite Brabantio’s accusation of Othello’s charms on his daughter. “Thou

hast practised on her with foul charms; Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals; That

weakens motion: I'll have't disputed on (Othello 27). Based on this excerpt, Brabantio is

convinced that his daughter’s love for Othello involves magic. For instance, Brabantio’s speech

details the various practices of witchcraft that were mostly practiced in Shakespeare’s England

such as the use of drugs, minerals, and charms which are used to dull the senses of the victim.

This proves that Othello uses witchcraft on Desdemona. Drugs, minerals, and charms used by

Othello are a form of enchantment. On the same vein, Othello using witchcraft portrays him as a

dishonest person. According to Brabantio, witchcraft is a practice that should be condemned and

prohibited. Brabantio states that “I therefore apprehend and do attach thee For an abuser of the

world, a practiser Of arts inhibited and out of warrant” (Othello 27). This statement shows

Othello’s character as dishonest since he does not use the acceptable methods of approaching and

courting a woman.
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2. Cassio is not discussed much in modern Othello scholarship. What do you think of

Cassio? Is he a good man who does not deserve the evil that Iago brings upon him?

Is he a bad character who deserves what he gets? Why do you think that he is good/

bad? Where do we see evidence of this in the text?

From my viewpoint, Cassio’s appears to a loyal person in the play Othello. One of his

attributes is being loyal to Othello, his general. His loyalty is rewarded when he is chosen by

Othello as a lieutenant. This promotion angers Iago who feels unfairly treated and angered by

Othello’s decision to promote Cassio (Nadeem and Saleem 21). In addition, Iago deems Cassio

less qualified for the lieutenancy. He also defames Cassio by revealing that he might have slept

with his wife. ““For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too” (Othello 79). On the other hand, Iago is

a skilled manipulator. This is shown when he succeeds in his plot to ruin Cassio’s relationship

with Othello. Iago incites Cassio to fight with Roderigo after he is drunk and convinces Othello

to fire Cassio and instead consider him for the lieutenancy. Cassio does not seek revenge against

Iago despite these accusations and plots against him. However, Cassio’s loyalty to Othello does

not help prevent him from falling into Iago’s plots. On this angle, I believe that Cassio does not

deserve the evil that Iago brings upon him. This is because his loyalty to Othello is grounded on

their working relationship which requires Cassio to be loyal to Othello. I also believe that Cassio

is a good person because he does not seek revenge against Iago despite his plots and schemes.

For instance, Cassio acknowledges Iago by recognizing him. “Iago hath direction what to do, But

notwithstanding, with my personal eye Will I look to” (Othello 82). In this excerpt, Cassio

demonstrates that he is willing to work with Iago which shows he values Iago’s counsel.

3. When we discussed John Donne’s “The Flea”, we discussed how it was a typical

carpe diem poem. However, Donne is also known for writing metaphysical poetry.
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In what way is “The Flea” a metaphysical poem? Do you think it compares to

Donne’s other, clearly metaphysical poems, such as the “Meditations?”

“The Flea” is about a man attempting to have sexual relations with a woman by convincing

her of the metaphorical relationship created when a flea has bitten both of them. In this poem, its

argumentative form is one of the attributes of a metaphysical poetry. In Donne’s poem “the

Flea”, the speaker contends that since the flea has consumed both their ‘bloods’, it is therefore

embodies their love and its purity. “Mark but this flea, and mark in this; How little that which

thou deniest me is; It sucked me first, and now sucks thee; And in this flea our two bloods

mingled be” (Donne). Donne has used the flea as an extended metaphor of their relationship

which symbolizes a metaphysical conceit that embellishes the conflict between the absurd idea

of the speaker to emphasize the importance of the flea used as an embodiment of the sanctity of

the new relationship and the woman losing her virginity. I think that this poem is not similar to

other Donne’s poems such as “Meditations”. For example, Donne in Meditation 17 the speaker’s

voice is calm and reassuring unlike in “The Flea” where the speaker uses an argumentative tone.

4. John Milton’s Book I of Paradise Lost is the part of the epic most often taught in

classrooms. Why do you think that is? What lines do you think appeal most to

students and why? If you were a teacher, what parts of Book I would you teach and

why would you choose these lines?

Paradise Lost Book 1 by John Milton is among the famous stories in English literature. This

book talks about the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden. In this story, Eden is depicted as

Paradise and man has left paradise. Notably, this story helps students get a clear picture of how

man’s rebellion against God caused his suffering and how man longs to be redeemed. I think that

one of the most appealing lines in this book to students is “Better to reign in hell, than serve in
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heaven” (Milton). This line seems to question God’s justice and depicts God as cruel and

inflexible whereas Satan is portrayed as one with a dark appeal. In this line, God sending man

out of Eden is considered harsh while Satan’s telling man about the secrets of God is considered

pleasant. Another possible appealing line is “How can I live without you, how forgo; (Milton).

This line shows the strong bond between Eve and Adam. In my view, I would teach the lines

“Free, and to none accountable, preferring; Hard liberty before the easy yoke” (Milton). This is

because these lines could help students see the benefit of taking responsibility for their own

actions and be ready to go through pain before gain.

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Works Cited

John Donne. “The Flea”, 2022, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46467/the-flea.

Accessed 03 Nov. 2022.

Milton, John. Paradise lost. Hackett Publishing, 2005.

Nadeem, Kanwal, and Tahir Saleem. "Dilemma of Magic and Witchcraft: It’s relation with the

ethnicity of Elizabethan Age," vol. 31, 2016, pp. 16-23.

Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice, edited by Barbara Mowat

and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library.