How Effective Are the First Two Scenes Of Othello As An Introduction To The Two Main Characters And The Play As A Whole?

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How Effective Are the First Two Scenes Of Othello As An Introduction To The Two Main Characters And The Play As A Whole?

The passionate and emotional first two scenes of Othello almost immediately introduce the most important and controversial themes of the play, creating suspense and excitement for the audience, who become interested and involved in the play from the outset.

The audience find themselves thrust into a heated conversation between two characters in the dead of night. This highly effective and engaging opening, forces the audience to simultaneously interpret the situation on stage and subconsciously establish a preference for one of the two characters immediately presented to them. Iago's impact on the audience is almost instantaneous, for his exclamation of ''Sblood' strongly differs from Roderigo's meek 'Tush' and similarly, the rhythm of Iago's lines is in stark contrast to the irritable whining of Roderigo. The obvious distinction between Iago and the apparently weak and foolish Roderigo causes the audience's admiration to lie with Iago.

However, as the first scene progresses the tone and implications of Iago's speech become darker and more menacing, as he reveals that 'I follow [Othello] to serve my