Othello

1. The beginning of any literary work is, of course, very important. What
do you think of the way Shakespeare chooses to begin the play?
2. Are there contrasts, do you think, between the way CHARACTER is
presented here and in subsequent scenes?
3. Did you find Shakespeare using different kinds of tension in Othello in
order to engage and hold the audience?
4. What, for you was the most riveting or satisfying moment in Othello?
Can you account for how the Shakespeare managed to achieve that
effect?
5. What do you consider the protagonist and what effect do you think
these have on the believability of Othello.
6. Who was your favourite or least favourite secondary character in the
Othello? Can you see how Shakespeare has elicited the response?
7. Do you think any profound human truths are being considered in
Othello, or do you see its main purpose as keeping an audience
interested in human behaviour?
8. What cultural aspects of the context do you think had the strongest
impact on Shakespeare’s writing?
9. Examine the female characters in the play. Do they share a common
role in Othello?
10. How well do you think Shakespeare manages to use the stage to
establish a strong sense of setting?
11. What is your opinion about the closure in the last section of Othello?
Do you find it satisfying or frustrating?
12. What do you feel is the central conflict in Othello? How important are
the underlying reasons for the conflict?
13. How clearly is Shakespeare able to convey a meaningful idea while
keeping an audience entertained?
Orwell
1. What cultural aspects of the context do you think had the strongest
impact on Orwell’s writing?
2. Is there any person in the work, other than the writer, whose presence
you found to be forceful or memorable.
3. What features of the work most attracted you, for example, the history or
geography, the encounters with people of the personal reactions of the
writer
4. What is the role of (TECHNIQUE) in the work and how well do you think
the writer handled that feature?
5. Do you have any reservations about the writer’s responses or attitudes to
the places/people/ideas?
6. What human issues form the subjects of the work? Did you find any of
them particularly well handled?
7. Did you find the essayist skilled in bringing the work to a particularly
satisfying conclusion?
8. In what ways does the writing produce a strong sense of the author?
9. Do you feel that the style of writing is well matched to the ideas that the
writer is trying to convey?
10. How well does the work organize the events or ideas? Is there an effective
division within and between sections?
11. What aspect of the work do you find most convincing?
12. Can you identify some of the features of the writer’s technique that you
find to be particularly effective?
13. Are there some ideas or opinions put forward in the writing that you feel
particularly sympathetic or antagonistic towards? What do you think
prompted such a strong reaction?