aqa B was actually so kind this year, i ran out of time on section C and waffled at the end even though the question was good :((

any predictions of the questions or the extract?

last year’s extract was desdemona and emilia’s talk in act 4, the question in section B was about death/killing, section C one option was about family and relationships i think.

what mark or band would you guesstimate this to be at? and please leave critique in the comments 🙏
i take aqa B (paper 1B tragedy), this is a section b essay on othello.

In William Shakespeare's tragedy play "othello', the eponymous tragic hero's role within the narrative as a racial minority within white Venetian society, and an "other" figure plays a significantly relevant part of the tragedy of the play as a whole, for multiple reasons.

Firstly, Othello's identity as a 'moor' character is a meaningful element of the play as it is arguably the most explicit reason for Iago- the tragic villain figure's- dislike of him. From the very outset of the play, Iago refers to Othello with racist ephithets ('His Moorship') and negative allusions to his ethnic features ('the thick lips'). His hatred and dislike of Othello in Act 1, Scene 1 of the play is highlighted by Shakespeare, likely to portray Iago as a villainous character, and to reflect Iago's mindset of superiority over Othello, as a white Venetian man. Due to Iago's false sense of supremacy, he is shown to be enraged by not just Othello's elevated position in the military as an officer, but also his decision to promote Cassio to the role of lieutenant over himself. Therefore, Iago's plans of ruination for Othello and his wife Desdemona are seemingly fuelled by his racism towards Othello, and his resentment of his social elevation despite his role as an 'Other' in Venetian society. The playwright presents Iago's hatred of Othello as a negative character aspect though, which is atypical for literary works of the Elizabethan era, where Moor figures were more regularly portrayed as criminal and detestable figures in literature.

Furthermore, Othello's race is a main factor in the tragedy of the play as it is presented to be the driving force behind the criticism and controversy of his elopement with Desdemona. In the first act, once the marriage is revealed to be Desdemona's father Brabantio, he is enraged by the revelation, and he states the union to be 'unnatural'. The adjective used by the character reflects the racist and xenophobic attitudes of Venetian society at the time as he seems to view Othello as a creature 'other' than him, Desdemona and all other white Venetians, which provokes him to call for Othello's death and arrest. Other characters are also exposed to have the same archaic mindset towards the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, as Iago vulgarly refers to Othello as a 'black ram' that is 'tupping your white ewe (Desdemona)' to Brabantio. The contrast between 'black' and 'white' within this metaphor further highlights the racial prejudices of the characters as white connotes the innocence and purity of Desdemona, whilst Othello is likened to devilish imagery and untrustworthiness with the phrase 'black ram'. The verb 'tupping' also emphasises Iago's sexual degeneracy as it is a cruel and vulgar reference to sex, as not a mutual act but an act done to women. Brabantio also accuses Othello of witchcraft and trickery as he genuinely believes that no woman of sound mind would marry a Moor, further exemplifying his exclusitory and racist mindset towards Othello. Shakespeare's emphasis on the negative attitudes towards their relationship in Act One is significant as it debatably engineers Othello's insecurities within his relationship as a black man with a white woman. These mounting insecurities about himself therefore were likely a pivotal part in why he fell for Iago's mistruths and manipulations, leading him to fear being cuckolded by Cassio and Desdemona. This fear, that once seemingly confirmed with the evidence of the handkerchief in Act Four, lead to Othello's final breakdown and culminated in his tragic downfall and the death of Desdemona.

Moreover, Othello's race heightens the tragedy of the work as a whole as we witness his gradual downfall from an educated, honourable and calm man, which subverts typical expectations of a Moor character at the time- to a rash and violent lunatic. In the first scene of the play, he is depicted to us through the words of Iago and Roderigo as a stupid and violent individual, evidenced by their use of racialised language and insulting verbiage. However, his appearance in the second scene of the play dispels audience's previous views of him, as his measures speech in blank verse suggests he is an intelligent man of high pedigree, as Shakespeare uses the speech pattern and rhythm to reflect. To an Elizabethan audience, this portrayal of a Moor character would have been significantly atypical, as they are typically presented as criminals and unsavouries. Shakespeare's intention with the clear contrast between Othello's presentation in scene 1 versus his actions in scene 2 may have been an attempt to force the audience to examine their own prejudices and beliefs therefore. However, as the play progress and Iago's poisonous thoughts pour into Othello's subconscious, his speech shifts to prose to reflect his mental deterioration and mirrors his depleting honour and calm nature. He comes to embody all the racist stereotypes of a black man that Shakespeare previously seemed to want to dispel. A post colonial critic might interpret Othello's gradual downfall over the course of the play as indicative of literature from coloniser countries (England)'s tendency to present natives hailing from previously colonised countries as uneducated and violent thugs- in some way a justification for the imposed label of the "other".