37. Upon what does Othello base his opinion of Iago's honesty? 38. How does Iago so completely befool Othello?

39. What wrong directions does Othello's revenge take? 40. How does Desdemona apprehend the feeling of jealousy; how does she regard the jealousy of Othello?

41. What of Desdemona's behaviour under Othello's suspicion? 42. Does Emilia's obedience to her husband after he has snatched the handkerchief from her seem out of keeping with her character?

43. Up to the end of this Act, how does the character of Desdemona impress you; that of Emilia?

44. What new influence appears with the introduction of Bianca; how does she show the effect of jealousy? What new light does her appearance throw upon Cassio?

45. How much does Act III. advance the action of the play?

ACT FOURTH.

46. Describe the increased efforts of Iago to work upon the jealousy and anger of Othello.

47. Does Iago here exhibit any trace of human pity or feeling? 48. Does any other great character of Shakespeare approach Iago in heartlessness and diabolic spirit?

49. How are the sorrow and compassion of Othello portrayed in Sc. i.?

50. How is shown the lowest depth of Iago's devilish perfidy?

51. Explain (Sc. i. 248) Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.

52. Does Emilia betray any suspicion of her husband when she says (Sc. ii. 130-133), I will be hanged, etc.?

53. Is Desdemona's song essential to the action of the drama; what is its artistic or dramatic purpose; what similar incident in Shakespeare does it recall?

54. How does Othello at first intend to kill Desdemona; what other means does Iago suggest, and why?

55. How does Desdemona receive Othello's accusation against her; how does Emilia treat it?

56. Does Iago deceive others as completely as he does Othello? 57. What relation does Act IV. bear to the main action of the play?

ACT FIFTH.

58. How would the death of Cassio or Roderigo further the ends of Iago?

59. What does Roderigo's confession in view of death show as to his character?

60. By what means does Iago still forward his schemes?

61. What is Othello's mental condition during most of this Act? How does he justify himself in killing Desdemona ?

62. Does Desdemona at last see that she and Othello have both been betrayed?

63. How does Desdemona face Othello's final determination to kill her; why does she beg for half an hour of grace?

64. How account for the fact that Desdemona died with a falsehood on her lips; was it an intentional falsehood, a mistake, or the result of a confused mind?

65. When Othello learns that Desdemona was innocent, how does he act?

66. Explain (Sc. ii. 7) Put out the light, and then put out the light.

67. What is the allusion in line 347: Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away?

68. Explain Iago's last speech in the play.

69. What is shown by comparing Desdemona and Emilia?

70. Is this play marked by Shakespeare's usual breadth of treatment?

71. What is the purpose of soliloquy in the modern drama; has it any relation to the chorus of ancient drama?

72. Describe the purpose and effect of Iago's soliloquy at the end of Act I.

73. Does any other character of Shakespeare's soliloquize as much as Iago?

74. Could the subtle and wicked spirit and purposes of Iago so well be made known in any other manner?

75. How were love and marriage regarded by Othello; by Desdemona; by Iago; by Emilia?

76. Compare these characters in any respect to others in Shakespeare.

77. Interpret Shakespeare's contrasting of humour and tragedy, as in Act III., at its beginning, and at the opening of Sc. iv.;

with what scene of Hamlet may it be compared in respect of dramatic purpose?

78. In view of his character, what value has Iago's estimate of good name?

79. In the mouth of villainy has the praise of virtue any ethical significance?

80. What is the secret power by which a man like Iago makes even innocent persons, as well as circumstances, conspire to serve his evil purposes?

81. Is the source of Iago's influence over Othello more to be seen in Iago's own complex and diabolical genius or in Othello's simplicity of nature?

82. What is the ethical import of this play as dealing with love, jealousy, hate, revenge, etc.?

83. Does good here seem to be vanquished and evil prospered; is the influence of the play on the side of pessimism or of optimism?

84. Indicate the usual contrasts between the jealousies of noble souls and those of base.

85. Is there anywhere a better portrayal of such contrasts as appear between Othello and Iago than in this play?

86. What is to be said of the art whereby Shakespeare makes the Moor so admirable, notwithstanding his limitations, and even renders Iago fascinating in spite of all his "inscrutable depravity"?

HENRY IV.- Parts I. and II.

Preface.

The Early Editions. (I.) The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, entered on the Stationers' Registers, under date of February 25, 1597-8, appeared for the first time in a Quarto edition, with the following title-page:"The History of Henrie the Fourth; with the battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henrie Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir Iohn Falstaffe. At London. Printed by P. S. for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598." (Cp. Grigg's Facsimile edition.)

No less than five subsequent Quarto editions appeared before the publication of the play in the first Folio; they were issued in 1599, 1604, 1608, 1613, 1622. Other Quartos belong to the years 1632 and 1639. Each edition seems to have been derived from its predecessor.

The title of the play in the Folio is, " The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry Surnamed Hotspurre." The Cambridge editors refer the Folio text to a partially corrected copy of the fifth Quarto. The earlier Quartos were, however, probably consulted by the corrector.

(II.) The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth was first published in Quarto in 1600, with the following titlepage:"The Second part of Henrie the fourth, continuing to his death, and coronation of Henry the fifth. With the humours of Sir John Falstaffe, and swaggering Pistoll. As it hath been sundry times publikely acted by the

right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. London. Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wise and William Aspley. 1600. (Cp. Grigg's Facsimile edition.) The play was entered by the publishers upon the Stationers' Registers on August 23rd of the same year.

By some accident the first scene of Act III. had been omitted in some copies of the Quarto. The error was rectified by inserting two new leaves, the type of some of the preceding and following leaves being used; hence there are two different impressions of the latter part of Act II. and the beginning of Act. III. ii.

66

The text of this Part in the first Folio was probably ultimately derived from a transcript of the original MS. It contains passages which had evidently been originally omitted in order to shorten the play for the stage. Some of these are among the finest in the play, and are too closely connected with the context to allow of the supposition that they were later additions, inserted by the author after the publication of the Quarto" (Cambridge editors). Similarly, the Quarto contains passages not found in the Folio, and for the most part "the Quarto is to be regarded as having the higher critical value."

Date of Composition. There is almost unanimity among scholars in assigning 1 Henry IV. to the year 1596-1597. (i.) According to Chalmers, the opening lines of the play "plainly allude " to the expedition against Spain in 1596. Similarly the expression 'the poor fellow never joyed since the price of oats rose' (II. i.) may be connected with the Proclamation for the Dearth of Corn, etc., issued in the same year. The introduction of the word 'valiant,' detrimental to the metre of the line, in Act V. iv. 41,

"The spirits

Of (valiant) Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms,"

may perhaps also point to 1596-7 as the original date of