Number 4: How is dramatic suspense created?
Dramatic suspense is created in multiple ways in this play. Iago is a huge proponent of the dramatics because he soliloquys and asides always tell the reader what he is plotting to do next and how he plans on ruining someone else's life. He does not always tell the entire plan of what he is going to do, but he says things like "remove Cassio" (IV. ii.179-220) and the like which provides suspense for the audience and the reader because they do not know how it will turn out. There is much dramatic suspense when the audience or the reader realizes that the story is a tragedy but no one has died yet. Also, the bad guy has not gotten anything that has been coming to him yet. All of Iago's plans have been working perfectly for him and nothing has gone wrong until Desdemona is killed in Act V and Emilia realizes that her husband is even more of a criminal than she thought. The audience has much more information than the characters do mainly because of Iago's asides. Without the inside information about Iago, audiences would be confused because he is such a good actor that he can put on a straight face and lie to anyone to make them believe him. The audience knows that Desdemona never cheated on Othello and Othello never slept with Emilia. The audience also knows that Othello is a good man who does not turn bad until he is provoked by evil. The same applies for Cassio when he is pressured to get drunk and get in a fight with Roderigo. Since the audience has so much information, the audience is able to predict more things that are going to happen but they just cannot figure out exactly when or how these tragedies occur.
Dramatic suspense is created in multiple ways in this play. Iago is a huge proponent of the dramatics because he soliloquys and asides always tell the reader what he is plotting to do next and how he plans on ruining someone else's life. He does not always tell the entire plan of what he is going to do, but he says things like "remove Cassio" (IV. ii.179-220) and the like which provides suspense for the audience and the reader because they do not know how it will turn out. There is much dramatic suspense when the audience or the reader realizes that the story is a tragedy but no one has died yet. Also, the bad guy has not gotten anything that has been coming to him yet. All of Iago's plans have been working perfectly for him and nothing has gone wrong until Desdemona is killed in Act V and Emilia realizes that her husband is even more of a criminal than she thought. The audience has much more information than the characters do mainly because of Iago's asides. Without the inside information about Iago, audiences would be confused because he is such a good actor that he can put on a straight face and lie to anyone to make them believe him. The audience knows that Desdemona never cheated on Othello and Othello never slept with Emilia. The audience also knows that Othello is a good man who does not turn bad until he is provoked by evil. The same applies for Cassio when he is pressured to get drunk and get in a fight with Roderigo. Since the audience has so much information, the audience is able to predict more things that are going to happen but they just cannot figure out exactly when or how these tragedies occur.
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