1. Act 3, Scenes 1&2 AO1: What happens in these scenes?
Look at your notes and quickly summarise.

2. Key points Act 3 Scene 1 Comic relief:
a clown is mincing words with a few musicians, then has a little wordplay with Cassio
Iago enters, and Cassio tells him that he means to speak to Desdemona, so that she may clear things up with Othello.
Emilia comes out, and bids Cassio to come in and speak with Desdemona about his tarnished reputation.

3. Act 3 Scene 1 What is the purpose of this scene?
AO2
What is the purpose of this scene?
Why insert some ‘comic relief’ at this point in the play?
Think about structure and plot.
ACT III SCENE I Before the castle.
Enter CASSIO and some Musicians.
Music
Enter Clown.
Clown Why masters, have your instruments been in Naples,
that they speak i' the nose thus? 5
First Musician How, sir, how!
Clown Are these, I pray you, wind-instruments?
First Musician Ay, marry, are they, sir.
Clown O, thereby hangs a tail.
First Musician Whereby hangs a tale, sir? 10
Clown Marry. sir, by many a wind-instrument that I know.
But, masters, here's money for you: and the general
so likes your music, that he desires you, for love's
sake, to make no more noise with it.
First Musician Well, sir, we will not
Clown If you have any music that may not be heard, to't
again: but, as they say to hear music the general
does not greatly care.
First Musician We have none such, sir.
Clown Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away: 20
go; vanish into air; away!

4. Act 3 Scene 1 AO2 ACT III SCENE I Before the castle.
Structure:
The clown appears only twice (in the first and last scenes of Act III) and delivers a total of fourteen lines. In a five act play, however, the Clown is inserted at a structural fulcrum point; straddling the pivotal moments that bring Iago's scheming to fruition.
AO2
ACT III SCENE I Before the castle.
Enter CASSIO and some Musicians.
Music
Enter Clown.
Humour:
The clown is sent down by Othello to silence the musicians Claudio hired to serenade him. The clown helps emphasize for the audience that they can enjoy a moment of levity as dire plot points hang in the balance. First, Cassio, who drunkenly shamed himself in Act II, is giving Othello a musical wakeup call at the crack of dawn. There is a high level of absurdity to the premise: a military officer seeks to regain good standing by essentially wooing his commander with music, like a love-struck suitor.
The Clown appears to shoo them away. He implies that the musicians don't know what orifice to use in playing their instruments. The musician in the exchange is a perfect straight man, which is typical of Shakespearean clown scenes--either they or their victim tends to be oblivious to being the butt of the joke.

5. Act 3 Scene 1
AO3
ACT III SCENE I Before the castle.
Enter CASSIO and some Musicians.
Music
Enter Clown.
Othello is unlike other Shakespearean dramas for two reasons:
the scarcity of comic relief, which only appears briefly at the beginning of this short scene.
there are no subplots running through Othello as there are in most Shakespearean plays as a whole.
Both of these differences make Othello one of Shakespeare's most focused, intense tragedies.

6. Act 3 Scene 1 Study Focus: Ominous Irony AO2
CASSIO I have made bold, Iago, 35
To send in to your wife: my suit to her
Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona
Procure me some access.
IAGO I'll send her to you presently;
And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor 40
Out of the way, that your converse and business May be more free.
CASSIO I humbly thank you for't.
Exit IAGO.
I never knew
A Florentine more kind and honest.
What does Iago say he will do? Why is this ironic?
Iago openly tells Cassio that he will deceive Othello. He says he will do this out of loyalty to Cassio. Cassio responds that this makes Iago “kind and honest”!

7. Key points Act 3 Scene 2
Othello gives Iago some letters that need to be delivered back to Venice
Iago is in turn supposed to give the letters to a ship's pilot who is sailing back to Venice.

8. Act 3 Scene 2 Study Focus: Ominous Irony AO2
ACT III SCENE II A room in the castle.
Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen.
OTHELLO
These letters give, Iago, to the pilot;
And by him do my duties to the senate:
That done, I will be walking on the works;
Repair there to me.
IAGO
Well, my good lord, I'll do't.
This fortification, gentlemen, shall we see't?
Gentleman
We'll wait upon your lordship.
Exeunt
While Othello is absorbed in military matters, his personal affairs are being undermined
This short scene shows Iago’s key method of manipulation – he presents himself as faithful and helpful servant, whilst secretly working against his target