What is revealed to the audience in Act 1 of the play Othello?. Discuss its importance for the rest of the play? .
In the play Othello, the first Act serves as an introduction to the material of the whole play. Act 1 serves as an essential set up for the central characters of the play. It is in the first Act of the play where first impressions are made of characters and their relation to each other. First impressions of characters lie externally, as the play progresses the audience learns of the internal qualities of the characters and the deception conveyed throughout the play. The developments of the main characters fabricate the thematic aspects of the play. In the first Act of the tone of the play is determined through the themes initiated. The pivotal themes revealed are love, war, deception and betrayal. The sub text within these themes allow them to closely interweave, assisting in the plays multi- dimensional aspects. Plot is the third primary aspect that constitutes the importance of the first scene. It is through the plot that the audience gain direction of the play. Act 1 has great importance for the play, as it introduces the vital attributes of the play being characterization, plot and themes. .
The development of characters in the first Act of Othello proves vital for the rest of the play, as the nature of many of the characters alter as the play progresses. However, Act 1 leaves many charactrers unresolved and undeveloped. First impressions are made by appearance only in the first scene, as the characters aren't revealed internally. .
In the first Act of Othello many of the themes that colour the play are presented. As the play opens, the audience enters into a world evoked by night atmospheres, a quiet, mysterious, and dangerous world. Within this world are many of the themes that backbone the play. In the first Act Shakespeare introduces the juxtaposition of love and war, these are themes which are visible throughout the play.
