Othello - Question 4

How is dramatic suspense created?...

Throughout the play, the audience perceives much suspense. Iago continues to devise schemes to destroy Cassio, Othello, and Desdemona's relationships with one another in order to give himself the power he believes he deserves. In Act II, Iago gives specific instructions to Roderigo to "provoke [Cassio], that he may, for even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny, whose qualification shall come into no true taste again but by the displanting of Cassio," (II.i.255-260). By plotting with different characters, he creates a web of interconnected lies that cause the characters to turn against each other without Iago having to be directly involved. He plays the innocent role throughout the play, making all characters perceive him as an honest man. The audience is only given information through Iago for the most part and receives very little from other characters. The play seems to center around his actions. This creates suspense by the notion that somehow Iago will have to be caught. This keeps the audience guessing how exactly he will be caught if things do not go as planned for Iago.

Suspense in "A Rose for Emily"

While reading "A Rose for Emily," I remained suspenseful of what was going on with Miss Emily Grierson throughout the whole story. Suspense began in the first paragraph when the narrator states why people went to the funeral: "...the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house which no one...had seen in at least ten years," (281). This indicated Emily's lack of friends and family first of all, since no one in the neighborhood actually went to her funeral to mourn her loss. This made me wonder why she did not have any relationships with anyone since she had lived there so long. I also wanted to know why she never came out of her house. Suspense in a literary work always adds more excitement to the story. The reader anticipates certain happenings and continuously wonders what will happen next. This keeps the reader's interest and makes for a better work.

2. Suspense

First of all, chapter 2 sort of threw me for a loop there when it turned into 1st person. The first chapter was not in 1st person I don't believe, so when the next section began I was confused there for a bit. But moving on, Jimmy Cross came to visit O'Brien in this section. They talked about old times and old friends. Towards the end, O'Brien tells Cross that he wishes to write a book about him. On page 29, Cross "hesitated for a second," then he said, "And do me a favor. Don't mention anything about-". Does anyone else really want to know what that little incident is? I know I sure do. I'm just hoping that it is actually something of interest because I also feel as if he could maybe just have been referring to the incident of Lavender's death. I am hoping that that is not all it is, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.