O (Film) Essay Questions

Why is the scarf so important to O and to the story as a whole?

The scarf that O gives to Desi is more than one hundred years old. It was his great-grandmother's, and for O it represents his love for Desi as well as his desire to bond himself with her. However, the scarf transforms from being a symbol of great love to betrayal as Hugo uses it to manipulate O into believing that Desi has given it to Michael. The scarf is a modern interpretation of a handkerchief that Desdemona has in Othello, and it becomes an integral element of plot development. As O has only heard through Hugo's insinuations that Desi is unfaithful, the image of Mike with the scarf is the first concrete "evidence" O receives.

In what ways is Hugo an expert villain?

Hugo, like Shakespeare's Iago, is the undisputed antagonist of the story. Hugo's villainy is remarkable in that he does not actually have to do much on his own to set his plan in motion – Roderigo does most of his bidding, while his conversations with O plant seeds of doubt in O's head about his relationship with Desi. Furthermore, Hugo is a skilled rhetorician, knowing exactly what words to say to O to stoke his jealousy without implicating himself in his own scheme. Hugo is able to destroy O in part because he already knows O well enough to understand what will spur him to self-destruction.

How does setting the film at a private school enhance the story?

O is based on William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello. That the film is set in a private and exclusive high school in South Carolina reflects the play's themes of the fallen hero. That is, the film suggests that a great fall is possible not only for celebrated military generals like Shakespeare's Othello but also for teenagers in modern-day society. The film shows how money and power lead those with the desire for self-glory to believe that they can get away with anything and that they are above the consequences of their actions.

What role does basketball play in the development of the story?

In Shakespeare's Othello, the male characters are all members of the Venetian army during the Ottoman-Venetian war. In this adaptation, the male characters are teammates on a high school basketball team, and O is the Most Valuable Player. Basketball, like the military, imposes a particular backdrop on the narrative – one rife with masculine energy, competition, and jealousy. Thus, Nelson uses basketball to help establish and cultivate the problematic emotions that lead the male characters (particularly O and Hugo) to destruction.

Which character in the film is least like their predecessor in Othello?

For the most part, Nelson's adaptation remains true to the plot and character traits of Shakespeare's Othello. However, one character can be considered an exception. While Desdemona in Othello is known for her virginal innocence and passivity, Desi in O expresses more autonomy and agency throughout the play. She stands up for herself when confronted by her father, and challenges O when he accuses her of cheating on him with Mike. Desi reflects a more "modern" woman while still retaining the original purity and honesty of Shakespeare's Desdemona. Despite these differences, Nelson retains Shakespeare's original tragedy, which is that Desi becomes a casualty of masculine competition and insecurity.