McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXXXIX · Part 9: Comedy, Milton, Whittier and Shakespeare's taverns

95. The Folly of Intoxication (William Shakespeare)

Goal: Your student can explain how Cassio's drunkenness cost him his good name, in his own words from the play.

⏱ About 35 minutes · 6 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A notebook and pen
  • A dictionary

What's in the book

A scene from Shakespeare's Othello: Cassio, sober again after a drunken brawl, talks with Iago about the loss of his reputation. Notes explain Hydra and Desdemona.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Words and meanings

    Read the notes printed at the end of the lesson together before reading. The book explains, among others:

    Hydra: a fabled monster of Greek mythology, having nine heads, one of which was immortal

    Desdemona: the wife of Othello

    The notes also explain that Iago is a villain who plans to get Cassio drunk to ruin him.

    Ask your student to find two other hard words in the lesson, guess their meaning from the sentence, then check a dictionary.

  2. About the author

    Shakespeare was introduced earlier in the book. Explain only the setup: Cassio is Othello's lieutenant; Iago pretends to be his friend.

  3. Read aloud

    Take parts: student as Cassio, parent as Iago.

    Listen for these lines:

    Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant?

    Cassio. Ay, past all surgery.

  4. Talk about it

    SayCassio says he has lost his reputation. Why does that hurt him more than a wound?

    SayWhat does he say about putting an enemy in his mouth?

    SayIago seems to comfort him. What do the notes tell us about Iago's real plan?

    SayWhy does Shakespeare compare drunkenness to a monster with many heads?

  5. Narration

    Your student explains in their own words what Cassio learned that night.

  6. Writing (optional)

    Write a paragraph about why a good name is hard to win back once lost.

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