How do I approach an Othello extract question?

Example of an extract question for Othello: “Read the extract below and then answer the question. Explore the significance of this extract in relation to the tragedy of the play as a whole. remember to include in your answer relevant analysis of Shakespeare’s dramatic methods." Before anything, the first thing that you should do when answering the extract question is to read the extract thoroughly. I recommend reading it rigorously once and then on the second reading, begin highlighting what you perceive to be important key quotations as doing this will enable you to focus on the key aspects of the extract which you can begin to consider its significance and essentially use them as evidence to support your own ideas. When reading the extract and highlighting key quotes, it is essential to ultimately contemplate the following questions: How is this extract significant to the play as a whole? What is the significance of the setting or the characters here? What events or actions in this extract foreshadows or has an impact/effect/is a catalyst on other events in the play? This will not only help you to structure your argument, but it will also essentially fulfil the examiner’s requirement/expectations, as they look for an overview of the whole extract, alongside a confident and perceptive analysis of dramatic methods that Shakespeare has used in the extract. Despite the fact that some might think annotating the extract is time consuming, I think otherwise, as it will not only enable you to establish an argument, but it will also help you to remember your points if you potentially panic and forget your ideas during the exam. As I previously emphasised, it is vital to analyse the significance of the events in the extract in relation to the play as a whole—having said that, it is also pivotal to ensure that your main focus is the actual extract, because the question asks about the extract's significance. Therefore, although it is pivotal to use quotes or events from the play as a whole, you have to make sure that you discuss the extract more, whilst also providing assuredness in the connection between the given extract and the overall play.