''Sooty bosom'' is a metaphor for

Analyzing the question

The phrase "sooty bosom" is a metaphor, and we need to find what it stands for. It comes from a poem, so it helps to recall where it appears.

The concept

"Sooty bosom" comes from William Blake's poem The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence), where the child sweeps chimneys and is covered in soot. However, the options here (Othello, Iago) point to Shakespeare, so the question is likely drawn from the Shakespearean context. It could also come from Othello, where Brabantio says to Othello:

"To fall in love with what she feared to look on... to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou."

(Othello, Act 1, Scene 2)

Brabantio, Desdemona's father, is angry that his daughter has run off with Othello. He says it would be unnatural for her to run "to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou." Here, "sooty bosom" refers to Othello, a Moor, whom Brabantio insults by pointing to his dark skin.

Working through the options

• A. A black coat: Wrong. There is no mention of clothing.
• B. Othello: Correct. The "sooty bosom" is Othello himself, with the dark colour of his skin used as a racial insult. The part (bosom) stands for the whole person.
• C. A breastplate: Wrong. Nothing in the line refers to armour.
• D. Iago: Wrong. Iago is not the one Desdemona ran to, and he is not the target of Brabantio's insult.

Answer: B. Othello

Exam tip: In Literature questions, find who is speaking, to whom, and about whom. Here Brabantio is speaking to Othello, so the insulting image "sooty" (blackened) describes Othello. Also remember that a metaphor describes one thing as if it were another, without using "like" or "as".