Othello begins ona street in Venice, in the midst of an argument between Roderigo,a rich man, and Iago. Roderigo has been paying Iago to help himin his suit to Desdemona.
But Roderigo has just learned that Desdemonahas married Othello, a general whom Iago begrudgingly serves asensign. Iago says he hates Othello, who recently passed him overfor the position of lieutenant in favor of the inexperienced soldierMichael Cassio.Unseen, Iago and Roderigo cry out to Brabanzio that hisdaughter Desdemona has been stolen by and married to Othello, the Moor.Brabanzio finds that his daughter is indeed missing, and he gatherssome officers to find Othello. Not wanting his hatred of Othelloto be known, Iago leaves Roderigo and hurries back to Othello beforeBrabanzio sees him. At Othello’s lodgings, Cassio arrives with anurgent message from the duke: Othello’s help is needed in the matterof the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Not long afterward,Brabanzio arrives with Roderigo and others, and accuses Othelloof stealing his daughter by witchcraft. When he finds out that Othellois on his way to speak with the duke, -Brabanzio decides to go alongand accuse Othello before the assembled senate.Brabanzio’s plan backfires.
Othello, in full Othello, the Moor of Venice, tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written in 1603–04 and published in 1622 in a quarto edition from a transcript of an authorial manuscript. Shakespeare, William: OthelloThe cast and crew of a Folger Shakespeare Library production of Othello offering insight into the play's language.
The duke and senate are verysympathetic toward Othello. Given a chance to speak for himself,Othello explains that he wooed and won Desdemona not by witchcraftbut with the stories of his adventures in travel and war.
The dukefinds Othello’s explanation convincing, and Desdemona herself entersat this point to defend her choice in marriage and to announce toher father that her allegiance is now to her husband. Brabanziois frustrated, but acquiesces and allows the senate meeting to resume.The duke says that Othello must go to Cyprus to aid in the defense againstthe Turks, who are headed for the island. Desdemona insists thatshe accompany her husband on his trip, and preparations are madefor them to depart that night.In Cyprus the following day, two gentlemen stand on theshore with Montano, the governor of Cyprus. A third gentleman arrives andreports that the Turkish fleet has been wrecked in a storm at sea.
Cassio,whose ship did not suffer the same fate, arrives soon after, followedby a second ship carrying Iago, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Emilia,Iago’s wife. Once they have landed, Othello’s ship is sighted, andthe group goes to the harbor. As they wait for Othello, Cassio greetsDesdemona by clasping her hand. Watching them, Iago tells the audiencethat he will use “as little a web as this” hand-holding to ensnareCassio (II.i. 169).Othello arrives, greets his wife, and announcesthat there will be reveling that evening to celebrate Cyprus’s safetyfrom the Turks.
Once everyone has left, Roderigo complains to Iagothat he has no chance of breaking up Othello’s marriage. Iago assures Roderigothat as soon as Desdemona’s “blood is made dull with the act ofsport,” she will lose interest in Othello and seek sexual satisfactionelsewhere (II.i.
However, Iago warnsthat “elsewhere” will likely be with Cassio. Iago counsels Roderigothat he should cast Cassio into disgrace by starting a fight withCassio at the evening’s revels. In a soliloquy, Iago explains tothe audience that eliminating Cassio is the first crucial step inhis plan to ruin Othello.
So we have to go across all rooms just to get to those enemies. The difference between Survival and Defense is not the numbers, but the absence of enemies coming to you.In survival, we have to make sure that we have life support every time, so we go from room to room, fighting enemies. And enemies go room to room as well. The downside of survival is when all enemies are on the other side of the whole map. Warframe argon crystal.
That night, Iago gets Cassio drunk andthen sends Roderigo to start a fight with him. Chicken wiggle recipe. Apparently provokedby Roderigo, Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage. Governor Montanoattempts to hold Cassio down, and Cassio stabs him. Iago sends Roderigoto raise alarm in the town.The alarm is rung, and Othello, who had leftearlier with plans to consummate his marriage, soon arrives to stillthe commotion. When Othello demands to know who began the fight,Iago feigns reluctance to implicate his “friend” Cassio, but heultimately tells the whole story.
Othello then strips Cassio ofhis rank of lieutenant. Cassio is extremely upset, and he lamentsto Iago, once everyone else has gone, that his reputation has beenruined forever. Iago assures Cassio that he can get back into Othello’s goodgraces by using Desdemona as an intermediary. In a soliloquy, Iagotells us that he will frame Cassio and Desdemona as lovers to make-Othello jealous.In an attempt at reconciliation, Cassio sends some musiciansto play beneath Othello’s window.
Othello, however, sends his clown totell the musicians to go away. Hoping to arrange a meeting with Desdemona,Cassio asks the clown, a peasant who serves Othello, to send Emiliato him. After the clown departs, Iago passes by and tells Cassiothat he will get Othello out of the way so that Cassio can speakprivately with Desdemona. Othello, Iago, and a gentleman go to examinesome of the town’s fortifications.Desdemona is quite sympathetic to Cassio’s request andpromises that she will do everything she can to make Othello forgivehis former lieutenant. As Cassio is about to leave, Othello andIago return. Feeling uneasy, Cassio leaves without talking to Othello. Othelloinquires whether it was Cassio who just parted from his wife, andIago, beginning to kindle Othello’s fire of jealousy, replies, “No,sure, I cannot think it, / That he would steal away so guilty-like,/ Seeing your coming” (III.iii.
37–39).Othello becomes upset and moody, and Iago furthers hisgoal of removing both Cassio and Othello by suggesting that Cassioand Desdemona are involved in an affair. Desdemona’s entreatiesto Othello to reinstate Cassio as lieutenant add to Othello’s almost immediateconviction that his wife is unfaithful. After Othello’s conversationwith Iago, Desdemona comes to call Othello to supper and finds himfeeling unwell. She offers him her handkerchief to wrap around hishead, but he finds it to be “too little” and lets it drop to thefloor (III.iii.
Desdemona and Othellogo to dinner, and Emilia picks up the handkerchief, mentioning tothe audience that Iago has always wanted her to steal it for him.Iago is ecstatic when Emilia gives him the handkerchief,which he plants in Cassio’s room as “evidence” of his affair withDesdemona. When Othello demands “ocular proof” (III.iii.
365)that his wife is unfaithful, Iago says that he has seen Cassio “wipehis beard” (III.iii. 444) with Desdemona’shandkerchief—the first gift Othello ever gave her. Othello vowsto take vengeance on his wife and on Cassio, and Iago vows thathe will help him. When Othello sees Desdemona later that evening,he demands the handkerchief of her, but she tells him that she doesnot have it with her and attempts to change the subject by continuingher suit on Cassio’s behalf. This drives Othello into a furtherrage, and he storms out.
Later, Cassio comes onstage, wonderingabout the handkerchief he has just found in his chamber. He is greetedby Bianca, a prostitute, whom he asks to take the handkerchief andcopy its embroidery for him.Through Iago’s machinations, Othello becomes so consumedby jealousy that he falls into a trance and has a fit of epilepsy.As he writhes on the ground, Cassio comes by, and Iago tells himto come back in a few minutes to talk. Once Othello recovers, Iagotells him of the meeting he has planned with Cassio. He instructsOthello to hide nearby and watch as Iago extracts from Cassio thestory of his affair with Desdemona. While Othello stands out ofearshot, Iago pumps Cassio for information about Bianca, causingCassio to laugh and confirm Othello’s suspicions. Bianca herselfthen enters with Desdemona’s handkerchief, reprimanding Cassio formaking her copy out the embroidery of a love token given to himby another woman.
When Desdemona enters with Lodovico and Lodovico subsequentlygives Othello a letter from Venice calling him home and instatingCassio as his replacement, Othello goes over the edge, strikingDesdemona and then storming out.That night, Othello accuses Desdemona of beinga whore. He ignores her protestations, seconded by Emilia, thatshe is innocent. Iago assures Desdemona that Othello is simply upsetabout matters of state. Later that night, however, Othello ominously tellsDesdemona to wait for him in bed and to send Emilia away.
Meanwhile,Iago assures the still-complaining Roderigo that everything is goingas planned: in order to prevent Desdemona and Othello from leaving,Roderigo must kill Cassio. Then he will have a clear avenue to hislove.Iago instructs Roderigo to ambush Cassio, butRoderigo misses his mark and Cassio wounds him instead.
Iago wounds Cassioand runs away. When Othello hears Cassio’s cry, he assumes thatIago has killed Cassio as he said he would. Lodovico and Grazianoenter to see what the commotion is about.
Iago enters shortly thereafterand flies into a pretend rage as he “discovers” Cassio’s assailantRoderigo, whom he murders. Cassio is taken to have his wound dressed.Meanwhile, Othello stands over his sleepingwife in their bedchamber, preparing to kill her. Desdemona wakesand attempts to plead with Othello. She asserts her innocence, butOthello smothers her.
Emilia enters with the news that Roderigois dead. Othello asks if Cassio is dead too and is mortified whenEmilia says he is not. After crying out that she has been murdered,Desdemona changes her story before she dies, claiming that she has committedsuicide. Emilia asks Othello what happened, and Othello tells herthat he has killed Desdemona for her infidelity, which Iago broughtto his attention.Montano, Graziano, and Iago come into the room. Iago attempts tosilence Emilia, who realizes what Iago has done. At first, Othello insiststhat Iago has told the truth, citing the handkerchief as evidence.Once Emilia tells him how she found the handkerchief and gave itto Iago, Othello is crushed and begins to weep.
He tries to kill Iagobut is disarmed. Iago kills Emilia and flees, but he is caught by Lodovicoand Montano, who return holding Iago captive. They also bring Cassio,who is now in a chair because of his wound. Othello wounds Iagoand is disarmed. Lodovico tells Othello that he must come with themback to Venice to be tried. Othello makes a speech about how hewould like to be remembered, then kills himself with a sword hehad hidden on his person.
The play closes with a speech by Lodovico.He gives Othello’s house and goods to Graziano and orders that Iagobe executed.
Key quotation( Aside) O, you are well tuned now!But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,As honest as I am. (2.1.191–93) Setting the sceneIn Act 2, Scene 1 of, Iago formulates his plan to drive Othello mad. Shifts the action from to Cyprus. A storm has dispersed the Venetian fleet so that Cassio arrives first, anxious for Othello's safety. Desdemona arrives later with Iago and Emilia.
The group wait, bantering on the topic of women. Iago notices Cassio's courteous manner towards Desdemona and resolves, 'with as little a web as this will I / ensnare as great a fly as Cassio' (2.1.164).
Desdemona is relieved by Othello’s arrival and the joyful party depart, leaving Iago with Roderigo.In this key passage (2.1.191–254), Iago persuades Roderigo that Desdemona loves Cassio. His speech plays upon stereotypes, revealing the dangerous underbelly of his earlier misogynistic ‘jokes’.
His language is heavily ironic, repeatedly calling Cassio a ‘knave’, though we know this is the role Iago himself gleefully identifies with. As he reminds us in his following soliloquy, ‘knavery’s plain face is never seen till used' (2.1.267).
How does Shakespeare present Iago here?Iago makes it clear that his object is discord. The metaphor of Othello and Desdemona as ‘well tuned’ string instruments (2.1.191–92) portrays their current harmony but also implies their vulnerability: it is not difficult for Iago to ‘set down the pegs’ – fiddle with the tuning keys – of their relationship. His control of their heartstrings mirrors his control of Roderigo’s purse strings (1.1.2–3).
The image of discordant music is a fitting one for his actions, as Iago’s success lies in his ability to distort and pervert what should be other characters’ most positive traits: Othello’s passionate honour, Desdemona’s commitment, Cassio’s courtesy. This aside also encapsulates his keen sense of irony (‘As honest as I am’, 2.1.193) and the role of the audience. Iago’s true intentions are never revealed to other characters – it is only through sneaking asides and hate-filled soliloquies that we are given access to his plots.
In this manner, we are colluders, silent witnesses of his evil, failing to intervene.Iago’s co-conspirator, Roderigo, has less access to his diabolical plans than we do, despite Iago posing as his benefactor with astonishingly little effort: 'Pish! But sir, you be ruled by me' (2.1.248). Iago is portrayed, through Roderigo's compliance, as masterful and persuasive, laying the ground for the ease with which he later poisons Othello's mind. ThemesThe key theme in the passage is sexual appetite.
Iago portrays Desdemona as lustful, desperate to trade Othello for a more refined Cassio. Also dominate. Iago refers to Othello not by his name but as 'the Moor', calling him 'the devil' (2.1.216) and 'defective' (2.1.220), a racist portrayal which makes Desdemona's unfaithfulness more believable to Roderigo. Iago's misogyny has been plain earlier in the scene and builds here: young women are portrayed as foolish, having an innately sexualised 'nature' (2.1.222–23) and whorish for touching hands, even for thinking. Language and imageryIago’s reputation for straightforward honesty is the foundation of his deceptions.
Iago’s crude language is excused as that of a straightforward soldier, with Cassio allowing, 'He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar' (2.1.161–62). This conflation of honesty with soldierly bluntness disadvantages Desdemona, who can never communicate her honesty in this manner.
Later, it will ensnare Othello: 'give thy worst of thoughts / the worst of words' (3.3.133–34).But, away from his superiors, Iago’s crudeness becomes obsessively salacious. In the speech he dwells on body parts – eyes, hands, lips, blood – and the 'act of sport' (2.1.217), i.e. The supposed sexual activity of Desdemona and Cassio.
Iago portrays desire in low terms, with reductive language: Desdemona's adoration is 'violence', Othello's wooing tales are 'bragging. Iago's base reduction figures sex as hunger: 'her eye must be fed' (2.1.215). Like a devouring sexual animal, Desdemona will need an attractive man 'to give satiety a fresh appetite' (2.1.217–18). Desdemona is graphically portrayed as rejecting continued ‘consumption’ of Othello: 'her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor' (2.1.221–22). In this image, Iago suggests gagging and retching, which, along with the concept of 'abused' 'tenderness', has connotations of disgust with oral sex. Food imagery abounds.
Retorting, 'The wine she drinks is made of grapes' (2.1.238), Iago implies that Desdemona is just like all women – women who consume and indulge in gluttonous pleasures. The image is reversed later in the play, when Emilia comments that men 'are all but stomachs, and we all but food' (3.4.93). Iago's food imagery contains sexual innuendo: 'Blest fig's end!' This is a contemporary obscenity, figs being associated with the female vulva.But Iago's salacious language is just that – words. There is no evidence for adultery except that Cassio is 'a slipper and a subtle knave' (2.1.229), his slipperiness emphasised by the sibilance, and that Desdemona was seen to 'paddle with the palm of his hand' (2.1.240–41).
Nothing has actually happened. Although Roderigo counters, ‘I cannot believe that in her. She’s full of most blessed condition’, the sheer volume – and forcefulness – of Iago’s words obscure the illogical reasoning and overpower Roderigo. And the trap itself is so subtle as to be almost hidden: all Iago asks is whether Roderigo saw Desdemona 'paddle' Cassio's hand, a playful word echoing the image of 'sport' and also Cassio’s supposedly watery nature. Roderigo dismisses it as 'courtesy' but admits he 'did' see it.
Yet earlier Iago tells us it is Cassio who 'takes her by the palm' (2.1.163). Through Iago's language, Roderigo is duped into – a trick Othello will later fall for. Dramatic formIago's speech is in, like many of his asides. With Roderigo's extended silence, it too feels like an extended aside. The contrast is stark between Othello's stately verse (2.1.194–204), and Iago's sneaking prose. The prose also contrasts with Iago's scene-closing soliloquy (2.1.267–93), where the constrained verse follows his precise, if delusional, reasoning. Shakespeare uses prose for many reasons: for comic or intimate exchanges, for lowly characters, for convention-defying princes such as.
Here, Iago's prose feels like a loosening, like a man undoing his belt a notch. Engaged earlier in complex word-play with Cassio and Desdemona, he can now relax into an easier deception: false intimacy with Roderigo. The prose allows Iago to produce a persuasive outpouring and release repetitious piles of images designed to bury Roderigo's weak objections. He only manages three (2.1.211, 236, 242) before conceding with an unconvincing 'Well' (2.1.256), perfectly expressive of his spinelessness. It also provides a closing irony to the passage – nothing will be 'well' on Cyprus any more.
StructureIago's power over Roderigo is emphasised through his sentence structure. Repeated imperatives begin the speech: 'Come hither' (2.1.206), 'Lay thy finger thus', 'let thy soul be instructed', 'Mark me' (2.1.212). All are instructions to be quiet and listen, which Roderigo submissively obeys. Having set himself up as Roderigo's instructor, Iago goes on to lecture him through a series of questions, mainly rhetorical. He even draws Roderigo's conclusions for him, using the language of instructive discipline to describe imagined adultery: 'when these mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comes the master and main exercise' (2.1.246–48). Iago closes just as he began, with a command to follow instructions: 'watch you tonight; for the command' (2.1.249–50).
The circular structure of the speech reinforces his enclosed grip of Roderigo. Critical interpretations of IagoIago is misogynistic. But a historicist reading could examine his depiction of women as a product of his time and culture.
The, in particular the idea that they were sexually immoral compounds how credible Roderigo, and Othello, find Iago's portrayal of Desdemona. Jacobean portrayals often reduce women to saints, mothers or whores. Indeed, Iago's argument itself is construed in the language of female reproduction, described as a 'most pregnant and unforced position' (2.1.224) that reminds us of the Jacobean archetype of the perfect yet paradoxical woman, the virgin mother. The Jacobean ideal of total chastity leaves Desdemona vulnerable to an unforgiving male gaze. In fact, Iago's misogyny pales in comparison to some found in contemporary dramas, such as ’s, also set in Venice, and John Ford’s 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.However, such extreme misogyny is the preserve of villains in Jacobean drama, suggesting that they, and Iago, overstep the mark.
Iago's envious depiction of Cassio as 'handsome' and 'young', while assigning him his own character traits – 'a knave', 'the mere form of. Seeming' (2.1.227), 'a finder out of occasions' (2.1.229–30) – implies he has a jealous nature. Iago's rage against female sexuality may therefore be just one example of his spiteful attacks on ‘otherness’ to soothe his sense of social impotence. It has even been suggested that Iago is literally impotent, causing his embittered sexual jealously. It certainly makes Desdemona's retort to Iago earlier in the scene – 'Oh, most lame and impotent conclusion!' (2.1.158) – more telling.