Othello - scene summaries

Act 1 Scene 1

• Roderigo and Iago discuss the appointment of Cassio and Iago’s hatred of Othello.

• He subvertedly references the bible

• They alert Brabantio to the marriage between Othello and Desdemona

• They go to the street and head to the senate

Act 1 Scene 2

• Othello and Iago converse, Othello professes love for D

• Cassio brings news the duke is calling them to meet

• Brabantio accuses Othello of being a thief and a sorcerer

• They decide to speak to the duke

Act 1 Scene 3

• The senate is discussing the war in Cyprus

• Brabantio enters and speaks about D, how she has betrayed him

• Othello gives his speech to the senate with good rhetoric

• Othello tells the story of how their relationship transpired

• Desdemona enters and they all discuss the relationship, Brabantio’s anger

• Iago and Roderigo, I starts to plot

Act 2 Scene 1

• In Cyprus, Montano addressing the gentlemen

• The arrival of Cassio’s ship

• Desdemona, Emilia and Iago discuss women, Iago is a bitch

• Othello’s ship arrives

• Roderigo and Iago discuss Desdemona and the plan to incriminate Cassio

Act 2 Scene 2

• Othello’s herald gives a speech and says there will be celebration

Act 2 Scene 3

• Cassio and Iago have a discussion about Desdemona, Iago convinces him to start drinking and they sing

• Iago plants ideas about Cassio in the mind of Montano

• Cassio and Roderigo fight and then Cassio fights Montano

• Othello is greatly angered and Cassio’s position is removed

• Cassio gives a speech about reputation

• Iago gives a monologue and a soliloquy

Act 3 Scene 1

• Cassio, musicians and the clown speak, clown makes puns

• Iago and Cassio have a conversation, he has not slept

• Emilia and Cassio speak, she tells him of Othello’s anger and the fact he wishes to speak to Desdemona

Act 3 Scene 2

• Othello gives Iago letters to give to the pilot, his trust is evident

Act 3 Scene 3

• Desdemona assures Cassio that she will speak to Othello

• Othello sees Cassio walking away from Desdemona

• Desdemona tries to have Othello speak to Cassio

• Othello starts to descend into anger and Iago is planting ideas in his head

• Anger and confusion at marriage

• Desdemona’s handkerchief falls, Emilia gives it to Iago

• Othello and Iago speaks about occular proof and Othello is angered and believes her to be cheating on him

Act 3 Scene 4

• Desdemona speaks with the clown, he makes puns about sleeping. She asks him to go and get Othello

• Othello is focused on her hands, he asks for her handkerchief but she does not have it

• Emilia gives a small speech on men

• Desdemona believes ‘my lord is not my lord’

• Bianca arrives, Cassio gives her the handkerchief and asks her to take the work out

Act 4 Scene 1

• Iago speaks of an unauthorised kiss

• Othello falls into a trance and Cassio sees him

• They speak of Bianca and then she arrives - Othello sees the handkerchief

• He feels this to be the ocular proof - they plan the murder

• Arrival of Lodovico in Cyprus, gives a letter

• Othello strikes Desdemona

• Iago plants ideas about Othello in the mind of Lodovico

Act 4 Scene 2

• Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona

• He argues with Desdemona, asks what she is

• He accuses her of being a whore

• Desdemona is deeply upset, she speaks to Emilia and Iago on this

• Roderigo and Iago speak of his love for Desdemona

• Iago tells Roderigo to kill Cassio

Act 4 Scene 3

• Othello orders Desdemona to bed

• The willow song scene

• Emilia gives her proto feminist speech

Act 5 Scene 1

• Iago and Roderigo discuss their plan - Roderigo feels no devotion to it

• Roderigo and Cassio fight, Cassio was injured

• Lodovico and Gratiano enter, Iago kills Roderigo

• Bianca sees Cassio and he is carried off

• Iago and Emilia are rude to Bianca, she is accused of being a whore

Act 5 Scene 2

• Othello enters Desdemona’s bed chamber

• He tells her he is going to kill her - she begs to live

• He smothers her and Emilia is invited in - she mentions the death of Roderigo

• Desdemona dies and Emilia calls out to the men to bring them in

• Emilia speaks - Iago kills Emilia and escapes

• Iago is captured and Cassio explains the truth

• Othello kills himself

• Lodovico introduces order