Scene Summaries

Act 1

Scene 1

  • Roderigo and Iago are arguing on a street in Venice
    • Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him win Desdemona’s hand but has seen no progress
    • Just learned that Desdemona has married Othello, who Iago serves under
  • Iago assures Roderigo that he hates Othello because he promoted Cassio to lieutenant instead of himself, despite Iago being more experienced in battle and having good references
    • Only pretending to serve him while he waits for an opportunity
  • Iago tells Roderigo to ruin Othello’s pleasure in his marriage by telling Desdemona’s family
  • They go to the street outside Brabantio’s house and cry out that he has been robbed
  • Brabantio comes to the window and doesn’t believe them because he has told Roderigo to leave Desdemona again before and thinks he just wants to see her again
  • Iago vulgarly tells Brabantio that Desdemona and Othello are having sex
    • Doesn’t reveal his identity
    • Brabantio starts to take him seriously and goes to look for Desdemona
  • Iago leaves to attend on Othello
  • Brabantio comes out of the house and is furious that Desdemona has left
    • Declares Desdemona has been stolen by magic
  • Brabantio and his men follow Roderigo to Othello

Scene 2

  • Iago arrives at Othello’s lodgings and warns him that Brabantio will try to force a divorce
  • Othello sees a party of men approaching and Iago thinks it is Brabantio and tells him to go indoors, but Othello stands his ground
  • It is actually Cassio and officers from the Venetian court
    • They tell Othello that the Duke of Venice wants to see him about Cyprus
  • Iago tells Cassio that Othello is married, but not to who
  • Roderigo, Brabantio and his men arrive and Brabantio orders his men to attack and subdue Othello
  • Othello stops a fight calmly and authoritatively
  • Brabantio heard the Duke has summoned Othello and decides to bring his cause to him

Scene 3

  • The Duke is having a meeting with the senators about the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus
  • A sailor arrives and says the Turks have turned towards Rhodes, another island controlled by Venice
    • One of the senators suggests this is to mislead the Venetians, because Cyprus is more valuable and vulnerable
  • Another sailor arrives to say the Turks have joined with more forces and are sailing towards Cyprus again
  • Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo and their men arrive
  • Brabantio demands all state business be put aside to address the fact that Desdemona has been stolen from him by spells and potions
    • The Duke initially takes his side but becomes sceptical when he finds out he is accusing Othello
  • The Duke gives Othello the chance to speak for himself
    • Othello denies using magic to woo Desdemona and claims she will support him
    • Tells the story of how Brabantio often invited him to his house and asked about his life
    • Battles, far-away travels, drama
    • Desdemona overheard his story and fell in love with him
  • The Duke is persuaded and dismisses Brabantio
  • Desdemona enters and Brabantio asks her to say who she is loyal to, and she says that she chose to marry Othello and is loyal to him'
  • Brabantio reluctantly resigns and allows the court to return to state affairs
  • The Duke decides Othello must go to Cyprus to defend the island from the Turks
    • Othello is willing to go
  • Othello asks for accommodation to be provided for Desdemona
    • The Duke suggests she stays with Brabantio, but Desdemona, Othello and Brabantio all reject this
    • Desdemona asks to go with Othello'
  • Othello and Desdemona leave to prepare for the journey
  • Everyone leaves except Roderigo and Iago
    • Roderigo feels he has no hope of winning Desdemona, but Iago tells him it will work out
    • He threatens to drown himself and Iago mocks him
    • He says he cannot help being tormented by love and Iago says people can choose what they want to be
  • Iago repeatedly tells Roderigo to collect his money and follow him to Cyprus
  • Roderigo leaves and Iago delivers a soliloquy
    • He declares his hatred for Othello and his suspicion that he slept with his wife, Emilia
    • Lays out his plan to cheat Roderigo out of his money, convince Othello that Cassio is sleeping with Desdemona, and use Othello’s honest and unsuspecting nature to bring him down

Act 2

Scene 1

  • On the shores of Cyprus, the governor Montano watches a storm and says the Turkish fleet couldn’t survive
    • A messenger arrives and confirms this, Cassio watched the Turks lose most of their ships
  • It is uncertain whether Othello’s ship has survived
  • Iago, Emilia, Desdemona and Roderigo arrive
  • Cassio and Desdemona tease Emilia about being a chatterbox and Iago criticises all women
    • He says they are deceptive, critical, and lazy in all matters except sex
    • Desdemona plays along and laughs
  • Cassio takes Desdemona aside to speak to her privately about Othello’s arrival
  • Iago notices that Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand as he talks to her and plots to use this to frame him
  • Othello arrives and greets Desdemona
    • He expresses his devotion and kisses her
  • Othello thanks the Cypriots for their hospitality and orders Iago to unload the ship
  • Everyone except Roderigo and Iago goes to the castle to celebrate
  • Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona will soon get tired of Othello and want a more well-mannered and handsome man
    • Says the obvious first choice will be Cassio, says he is dishonest
    • Roderigo says that Cassio was being polite by taking Desdemona’s hand but Iago convinces him that Cassio has bad intentions
    • Iago convinces Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio
  • Roderigo leaves and Iago delivers a soliloquy where he explains his actions
    • Secretly wants to sleep with Desdemona, partially to get even with Othello for possibly sleeping with Emilia
    • If he is unable to get his revenge in this way, Roderigo’s accusation of Cassio will drive Othello to madness

Scene 2

  • A herald announces that Othello is planning a celebration of Cyprus’ safety from the Turks and his marriage

Scene 3

  • Othello leaves Cassio on guard during the party and reminds him to practice self-restraint
  • Othello and Desdemona leave to consummate their marriage
  • Iago joins Cassio on guard and tells him that he suspects Desdemona is a temptress, but Cassio insists she is modest
  • Iago convinces Cassio to have a drink and go find some people to join them
  • When Cassio is gone, Iago tells the audience his plan
    • Roderigo and three Cypriots (all drunk) will join them on guard duty
    • Iago will lead Cassio into disgracing himself
  • Cassio returns with Montano and his attendants and quickly becomes drunk and wanders offstage
    • When he is gone, Iago tells Montano that Cassio is a wonderful soldier but he fears he has too much responsibility for someone with such a serious drinking problem
  • Roderigo enters and Iago points him in Cassio’s direction
  • Montano suggests someone tells Othello about Cassio’s drinking problem
  • Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage and threatens to beat him
    • Montano steps in and Cassio attacks him
    • Iago tells Roderigo to get help
    • Cassio stabs Montano
  • Othello arrives with armed attendants and demands to know what happened
    • Iago and Cassio both claim to have forgotten how the fight began
    • Montano says he is in too much pain to speak and Iago must tell the story
  • Iago pretends to be reluctant to incriminate Cassio, says he was chasing someone (Roderigo) when the fight started, so maybe this person upset him
    • Othello falls into Iago’s trap and says he can tell that Iago softened the story out of affection for Cassio
  • Othello dismisses Cassio from his service
  • Desdemona has been awakened by the commotion and Othello leads her back to bed and says he will look to Montano’s wound
  • Iago and Cassio are left onstage and Cassio laments the damage to his reputation done by a fight he cannot remember why he started
  • Iago suggests Cassio should appeal to Desdemona because she has influence over Othello
    • Says she is kind and will help him get his job back
  • Cassio leaves and Iago jokes that his villainy involves actually helping Cassio
    • Repeats what he said about Desdemona’s generosity and Othello’s devotion to her
    • Reminds the audience that he does the most evil when he seems to do good
    • Now that Cassio will be spending time with Desdemona, it will be easier to convince Othello that they are having an affair
  • Roderigo enters, upset because he has been attacked and angry because Iago has taken all his money and given him nothing back
    • Iago tells him to be patient and not to go back to Venice
    • Says they have to work by their wits
  • Roderigo leaves and Iago tells the audience his plan
    • He will convince Emilia to speak to Desdemona for Cassio and arrange for Othello to see Cassio with Desdemona

Act 3

Scene 1

  • Cassio sends musicians to play under Othello’s window to try and win him over
  • Othello sends a clown servant down to tell the musicians to go away
  • Cassio asks the clown to ask Emilia to speak with him so he can ask her for access to Desdemona
  • The clown leaves and Iago enters
    • Tells Cassio he will send for Emilia straight away and figure out a way to take Othello aside so Cassio and Desdemona can talk
  • Iago leaves and Emilia enters and tells Cassio that Othello and Desdemona have been discussing his case
    • Desdemona has pleaded for Cassio
    • Othello is worried that Montano’s influence in Cyprus would make reappointing Cassio impractical, despite how much he cares for him
  • Emilia allows Cassio to come in and tells him to wait for Desdemona

Scene 2

  • Iago, Othello, and another man walk together at the citadel
  • Othello gives Iago some letters to deliver and decides to look at the town’s fortifications

Scene 3

  • Desdemona, Cassio and Emilia enter mid-conversation
    • Desdemona vows to do everything she can to help Cassio
  • Othello and Iago enter and Cassio quickly leaves
    • Othello asks whether it was Cassio who he saw leaving and Iago says he surely wouldn’t act so guilty when he saw Othello
  • Desdemona asks Othello to forgive Cassio and reinstate him as lieutenant
    • Othello says he will talk to Cassio but will not set a meeting time
    • She criticises him for being hesitant and he says she will deny her nothing but wants to be alone for a while
  • Everyone leaves except Othello and Iago
  • Iago starts insinuating that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair
    • Reminds Othello that Cassio took messages between him and Desdemona when they were courting
    • Othello asks Iago if he believes Cassio is honest, and he pretends to be reluctant to answer
    • Plants ideas of adultery, cuckoldry and hypocrisy
    • Othello yells at Iago to speak his mind and Iago tells him to watch Desdemona when she is with Cassio
  • Othello tells Iago to have Emilia watch Desdemona
  • Iago pretends to retreat from his accusations and says Othello should leave the matter alone
  • Iago leaves
  • Othello thinks Desdemona no longer loves him, probably because he is to old for her, he is black, and doesn’t have manners as good as the others
  • Desdemona and Emilia enter to tell Othello he is expected at dinner
  • Othello says he has a headache and Desdemona offers to bind his head with her handkerchief, but he pushes it away and says it is too small
  • The handkerchief falls to the ground and Othello and Desdemona exit
    • Emilia picks it up and says Iago has asked her to steal it many times
  • Iago enters and Emilia says she has a surprise for him, he is excited when she gives him the handkerchief and he sends her away
  • Iago plots of plant the handkerchief in Cassio’s room
  • Othello enters and shouts at Iago
    • Says his soul is tormented and it would be better to be deceived completely than suspect without proof
    • Demands Iago brings him visual evidence that Desdemona is a whore
  • Iago says it would be impossible to catch Desdemona and Cassio actually having sex, but he can provide circumstantial evidence
    • Says when Cassio and Iago were sharing a bed, Cassio said Desdemona’s name in his sleep, held Iago’s hand, kissed him on the lips, and put his leg over him
    • Claims to have witnessed Cassio wiping his beard with Desdemona’s handkerchief
  • Othello is angry and vows to take revenge on Desdemona and Cassio, and Iago kneels with him
  • Othello promotes Iago to lieutenant

Scene 4

  • Desdemona orders the clown to find Cassio and tell him that she has talked to Othello
  • Desdemona wonders to Emilia where her handkerchief might be
  • Othello enters and tells Desdemona to give him her hand, and scolds her for her hand’s moistness
    • Moist hands was thought to suggest sexual promiscuity
  • Othello asks for Desdemona’s handkerchief and she cannot find it, and he explains its history
    • An Egyptian sorceress gave it to his mother and told her that it would make her desirable and keep her husband loyal
    • If she lost it or gave it away, her husband would leave her
    • His mother gave him the handkerchief on his deathbed and told him to give it to the woman he wanted to marry
  • Desdemona is unsettled and says she has the handkerchief but not with her
    • Othello does not believe her and demands she shows it to him
    • Desdemona asks about Cassio to change the subject
  • Othello storms off
  • Emilia laments the fickleness of men
  • Cassio and Iago enter, and Cassio immediately asks Desdemona for help again
    • She tells him it is a bad time because Othello is in a bad moon
    • Iago promises to go and calm Othello down
  • Emilia thinks Othello is jealous, but Desdemona thinks he is upset by some political matter
  • Desdemona tells Cassio to wait while she goes and finds Othello
  • While Cassio waits, Bianca, a prostitute, enters and scolds him for not visiting him more often
    • He apologises and says he is stressed
  • Cassio asks him to copy the embroidery of a handkerchief he recently found in his bedroom onto another one
    • Bianca accuses him of making her copy a love gift from another woman but Cassio says she is being silly
  • Cassio and Bianca plan to meet later that evening