William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,or simply Othello, is a tragedy written in approximately 1603. One of Shakespeare's most tightly woven works, which explores themes of racism, betrayal, love, revenge, and forgiveness, and has spawned multiple film, literary, and operatic adaptations.
The term "moors" refers to Muslim inhabitants of the Arab west but was attributed to Arabs, Berbers, North Africans and Muslim Europeans.
Brief Intro About Character
Othello- Moor (Hero)
Desdemoma- Othello's wife
Brabantio- Desdemona's father,Senator
Micheal Cassio- Lieutenant in Venetian Military
Iago- Villian (wants to become lieutenant)
Emillia- Iago's wife, Desdemona's maid servant
Montano- Governer of Cyprus
Roderigo- Venetian Gentelman (in love with Desdemona)
Short summary of Play
The play begins with a jealous complaint, as Roderigo, a rich Venetian gentleman laments to his friend Iago about the secret marriage of Othello and Desdemona.
Iago is Othello's ensign, and though trusted by Othello, he is jealous and spiteful as well. He believes he has been unfairly overlooked for promotion as Othello gave the young Michael Cassio a title above him. As both men lament their misfortune at the hand of Othello, they devise a plan to use Othello's misgivings to their advantage. Iago persuades Roderigo to wake the young Desdemona's father and inform him of Othello's secret wedding to his daughter.
The news infuriates Desdemona's father Brabantio and he vows to behead Othello, though he is prevented by Othello's residence that is full of the Duke of Venice's guards. In Venice, word has it that the Turkish plan to attack Cyprus. Othello is called upon to advise the senators, and Brabantio is left in the unfortunate position of accompanying Othello to the Duke's residence. His spite remains, and he accuses Othello of seducing his daughter with witchcraft.
Before the Duke of Venice, Othello defends his marriage to Desdemona, explaining that she fell in love with him when he told her the sad stories. Though the Duke and senate are satisfied after hearing Desdemona also proclaim her love for Othello, her father is dismayed. He tells Othello that she has deceived her father and will deceive him as well. Othello leaves Venice as commander of the Venetian armies, accompanied by his wife, lieutenant Cassio, Iago, and Iago's wife Emilia who is to serve as Desdemona's attendant.
Good news meets the band of travelers as they arrive in Cyprus to find that a storm has obliterated the entire Turkish fleet. Othello orders a celebration for all and leaves to spend time with his new wife. Iago, looking for trouble, intoxicates Cassio and encourages a fight between Roderigo and he. When Othello blames Cassio for the noise and strips him of his rank, Cassio is horrified. Iago suggests asking Desdemona to persuade her husband to reinstate his rank.
Iago plays all his cards, and persuades Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are not to be trusted. Emilia finds Desdemona's lost handkerchief, a gift from Othello, and gives it to her husband Iago. He continues the narrative of Desdemona's deceit against Othello with a series of lies involving Cassio and a local courtesan, the result of which are Othello vowing to kill his wife and asking Iago to kill Cassio. Iago shrugs off that responsibility to a still angry and misguided Roderigo.
As a scuffle ensues in the street, Iago first injures Cassio then kills Roderigo to stop him from reporting his plot. An enraged Othello smothers Desdemona to death in the bed believing she's committed adultery. Emilia realizes the handkerchief was alleged proof, and exposes her husband, who then murders her. Othello realizes he has killed his love in vain, and stabs, but does not kill Iago, preferring that Iago live the rest of his life in pain. Iago makes no explanation for his behavior, and after he and Othello are apprehended for their part in Roderigo and Emilia's murders, he commits suicide, leaving Iago to be punished solely by Cassio for his wrongdoings.
Act 1
Scene 1
The play opens as Iago is telling Roderigo that he hates Othello because Othello has promoted Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of him, even though Cassio ‘never set a squadron in the field’ and has much less experience. Iago tells Roderigo ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’. The two men stand outside Brabantio's house and shout to wake him up. From the shadows, they tell him about his daughter’s secret marriage to Othello. Iago makes Brabantio angry by describing Othello and Desdemona as ‘making the beast with two backs’ and uses other sexual animal imagery. Brabantio doesn't recognise them at first but eventually sees Roderigo and the scene ends with Roderigo offering to help Brabantio find the married couple to ‘apprehend her and the Moor’.
Scene 2
Iago tells Othello that Brabantio knows about his marriage and ‘spoke such scurvy and provoking terms against your honour’ but Othello dismisses this and says ‘let him do his spite’. Cassio then arrives with a message from the Duke asking Othello to come to the Senate to talk about the war in Cyprus. Just as they are about to leave, Brabantio and Roderigo arrive with soldiers to arrest Othello for bewitching Desdemona. When he hears that the Duke has called for Othello, Brabantio allows him to go saying ‘the Duke himself, / Or any of my brothers of the state, / Cannot but feel this wrong as ‘twere their own’.
Scene 3
Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago and Roderigo arrive at the Senate while they are talking about the war. Brabantio tells the Duke that Othello has bewitched his daughter saying she is ‘abused, stolen from me and corrupted’. The Duke listens to Othello who explains that she fell in love with him as he told her stories about his life and that ‘she loved me for the dangers I had passed’. Desdemona is called for and she tells the Senate she married Othello for love and her duty is now to him rather than her father. Desdemona asks to go with Othello to Cyprus and Brabantio warns Othello ‘she has deceived her Father, and may thee’. Othello asks Iago to bring his wife Emilia to Cyprus to ‘attend on’ Desdemona. Alone with Roderigo, Iago persuades him to follow them to Cyprus, saying Othello and Desdemona’s love will not last long. Alone, Iago tells the audience of his plans to make Othello believe Desdemona is being unfaithful to him with Cassio ‘to get his place, and to plume up my will / In double knavery’.
News is brought to Montano, the Governor of Cyprus, that ‘our wars are done!’ because the Turkish fleet has been badly damaged by storms. The messenger announces that Michael Cassio, ‘lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello / Is come on shore’. The next ship to arrive carries Desdemona, Iago and Emilia. Cassio describes Desdemona as ‘a maid that paragons description and wild fame’ and greets her very affectionately. Observing how close Cassio and Desdemona seem, Iago tells the audience ‘with as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio’. Finally Othello’s ship arrives and he and Desdemona are delighted to be together again. Left alone with Roderigo, Iago convinces him that Desdemona is already bored with Othello and has switched her attention to ‘handsome, young’ Cassio, and that since Cassio is ‘rash and very sudden in choler’, Roderigo should provoke him into a fight later that evening. Alone with the audience, Iago offers more reasons why he hates Othello.
Scene 2
Othello’s herald announces a party to celebrate the triumph over the Turks and Othello’s marriage to Desdemona.
Scene 3
Othello leaves Cassio and Iago in charge of the party and goes to spend time alone with Desdemona. Iago convinces Cassio to drink even though Cassio protests he has ‘very poor and unhappy brains for drinking’. With Cassio clearly drunk, Iago tells Montano ‘I fear the trust Othello puts him in’ and secretly sends Roderigo to provoke Cassio to fight. Montano tries to stop the fight but Cassio fights him instead and injures him. Othello arrives asking ‘Are we turned Turks?’ and demands to know what is going on. Iago protests that he does not want to speak badly of Cassio, ‘Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth’. Hearing of Cassio’s drunkenness and fighting, Othello says ‘Cassio, I love thee, but never more be officer of mine’. Believing Iago is his friend, Cassio tells him how upset he is, ‘O, I have lost my reputation, I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial’, and that he remembers ‘a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore’. Iago tells him to ask Desdemona for help in convincing Othello to give him back his job and Cassio agrees saying ‘You advise me well’. Left alone, Iago tells the audience that as Desdemona ‘for him pleads strongly to the Moor’ he ‘will pour this pestilence into his ear: that she repeals him for her body’s lust’. Roderigo arrives, complaining that he is bruised from the fight, has no money left and thinks it’s time to go home. Iago assures him the plan is working well.
The morning after the fight, Cassio asks Emilia to help him speak to Desdemona and Iago offers further support. Emilia tells Cassio that Desdemona is already speaking up for him to Othello ‘and she speaks for you stoutly’. Cassio asks Emilia to help him speak ‘with Desdemon alone’.
Scene 2
Othello passes through, talking to Iago and others about affairs of state.
Scene 3
Desdemona reassures Cassio that she will continue to speak to Othello on his behalf. She says ‘Do not doubt, Cassio, but I will have my lord and you again as friendly as you were’. Iago makes sure Othello sees the end of their conversation and notices Cassio leaving Desdemona. He says to Othello that it can’t have been Cassio because ‘I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like seeing you coming’. Desdemona then persuades Othello to talk to Cassio and he claims ‘I will deny thee nothing’. As she leaves he says ‘Perdition catch my soul / but I do love thee! And when I love thee not, / chaos is come again’. Iago immediately begins to sow seeds of suspicion in Othello’s mind, subtly at first and then more obviously, suggesting that something is going on between Cassio and Desdemona, advising him to ‘Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio’. Iago leaves Othello convinced of his wife’s infidelity, saying ’She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief must be to loath her’. When Desdemona comes back with Emilia, Othello complains ‘I have a pain upon my forehead, here’. As Desdemona tries to help him she drops her handkerchief. Left alone, Emilia picks it up, telling the audience, ‘My wayward husband hath a hundred times wooed me to steal it’. Iago returns and takes it from her. He tells the audience that he will plant the handkerchief in Cassio’s room, hoping it will provide further ‘proof’ of Cassio’s affair with Desdemona.
Othello returns to see Iago, furious at the idea of his wife with Cassio, saying ‘thou hast set me on the rack!’ He demands that Iago provide ‘ocular proof’. Iago winds him up more saying ‘Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys’ it would be hard to catch them in the act. He pretends he has heard Cassio talking in his sleep about the affair, then adds that he has seen Cassio using Desdemona’s handkerchief which ‘speaks against her with the other proofs’. Othello is convinced and vows a ‘wide revenge’. He asks Iago to kill Cassio and plans to kill Desdemona himself.
Scene 4
Desdemona is upset about losing her handkerchief but Emilia pretends she knows nothing about it. Othello comes in acting strangely and asks to borrow the handkerchief, telling her ‘there’s magic in the web of it’. She tries to make him talk about Cassio but he keeps talking about ‘The handkerchief’ until he walks off and she is left confused.
Iago returns with Cassio and, hearing Othello was upset, Iago leaves to find him. Desdemona thinks affairs of state must have ‘puddled his clear spirits’. Emilia thinks he is jealous but Desdemona says ‘I never gave him cause’. They leave and Bianca, a woman who is in love with Cassio, arrives. Cassio gives her the handkerchief, saying ‘I found it in my chamber’, and asks her to copy the design.
Act 4
Scene 1
Pretending to be supportive, Iago continues to wind up Othello about Desdemona and Cassio until Othello is so disturbed he collapses in an epileptic fit. Iago comments ‘Thus credulous fools are caught’. When he comes round, Iago tells him to hide and listen as he talks to Cassio about Desdemona. Iago confides in the audience ‘Now will I question Cassio of Bianca’ and then jokes with Cassio about his relationship with Bianca. Bianca then arrives angrily returning the handkerchief to Cassio, saying, ‘This is some minx’s token’. Othello is convinced that Cassio was laughing about his affair with Desdemona, that she gave him the handkerchief ‘and he hath given it his whore’. Othello is determined to kill Desdemona that night, saying ‘I will chop her into messes’ and Iago suggests ‘strangle her in her bed – even the bed she hath contaminated’.Just then, Desdemona enters with Lodovico. He brings a letter from Venice telling Othello to travel home and leave Cassio in command of Cyprus. As Othello reads, Desdemona and Lodovico talk about the disagreement between Cassio and Othello and Othello becomes so angry at Desdemona for defending Cassio that he hits her, insults her and yells at her ‘Out of my sight!’ He then leaves, after attempting to regain his composure. Lodovico is shocked at Othello’s behaviour asking ‘Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient?’ Iago suggests that Othello’s behaviour has become increasingly erratic.
THANKS FOR READING...
DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE
STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!
Comments
Post a Comment