Summary of "Othello" by Shakespeare

T T O , M V

HE RAGEDY OF THELLO THE OOR OF ENICE

ACT 1

SCENE 1.1

Iago complains with Roderigo because Othello preferred Cassio to him for a lieutenant position.

He is angry because he thinks Cassio is unexperienced, while Othello has witnessed his abilities

at Rhodes, Cyprus and on other grounds. Iago is Othello’s ancient/ensign (alfiere). He claims

that Cassio was promoted because of favouritism. Iago asks Roderigo is he is expected to love

the Moor.

Iago says he will be one of those servants who seem loyal but who actual serve their own

interests. “Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty / But seeming so, for my peculiar end”

“I am not what I am”.

They are under Brabatio’s house and yell to wake him up: “Thieves, thieves, look to your house,

your daughter and your bags!”

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram (=montone)

is tupping (=montando) your white ewe (=pecora)! Arise, arise,

awake the snorting citizens with the bell

Or else the devil will make a grandsire (=nonno) of you

you’ll have your daughter covered (=montata) with a Barbary horse (=uno stallone berbero);

you’ll have your nephews neigh (=nitrire) to you, you’ll have coursers (=cavalli corsieri) for

cousins and jennets (=asine) for germans!

Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

lascivious Moor – an extravagant and wheeling stranger of here and everywhere

Iago leaves when Brabantio goes looking for his daughter, since he wouldn’t be fitting for him

to be seen against Othello.

Brabantio joins Roderigo and asks his where he had seen his daughter and if he thinks she has

married the Moor.

SCENE 1.2

Iago asks Othello if he is fast married, if he has consummated his marriage, because Brabantio

is powerful and could divorce them. Othello says that the services he has done the signiory

should save him; he says he “fetch my life and being from men of royal siege”.

Cassio and some attendants enter and he tells Othello that the duke wants to see him

immediately for a matter concerning Cyprus.

Brabantio, Roderigo and other officers also arrive: Brabantio accuses Othello to have enchanted

Desdemona and bounded her in chains of magic, because it is not possible that a maid so tender,

fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunned the wealthy, curled darlings of our

nation, would have choose the sooty (=nero) bosom (=petto) of such a thing as thou.

Brabantio: “I therefore apprehend and do attach thee for an abuser of the world, a practiser of

arts inhibited and out of warrant.”

He refuses to let Othello go because “If such actions may have passage free, bond-slaves and

pagans shall our statemen be.”

SCENE 1.3

The Duke and Senators are in council, because several messengers refer that a Turkish fleet is

approaching Cyprus and then that it is directed to Rhodes. They understand that the fleet is not

directed to Rhodes, because the Turks are not stupid and they are more interested in Cyprus.

News say that the Turkish fleet has taken up more ships at Rhodes and is now directed to Cyprus.

Othello and Brabantio enter, and the Duke tells Othello he is needed against the Ottoman enemy.

Brabantio: “[My daughter] is abused, stolen from me and corrupted by spells and medicines

brought of mountebanks (=charlatans)”.

Othello defends himself. “That I have taken away this old man’s daughter it is most true; true,

I have married her. Rude am I in my speech and little blest with the soft phrase of peace (he is

belittling himself). I will a round unvarnished tale deliver of my whole course of love, what drugs,

what charms, what conjuration and what mighty magic – for such proceeding I am charged

withal – I won his daughter.”

Desdemona is again described by her father as a maiden never bold, of spirit so still and quiet

that her motion blushed at herself.

Othello says that, being one of Brabantio’s friends, he was often in his house and he told the

story of his life, the battles, sieges, fortunes… of disastrous chances, of moving accidents by

flood and field, of hair-breadth scapes in the imminent deadly breach, of being taken by the

insolent foe and sold to slavery, of my redemption thence and portance in my travailous history,

rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven… Desdemona loved to hear those

stories and asked him to tell them to her, she wished she had not heard it, yet she wished that

heaven had made her such a man (she envies his travels and adventures). She told him that

telling her such stories was the right was to conquer her: she loved me for the dangers I had

passed and I loved her that she did pity them: this only is the witchcraft I have used.

The duke says “I think this tale would win my daughter too.”

Asked who she feels should expect her obedience, Desdemona says she is divided in her duty:

she is bound to her father for life and education, but she knows she has to be loyal to her

husband Othello, as her mother was loyal to her father.

Brabantio: Othello, I give you what you already have, but that I would like to keep for myself if

I could.

Othello is sent off to Cyprus and Desdemona wants to go with him. Othello asks the Council to

let her, not because of passion or sexual desire, but because he wants to be generous with her

decisions. Othello leaves Desdemona with Iago, they shall rejoin him later. They have only an

hour of love, of worldly matter and direction before he leaves.

Brabantio leaves them saying: “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived

her father, and may thee.”

Roderigo, who was in love with Desdemona, tells Iago he want to drown himself but Iago

dissuades him. He tells him that Desdemona and the Moor will not work out, because the Moors

are changeable in their wills and Desdemona will realise her mistake. He calls them an erring

Barbarian and a super-subtle Venetian.

When he is left alone on scene, Iago says he believes Othello has slept with his wife: “’twixt my

sheets he’s done my office. I know not if’t be true, but I for mere suspicion in that kind will do

as if for surety.” He wants to trick Othello into believing that Cassio has an affair with his wife,

because he wants revenge and Cassio’s position.

ACT 2

SCENE 2.1

Some sailors are discussing the wreck of the Turkish fleet, witnessed by Cassio. Then Iago’s ship

arrives (with Desdemona, Roderigo and Emilia as well), while Othello is still at sea because of

the tempest.

When Cassio kisses Emilia to welcome her, Iago says she speaks too much and criticises women

for changing attitude too often: “You (women) are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours,

wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your

housewifery, and housewives in your beds!”

Othello arrives, reunites with Desdemona and everyone leaves, except Iago and Roderigo. Iago

tells Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio, because Othello cannot guarantee anything

past the first moments of love because he is exotic and new. Iago is handsome, valiant and

ready to take advantage of the moment.

Left alone, Iago says that he believes Cassio loves Desdemona, that Othello will prove a most

dear husband and that he loves her too (not out of absolute lust – through also for that – and

partly for his revenge). “I do suspect the lusty Moor hath leaped into my seat, the thought

whereof doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards… and nothing can or shall content my

soul till I am evened with him, wife for wife… Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor at least into

a jealousy so strong that judgement cannot cure.”

“I’ll have our Michael Cassio on the hip, abuse him to the Moor in the tank garb, make the Moor

thank me, love me, and reward me for making him egregiously an ass. ‘Tis here, but yet

confused. (=his plan)”

SCENE 2.2

A Herald reads a proclamation in which Othello orders a feasting for the Turkish wreck and his

marriage.

SCENE 2.3

Othello gives Cassio the responsibility of the guard and goes to bed with Desdemona: “The

purchase made, the fruits are to ensue (=seguire): that profit’s yet to come ‘tween me and you.”

Iago and Cassio share the responsibility, Iago invites Cassio to have a drink with him and two

Cyprus gallants, but he initially refuses because he knows that a glass of wine is sufficient to get

him drunk. He has already had one cup of wine and doesn’t want to risk his chance with another.

Iago’s plan is to get him drunk, as he has already done with Roderigo and other gentlemen of

the isle, to create a quarrel.

He succeeds. He says Englishmen are formidable at drinking, better than Dane, German and

Hollander. Cassio exists, drunk, and Iago tells the others that he thinks Cassio is an excellent

man but he has one problem (drinking) and he fears it will cause problems to Othello. Iago sends

Roderigo to Cassio and then they come back, Cassio chasing Roderigo. A fight starts between

Cassio and Montano, and the bells start ringing.

Othello and some attendants come in. “Are we turned Turks? and to ourselves do that which

heaven hath forbid the Ottomites? For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl.” He asks

Iago who started it: at the beginning he says he doesn’t know, but Othello grows even more

angry and in the end he says that Cassio was drunk and started the fight. Othello says he doesn’t

want Cassio as his officer anymore.

Desdemona come in and everyone leaves except Iago and Cassio.

Cassio says he is hurt, he has lost his reputation. Iago: “Reputation is an idle and most false

imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving. You have lost no reputation at all,

unless you repute yourself such a loser.” Iago tells him he can regain Othello’s trust.

Iago: “Our general’s wife is now the general. Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help

to put you in your place again. She is of so free, so king, so apt, so blest a disposition that she

holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested.”

Iago is alone: “How am I then a villain to counsel Cassio to this parallel course directly to his

good? Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with

heavenly shows as I do now. By how much she strives to do him good she shall undo her credit

with the Moor – so will I turn her virtue into pitch and out of her own goodness make the net

that shall enmesh them all.”

“My wife (Emilia) must move for Cassio to her mistress. Myself the while to draw the Moor apart

and bring him jump when he may Cassio find soliciting his wife.”

ACT 3

SCENE 3.1

Emilia tells Cassio that Desdemona is already trying to convince her husband to forgive him, but

he wants to talk to her anyway.

SCENE 3.2

Iag