Othello Scene Summary

ACT 1 / SCENE 1: In Venice, Roderigo and Iago are arguing about Desdemona's secret marriage to Othello. Roderigo has been paying Iago to promote his interests with Desdemona Iago explains Cassio has been chosen for the promotion for lieutenant to Othello instead of him Iago tells Roderigo of his hate for Othello They tell Brabantio of Othello and his daughters marriage Brabantio orders a search warrant to arrest Othello Iago slips away to warn Othello

Act 1 / Scene 2: Iago claims (falsely) that he wanted to defend Othello against Brabantio's slanders, but is not evil enough to commit murder tries to stir up emity between brabantio and Othello, but Othello is confident that he can 'out tongue his complainents' Cassio and the Duke's servants find Othello first and request his presence at the senate Brabantio accuses Othello of having bewichted Desdemona They all go to the Senate for the case against him

Act 1 / Scene 3: Brabantio repeats his accusation of witchcraft Othello tells the courtship and Desdemona was wooed by pity and curiosity for his suffering and exotic travels When Desdemona arrives she verifies the story and choses Othello over her father, causing her to be disowned Othello and Desdemona beg the Duke to allow her to accompany Othello on his mission to Cyprus Iago's wife Emilia will be her maid and Desdemona will go under Iago's protection Brabantio's last words to Othello is that Desdemona will decieve him iago manipulats Roderigo into giving him lots of money for him to woo Desdemona for him Iago's soliloquy- thinks Emilia slept with Othello and to get back at him by making Othello think Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona

Act 2 / Scene 1: Cassio arrives at Cyprus first, followed by Iago and Desdemona, then Othello There was a terrible storm, which destroyed the turkish fleet cassio provokes and patronisises Iago iago tells Roderigo that cassio stand in his way of getting Desdemona Iagos soliloquy, states his plan to avenge himself on Othello and Cassio, who he suspects has cuckolded him

Act 2 / Scene 2:A herald declares that Othello has granted an evening of celebration for the destruction of the Turkish fleet and for his own marriage

Act 2 / Scene 3: Cassio put in charge of watch while Othello and Desdemona retire Cassio gets drunk and Roderigo provokes him, Cassio hits Roderigo and Montano, who intervenes the fight Othello wakes up and is angry Othello dismisses Cassio from his service after hearing Iago's story Cassio appeals for advice from Iago Iago tells him to use Desdemona to get his place back

Act 3 / Scene 1: Cassio cannot sleep, and brings in musicians to play music for the awakening of the couple, but they are dismissed by Othello Cassio tells Iago that he has asked to Emilia to arrange for him to see Desdemona Emilia tells Cassio that she has overheard Othello say that Cassio will have to wait a while for the sake of decency but will restored to his place at the first opportunity However cassio still Insits on speaking to Desdemona alone

Act 3 / Scene 2:Othello does his job of attending to the fortification of the island of Cyprus

Act 3 / Scene 3: Desdemona assures Cassio, with Emilia as a witness, that she will pursue his cause Desdemona pressures Othello into seeing Cassio in Order to reinstate him Iago introduces the idea of Desdemona having an affair with Cassio to Othello Othello asks Iago to get Emilia to spy on Desdemona When Desdemona return, she drops her handkerchief Emilia picks up the Handkerchief and gives it to Iago, who had previously asked for it Othello returns to dialouge with Iago and is tortued with images of desdemona's infedelity Demands proof from Iago Iago tells him Cassio revealed his intimacy with Desdemona in a dream heard by himself, and then mentions that Cassio has Desdemona's handkercheif, which was given to her by othello iago vows to kill Cassio if Othello will kill Desdemona

Act 3 / Scene 4: Desdemona sends the clown to fetch Cassio She tells Emilia of the loss of her handkerchief Desdemona lies about its whereabouts and counters his demands for hr to produce it with her on insistance that he reinstates Cassio Othello walks out in rage as Iago and Cassio enter Cassio wants to know when he will return to Othello's service Desdemona admits Othello is not himself, and blames it on state affairs, although Emilia remians suspious Biance, complains to Cassio about his neglect of her and asks her to copy the handkerchief, which he has found in his bedroom

Act 4 / Scene 1 Iago forces Othello to discuss the handkerchief and Desdemona's honesty He claims Cassio confessed to an affair and fell into a fit Cassio appears during it but Iago gets rid of him quickly When Cassio returns, it is to be an unwitting performer in a charade engirneeded by Iago, with Othello as spectator, whereby Biance is sub for Desdemona as the topic of convosation Bianca throws back the handkerchief in the sight of Othello and Cassio chases after her Iago tells Othello Desdemona and Cassio will die the same evening Officals from Venice arrive with letter for Othello, and he strikes her infront of them Iago says that this is typical behaviour for Othello

Act 4 / Scene 2: Othello interrogates Emilia about Desdemona's alleged meetings with Cassio She denies them, but othello does not belive her Desdemona swears her innocence to Othello, again to no avail He insults Desdemona and Emilia by giving money to heras he leaves She asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed and weeps in front of Iago Roderigo demands the return of his jewellery , which Iago has pretended to give to Desdemona In return, Iago promises Roderigo will enjoiy Desdemona to following night (he knows she will be dead) if he kills Cassio

Act 4 / Scene 3: It is nighttime Othello orders Desdemona to go to bed, Dismiss Emilia and wait for him As she prepares for bed, she sings a death song Emilia disagrees with Desdemona that adultery could never be justified, but blames men for Women's faults

Act 5 / Scene 1: Iago conducts Roderigo's attack on Cassio, who is returning from Bianca's house Iago's intention is that both men die to prevent the truth from being revealed Roderigo fails and Cassio is wounded on the leg and Roderigo also wounded by Cassio Othello can hear the fight and assumes Cassio is killed After lodivico and Gratiano have heard the cries, iago re-enters holding a light and offers to help Cassio, while stabbing Roderigo When Bianca appears, Iago points to her fright and paleness as a sign of her gulit in attacking Cassio Emilia turn up and nsults Biance and is instructed by Iago to inform Othello and Desdemona of what has happened, although he does not expect Desdemona to be alive

Act 5 / Scene 2: Othello enters the bedroom Desdemona wakes and he warns her that he is going to kill her so she better say her prayers She asks Cassio to testify for her, but is told that he is dead She begs one more time but Othello kills her Emilia arrives but is too late Emilia relises it is iago that has construed this whole plan Brabantio is dead Othello tries to kill Iago but is disarmed Iago kills Emilia Emilia dies singing the willow song and vouching for Desdemona's love to the cruel moor Iago refuses to satisfy Othello's need to know the cause of his hatred Cassio is to be governor in Cyprus and Iago is to be torchered by him and Othello t be taken back to Venice for trial Othello kills himself and falls ontop of the Bodies of desdemona and Emilia The Tragedy is complete