OTHELLO STUDY GUIDE
SUMMARY:
ACT 1 SCENE 1
Othello begins on a street in Venice, in the midst of an argument between
Roderigo and Iago. The rich Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him
win Desdemona's hand in marriage, but he has seen no progress, and he
has just learned that Desdemona has married Othello, a general whom
Iago serves as ensign. Iago reassures Roderigo that he hates Othello.
Chief among Iago’s reasons for this hatred is Othello’s recent promotion
of Michael Cassio to the post of lieutenant. In spite of Iago’s service in
battle and the recommendation of three “great ones” of the city, Othello
chose to give the position to a man with no experience leading men in
battle. As he waits for an opportunity to further his own self-interest, Iago
only pretends to serve Othello.
Iago advises Roderigo to spoil some of Othello’s pleasure in his marriage
by rousing Desdemona’s family against the general. The two men come to
the street outside the house of Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, and cry
out that he has been robbed by “thieves.” Brabantio, who is a Venetian
senator, comes to the window. At first, he doesn’t believe what he hears,
because he has told Roderigo to stay away from his daughter before and
thinks Roderigo is merely scheming once again in order to see
Desdemona.
Iago speaks in inflammatory terms, vulgarly telling the senator that his
daughter and Othello are having sex by saying that they are “making the
beast with two backs” (I.i.118). Brabanzio begins to take what he hears
seriously and decides to search for his daughter. Seeing the success of his
plan, Iago leaves Roderigo alone and goes to attend on Othello. Like
Brabanzio, Othello has no idea of Iago’s role in Roderigo’s accusations. As
Iago departs, Brabanzio comes out of his house, furious that his daughter
has left him. Declaring that his daughter has been stolen from him by
magic “charms,” Brabanzio and his men follow Roderigo to Othello.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Iago arrives at Othello’s lodgings, where he warns the general that
Brabanzio will not hesitate to attempt to force a divorce between Othello
and Desdemona. Othello sees a party of men approaching, and Iago,
thinking that Brabanzio and his followers have arrived, counsels Othello to
retreat indoors. Othello stands his ground, but the party turns out to be
Cassio and officers from the Venetian court. They bring Othello the
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,message that he is wanted by the duke of Venice about a matter
concerning Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea controlled by
Venice.
As Cassio and his men prepare to leave, Iago mentions that Othello is
married, but before he can say any more, Brabanzio, Roderigo, and
Brabanzio’s men arrive to accost Othello. Brabanzio orders his men to
attack and subdue Othello. A struggle between Brabanzio’s and Othello’s
followers seems imminent, but Othello brings the confrontation to a halt
by calmly and authoritatively telling both sides to put up their swords.
Hearing that the duke has summoned Othello to the court, Brabanzio
decides to bring his cause before the duke himself.
ACT 1 SCENE 3
The duke’s meeting with his senators about the imminent Turkish invasion
of Cyprus takes an unexpected turn when a sailor arrives and announces
that the Turks seem to have turned toward Rhodes, another island
controlled by Venice. One of the senators guesses that the Turks’ change
of course is intended to mislead the Venetians, because Cyprus is more
important to the Turks and far more vulnerable than Rhodes. This guess
proves to be correct, as another messenger arrives to report that the
Turks have joined with more forces and are heading back toward Cyprus.
This military meeting is interrupted by the arrival of
Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo, and officers. Brabanzio
demands that all state business be put aside to address his own grievance
—his daughter has been stolen from him by spells and potions purchased
from charlatans. The duke is initially eager to take Brabanzio’s side, but
he becomes more skeptical when he learns that Othello is the man
accused. The duke gives Othello the chance to speak for himself. Othello
admits that he married Desdemona, but he denies having used magic to
woo her and claims that Desdemona will support his story. He explains
that Brabanzio frequently invited him to his house and questioned him
about his remarkable life story, full of harrowing battles, travels outside
the civilized world, and dramatic reversals of fortune. Desdemona
overheard parts of the story and found a convenient time to ask Othello to
retell it to her. Desdemona was moved to love Othello by his story.
The duke is persuaded by Othello’s tale, dismissing Brabanzio’s claim by
remarking that the story probably would win his own daughter.
Desdemona enters, and Brabanzio asks her to tell those present to whom
she owes the most obedience. Brabanzio clearly expects her to say her
father. Desdemona, however, confirms that she married Othello of her
own free will and that, like her own mother before her, she must shift her
primary loyalty from father to husband. Brabanzio reluctantly resigns
himself to her decision and allows the court to return to state affairs.
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,The duke decides that Othello must go to Cyprus to defend the island
from the Turks. Othello is willing and ready to go, and he asks that
appropriate accommodations be provided for his wife. The duke suggests
that she stay with her father, but neither Desdemona nor Brabanzio nor
Othello will accept this, and Desdemona asks to be allowed to go with
Othello. The couple then leaves to prepare for the night’s voyage.
The stage is cleared, leaving only Roderigo and Iago. Once again,
Roderigo feels that his hopes of winning Desdemona have been dashed,
but Iago insists that all will be well. Iago mocks Roderigo for threatening
to drown himself, and Roderigo protests that he can’t help being
tormented by love. Iago contradicts him, asserting that people can choose
at will what they want to be. “Put but money in thy purse,” Iago tells
Roderigo repeatedly in the paragraph that spans lines 329–351, urging
him to follow him to Cyprus. Iago promises to work everything out from
there. When Roderigo leaves, Iago delivers his first soliloquy, declaring his
hatred for Othello and his suspicion that Othello has slept with his
wife, Emilia. He lays out his plan to cheat Roderigo out of his money, to
convince Othello that Cassio has slept with Desdemona, and to use
Othello’s honest and unsuspecting nature to bring him to his demise.
ACT 2 SCENE 1
On the shores of Cyprus, Montano, the island’s governor, watches a storm
with two gentlemen. Just as Montano says that the Turkish fleet of ships
could not survive the storm, a third gentlemen comes to confirm his
prediction: as his ship traveled from Venice, Cassio witnessed that the
Turks lost most of their fleet in the tempest. It is still uncertain
whether Othello’s ship has been able to survive the storm. Hope lifts as
voices offstage announce the sighting of a sail offshore, but the new ship
turns out to be carrying Iago, Emilia, Desdemona, and Roderigo.
Desdemona disembarks, and no sooner does Cassio tell her that Othello
has yet to arrive than a friendly shot announces the arrival of a third ship.
While the company waits for the ship, Cassio and Desdemona tease Emilia
about being a chatterbox, but Iago quickly takes the opportunity to
criticize women in general as deceptive and hypocritical, saying they are
lazy in all matters except sex: “You rise to play and go to bed to work”
(II.i.118). Desdemona plays along, laughing as Iago belittles women,
whether beautiful or ugly, intelligent or stupid, as equally despicable.
Cassio takes Desdemona away to speak with her privately about Othello’s
arrival. Iago notices that Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand as he talks to
her, and, in an aside, Iago plots to use Cassio’s hand-holding to frame him
so that he loses his newly gained promotion to lieutenant. “With as little a
web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio,” he asserts (II.i.169).
Othello arrives safely and greets Desdemona, expressing his devotion to
her and giving her a kiss. He then thanks the Cypriots for their welcome
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, and hospitality, and orders Iago to unload the ship. All but Roderigo and
Iago head to the castle to celebrate the drowning of the Turks. Iago tells
the despondent Roderigo that Desdemona will soon grow tired of being
with Othello and will long for a more well-mannered and handsome man.
But, Iago continues, the obvious first choice for Desdemona will be Cassio,
whom Iago characterizes over and over again as a “knave” (II.i.231–239).
Roderigo tries to argue that Cassio was merely being polite by taking
Desdemona’s hand, but Iago convinces him of Cassio’s ill intentions and
convinces Roderigo to start a quarrel with Cassio that evening. He posits
that the uproar the quarrel will cause in the still tense city will make
Cassio fall out of favor with Othello.
Left alone onstage again, Iago explains his actions to the audience in a
soliloquy. He secretly lusts after Desdemona, partially because he
suspects that Othello has slept with Emilia, and he wants to get even with
the Moor “wife for wife” (II.i.286). But, Iago continues, if he is unable to
get his revenge by sleeping with Desdemona, Roderigo’s accusation of
Cassio will make Othello suspect his lieutenant of sleeping with his wife
and torture Othello to madness.
ACT 2 SCENE 2
A herald announces that Othello plans revelry for the evening in
celebration of Cyprus’s safety from the Turks, and also in celebration of
his marriage to Desdemona.
ACT 2 SCENE 3
Othello leaves Cassio on guard during the revels, reminding him to
practice self-restraint during the celebration. Othello
and Desdemona leave to consummate their marriage. Once Othello is
gone, Iago enters and joins Cassio on guard. He tells Cassio that he
suspects Desdemona to be a temptress, but Cassio maintains that she is
modest. Then, despite Cassio’s protestations, Iago persuades Cassio to
take a drink and to invite some revelers to join them.
Once Cassio leaves to fetch the revelers, Iago tells the audience his plan:
Roderigo and three other Cypriots, all of whom are drunk, will join Iago
and Cassio on guard duty. Amidst all the drunkards, Iago will lead Cassio
into committing an action that will disgrace him. Cassio returns, already
drinking, with Montano and his attendants. It is not long before he
becomes intoxicated and wanders offstage, assuring his friends that he
isn’t drunk. Once Cassio leaves, Iago tells Montano that while Cassio is a
wonderful soldier, he fears that Cassio may have too much responsibility
for someone with such a serious drinking problem.
Roderigo enters, and Iago points him in Cassio’s direction. As Montano
continues to suggest that something be said to Othello of Cassio’s
drinking problem, Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage, threatening to
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