1.1
Setting: Venetian Street
- Iago and Roderigo are arguing -Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him win Desdemona’s hand in marriage.
- They come to the street outside the house of Brabantio and cry out that he has been robbed by “thieves.”
1.2
Setting: Othello’s lodgings
- Iago arrives to warn Othello that Brabantio will not hesitate to attempt to force a divorce between Othello and Desdemona.
- Othello sees a party of men approaching and thinks its Brabantio, but it turns out ot be Cassio and officers from the Venetian Court.
- Brabantio arrives but before he can attack Othello, Othello tells him that he must speak to the Duke so Brabantio decides to bring his cause before the duke himself.
1.3
Setting: Council Chamber
- The Duke is holding a meeting with councilers about the imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus when Brobantio, Othello, Iago, Roderigo, and officers storm in.
- Brabantio demands all state business be put aside to address his problem, however, the duke is sceptical when he learns that Othello is the accused. He asks Othello to speak for himself.
- Othello admits that he married Desdemona and explains how he wooed her with his stories - the duke is persuaded by this. Desdemona arrives and confirms Othello’s story.
- The duke decides that Othello must go to Cyrpus to defend it - Desdemomna asks to go with Othello.
- Iago delivers his first soliloquy, declaring his hatred for Othello and suspicion that he slept with Emilia - he lays out his plan.
2.1
Setting: Shores of Cyprus
- Montano is informed that the Turkish fleet have been sunk by a storm just before a first ship carrying Emilia, Desdemona, Iago and Roderigo arrives.
- Iago notices Cassio holding Desdemona’s hand when talking to her and plans to use this to frame him.
- Othello arrives and all but Iago and Roderigo head to the castle to celebrate the drowning of the Turks.
- Iago persuades Roderigo to start a quarrel with Cassio to cause tensions and make Othello fall out with him.
- Iago then delivers another soliloquy explaining his lust for Desdemona but if he is unable to get revenge by sleeping with her (because he thinks Othello slept with Emelia then the jealousy of her being with Cassio will drive him mad.
2.2
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.
2.3
Setting: Cyprus Castle
- Iago sets his plan into motion - he persuades Cassio, who is on duty, to have a drink, knowing that Cassio’s tolerance is very low.
- Cassio is quickly drunk and Iago tells Montano that he fears that Cassio has too much responsibility for a man with a drinking problem.
- Cassio chases Roderigo across the stage, threatening to beat him, Montano steps in but Cassio stabs him. An alarm bell is rung and Othello arrives.
- Othello immediatley takes control of the situation and asks Iago to tell him what happened, but Iago feigns reluctant to incriminate Cassio.
- Othello falls into the trap and says he recognises that Iago softened the story to protect Cassio, who Othello dismisses.
- Iago tells Cassio that he should appeal to Desdemona as she will be able to persuade Othello to change his mind, however, Iago will use this to show they are spending time together.
3.1
In an effort to win Othello’s goof graces, Cassio sends musicians to play beneath Othello’s window. Othello sends the clown to send the musicians away. Meanwhile Othello tells Desdemona that Cassio’s reappointment is impractical because of Montano’s influence.
3.2
Iago, Othello, and a gentleman walk together at the citadel. Othello gives Iago some letters to deliver and decides to take a look at the town’s fortification.
3.3
TEMPTATION SCENE
- Desdemona and Cassio’s conversation is cut short by the arrival of Othello - Cassio leaves hastily to avoid speaking to him.
- Desdemona pleasds to Othello on Cassio’s behalf, but when she leaves Iago says that Cassio’s avoidance of him was suspicious and insinuates that he knows more than he is willing to say.
- When Desdemona returns, Othello complains of an aching head which Desdemona offers to bind with her hankercheif, as they leave the hankerchief drops on the floor. Emilia picks it up and gives it to Iago.
- Othello reenters and, now tormented by jealousy forces Iago to tell him what he knows. Iago tells him that he heard Cassio talk about making love with Desdemona in his sleep and saw him wipe his beard with the ‘lost’ hankerchief.
- Othello is convinced and vows to kill her and Iago agrees to kills Cassio.
3.4
- Desdemona is worried about the loss of her hankerchief and when Othello asks her for it, he sturnly rebukes her when she cannot produce it.
- Cassio approaches her, but she must now postpone her efforts on his behalf because of Othello’s anger.
- Cassio finds Desdemona’s hankerchief on his bed and thinks its from Bianca, who he gets to copy the embroidery work for him.
4.1
- Iago continues to torment Othello with vivid descriptions of Desdemona’s alleged sexual activity, causing Othello to fall into an epileptic seizure.
- Iago places Othello where he can see, but not hear, a conversation between Cassio and Iago about Bianca, telling Othello that it is about Desdemona causing Othello’s fury to grow.
- Lodovico arrives from Venice with orders from the duke that Othello must return to Venice and that Cassio be appointed in his place.
- Othello strikes Desdemona in Lodovico’s presence and then dismisses her, leaving in a jealous rage. Lodovico expresses his astonishment at the change in Othello.
4.2
- Othello questions Emilia about Cassio and Desdemona’s relationship, acting as if Emilia is the mistress of a brothel and Desdemona one of her prostitutes.
- Othello denounces Desdemona to her face as a whore, to which Desdemona turns to Iago for help.
4.3
- Othello orders Desdemona to go to bed and dismisses Emilia.
- As Emilia helps Desdemona prepare for bed, they discuss marital infidelity, with Desdemona arguing that no woman would be unfaithful to her husband and Emilia arguing that women have the same desires as men do.
5.1
- In th darkness of the streets of Cyprus, Roderigo attacks Cassio, who, uninjured, stabs Roderigo. Iago then wounds Cassio in the leg.
- Othello hears Cassio’s cry and thinks that Iago has killed him so he departs to kill Desdemona.
- Iago then kills the wounded Roderigo. While Iago, Lodovico and Grantiano tend to Cassio, Bianca arrives. Iago accuses her of being a whore and of engineering the plot against Cassio that led to his injury.
5.2
- Desdemona is asleep when Othello enters. He kisses her awaking her and then charges her with infidelity.
- Over he protests of innocence, he smothers her with a pillow.
- Emilia arrives, and her cries of ‘murder’ bring Iago, Montano and Gratiano.
- Iago, under pressure admits accusing Desdemona and when Emilia discloses the truth about the hankerchief, Othello tries to kill Iago, and Iago kills Emilia.
- Othello, aware of his mistakes, stabs himself.
- Iago is taken away.
