Othello Notes:

Othello Plot Summary:

Act 1 Scene 1:

o Iago and Roderigo are introduced to the audience- they meet on a street during the night.
o I ago expresses his hate for Othello (gives audience a negative perception of him)
o Othello chose Cassio for a promotion over Iago.
o Iago and Roderigo shout to Brabantio’s window, pretending to be thieves to get his attention.
o I ago tells Brabantio of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.
o I ago uses manipulative language against Brabantio and he worries that Desdemona has really
married Othello
o He awakes his household and finds she is not in her bed.
o Roderigo goes to find Othello and tells Brabantio to bring armed men with him.

Act 1 Scene 2:

o Othello is introduced with Iago at his side- we see Iago become manipulative, and pretend to like
Othello.
o Othello is unafraid of Brabantio’s threats against him due to his marriage to Desdemona.
o The Duke’s servants and Cassio call Othello for important business.
o Brabantio and Roderigo find Othello- he is accused of being a thief.
o Brabantio says that Othello used magic to obtain Desdemona’s love. He tries to get Othello arrested
but Othello says he is needed urgently by the Duke.

Act 1 Scene 3:

o The Duke and other senators discuss a Turkish fleet that are on their way to Cyprus, Signor Montano
asks for reinforcements to aid him in battle.
o Brabantio, Othello, Iago, Roderigo and Cassio enter the scene.
o The Duke tells Othello he wants him to go to Cyprus to fight the Turkish.
o Brabantio attempts to have Othello arrested.
o Othello sends for Desdemona who confirms she loves Othello and she married him out of her own
free will.
o Desdemona pleads the duke to send her to Cyprus with Othello- he eventually accepts.
o Othello and Desdemona exit the scene.
o Roderigo is heartbroken he cannot have Desdemona- he threatens to kill himself and Iago
manipulates his sadness.
o I ago comes up with his plot to destroy Othello using Cassio.

Act 2 Scene 1:

o Montano discusses the Turkish fleet approaching Cyprus.

o Cassio enters the scene, Montano learns of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.
o Desdemona, Iago, Roderigo and Emilia enter the scene- they wait for Othello to arrive in Cyprus.
o Iago tells Roderigo his plan to use Cassio against Othello, by making it appear as if Desdemona is
having an affair.
o Iago uses a soliloquy to declare his plan into action.

(Act 2 Scene 2- Speech by Othello’s Herald)

Act 2 Scene 3:
Othello Notes:

o Othello instructs Cassio to keep a party under control, and to not let things get out of hand.
o Othello and Desdemona leave.
o I ago speaks rudely of Desdemona to Cassio in attempts to begin his plot against Othello.
o Iago tells Cassio to come for a drink, but he refuses. However, Iago pressures him into it.
o Iago gets Cassio drunk.
o Cassio, is his drunken state, chases Roderigo and hits him, he then has to be restrained by
Montano with whom he brawls with afterward.
o Cassio wounds Montano and Othello enters the scene, demanding an explanation.
o Iago, although pretending to be reluctant to ruin Cassio, tells Othello that Cassio started the
fight, and so Othello fires him as his second officer.
o Iago pretends to comfort Cassio, who now has a ruined reputation.
o Iago tells Cassio if he wants his job back then he should consult Desdemona to help him convince
Othello to give him back his title- though this is part of plan to ruin Othello through jealousy.

Act 3 Scene 1:

o Cassio sends clowns and musicians to Othello as a form of apology, and to try to get back on his
good side. He also follows Iago’s advice and asks to see Desdemona.
o Iago’s plan slowly comes together as Cassio wishes to speak to Desdemona alone, Desdemona
also defends Cassio to Othello very strongly.

(Act 3 Scene 2- Othello asks Iago to deliver a letter for him)

Act 2 Scene 3:

o Cassio asks Desdemona to help him get his job back, Desdemona says she will try her hardest to
help Cassio for he is a good man.
o Othello and Iago enter the scene; Cassio leaves, to uncomfortable to face Othello straight away.
o Iago begins to take action by manipulating Othello’s mind slowly.
o Desdemona is adamant on Othello calling upon Cassio, this gives off the wrong impression even
though her intentions are pure.
o Desdemona leaves on Othello’s command.
o Iago’s begins to question Cassio to Othello, being suggestive about Cassio’s motives towards her.
o Othello tells Iago to explain to him what he is thinking, Iago appears innocent as if he does not
want to share his thoughts.
o Iago suggest to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio may be secretly seeing each other, however
Othello refuses to believe Desdemona is dishonest without evidence.
o Desdemona accidentally drops the handkerchief that Othello gave her as a symbol of their love.
Emilia picks it up, knowing that Iago has been after it, and so to please her husband, gives it to
him.
o Iago plots to place the handkerchief in Cassio’s room, to make it appear as if he and Desdemona
have been together.
o he thought of Desdemona cheating on him, haunts Othello, he tells Iago he must find proof
otherwise he is dead to him.
o Iago says that Cassio had dreams of Desdemona, which leads Othello to believe something has
happened between them.
o Othello begins to believe that Desdemona had really betrayed him, and his thoughts turn
murderous.
Othello Notes:

Act 3 Scene 4:

o Desdemona goes to find Cassio, to reassure him that she believes everything will be alright and
he will get his job back.
o Desdemona asks Emilia if she has seen her handkerchief, Emilia lies and says she doesn’t know
where it is.
o Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief that he gave her, she says that she does not have
it on her.
o Othello explains the significance of the handkerchief, although he persists that Desdemona bring
the handkerchief to him, she only speaks of Cassio, though it is a misunderstanding, it gives
Othello the wrong impression of her.
o Emilia expresses her views on the way men treat their wives before Cassio and Iago enter the
scene.
o Cassio persists that Desdemona help him get back on Othello’s good side.
o Iago goes to Othello, after hearing that he left Desdemona angry.
o Cassio meets a prostitute named Bianca and gives her Desdemona’s handkerchief. He says that
he found it in his room (though it was planted there by Iago)

Act 4 Scene 1:

o Othello has seen Cassio with his handkerchief, which makes him believe that Desdemona has
betrayed him, Othello is so angry and confused that he falls into a trance.
o Iago says he will get Cassio to admit that he has slept with Desdemona, however Iago is actually
asking questions about Bianca, but Othello thinks it is about Desdemona.
o Cassio uses vulgar language when talking of Bianca, which angers Othello more as he believes
Cassio is speaking of Desdemona
o Bianca enters the scene after listening to what Cassio has said about her, and throws
Desdemona’s handkerchief back at him. Othello sees that it belongs to him.
o Iago tells Cassio to go after Bianca
o Othello plots to kill Desdemona as he believes that she has cheated on him. Iago tells him to
strangle her in bed, to which Othello agrees he will.
o Lodovico and Desdemona enter the scene, Desdemona emphasises how much she cares for
Cassio, and wants him and Othello to make amends, though this contributes to her downfall
even more.
o Othello hits Desdemona, and the audience sees a contrast in his attitude towards her from the
start of the play.

Act 4 Scene 2:

o Othello questions Emilia on Desdemona actions with Cassio and asks that he and Desdemona be
left alone.
o Othello makes a variety of accusations against Desdemona, to which she denies them all, saying
she is not false and that she loves him.
o Othello exits, and Desdemona is left shocked by his behaviour.
o Desdemona sends for Iago, who pretends to comfort her. She is determined to get Othello back
to her.
 Othello Notes:

o Roderigo realises that Iago had cheated him for money, and declares he will tell Desdemona his
feelings and challenge Iago to a duel.

Act 4 Scene 3:

o Othello demands that Desdemona go to bed immediately, and send Emilia away
o She agrees and she believes it is respectful to Othello and therefore complies with his wishes
o Desdemona sings the song of the weeping willow—her and Emilia bond
o Emilia preaches about the way men treat women—which is very rare considering it is the
17th century

Act 5 Scene 1:

o Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio

o Instead of killing him, Cassio wounds Roderigo and Iago quickly stabs him without been seen
o Othello believes Iago has kept his promise and has killed him
o Iago pretends not to know of why Roderigo has attacked Cassio, and stabs him, he dies
o Bianca comes into the scene and is worried for Cassio’s life
o Cassio is put in chair and taken away, Roderigo body is also removed

Act 5 Scene 2:

o Desdemona is asleep in her bed chamber—Othello enters ready to kill her—he gives a
soliloquy about how he is conflicted about killing her
o He accuses Desdemona of adultery, and she begins to plead with Othello, stating she only
loves him
o She begs for mercy and asks Othello if she can have one last prayer—instead he smothers
her
o Emilia comes to find Desdemona, hearing the noises from her bedchamber and she finds
Desdemona
o She says her final words and dies
o Emilia reveals the truth about Iago’s deception and is stabbed by Iago—she dies
o Othello is grieved over his mistake, and stabs Iago—but does not kill him
o Othello is sorrow, says his final words and kills himself
o Iago is arrested and the play ends

Key Quotes: by scene:

Act 1 Scene 1:
 “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” –Iago
 “In following him, I follow but myself” -Iago
 “I am not what I am” -Iago
 “Thick lips” –Roderigo
 “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” -Iago
 “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse” – Iago
 “Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs” –Iago
Act 1 Scene 2:
 “But that I love the gentle Desdemona” –Othello
 Othello Notes:

 “O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted
her!” - Brabantio
 “That thou hast practiced on her with foul charms, abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals”
-Brabantio
 “Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou—to fear, not to delight” –
Brabantio
Act 1 Scene 3:
 “I’ve taken this man’s daughter from him and married her. But that’s my only offense” –Othello
 “She’d come again, and with a greedy ear” –Othello
 “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them” –Othello
 “You are the lord of duty. I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband” –Desdemona
 “That I did love the Moor to live with him, my downright violence and storm of fortunes may trumpet
to the world” –Desdemona
 “In my defunct and proper satisfaction, but to be free and bounteous to her mind” –Othello
Act 2 Scene 1:
 “You rise to play and go to bed to work” –Iago
 “My soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown
fate” –Othello
 “And nothing can or shall content my soul till I am evened with him, wife for wife” –Iago
Act 2 Scene 3:
 “Iago is most honest” -Othello
 “Come, my dear love, the purchase made, the fruits are to ensue: that profit’s yet to come ’tween me
and you.” –Othello
 “Honest Iago, that looks dead with grieving, speak, who began this?” –Othello
 “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth than it should do offence to Michael Cassio. Yet I
persuade myself to speak the truth” –Iago
 “All’s well, sweeting, come away to be” –Othello
 “Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again” –Iago
 “And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor, I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear: That she repeals
him for her body’s lust” –Iago
Act 3 Scene 1:
 “My suit to her is that she will to virtuous Desdemona procure me some access” -Cassio
 “Give me advantage of some brief discourse with Desdemona alone.” –Cassio
 “The general and his wife are talking of it, and she speaks for you stoutly” -Emilia
Act 3 Scene 3:
 “I warrant it grieves my husband as if the cause were his” –Emilia
 “If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it to the last article” -Desdemona
 “Sweet Desdemona” –Othello
 “Michael Cassio that came a-wooing with you, and so many a time, when I have spoke of you
dispraisingly, hath ta'en your part, to have so much to do to bring him in?” –Desdemona
 “My Desdemona” –Othello
 “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul but I do love thee!” –Othello
 “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds
on” –Iago
 “No, Iago, I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove, And on the proof there is no more but this:
Away at once with love or jealousy!” –Othello
 “I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio” –Iago
 “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest.” –Othello
 “Oh, curse of marriage that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites!” -
Othello
 “If she’s cheated on me, then heaven itself is a fake. I don’t believe it.”-Othello
 Othello Notes:

 “Foolish wife” –Iago

 “I will withdraw to furnish me with some swift means of death for the fair devil.” -Othello
Act 3 Scene 4:
 “Make it a darling like your precious eye. To lose ’t or give ’t away were such perdition As nothing else
could match.” –Othello
 “To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They belch us”. -Emilia
Act4 Scene 1
 “Work on, My medicine, work! Thus, credulous fools are caught” –Iago
 “How shall I murder him, Iago” –Othello
 “She gave it to him, and he hath given it his whore” –Iago
 “Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live” –Othello
 “Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.” –Iago
 “Devil!” –Othello
 “Out of my sight!” –Othello
Act 4 Scene 2:
 “I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake” –Emilia
 “Your wife, my lord. Your true and loyal wife.” –Desdemona
 “Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write “whore” upon?” –Othello
 “I took you for that cunning whore of Venice That married with Othello” –Othello
 “What shall I do to win my lord again? Good friend, go to him.” -
Act 4 Scene 3:
 “Go to bed on th’instant” –Othello
 “We must not now displease him” –Desdemona
 “My love doth so approve him” –Desdemona
 “No, by this heavenly light” –Desdemona
 “Who would not make her husband a cuckold, to make him a monarch?” –Emilia
 “But I do think it is their husbands faults, If wives do fall” –Emilia
 “Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us” –Emilia
Act 5 Scene 1:
 “Every way makes my gain” –Iago
 “’Tis he, O brave Iago, honest and just” –Othello
 “O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!” –Roderigo
 “O, fie upon thee, strumpet!” –Emilia
Act 5 Scene 2:
 “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” –Othello
 “When I have plucked thy rose, I cannot give it vital growth again” –Othello
 “O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade justice to break her sword!” –Othello
 “Out, strumpet! Weep’st thou for him to my face” –Othello
 “My wife, my wife! What wife? I have no wife” –Othello
 “And you the blacker devil!” –Emilia
 “I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak” – Emilia
 “Villainous whore” –Iago
 “She loved thee, cruel Moor” –Emilia
 “O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils, from the possession of this heavenly sight!” –Othello
 “Then you must speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well; of one not easily jealous but being
wrought” –Othello

Key points:

 Race—Othello is a Moor
 Jealousy
Othello Notes:

 Duplicity
 Shakespeare was a visionary egalitarian as he portrayed a black person as a hero in the 17th
century
 Modern feminists would see Desdemona as a strong woman for defying her father and
choosing her own husband
 In the tragic genre—the fact Desdemona’s choices end in her death show the Elizabethan
view of women as passive and that they are better guided by the male authorities in their
lives
 Written between 1601 and 1604
 Othello and Desdemona marry and attempt to build a life together, despite their differences
in age, race, and experience. Their marriage is sabotaged by the envious Iago, who convinces
Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful.
 Othello focuses on the dangers of jealousy

Tragic Hero—protagonist

Tragic flaw—Tragic ending—jealously

Tragedy= serious play of drama typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to
an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on as in accident drama by fate and tragic flaw in the
character (moral weakness, social pressures, psychological maladjustment)

Critiques of Othello:

 Coleridge= Iagos characterisation has been influential—he operates without adequate

motivation
 Many 19th century critiques labelled Desdemona a “strumpet without morals”
 AC. Bradley= “Othello was the most romantic figure among Shakespeare’s heroes” he
argued that Othello’s jealousy in a new marriage is credible
 Ania Loomba= central conflict in Othello “is between the racism of a white patriarchy and
the threat posed to it by both a black man and a white woman”

Critical Debates:

Early Views:

 Thomas Rhymer in his ‘Short view on Tragedy’ (1963) was outraged by the idea of a black
hero, and argued that the play was not a tragedy because it had no moral lesson for the
audience
 Dr Johnson’s (1975) was positive. He viewed Othello as a ‘magnanimous, artless, and
credulous, boundless in his confidence ardent in his affection…”

19th and 20th Century Views:

 Coleridge on Iago: he argued that Iago is ‘a being next to a Devil’ driven by ‘motiveless
malignity’. Coleridge argues that Iago operates without adequate motivation; he is bad
because he is bad
 A.C. Bradley (1904) labelled Othello as ‘blameless’. For Bradley, Othello is also noble, he
‘inspires passion of mingled love and pity’ which none of Shakespeare’s other heroes aspire.
 T.S Elliot claims Othello’s final speech is a terrible exposure of human weakness
Othello Notes:

 F.R Leavis argues Othello is responsible for his downfall because he has the propensity to
jealousy and possesses a weak character: “Othello’s jealousy is not associated with any real
interest in Desdemona as a person… Othello slips readily into possessive jealousy”
 Iago: [Othello] foams at the mouth, and… breaks out to a savage madness
 Iago: As [Cassio] shall smile, Othello shall go mad
 Emilia: [Husbands] break out in peevish jealousies]
 Emilia: Jealous souls will not be answered… they are not jealous for the
cause, but jealous for they are jealous

Contemporary Approaches:

 Feminism:
 Explore gender politics of Othello
 A feminist critic would consider the roles of the male and female characters in
relation to the patriarchal context of the play. Female characters are victims
who have limited power and are punished for their sexuality
 Marxism:
 A Marxist critic would be interested in the political context of Othello and
power structure of society in which Othello and Iago operate

Characters:

Othello:
 Plays protagonist
 Is a physically powerful figure in the play, and is well respected despite the fact he is a “Moor”
 easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race.
 Is a self-destructive character because of his jealousy
 Othello’s status as an outsider may be the reason he is such easy prey for Iago.
 Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is
nevertheless valuable and necessary to the state
 Those who consider Othello their social and civic peer, such as Desdemona and Brabantio,
nevertheless seem drawn to him because of his exotic qualities.
 Othello sometimes makes a point of presenting himself as an outsider, whether because he
recognizes his exotic appeal or because he is self-conscious of and defensive about his difference
from other Venetians
 It is the tension between Othello’s victimization at the hands of a foreign culture and his own
willingness to torment himself that makes him a tragic figure rather than simply Iago’s ridiculous
puppet.
 Marrying Desdemona further increases his status in Venetian army
 Undone by Iago—areas of Othello that are weak
 General in the army
 Aware of how he appears—coincides of how he appears
Desdemona:
 Is the daughter of Brabantio
 Her and Othello secretly wed prior to the beginning of the play
 Desdemona is at times a submissive character, most notably in her willingness to take credit for
her own murder.
 The play depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful wife and as a bold,
independent personality.
 She begins the play as a supremely independent person, but midway through she must struggle
against all odds to convince Othello that she is not too independent.
Othello Notes:

 The manner in which Desdemona is murdered—smothered by a pillow in a bed covered in her

wedding sheets—is symbolic: she is literally suffocated beneath the demands put on her fidelity.
 Her forgiveness of Othello during her death may help the audience to forgive him as well.
 Falls in love (Othello)
 Young girl—Othello is much older
 Senators daughter—high status
 Sense of duty to her father—this changed to a duty to Othello
 Has a different social class to Emilia
 She makes the situation worst in the play by not admitting she misplaced her handkerchief
 As she’s young she’s naïve
 As she is on different social levels with Emilia, they cannot have a true bond
Iago:
 Is the villain of the play
 He is jealous of Othello and in turn uses Othello’s jealousy against him
 Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his
actions.
 He is willing to take revenge on anyone—Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia—at
the slightest provocation and enjoys the pain and damage he causes.
 Iago’s murder of Emilia could also stem from the general hatred of women that he displays.
 It is Iago’s talent for understanding and manipulating the desires of those around him that makes
him both a powerful and a compelling figure.
 Iago is able to take the handkerchief from Emilia and know that he can deflect her questions; he is
able to tell Othello of the handkerchief and know that Othello will not doubt him
 Below Othello within ranks
 Othello trusts him greatly
 Villain—what are his motives?
 Frustrated about Cassio’s promotion
 He speculates Othello has slept with Emilia
 Puts ‘poison’ in Othello’s head regarding Desdemona
 Always working against Othello while pretending to be his friend
Emilia:
 Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her
mistress and distrustful of her husband.
 Meet in Act 2
 Abused by her husband Iago
 Finds Desdemona’s handkerchief—gives to Iago as she wants his love—desperate to please him—
this is a big mistake
 Desdemona asks her if she things women should abuse their husbands
 Before its time—feminist mind set
 Lower class to Desdemona
 She hides the truth about the handkerchief from Desdemona because of their social status
Cassio:
 Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much
resented by Iago.
 Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl
on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant
 Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s
insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity.
Othello Notes:

Roderigo:
 A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago
all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand.
 Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that
Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona.
Bianca:
 A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favourite customer is Cassio, who teases her with
promises of marriage.
 Is a foil character
 She is the opposite to Desdemona—different scales of women—though all women are still treated
badly
Brabantio:
 Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of
Othello, Brabantio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret.
Montano:
 The governor of Cyprus before Othello.
Duke of Venice:
 The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military
servant.
 He sends Othello with orders to Cyprus to handle the Turkish invasion
Lodovico:
 One of Brabantio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus.
Graziano
 Brabantio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene,
Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died.

A03 Context Paragraph:

Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and Desdemona through Othello’s
dominance and his perception of Desdemona’s value. “She’s gone: I am abused, and my relief must
be to loathe her” The use of the colon portrays the dramatic pause that shows Othello’s mind is
fragmented, it also highlights the harsh reality that Desdemona may actually betray him, creating a
sympathetic response from a 21st century audience. In the Elizabethan Era, this would be expected as
women would marry a powerful man, for status and wealth rather than love. Othello presents
marriage as quite insignificant, as he says he must “loathe” her if she has been unfaithful, however
the word “must” implies he only feels that way as societies ideals have been forced upon him.

Act 1:

 Iago—Manipulative—convinces Roderigo he will win Desdemona for him/ speaks in blank

verse/ arrogant (hubris)
 Key themes introduced:
 Honesty= Desdemona’s maintains her honesty to Othello
 Love= the pure low between Othello and Desdemona is destroyed by Iago
 Betrayal= Iago betrays Othello and Othello betrays Desdemona
 Family—Desdemona’s duty to her father or husband
 Social Class—Othello is a high-ranking officer—Desdemona is a senator’s
daughter
Othello Notes:

 Race—Othello is a Moor
 Medias ras—opens straight into action
 Venice—Cyprus (Storm= Pathetic Fallacy) is a place of social unrest
 There’s a party—Iago gets Cassio drunk and he loses his job
 Iago tells him to go to Desdemona
 Tragic flaw= Othello is easily manipulated
 Desdemona drops her handkerchief from Othello, Emilia finds it and gives it to Iago
 Iago manipulates him to believe he must kill Desdemona

*Maid Servant Relationship* *Emilia and Iago*

- Iago puts the - “You rise from bed to play and go to bed to work”
handkerchief in Cassio’s - Implies a loveless marriage
room - Iago manipulates all other characters and
- Othello believes she has underestimates the power of Emilia (she reveals the
cheated on him truth)

Act 2:

 Action moves to Cyprus: symbolic transition

 A place of conflict and disorder—relationships become rocky as a consequence
 Deus Ex Machina: unrealistic plot dense that resolves problems in the plot

What evidence in Act 2 Scene 1 is there to suggest that Desdemona and Othello’s relationship is in
trouble?

 The reference to the tempest—lightening isn’t a good sign so this is like a foreshadow of
their relationship in jeopardy
 Iago: “O, you are well turned now” –he tells the audience he will plan something
 Iago’s soliloquy—talking about Desdemona and “wife for a wife” clearly shows he plans
something against Desdemona and will use her as that will be Othello’s weak spot
 Moving to Cyprus where there is war between the Turks

Brabantio Gender roles, Types of love, Father, Language “she”—display awareness/

Othello dramatic irony
Desdemona Attempts at power control

Act 3 Scene 1:

 Cassio sends musicians and a clown to ask Othello for forgiveness

 Iago tells Cassio he will use Emilia to allow Cassio to access Desdemona

Act 3 Scene 3:

 Desdemona: “O’ that’s an honest fellow” –Dramatic Irony—Iago plots are seen by the
audience but not the characters
 Desdemona assures Cassio she will speak to Othello to get him his job back
Othello Notes:

 Othello: “Farewell my Desdemona” –Othello still believes in his wife/ she is still labelled as
his
 Iago: “O! Beware my lord of jealousy, it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock…”
 Iago is putting ideas into Othello’s head/ manipulation
 Othello: “For she has eyes and chose me” – “Away at one with love or jealousy”
 Othello still trusts Desdemona and believes in her
 Iago: “Look to your wife, observe her well”

Act 4 Scene 3:

How does Shakespeare challenge gender roles?

 At the beginning of the play, Emilia is portrayed as a devoted wife to Iago

 She even gives Iago, Desdemona’s handkerchief knowing it would cause her a lot of pain
 She is very tolerable of Iago’s derogatory language towards her (“Foolish wife”/ “A good
wench”/ “Go, leave me”)
 Emilia is portrayed to the audience as thinking very lowly of men; and how they treat
women (“They are all but stomachs, and we are all but food”)
 Emilia’s views on men as abusive individuals—arguably from her own experiences with Iago
 Emilia’s rebellious attitude towards Iago gets her killed at the end of the play—
demonstrating that women who attempt to defy societal expectations in Shakespeare’s
plays get punished (such as Lady Macbeth)

How does Othello’s language towards Desdemona become increasingly crude and abusive?

 As Othello is under Iago’s influence, he truly believes Desdemona’s cheated on him

 As a result, he becomes less loving towards her and starts treating her coldly
 His language goes from “My Desdemona” to “wench” and “strumpet” – many parts of
Othello’s cruel language mirrors Iago’s, also reflecting how Iago has had an effect on Othello
 Othello commands Desdemona to go to bed, and tells her to send Emilia away (“Get you to
bed on th’instant/ “Look’t be done”)
 We can suggest from this that Othello’s tone is most likely cold and dominant

Act 5 Scene 2:

 The stillness of the opening of this final scene contrasts dramatically with the events/mood
of the previous scene. Othello’s opening speech reveals he sees himself as an agent of
justice, whose purpose is to prevent Desdemona committing further sins.
 He views her death as a sacrifice, not a murder. Othello’s desire to avoid spilling
Desdemona’s blood may mean he seeks to avoid the marks of murder, or sees a desire to
leave her how she is, as though he wants her to look as though she’s not dead.
 Desdemona’s pleading when she wakes up is distressing. At the moment, he kills her he uses
Iago’s course language, suggesting we are not to view him as the soul perpetrator.
Othello Notes:

 The pathos of Desdemona’s death is heightened when she tells Emilia Othello is not to
blame, her comment is characteristically generous.
 Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to show us Othello’s confusion because his speech is
disjointed, and though he does not confess guilt or remorse in this scene, he seems aware of
what he’s lost and feels nature should reflect the chaos he finds himself mired in.
 “that whiter skin of her skins than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster” -Othello
 “I fear you… when your eyes roll so” -Desdemona
 “O, the more angel she… And you the blacker devil!”

Othello= Tragic Hero—Protagonist

Tragic Flaw—Tragic ending—Jealousy

 According to Webster dictionary “Tragedy” is a serious play of drama typically dealing with
the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on
as in accident drama by false and tragic flaw in this character or in modern drama, usually
moral weakness, psychological maladjustment or social pressures

Act 1 Scene 1:

 Iago foul mouthing his friend (Othello) because he didn’t get the promotion and Cassio did.
Othello gave the job to Cassio

Quick Summary:

 Othello joins army in Venice// general

 Desdemona and Othello fall in love
 Othello goes to Cyprus with Desdemona= Happy life
 Cassio gets promoted and Iago is jealous
 Cassio gets drunk and stabs Montano
 Othello sacks Cassio
 Iago tells Cassio to go to Desdemona and convince Othello to give him his job back
 Iago and Othello speak and Iago tries to cause trouble
 Othello thinks about Desdemona and worries if she regrets him
 Desdemona accidentally drops her handkerchief
 Emilia finds it and Iago takes it from her, planting it in Cassio’s room
 Othello finds out and confronts her
 Othello kills Desdemona as he thought she was unfaithful
 Othello discovers Iago’s trick and regrets killing his wife
 Iago stabs Emilia
 Othello kills himself in grief
 Two lovers die together and Iago is executed

Romantic Love:
Othello Notes:

 Mirroring of Language between Othello and Desdemona in discussion with Brabantio,

Othello addresses the welcoming of his new wife with “here comes the lady”
 Reciprocated love= “She loved me for the dangers”
 Challenging her father

Practice Essays
 “Examine the view that Othello is presented as a weak man who is easily manipulated in
the play”
 “Examine the view that Desdemona’s behaviour towards Othello shows her to be much
more than just an innocent young woman in love”
 “Examine the view that Emilia bears no resemblance to the tragic and naïve victim seen
elsewhere in the play”

Topic Sentences: Iago

1. Shakespeare presents Iago as deceitful through the use of Dramatic Irony—the audience
feels weary/ nervous
2. Furthermore, Shakespeare conveys him as a misogynist character through the derogative
language towards his wife—power
3. Shakespeare further presents Iago as an arrogant and power hungry character through
the structure of dialogue

To include in Paragraphs:
* Playwrights Intention
* Tragic genre
* Context
* Form (theatrical, language, sentence structure)
* Awareness of a modern audience in comparison to an Elizabethan audience
* Strong introduction