SHAKESPHERE
ASSIGNMENT 1
KATHIJA BANU.R
I MA ENGLISH
24PW28510
OTHELLO
-William Shakesphere
ABOUT THE AUTHOR :
• FULL NAME : William Shakesphere
• BORN : 23 April 1564
• DIED : 23 April 1616
• SPOUSE : Anne Hathaway
• CHILDRENS :3
• STYLE : Verse & Prose
ABOUT THE STORY :
• TYPE : Tragedy.
• PROTAGONIST : Othello.
• ANTOGONIST : Lago.
• SETTING :Venice.
• CONFLICT : Friends & Foes.
ABOUT THE STORY
CHARACTERS :
• Othello is a Moorish general driven mad with false jealousy.
• Iago is Othello’s villainous ensign; he plots Othello’s downfall.
• Desdemona is Othello’s innocent wife, whom he believes is unfaithful.
• Emilia is Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s servant; she reveals Iago’s schemes in the final moments.
• Cassio is Othello’s lieutenant; Iago frames him and Desdemona by suggesting that they are having an affair.
• Roderigo is Desdemona’s young Venetian suitor; Iago exploits his desire.
ABOUT THE STORY
OTHELLO :
• OTHELLO, TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,
WRITTEN IN 1603–04 AND PUBLISHED IN 1622 IN A QUARTO
EDITION FROM A TRANSCRIPT OF AN AUTHORIAL MANUSCRIPT.
• SHORT BRIEF : IAGO IS FURIOUS ABOUT BEING OVERLOOKED FOR
PROMOTION AND PLOTS TO TAKE REVENGE AGAINST HIS GENERAL:
OTHELLO, THE MOOR OF VENICE. IAGO MANIPULATES OTHELLO INTO
BELIEVING HIS WIFE DESDEMONA IS UNFAITHFUL, STIRRING OTHELLO'S
JEALOUSY. OTHELLO ALLOWS JEALOUSY TO CONSUME HIM, MURDERS
DESDEMONA, AND THEN KILLS HIMSELF.
Act I
Before Othello begins, Roderigo has been pursuing Desdemona, a
Venetian noblewoman. One night, he hears from his soldier friend, Iago,
that Desdemona has secretly married his General, the Moorish Othello.
Iago bears a grudge against Othello for overlooking Iago for a lieutenant
position. Instead, Othello chose Michael Cassio, leaving Iago only at the
low rank of ensign. Iago urges Roderigo to continue his pursuit of
Desdemona. He knows Senator Brabantio, Desdemona's father, will
dislike having Othello as a son-in-law. So late at night, Iago and
Roderigo wake Brabantio and tell him the news of Desdemona.
Brabantio angrily summons the militia to arrest Othello. At that
moment, officers arrive to summon Brabantio to an urgent meeting of
the Senate. The Senate is concerned about the imminent threat of a
Turkish invasion fleet on Cyprus. Full of fury, Brabantio goes to the
council.
Act II
In Cyprus, Montano, the governor of Cyprus, and his soldiers greet
Cassio, Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia as they disembark. Othello soon
arrives with news that storms at sea have dispersed the Turkish fleet. A
night of celebration is proclaimed. Roderigo confesses doubts about
his potential to woo Desdemona, but Iago assures him that there is
hope. He urges Roderigo to challenge Cassio to a duel that night,
since (as Iago claims) Desdemona is actually falling in love with him.
When the night comes, Iago gets Cassio drunk, and Roderigo incites
his anger. Montano, the governor, is stabbed during his attempt to
contain Cassio. Othello is angered by the fight and blames Cassio,
stripping him of his recently conferred officer status.
Act III
The next day, Iago convinces Cassio to ask Desdemona for help in
regaining his post. When Cassio asks, Desdemona innocently agrees.
Meanwhile, Iago has sown seeds of jealousy in Othello’s mind, suggesting
that Desdemona is overfond of Cassio. With no reason to suspect Iago of
bad intentions, Othello begins to watch his wife. Othello becomes angry
when Desdemona cannot find the first gift (a handkerchief) he had ever
given her. The handkerchief is embroidered with strawberries and
especially important to Othello. But Desdemona had not lost the
handkerchief. Iago had instructed Emilia, his wife, to take it. Iago then hid
the handkerchief where Cassio would find it. When Desdemona urges her
husband to reconsider Cassio’s demotion, Othello gets jealous and suspects
her of infidelity.
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green -eyed monster"
Act IV
Iago continues to inflame this jealousy. He encourages Othello to listen in
on, and misinterpret, part of a conversation between Cassio and his
mistress, Bianca. Cassio and Bianca discuss how Cassio obtained the
embroidered handkerchief that he then gives to Bianca to copy. Othello’s
agitation at what he hears brings on an epileptic fit. After recovering, he
orders Iago to kill Cassio. Desdemona cannot understand Othello's
change of attitude towards her. Othello even strikes her in the presence of
her relative, Lodovico, who has arrived as an ambassador from Venice. As
she prepares for bed, she talks with Emilia, singing to relieve the distress
she feels at losing the trust of her husband.
Act V
Meanwhile, Roderigo has begun to suspect Iago is not quite the friend he
seems. Still Iago persuades him to attack Cassio that night (again, to be able
to court Desdemona). In the fight that ensues, Iago goes undetected and
wounds Cassio. He then enters again as himself to accuse and kill Roderigo
for the act of wounding Cassio.
Othello comes to his sleeping wife's bedroom to murder her as punishment
for her supposed adultery. He smothers her with a pillow as she asserts her
innocence. Emilia alerts the household, causing Iago and others to come to
the scene. Othello defends himself, mentioning the handkerchief as
evidence. Emilia realises what has happened and betrays Iago‘s plots
against Othello. Iago, reacting to his wife's accusations, stabs and kills her.
Iago is arrested and sent to trial after Othello wounds him (he doesn't even
die). Othello, facing the inevitability of his own trial, uses a hidden weapon
to commit suicide. The play ends with Cassio reinstated and placed in
command as Governor of Cyprus.
ABOUT THE STORY :
THEMES : SYMBOLS :
• Trust and deception * The Handkerchief
• Love and loyalty * The Song "Willow"
• Manipulation and deception
• Race and the outsider
• Appearance versus reality
• Race and the outsider
• Jealousy and betrayal
• Consequences of jealousy