Othello

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Othello

                                      - William Shakespeare

The play opens in the powerful city state of Venice where Othello secretly marries Desdemona. Brabantio, Othello, and Desdemona appear before the Duke of Venice. Brabantio accuses Othello of seducing his daughter by witchcraft but Othello explains that he won Desdemona by telling her his adventures, and Desdemona says that she has freely gone with Othello and married him for love.

The Duke appoints Othello as general of the defense forces against the Turks, and he left for Cyprus immediately. Iago convinces Roderigo that Desdemona will soon tire of Othello. Iago decides to make use of Cassio, the man he deeply resents and who received the promotion he himself wanted, as the instrument to destroy Othello.

In Cyprus, Iago plots against Othello, planting the seed of doubt about Desdemona’s fidelity and implicating Cassio as her lover. Using Roderigo, Iago arranges a fight that ultimately results in Cassio’s demotion. Believing that his chances of reinstatement are better if Desdemona pleads his case to her husband, Cassio, with Iago’s help, arranges for a private meeting with Desdemona, who promises to speak on his behalf to Othello. Iago again begins to plant seeds of doubt and suspicion in Othello’s mind.

Using a handkerchief that Desdemona later innocently drops, Iago convinces Othello that she has been unfaithful, and he stages a conversation with the innocent Cassio that further hardens the Moor’s heart against his wife. Convinced of his wife’s betrayal and enraged and grieving, Othello rushes into action, making an agreement with Iago that he will kill Desdemona, and Iago will dispose of Cassio.Top of Form 

Desdemona lies asleep in bed, and Othello enters, dreadfully calm. Desdemona wakens and Othello tells her to pray at once, repenting anything she needs to repent, and he will wait while she prays because he does not want to kill her soul. Desdemona realizes that Othello intends to kill her. She is afraid, although she knows she is not guilty. Desdemona weeps and begs him to banish her rather than kill her, or let her live just a little more, but he stifles her with a pillow.

When Emilia knocks on the door, Othello draws the bed-curtain across, hiding the bed, and opens the door to hear the news. She says that Cassio has killed Roderigo. Desdemona’s voice is heard from the bed, saying ‘falsely murdered’ and Emilia calls for help. Desdemona says that she is innocent, denies that anyone has killed her, and dies. Othello declares that he has killed Desdemona because of her infidelity. Emilia insists that Desdemona was faithful; Othello replies that Cassio had been with her, and Iago knew all about it. Emilia curses Iago, calls him a liar, and cries murder to waken everyone.

Montano, Gratiano, Iago, and others rush into the bedchamber where Emilia is shouting, and she challenges Iago to defend himself, giving him one last chance to retrieve himself in her estimation. Iago says that Desdemona was indeed unfaithful with Cassio, but Emilia knows this is untrue. She tells how she found the handkerchief, which her husband had asked her to steal, and gave it to him. Iago stabs Emilia and runs out. As she dies, Emilia tells Othello that Desdemona loved him. Othello realizes, too late, that he had been tricked and manipulated.

Iago is caught and brought back. Othello and Cassio demand to know why he did it, but Iago refuses to explain and says he will never speak again. Othello, watching his world unravel, asks the men to remember him clearly, his good points and his badl. Then he stabs himself, falls onto the bed, and dies. Lodovico takes charge, giving Othello’s house and property to Gratiano, his next of kin by marriage. Cassio will be commander and have the power to sentence Iago, and Lodovico will return to Venice with the sad news.