Othello - Scene Summary

Seite 1

ACT 1 / SCENE 1:

In Venice, Roderigo and Iago are arguing about Desdemona's secret marriage to Othello.

Roderigo has been paying Iago to promote his interests with Desdemona

Iago explains Cassio has been chosen for the promotion for lieutenant to Othello instead of him

Iago tells Roderigo of his hate for Othello

They tell Brabantio of Othello and his daughters marriage

Brabantio orders a search warrant to arrest Othello

Iago slips away to warn Othello

Seite 2

Act 1 / Scene 2:

Iago claims (falsely) that he wanted to defend Othello against Brabantio's slanders, but is not evil enough to commit murder

tries to stir up emity between brabantio and Othello, but Othello is confident that he can 'out tongue his complainents'

Cassio and the Duke's servants find Othello first and request his presence at the senate

Brabantio accuses Othello of having bewichted Desdemona

They all go to the Senate for the case against him

Seite 3

Act 1 / Scene 3:

Brabantio repeats his accusation of witchcraft

Othello tells the courtship and Desdemona was wooed by pity and curiosity for his suffering and exotic travels

When Desdemona arrives she verifies the story and choses Othello over her father, causing her to be disowned

Othello and Desdemona beg the Duke to allow her to accompany Othello on his mission to Cyprus

Iago's wife Emilia will be her maid and Desdemona will go under Iago's protection

Brabantio's last words to Othello is that Desdemona will decieve him

iago manipulats Roderigo into giving him lots of money for him to woo Desdemona for him

Iago's soliloquy- thinks Emilia slept with Othello and to get back at him by making Othello think Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona

Seite 4

Act 2 / Scene 1:

Cassio arrives at Cyprus first, followed by Iago and Desdemona, then Othello

There was a terrible storm, which destroyed the turkish fleet

cassio provokes and patronisises Iago

iago tells Roderigo that cassio stand in his way of getting Desdemona

Iagos soliloquy, states his plan to avenge himself on Othello and Cassio, who he suspects has cuckolded him

Seite 5

Act 2 / Scene 2:

A herald declares that Othello has granted an evening of celebration for the destruction of the Turkish fleet and for his own marriage

Seite 6

Act 2 / Scene 3:

Cassio put in charge of watch while Othello and Desdemona retire

Cassio gets drunk and Roderigo provokes him,

Cassio hits Roderigo and Montano, who intervenes the fight

Othello wakes up and is angry

Othello dismisses Cassio from his service after hearing Iago's story

Cassio appeals for advice from Iago

Iago tells him to use Desdemona to get his place back

Seite 7

Act 3 / Scene 1:

Cassio cannot sleep, and brings in musicians to play music for the awakening of the couple, but they are dismissed by Othello

Cassio tells Iago that he has asked to Emilia to arrange for him to see Desdemona

Emilia tells Cassio that she has overheard Othello say that Cassio will have to wait a while for the sake of decency but will restored to his place at the first opportunity

However cassio still Insits on speaking to Desdemona alone

Seite 8

Act 3 / Scene 2:

Othello does his job of attending to the fortification of the island of Cyprus

Seite 9

Act 3 / Scene 3:

Desdemona assures Cassio, with Emilia as a witness, that she will pursue his cause

Desdemona pressures Othello into seeing Cassio in Order to reinstate him

Iago introduces the idea of Desdemona having an affair with Cassio to Othello

Othello asks Iago to get Emilia to spy on Desdemona

When Desdemona return, she drops her handkerchief

Emilia picks up the Handkerchief and gives it to Iago, who had previously asked for it

Othello returns to dialouge with Iago and is tortued with images of desdemona's infedelity

Demands proof from Iago

Iago tells him Cassio revealed his intimacy with Desdemona in a dream heard by himself, and then mentions that Cassio has Desdemona's handkercheif, which was given to her by othello

iago vows to kill Cassio if Othello will kill Desdemona

Seite 10

Act 3 / Scene 4:

Desdemona sends the clown to fetch Cassio

She tells Emilia of the loss of her handkerchief

Desdemona lies about its whereabouts and counters his demands for hr to produce it with her on insistance that he reinstates Cassio

Othello walks out in rage as Iago and Cassio enter

Cassio wants to know when he will return to Othello's service

Desdemona admits Othello is not himself, and blames it on state affairs, although Emilia remians suspious

Biance, complains to Cassio about his neglect of her and asks her to copy the handkerchief, which he has found in his bedroom

Seite 11

Act 4 / Scene 1

Iago forces Othello to discuss the handkerchief and Desdemona's honesty

He claims Cassio confessed to an affair and fell into a fit

Cassio appears during it but Iago gets rid of him quickly

When Cassio returns, it is to be an unwitting performer in a charade engirneeded by Iago, with Othello as spectator, whereby Biance is sub for Desdemona as the topic of convosation

Bianca throws back the handkerchief in the sight of Othello and Cassio chases after her

Iago tells Othello Desdemona and Cassio will die the same evening

Officals from Venice arrive with letter for Othello, and he strikes her infront of them

Iago says that this is typical behaviour for Othello

Seite 12

Act 4 / Scene 2:

Othello interrogates Emilia about Desdemona's alleged meetings with Cassio

She denies them, but othello does not belive her

Desdemona swears her innocence to Othello, again to no avail

He insults Desdemona and Emilia by giving money to heras he leaves

She asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed and weeps in front of Iago

Roderigo demands the return of his jewellery , which Iago has pretended to give to Desdemona

In return, Iago promises Roderigo will enjoiy Desdemona to following night (he knows she will be dead) if he kills Cassio

Seite 13

Act 4 / Scene 3:

It is nighttime

Othello orders Desdemona to go to bed, Dismiss Emilia and wait for him

As she prepares for bed, she sings a death song

Emilia disagrees with Desdemona that adultery could never be justified, but blames men for Women's faults

Seite 14

Act 5 / Scene 1:

Iago conducts Roderigo's attack on Cassio, who is returning from Bianca's house

Iago's intention is that both men die to prevent the truth from being revealed

Roderigo fails and Cassio is wounded on the leg and Roderigo also wounded by Cassio

Othello can hear the fight and assumes Cassio is killed

After lodivico and Gratiano have heard the cries, iago re-enters holding a light and offers to help Cassio, while stabbing Roderigo

When Bianca appears, Iago points to her fright and paleness as a sign of her gulit in attacking Cassio

Emilia turn up and nsults Biance and is instructed by Iago to inform Othello and Desdemona of what has happened, although he does not expect Desdemona to be alive

Seite 15

Act 5 / Scene 2:

Othello enters the bedroom

Desdemona wakes and he warns her that he is going to kill her so she better say her prayers

She asks Cassio to testify for her, but is told that he is dead

She begs one more time but Othello kills her

Emilia arrives but is too late

Emilia relises it is iago that has construed this whole plan

Brabantio is dead

Othello tries to kill Iago but is disarmed

Iago kills Emilia

Emilia dies singing the willow song and vouching for Desdemona's love to the cruel moor

Iago refuses to satisfy Othello's need to know the cause of his hatred

Cassio is to be governor in Cyprus and Iago is to be torchered by him and Othello t be taken back to Venice for trial

Othello kills himself and falls ontop of the Bodies of desdemona and Emilia

The Tragedy is complete