Othello Act Summaries Flashcards
1
Q
Act 1 Scene 1
A
- Iago and Roderigo meet on stage at night
- They go to Brabantio’s house to tell him of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello
- Roderigo goes to find O and tells B to bring armed men with him
2
Q
Act 1 Scene 2
A
- O introduced, Iago with him
- O un afraid of B’s threats about his marriage to D
- Dukes servants + Cassio call O for important business
- B says O used magic to woo D + tries to get him arrested, but O is urgently needed by Duke
3
Q
Act 1 Scene 3
A
- B, O, I, R and C enter scene of Duke + senators discussing Turkish fleet
- B attempts to have O arrested
- O sends for D to confirm her love and vouch
- D pleads duke to send her to Cyprus w/ O and confirms her loyalties now lie with O, not B
- R threatens suicide due to D’s marriage
- Iago services plot to destroy O using C
4
Q
Act 2 Scene 1
A
- Montano discusses Turkish fleet approaching Cyprus
- Cassio enters and tells M of O and D’s marriage
- D, E, R, I arrive and wait for O
- I tells R of his plot to use Cassio against Othello by making up an affair
- I uses soliloquy to declare his plan into action
5
Q
Act 2 Scene 2
A
Speech by Othello’s Herald
6
Q
Act 2 Scene 3
A
- O leaves Cassio in control of party + leaves with D
- Iago speaks rudely fo D to C and coaxes him to come for a drink
- Cassio gets drunk and fights with R and M, and wounds M
- O enters and demands explanation, Iago pretends to reluctantly reveal C started fight, O fires Cassio as second officer
- I pretends to comfort Cassio now he has lost his reputation + says he should get it back through befriending D more to help win O over
7
Q
Act 3 Scene 1
A
- C sends clowns and musicians to apologise to O
- C follows Iago’s advice and asks to see D
- Iago’s plan is beginning
8
Q
Act 3 Scene 2
A
- O asks Iago to deliver a letter for him
9
Q
Act 3 Scene 3 (part 1)
A
- C asks D to help him get job back, D agrees
- O and Iago arrive, C leaves from embarrassment of Othello
- Iago starts to put doubt in O’s mind about how C quickly left D when they arrived, + manipulate him slowly
- D persists in O reinstating C + so gives wrong impression to O, she leaves
- I questions C’s motives w/ D suspiciously to O
- O gets frustrated + angry to know what Iago thinks, wants proof, won’t believe she’s dishonest w/out evidence
10
Q
Act 3 Scene 3 (part 2)
A
- D drops handkerchief, E picks up as knows I wants it, gives to him
- I puts handkerchief in C’s room to fake an affair
- O is still haunted by thoughts of D being unfaithful + demands proof from Iago or says he is dead to him
- I makes up story of C dreaming of D and hiding their love
- O starts to believe it + his thoughts turn murderous
11
Q
Act 3 Scene 4
A
- D goes to find C to reassure him
- D asks E if she has seen handkerchief, E lies
- O fakes ill when sees D, asks her for handkerchief, says she doesn’t have it
- Othello talks of importance of handkerchief due to its history, + persists to ask her for it, yet she only speaks of Cassio, + so this makes O more suspicious of her as seems she likes him
- Emilia talks of way men treat their wives
- C + Iago enter + Cassio persists to D for her help w/ O
- Iago goes to O after hearing he left D angry
- C meets prostitute Bianca + gives her D’s handkerchief to copy, says he found it in his room (actually planted by Iago)
12
Q
Act 4 Scene 1
A
- O sees C with handkerchief, so believes D has betrayed him, gets so angry and confused that he falls into a trance
- Iago says he will get C to admit he slept w D, but will actually be asking him about Bianca, but O will think he talks of D
- C uses vulgar language about Bianca, angering O more (believing its about D)
- Bianca enters after overhearing C talk of her + throws handkerchief back at him, Othello sees its same handkerchief of D’s
- Iago tells C to go after Bianca
- O plots to kill D after already saying he’ll murder C, + Iago says strangle her in bed, O agrees
- Lodovico + D enter, D says how much she cares for Cassio + wants him + O to make amends, yet contributes to her downfall even more
- O hits D, audience sees contrast in his attitude towards her from start of play
13
Q
Act 4 Scene 2
A
- O questions E on D’s actions with C + asks he and D be left alone
- O makes accusations against D, she denies all + says she’s not false + loves him
- O exits + D is left shocked + confused by his behaviour, only moment she is alone in whole play
- E arrives, then Iago, who pretends to comfort her
- R realises Iago cheats him for money + threatens to tell D his feelings + challenge Iago to a duel
14
Q
Act 4 Scene 3
A
- O, w/ L and D, demands D go to bed immediately + to send E away
- She agrees as believes it is respectful to O so complies
- D sings song of weeping willow, her + Emilia bond
- Emilia preaches about way men treat women, which is rare considering it is the 17th century (she’s ahead of her time)
- they discuss women who would cuckold their husbands and why
15
Q
Act 5 Scene 1
A
- Iago convinces R to kill C as another suitor for D
- Plan fails, as C wounds R out of defence + so Iago quickly stabs C in leg w/out being seen to try + kill him, yet fails
- O believes this means Iago has kept his promise + has successfully killed C
- Iago pretends not to know why R has attacked C, + leaves him w/ G + L - I pretends to search for killers, but goes to stab R to get rid of him so he won’t reveal Iago’s intentions, R recognises him but dies
- Bianca comes + is worried for Cassio’s life
- Cassio is put in chair + taken away, Roderigo’s body is removed
