Scene by Scene Summary

Question 1

what is a summary of act 1, scene 1?

Answer 1

• roderigo, who has been courting desdemona, is distressed at iago’s news that she has eloped with othello; a ‘moorish’ general in the service of venice.
• iago, who is othello’s aide, assures roderigo that he also hates the ‘moor’ because othello has denied him a promotion that went instead to cassio, he says that he only continues to serve othello in the hope of revenge.
• iago and roderigo awaken desdemona’s father, brabantio, to inform him of the elopement.

Question 2

what is a summary of act 1, scene 2?

Answer 2

• iago tells othello of brabantio’s anger, as cassio arrives with word that the general has been summoned by the duke to a council of war.
• brabantio and roderigo arrive and the angry father, informed of the duke’s council, plans to accuse othello there.

Question 3

what is a summary of act 1, scene 3?

Answer 3

• the duke and several senators receive news of an immanent turkish attack on the venetian island of cyprus, othello and brabantio arrive and brabantio makes his accusation.
• othello replies that desdemona loves him and has married him of her own free will and when she is summoned she supports his account.
• brabantio concedes and the meeting turns to business: othello is ordered to leave for cyprus to attend to the urgent matter, desdemona wishes to leave with him but ends up staying with iago and emilia, iago’s wife.
• everyone exits and only roderigo and iago remain where iago assures roderigo that desdemona will soon repent marriage to a ‘moor’, and that while othello is gone, roderigo should continue his courting by delivering presents to desdemona, roderigo agrees and leaves.
• iago reflects on how easy it is to get money from this fool (roderigo) and he goes on to plot revenge upon both othello and cassio; he will make the general believe that cassio is the lover of his new wife.

Question 4

what is a summary of act 2, scene 1?

Answer 4

• setting begins in cyprus.
• montano receives news that the turkish fleet has been destroyed in the storm.
• othello and the others arrive in cyprus and othello and desdemona are delighted to see each other again.
• everyone exits and iago and roderigo are left alone, iago tricks roderigo into thinking that cassio and desdemona are having an affair and when roderigo leaves iago reflects on more reasons as to why he hates othello.

Question 5

what is a summary of act 2, scene 2?

Answer 5

othello’s herald announces a party to celebrate the triumph over the turks and othello’s marriage to desdemona.

Question 6

what is a summary of act 2, scene 3?

Answer 6

• othello leaves cassio and iago in charge of the party and goes to spend time alone with desdemona
• iago convinces cassio to drink even though he protests that he is a ‘bad drunk’.
• with cassio clearly drunk, iago informs montano and secretly sends roderigo to provoke cassio to fight.
• montano tries to stop the fight but cassio fights him instead and injures him, where othello arrives demands to know what is going on.
• iago protests that he does not want to speak badly of cassio, and after hearing of cassio’s drunkenness and fighting, othello fires cassio.
• believing Iago is his friend, cassio tells him how upset he is and iago tells him to ask desdemona for help and he agrees.
• after cassio exits, iago offers a soliloquy in which he suggests that he’s only giving advice and that it’s cassio’s responsibility to see what kind of trouble it might bring him and the scene ends with roderigo, disappointed again, beaten, almost out of money, and determined to return to venice, iago reassures him his plan has just begun and that he should stay.