Scene Summaries Flashcards
1
Q
A1S1 summary
A
Iago and Roderigo rouse Brabantio that Othello has stolen Desdemona from him, attempting to set up a conflict.
1
Q
A1S1 significance
A
First insight into Iago’s manipulations as his first attack on Othello fails
2
Q
A1S2 summary
A
Brabantio brings violence to Othello who quiets the confrontation calmly.
3
Q
A1S2 significance
A
Othello contrasts the savage beast implied by Iago which sets him up to be Aristotle’s tragic hero.
4
Q
A1S3 summary
A
- Brabantio interrupts a state meeting to address his grievances - the Duke sides with Othello and sends him to Cyprus.
- Desdemona begs to go with him
- Put money in thy purse
- Iago’s plan soliloquiy
5
Q
A1S3 significance
A
- Othello and Desdemona are set up to be strong
- Iago presented comedically to the audience (complicit)
6
Q
A2S1 summary
A
- Everyone anticipating Othello’s return from battle
- Cassio is polite to Desdemona which gets used as cannon fodder for Iago
- Iago then convinces Roderigo of Cassio’s love to rile him up
7
Q
A2S1 significance
A
- Cyprus as a setting allows for Iago to thrive
- Iago begins to plant the seeds for Othello’s downfall despite the rejoice
8
Q
A2S3 summary
A
- Iago convinces Cassio to drink and tells the audience his plan.
- A drunk Cassio leaves, only to return in a fight with Roderigo
- This wakes Othello who asks Iago what happened.
- Iago feigns innocence then tells the truth, he then consoles Cassio who laments the loss of his relationship
9
Q
A2S3 significance
A
- Iago makes the audience complicit in a scene which is set up as if it’s from a comedy
- Introduces the idea of Iago’s full plan
10
Q
A3S3 summary
A
- Othello and Iago catch Cassio leaving Desdemona
- Desdemona begins to nag Othello to set things right with Cassio
- Iago begins to question Desdemona’s loyalty and then leaves
- Othello damns his marriage
- Emilia finds the handkerchief and gives it to Iago
- Othello demands proof and commits himself to Iago
11
Q
A3S3 significance
A
- the true beginning of Othello’s downfall
- the true malignity of Iago
- Emilia remains aligned to Iago
12
Q
A3S4 summary
A
- Desdemona laments the loss of the handkerchief and Emilia denies
- Othello demands the handkerchief with increasing anger and explains its ‘history’
- Bianca and Cassio interact for the first time
13
Q
A3S4 significance
A
- high dramatic irony as the audience sees the impacts of Iago’s plan
14
Q
A4S1 summary
A
- Iago tells Othello that Cassio has slept with Desdemona and Othello falls into a trance
- Iago sets up Othello to ‘overhear’ a conversation with Cassio where he admits
- Desdemona returns with Lodovico and Othello strikes Desdemona out of anger
15
Q
A4S1 significance
A
- Overhearing scenes takes from tropes of comedy such as in Much Ado About Nothing which mocks Othello
- First act of Othello which could vilify him
16
Q
A4S2 summary
A
- begins with Emilia defending Desdemona’s honour to Othello
- follows with Desdemona invoking pity as she desperately defends herself to Othello
- Othello exits and Iago enters with Emilia where Emilia begins to question what has caused Othello to act as such
- ends with Iago convincing a disgruntled Roderigo that he must kill Cassio
17
Q
A4S2 significance
A
- invokes sympathy for Desdemona
- Emilia begins to question the cause of Othello’s actions
- sets the audience up for A5S1 where Roderigo attempts to kill Cassio
18
Q
A4S3 summary
A
- Desdemona requires that if she were to die before Emilia then to shroud her in wedding sheets
- Emilia and Desdemona have a conversation about women who commit adultery
- This shows the true purity of Desdemona
19
Q
A4S3 significance
A
- Women interact in a situation away from men
- Builds the tension surrounding the death of Desdemona
20
Q
A5S1 summary
A
- Roderigo attempts to ambush Cassio in the dark
- Iago stabs Cassio in the leg and leaves
- Gratiano and Lodovico enter to see Cassio
- Iago reenters with a light and kills Roderigo
- Bianca enters to accusations from both Emilia and Iago
21
Q
A5S1 significance
A
- Emilia is quick to accuse Bianca
- Iago harms both Roderigo and Cassio and admits to not caring who dies
- Othello is spurred on by Cassio’s shouts
22
Q
A5S2 summary
A
- Culmination of the plot
- Othello smothers Desdemona
- Emilia questions Iago and realises that he is the villain
- Othello attacks Iago who escapes and kills Emilia
- Others catch Iago who holds his tongue
- Othello attempts to salvage his reputation before killing himself.
