Summaries Flashcards
What happens in Act 1 scene 1
- the play opens with conflict between Rodrigo and Iago
- Roderigo is angry at Iago for not helping him marry Desdemona
- Iago tells Roderigo to go and wake Brabantio and tell him of his daughters disappearance
- they wake Brabantio and he doesn’t believe them, when he checks he sees that she really is gone, and wakes his guards to go and find her
What happens in Act 1 scene 2
- we are introduced to Othello
- Iago tells him he can be arrested for marrying Desdemona
- Othello is sure that his reputation can overcome accusations
- We meet Cassio when he tells Othello the Duke needs him
- Brabantio goes with Othello to the Duke
what happens in Act 1 scene 3
- Othello is told to prepare for war against the Turks
- Brabantio keeps talking about magic Othello used to get his daughter
- Othello repeats Desdemona and his relationship
- we know that once Brabantio and Othello were good friends
- we are introduced to Desdemona and she agrees that she does love Othello
- Desdemona asks to go to Cyprus with her husband
- the Duke agrees for her to go, and Brabantio warns Othello that she may deceive him like she deceived her father
- Iago says that he will help Roderigo seduce Desdemona and he will help Othello to be cuckolded.
What happens in Act 2 scene 1
- Turkish fleet is destroyed by the storm
- introduced to Emilia, Iago’s wife, as she went to Cyprus with him.
- Cassio greets Emilia and Desdemona with courtesy and Iago doesn’t like this
- Othello and Desdemona reunite with great joy
- iago persuades Roderigo to attempt to get Cassio to fight to ruin his reputation
- Iago is shown as being insecure as he thinks Othello has slept with Emilia and so has Cassio. His soliloquy shows the extent of his jealousy
What happens in Act 2 scene 3
- there is a celebration of the turks being destroyed and Othello and Desdemona’s marriage
- Othello and Desdemona leave to consummate their marriage
- Iago convinces Cassio to drink when he tells him he is a lightweight
- Roderigo fights Cassio, just like Iago wanted
- Othello comes out and dismisses Cassio from his position as lieutenant
- Iago advises Cassio to seek Desdemona’s help to get his job back
- Iago convinces Emilia to talk to Desdemona about helping Cassio get his job back
What happens in Act 3 scene 1 and 2
Cassio- sends musicians to Othello- sends them away
Cassio- asks Emilia for meeting with Desy- talk about job
What happens in Act 3 scene 3
Desy- pleads for Cassio
Iago- poisons Othello- Desy not faithful
Desy- drops handkerchief- Emilia gives to Iago
Othello- wants proof- Iago gives handkerchief
Othello- promotes Iago
Othello- plans to kill Desy
What happens in Act 3 scene 4
Desy- worried where handkerchief is- pleads for Cassio again
Othello- pissed off that Desy doesn’t have handkerchief
Emilia and Desy- talk about Othello’s jealousy
Bianca- pissed Cassio hasn’t seen her in a week- he gives her the handkerchief he found in chamber
What happens in Act 4 scene 1
Iago- torments Othello w/ sexy images of Desy and Cassio- puts him in trance
Othello- hears Iago + Cassio talking bout Bianca- idiot thinks its about Desy
Othello- sees Desy’s handkerchief in Bianca’s hand- vows to kill her- hits Desy in front of Venetian visitors
What happens in Act 4 scene 2
Othello- asks Emilia if Desy is faithful- she swears she is- calls Desy a whore when confronting her
Rody- confronts Iago- says he wants jewels back- says he’ll expose him to Desy
Iago- turns Rody’s anger at him to anger to kill Cassio
Desy- asks why she’s lost Othello’s love
What happens in Act 4 scene 3
- Othello sends Desdemona to bed
- Emilia and Desdemona have a conversation about fidelity and we find out Emilia is a strong willed character
- Desdemona sings the willow song
What happens in Act 5 scene 1
- Roderigo tries to wound Cassio, but it ends up Roderigo being hurt
- Iago is waiting behind the bushes and comes out and stabs Cassio in the leg
- Othello hears cries, and assumes that Cassio is dead. this spurs him on to get his own revenge
- Iago kills Roderigo
- Bianca appears and Iago blames her for injuring Cassio
- Roderigo’s body is discovered and Emilia is sent by Iago to go and get Othello
What happens in Act 5 scene 2
- While Desdemona sleeps, Othello describes how he will kill her
- He kisses her which wakes her up
- Desdemona weeps when Othello tells her that Cassio is ‘dead’
- Othello smothers her as he sees this as an insult to him
- Emilia walks in as Desdemona dies and defends her husband
- Emilia responds in insults and wants to be heard
- Iago defends his villainy and repeatedly tells Emilia to be quiet but she refuses
- Iago kills his wife
- Othello realises what he has done, and kills himself
