Summary Flashcards
1
Q
Act 1 scene 1
A
- Venice: a street at night
- Iago and Cassio converse about Othello. Iago keeps taking Roderigo’s money. Iago expresses his contempt for Othello as he promoted Cassio.
- Shout at Brabantio’s window using sexually suggestive language to warn him his daughters ran away.
- Iago leaves before his identity is revealed.
- Brabantio gathers a search party
2
Q
Act 1 scene 2
A
- Iago warns Othello that Brabantio is looking for him.
- Cassio arrives with a message from the Duke. Othello is needed urgently due to Turkish aggression.
- Brabantio arrives to accuse Othello of bewitching his daughter and stealing her away, Othello stands up to him saying he will go on trial.
- Brabantio follows Othello to the Duke’s court, certain his status as a prominent Venetian citizen will uphold his authority.
3
Q
Act 1 Scene 3
A
- Duke and his senators meet to determine where the Turkish navy is most likely to attack.
- When Othello and Brabantio arrive, Brabantio accuses Othello of charming or drugging his daughter into marrying him.
- Othello’s eloquent speech
- he suggests they summon Desdemona for her side of the story
- when she arrives she supports Othello’s version of events
- Brabantio warns Othello that she has deceived her father and may thee.
- Othello is ordered to Cyprus
- Iago reassures Roderigo and urges him to go to Cyprus too
4
Q
Act 2 scene 1
A
- Turkish fleet is disrupted by the storm
- Iago, Desdemona and Emilia arrive and their ship comes in and they have witty banter as they wait for Othello. Desdemona joins in with the making fun of Emilia.
- Cassio talks to Desdemona.
- Iago’s aside - talks about being a spider
- Othello arrives and wishes for another storm
- another iago aside - he’s planning to get rid of harmony
- Iago manipulates Roderigo. Saying Desdemona can’t love Othello because he is black and she’ll move on soon. Convinces him she is in love with Cassio.
- gets Roderigo on board with his plan, telling him to start a fight with him.
5
Q
Act 2 scene 2
A
Herald announces celebration of Othello’s marriage with Desdemona
6
Q
Act 2 scene 3
A
- othello and Desdemona have gone off to their wedding chamber. Leaving Cassio in charge. Iago starts getting Cassio drunk.
- the fight broke out and Othello is the voice of order.
- Othello dismisses Cassio as his officer.
- Iago’s soliloquy reflecting on the brawl
7
Q
Act 3 scene 1
A
Cassio goes to see Desdemona but he finds iago instead and iago gets Emilia to talk to Cassio and she will arrange for him to talk to Desdemona in private
8
Q
Act 3 scene 2
A
-Othello sends some letters back to Venice and starts to inspect fortifications/defence they have in cyprus
9
Q
Act 3 scene 3
A
Cassio has a private conversation with Desdemona about getting his job back
- Iago’s comments on the interaction, manipulating Othello
- Desdemona talks Othello about reinstating Cassio.
- Othello tells Desdemona to leave
- Iago again says that his suspicions are likely false. He warns Othello against the dangers of the “green-eyed monster”
- Iago’s exists. Othello voices his worries
- Desdemona and Emilia enter, D tries to soothe O with her handkerchief. He says it’s too small and drops it. Emilia picks it up.
- Emilia shows Iago the handkerchief. Iago plots to put it in Cassio’s room.
- Othello enters. Commands Iago to come up with the “ocular proof” or else be punished.
- iago talks about the ‘dream’ Cassio had. Othello is enraged saying he will “tear her all to pieces”
- Iago cautions Othello it was just a dream and tells him Cassio has the handkerchief.
- Othello cries out in anguish and vows to take revenge
- he makes Iago his new lieutenant
10
Q
Act 3 scene 4
A
- Desdemona sends the clown to tell Cassio she has made entreaties in his behalf to othello
- Desdemona wonders what happened to the handkerchief. Emilia says she doesn’t know
- Othello enters. When she talks about Cassio’s suit, Othello claims to have a headache and asks for the handkerchief
- Desdemona says she doesn’t have it. Othello demands she goes and gets it but she talks about Cassio again and this enrages him.
- Iago and Cassio enter. Desdemona tells Cassio he will have to be patient.
- Desdemona surmises that Othello’s bas temper must arise from some affair of state. Emilia wonders if it could be jealousy.
- Cassio and Bianca talk. He asks her to make a copy of the handkerchief. Bianca thinks it must be a gift from a mistress. Bianca wants to see Cassio but he says he must see Othello.
11
Q
Act 4 scene 1
A
- othello and Iago discuss infidelity. Iago further enrages Othello telling him Cassio told him he slept with Desdemona.
- Othello grows frantic and falls into an epileptic fit.
- Cassio enters in this moment and Iago tells him to stay away and says he wants to speak with him when othello is better.
- Iago tells Othello Cassio passed. He says he will get Cassio to talk about the details of his affair with Desdemona and tells him to hide.
- Alone, Iago explains to the audience that he will actually speak with Cassio about Bianca.
- The plan works and Othello grows angrier. Bianca enters and throws the handkerchief at him.
- Othello comes out of hiding and promises to kill Cassio. Iago prompts Othello to strangle Desdemona and tells him that he will kill Cassio.
- Desdemona entered with Lodovico who says Othello is to return to venice
- othello strikes Desdemona and commands her to leave
- Lodovico asks if othello has gone mad. Iago refuses to answers but implies something seems wrong with him.
12
Q
Act 4 scene 2
A
- othello questions Emilia, who insists that nothing has happened between Desdemona and Cassio. He orders her to get Desdemona.
- Emilia returns with Desdemona. Othello sends Emilia outside to guard the door. Desdemona denies being unfaithful and asserts both her love and locality to othello. Her denial makes othello more angry.
- Desdemona asks Emilia to fetch Iago’s, who Desdemona then questions about Othello’s behaviour
- Roderigo enters, angry that he still doesn’t have Desdemona despite all the jewels he’s given iago to pass up in her
- iago responds that he’s been working diligently on Roderigo’s behalf and can promise he will have Desdemona by the following night
- he tells roderigo the only way is to kill cassio
13
Q
Act 4 scene 3
A
- after supper, othello invites Lodovico on a walk. Before leaving, he orders Desdemona to go directly to bed and to dismiss Emilia. Desdemona’s next words is to instruct Emilia to use the wedding bedsheets as a shroud for her should she die,
- Desdemona sings willow
- Desdemona asks Emilia whether she could commit adultery.
14
Q
Act 5 scene 1
A
- Iago and Roderigo wait to ambush Cassio as he emerges from his visit to Bianca. Iago convinces Roderigo to make the first attack.
- Cassio enters and roderigo attacks. Cassio counter attacks wounding roderigo
- from behind Iago’s stabs Cassio in the leg and then runs away.
- moved by Iago’s loyalty Othello goes to kill Desdemona
- Lodovico enters and hears cries of pain from Cassio and Roderigo
- Iago identifies roderigo as one of the “villains” that stabbed Cassio and then stabs and kills roderigo
- Bianca enters and cries out at Cassio’s injuries
- Cassio is carried offstage and Emilia enters. Emilia curses Bianca.
- iago has Bianca arrested
15
Q
Act 5 scene 2
A
- Othello enters Desdemona’s quarters, holding a candle. He stands over her, admiring her beauty, kisses her and is almost moved to let her live.
- Desdemona wakes. Othello tells her to pray in preparation for her death
- Desdemona begs to know why Othello is going to kill her. He tells her he has seen Cassio with her handkerchief. When Desdemona denies giving Cassio the handkerchief, Othello tells her that Cassio has confessed to sleeping with her and in punishment has been killed by Iago.
- Desdemona begins to weep which infuriates him further
- he smothers Desdemona with a pillow
- Emilia calls from the doorway
- othello draws the curtains to hide Desdemona’s body and goes to talk to Emilia. She tells him Roderigo was killed but Cassio is alive
- Desdemona calls out that she has been murdered
- Emilia opens the curtains and sees Desdemona, she claims to be innocent but then denies she was murdered and said she committed suicide. Desdemona dies
- Othello admits he killed her
- Emilia denies Desdemona was ever false to him but Othello claimed “honest, honest Iago” showed him the truth.
- Emilia is dumbfounded as she digests this information but says Iago was lying
- Montana, Gratiano, and Iago enter. Othello again admits to smothering Desdemona.
- Emilia begins to piece together what happened. Othello insists again that Desdemona was unfaithful and brings up the handkerchief. Emilia explodes saying she gave Iago the handkerchief,
- Othello attacks Iago but is disarmed by Montano
- Iago stabs Emilia and flees
- Othello gives a speech before stabbing himself, falling onto the bed next to Desdemona and dies while giving her a final kiss.
- Lodovico demands that Iago look upon the destruction he has caused
