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thello Reading Guide Act 1, scene 1: Roderigo and Iago discuss Iago’s hatred of Othello and why Iago still works for him. They wake up Brabantio with the unwelcome news that his daughter Desdemona has eloped with Othello. • Why does Iago say he hates Othello? Who else does he hate? • How does Iago explain his continued service to Othello? What does he reveal about his personality? • Why does Iago present Desdemona’s elopement in the way he does? What imagery does he call on, and why? • Why does Roderigo care about any of this? Act 1, scene 2: Iago warns Othello that Brabantio is coming after him, but Othello is confident that he has done nothing wrong and secure in his self-worth. Cassio arrives with a summons to the duke of Venice, followed quickly by Brabantio, who accuses Othello of using sorcery to steal his daughter.

They all head to the duke. • Why is Othello so confident that he is worthy of Desdemona? • Why does Brabantio accuse Othello of using magic or drugs to get Desdemona? What observations and assumptions does he rely on? How accurate are these? Act 1, scene 3: The duke and some senators discuss conflicting reports of a Turkish fleet heading for Cyprus or Rhodes; ultimately they determine that the enemy is targeting Cyprus. Brabantio enters complaining that his daughter has been stolen, accusing Othello again of using magic or drugs. Othello defends himself by explaining that Desdemona fell in love with the story of his life and adventures and told him he should propose to her.

Desdemona enters and corroborates the story, so her father disowns her. The duke commands Othello to take charge of the defenses on Cyprus, and Desdemona asks to go as well. After everyone else departs, Roderigo bemoans his loss of Desdemona, but Iago convinces him that Desdemona will tire of Othello soon, so Roderigo should disguise himself and go to Cyrpus with lots of money. In a soliloquy (“Thus do I ever make my fool my purse,” 1.3.375-96), Iago then mocks Roderigo and muses over a plan to discredit Cassio and ruin Othello’s life by planting suspicions against Desdemona. • What assumptions does Brabantio make about Desdemona and about Othello in his accusations? • How does Othello’s story describe his relationship with Desdemona? What’s noteworthy about his defense? • How does Desdemona deal with her father’s questioning? What about her request to accompany Othello to Cyprus? What do these speech suggest about her personality? • What images and assumptions does Iago draw on when advising Roderigo about Desdemona? What is significant about these? • How does Iago’s soliloquy reveal his opinions of Othello? What about his opinions of himself?

Act 2, scene 1: Montano and others reveal that the Turkish fleet has been sunk in a storm. The ships from Venice, having been separated in the storm, arrive separately at Cyprus. Cassio is full of praise for both Desdemona and Othello, and he offers courtly flattery to the ladies while they await Othello’s ship. Meanwhile, Iago banters with the women via misogynist comments. Othello finally arrives and greets his wife romantically. Again, Roderigo and Iago are left alone, and Iago again assures Roderigo that Desdemona’s passion for Othello will burn out and she’ll turn to someone else – probably Cassio. Iago arranges for Roderigo to pick a fight with Cassio later, and then delivers another soliloquy (2.1.283-309) in which he plots more specifically against Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio. • How does Cassio’s interaction with the women compare to Iago’s? Why does Shakespeare present Iago’s sexist comments here? Are they relevant to his plots in any way? • How does the reunion between Othello and Desdemona represent their love? • How does Iago’s advice to Roderigo represent Othello and Desdemona’s love? What does this episode suggest about his view of love in general?

Act 2, scene 2: A herald announces a feast. Act 2, scene 3: Othello puts Cassio in charge of the guard while takes Desdemona to bed. Iago gets Cassio drunk, and then Roderigo picks a fight that escalates when Montano tries to restrain Cassio. Othello is drawn by the commotion and angrily scolds everyone, ultimately dismissing Cassio from his position. Iago comforts Cassio and advises him to ask Desdemona to appeal to Othello on his behalf. In a soliloquy (“And what’s he then that says I play the villain,” 2.3.324-50), Iago asks why he should be considered a villain for giving this advice. • What does Othello reveal about the state of his marriage at the beginning of the scene? • How does Othello describe himself when enraged? What is significant about this self-characterization? • How does Iago manage to play multiple sides in this scene? • What is and is not villainous about Iago’s plots? How does his soliloquy release him from blame? What is particularly evil about his plans? • How does Iago’s soliloquy characterize the relationship between Desdemona and Othello? Act 3, scene 1: Cassio talks with a clown and musician, then Emilia assures him that Desdemona is already making his case to Othello. Cassio asks for a chance to speak with Desdemona alone. Act 3, scene 2: Othello gives Iago an errand and prepares to examine the fortifications.

Act 3, scene 3: Desdemona promises Cassio that she will undertake his suit and pester Othello about reinstating him, and Cassio. Desdemona tells Othello it’s in his best interest to forgive Cassio, then departs on Othello’s request. Then begins what is generally referred to as the Temptation Scene (3.3.93 ff): Iago subtly insinuates that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, but in such a way that he does not directly accuse either. Othello initially seems confident that Desdemona loves and is faithful to him but eventually submits to his trust in Iago’s honesty and observant understanding of people. Desdemona and Emilia return, and Desdemona tries to cure Othello’s headache by wrapping his head with her handkerchief. They leave the scene, dropping the handkerchief accidentally. Emilia picks it up and gives it to Iago. Othello returns, now very suspicious of his wife, and insists on “ocular proof” before he will take any action (360). Iago stokes Othello’s suspicions for a bit, then says that he overheard Cassio having an erotic dream about Desdemona and saw him with a particular handkerchief. Othello becomes enraged and vows to kill Cassio; Iago promises to help, as long as Desdemona isn’t harmed. • What is noteworthy about Desdemona’s vows of friendship to Cassio? • How does Iago imply, without explicitly stating it, that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair? How does he employ rhetoric and content to plant suspicions? How do his tactics here compare to his tactics with Roderigo and Cassio earlier? • What advice does Iago offer about reputations and jealousy? How do these speeches compare to his other comments on these topics in the play?

• How does Othello first respond to Iago’s roundabout suggestions? How does he express his faith in Desdemona’s love? How does he respond to Iago’s advice against jealousy? • What doubts does Othello express when he begins to believe Iago’s insinuations? How does he describe his own happiness with Desdemona before now? • Why does Othello insist on “ocular proof”? (3.3.360)? What is significant about this kind of proof? What evidence does he get to spark his anger? • Why does Emilia give the handkerchief to Iago? What is their relationship like? Act 3, scene 4: Desdemona can’t find her handkerchief, and Emilia says she hasn’t seen it. Othello enters and tells her about the magical origins of the handkerchief, and Desdemona denies that it is lost. Othello demands it, and Desdemona attempts to evade. Cassio and Iago arrive to check on the progress of Desdemona’s work on Cassio’s behalf; she says Othello is acting strangely and must have gotten bad news from Venice. Cassio is left alone to greet his lover, Bianca, and asks her to copy the embroidery on a handkerchief he found in his room. • What do Desdemona and Emilia, respectively, think about Othello’s capacity for jealousy?

What does Othello explain about the handkerchief’s magical properties? Does there seem to be any truth in this story? What do Othello and Desdemona seem to think about the truth of the story? How does this story of magic and characters’ responses to it compare to Brabantio’s accusations of magic and character responses to them? • How does Desdemona explain Othello’s unusual behavior? What is significant about her excuses?

Act 4, scene 1: Iago torments Othello with more hints about Desdemona’s sexual treachery, until Othello can no longer complete sentences and “falls into a trance” (sd 4.1.43). Iago makes Othello hide and eavesdrop while he talks to Cassio; he gets Cassio to talk about Bianca while Othello fumes, thinking the woman Cassio is mocking as a prostitute is Desdemona. Bianca enters, waving the handkerchief and accusing Cassio of having another lover. They leave, and Iago and Othello plot that Iago will kill Cassio and Othello will kill Desdemona. Lodovico brings news from Venice and is shocked to hear Othello speak angrily to Desdemona and strike her. • What does the conversation between Iago and Cassio reveal about his attitude toward his lover? How do his comments compare to his courtly remarks to Desdemona in 2.1? • What does Othello’s reaction to this conversation (both during and after) suggest about his feelings toward her? • What is significant about the way Othello proposes to murder Desdemona and Iago’s revision of the plan? • How does Lodovico react to Othello’s behavior toward Desdemona?

Act 4, scene 2: Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona but refuses to believe her assertions of Desdemona’s propriety. He then turns on Desdemona with confusing accusations that she cannot understand or answer satisfactorily; again, he refuses to believe her claims of innocence. When he storms out, Desdemona asks Emilia to lay the wedding sheets on the bed and wonders how she can win back his love. The ladies leave, and Roderigo confronts Iago about the many expensive gifts he’s given to Iago for Desdemona and which have yielded no results. Iago convinces Roderigo that Othello will take Desdemona to Africa unless Cassio gets killed and Othello has to stick around Cyprus to maintain the law.

• What is significant about the language and imagery Othello uses when interrogating Emilia and Desdemona? • How does Desdemona understand Othello’s accusations? How does she think she can regain his love? • Why has Roderigo been sending all these gifts to Desdemona? What has happened to them? What are the implications of this gift-giving? Act 4, scene 3: Desdemona talks with Emilia while getting ready for bed, asking about the sheets and singing the “Willow” song of a woman who died after being forsaken by her lover. Desdemona asks if women really do commit adultery, and Emilia offers some cynical comments about women, men, and marital fidelity. • What’s so important about the wedding sheets? • What does Emilia say about women’s motives for adultery? What responsibilities do husbands and wives have toward each other, according to her? Act 5, scene 1: Iago sets Roderigo up to ambush Cassio and then gives a brief soliloquy (“I have rubbed this young quat,” 11-22) explaining why he needs one of them – preferably both – to die tonight. Cassio and Roderigo fight, Iago stabs Cassio in the leg from behind, and Othello hears the noise from a distance before heading off to kill Desdemona. Various people come to the noise of the fight; Iago stabs Roderigo as if protecting Cassio, then belatedly “recognizes” him. Everyone goes off with Bianca to bandage Cassio, except for Emilia, who goes to tell Othello and Desdemona about the attack and Roderigo’s death. • Why does Iago need Roderigo and Cassio to die? • What is significant about Othello’s reaction to overhearing the attack?

Act 5, scene 2: Othello enters Desdemona’s room and finds her asleep. His opening soliloquy (“It is the cause,” 1-22) expresses his conflicted feelings about killing her and his conviction that justice requires it. Desdemona awakes, and Othello offers her a chance to pray for her sins so she won’t go to hell. He accuses her in definite terms this time, and she denies the accusations; he tells her Cassio is dead and interprets her shock and sorrow as proof of her infidelity. Othello smothers her and then opens the door to Emilia’s knocking. Desdemona revives briefly before dying for good, and Emilia accuses Othello of murder; Othello claims that the murder was just and reveals that Iago was aware of it all. Emilia then curses her husband and shouts for help, drawing a crowd that includes Iago. She accuses Iago of slandering Desdemona, and he can’t get her to be quiet, so he stabs her and flees. Othello now understands Iago’s perfidy and Desdemona’s fidelity, and sinks into despair. Iago is brought in under guard but refuses to explain his motives, and Lodovico promises tortures for him back in Venice.

Othello gives a speech summing up his tragic love story and stabs himself. • What is the “cause” Othello repeatedly refers to in his soliloquy? How do the multivalent meanings of this word function in the speech? Similarly, how does “light” function in the soliloquy? • How does the soliloquy contrast Desdemona’s appearance and (alleged) behavior? How does it contrast her life and death? • How does the soliloquy reveal Othello’s concept of justice? Where else has this appeared in the play? • What is significant about Desdemona’s brief resurrection? Why does she say the things she does? • How does Emilia react to the realization that Othello has killed his wife? To the information that her husband was involved? What do her responses suggest about her loyalties? Why is this significant? • How does Othello respond to the realization that Iago has manipulated him into killing his wife? How does he reflect on his own behavior? How does he ask to be remembered? • Why does Iago refuse to explain his motives? Why does the villain survive the play?