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** Chronological Summary of Othello ** ** ACT 1 ** - // Setting: // street - Roderigo is in love with Desdemona…. Iago uses this to get him to help arouse Brabintio - Wake up Brabintio (Desdemona’s father) to tell him about her secret marriage to Othello - Brabintio goes out looking for Desdemona, thinks Othello has kidnapped her - // Setting: // Othello’s lodgings at the Sagittary - Iago warns Othello about Brabintio coming to look for him (first act of two faced-ness) - Cassio brings a “summons” from the duke saying that Othello has to come to court instantly - Desdemona’s father accuses Othello of kidnapping his daughter - // Setting: // Duke’s council chamber - Duke told about potential Turkish invasion of Cyprus - Othello is a soldier/leader of men - Welcomes Othello + Brabintio - Brabintio accuses Othello - Othello pleads innocent and calls upon Desdemona to prove it - Duke attempts to calm Brabintio down - The Duke orders Othello to go to Cyprus and Othello is glad - Desdemona pleads to go with him and permission is granted - Roderigo worries he will never get Desdemona - Iago tells Roderigo of his plan to separate the two and Roderigo gets ready to set sail - Iago does his monologue revealing his intentions
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** ACT 2 ** - // Setting: // Cyprus - Everyone is awaiting Othello - Turkish fleet has already backed away - Cassio arrives, and then Desdemona with Iago - Othello + Desdemona are reunited publicly - Iago suggests to Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio - Iago does his second monologue - // Setting: // Public place in town
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- The ‘Herald’ announces that they will celebrate the marriage of Othello and Desdemona that night - // Setting: // Outside the guard room - Iago gets Cassio drunk - Cassio drinks too much - Iago tells Roderigo to get in his way, and Cassio hits him - Iago sounds alarm - Othello enters scene - Iago gives account of fighting, showing Cassio’s fault - Cassio immediately dismissed from office - Iago promoted to lieutenant - Othello goes to bed with Desdemona - Cassio grieves to Iago about his loss of position + reputation - Iago suggests he appeal to Desdemona as she is kind and will persuade Othello - Iago then outlines his plan alone - Assures Roderigo that all is well
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** ACT 3 ** - // Setting: // outside Desdemona’s bedchamber - Cassio brings musicians to serenade Desdemona - Asks Emilia to see Desdemona - // Setting: // Othello’s headquarters - Othello leaves his quarters to look around the island - // Setting: // Othello’s lodgings - Desdemona promises Cassio to talk to Othello - Othello returns from rounds with Iago - Desdemona pleads for Cassio + Othello understands - Desdemona leaves and Iago begins his meddlings - Plants seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind about the ‘friendship’ between Desdemona and Cassio - Desdemona calls Othello to eat and accidentally drops her handkerchief - Emilia steals the handkerchief and gives it to Iago who has wanted it for a long while - Othello is already feeling very jealous of Cassio and Iago only builds it up - Iago claims to have seen Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief and that it was given to him by Desdemona - Othello orders Iago to kill Cassio - Iago suggests Othello kill Desdemona and Othello takes to the idea - // Setting: // Street outside Othello’s lodging - Othello asks to see Desdemona’s handkerchief - She cannot produce it + begins to ask of Cassio again - Othello storms out in a rage - Cassio comes in with Iago and Desdemona voices her confusion about Othello’s behaviour - Emiliia suggests that Othello is jealous but Desdemona says he has nothing at all to be jealous of - When Emilia and Desdemona leave Bianca enters looking for Cassio - Cassio gives the handkerchief that was found in his room to Bianca
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** ACT 4 ** - // Setting: // A street - Iago continues to poison Othello’s mind with talk of Desdemona’s supposed infidelity - Othello becomes so enraged he falls into an epileptic fit - Cassio enters and talks of Bianca, Iago sends him out to come back soon - Othello recovers from his fit and Iago tells him to hide and listen to how Cassio is speaking of Desdemona to him - Cassio comes in and talks about a woman (Bianca) and how they are involved - Othello assumes he is talking of Desdemona and is now wholeheartedly convinced - A letter arrives from Lodovico telling Othello to return to Venice - Othello hits Desdemona in front of Lodovico and he is shocked beyond belief - // Setting: // Othello’s lodgings - Othello questions Emilia about what Desdemona has been doing - Emilia claims she is innocent and has done nothing wrong and yet Othello is still convinced they are all lying - He sends for Desdemona who is distressed due to their prior meeting - Emilia tries to comfort her and gets Iago - Iago comforts Desdemona - Iago proceeds with his schemes, setting up Roderigo to attack and try to kill Cassio for Desdemona’s love - // Setting: // Desdemona’s bedchamber - Desdemona and Emilia talk about unfaithful wives and sing the willow song
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** ACT 5 ** - // Setting: // Outside Bianca’s house - Roderigo lies in wait of Cassio under Iago’s instruction - Roderigo fight and both are wounded - Othello hears the cries and assumes Iago has murdered Cassio, as he had ordered - Lodovico and Gratiano arrive to see what has happened and Iago also appears - Iago takes control and seems to calm everyone down - Sends Emilia back to Othello and Desdemona - // Setting: // Desdemona’s bedchamber - Othello comes into Desdemona’s chamber with the intention of killing her - He accuses her of being unfaithful with Cassio and she tries desperately to prove her innocence - He is not convinced and covers her head with a pillow, suffocating her - Emilia enters bringing news of the fighting and death of Roderigo - She asks for Desdemona and sees she is killed, Othello explains by saying that she was unfaithful - She raises the alarm and Iago, Gratiano and Montano come into the room - Emilia tries to explain that it was all Iago’s cunning plan and thus all his fault and Iago kills her and leaves - He is brought back along with Cassio and the full truth is revealed - Othello is heartbroken and cannot live with his actions and thus stabs himself - Iago is arrested and taken away to be tortured
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