In the last scene of Act I, we learned that Othello, Desdemona, Iago, and Roderigo were all travelling to Cyprus. William Shakespeare opened this scene near the docks of the harbor of Cyprus as they meet Montano and two other gentlemen who are waiting for the arrival of the Venetian fleet and starts chatting about the terrible storm out at sea. As with all of Shakespeare's atmospheric effects, the storm is a symbol of unrest and the discord to come. The storm represents the end of the peaceful part of the play, a signal that Iago's mischief is about to begin. The storm is also a great example of Shakespeare's depth use of language. The characters that comment on the storm are mariners, alluding to Ursa Minor and stars used for navigation;