This encounter takes place earlier in the play, right after Iago and Roderigo have convinced Brabantio into believing the scandalous and provocative gossip they have fed him. Othello speaks these words in an attempt to placate Brabantio, who has just stormed into the Duke’s council, agitated by Iago’s claims concerning his daughter. Additionally, his monologue is addressed to everyone present in the chamber so that he may prove his innocence more widely. He confirms that he has married Desdemona, but denies the allegations that he has won her through trickery and that this is the extent of his “crime.” Othello goes on to explain that he won Desdemona’s love through stories of his seven years at battle, but will nevertheless tell the tale of these stories.
Othello’s opening lines humble him. His greeting, “Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,/My very
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He uses phrases like “some nine moons wasted” (1.3.84) and words like “charms”, “conjuration”, and “mighty magic” (1.3.91-2) that shine his speech with a fantastic glimmer. So enchanting is this unique mix that Othello’s defense itself is made into a story where he is but a humble soldier who stumbled upon love because of a well-told tale. The Duke’s response that his daughter would likely fall for the same proves Othello’s self-assigned protagonist role convincing. However, it is unclear whether Othello would have been able to clear his name with such ease had his nested stories been less captivating. Thus, his romance and its telling are crucial elements without which the entire plot of the story may be altered. For, if Othello had been convicted of anything criminal right then, Iago’s aims would seem significantly less complex and hard to achieve, because Othello would already be in trouble. Othello’s story saves him in the moment, but ironically, is his eventual