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William Shakespeare's Othello

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This play is set in Venice. The play opens with Roderigo complaining to Iago that despite the money he's given Iago to help him seduce Desdemona, she has eloped with the general Othello. Othello is a plain and honest Christian Moor. Iago, the standard-bearer for Othello, says that he hates Othello as well, since Othello chose Cassio to be his lieutenant. Roderigo and Iago go to the house of Desdemona’s father, the senator Brabantio, to anger him with talk of Desdemona in a romantic relationship with Othello. Brabantio becomes furious and storms to Othello just as he is receiving an urgent message from the Duke of Venice. He and Othello then go to see the Duke. At the Duke’s, Brabantio accuses Othello of using magic to seduce his daughter. Othello defends himself by saying that it was stories of his adventures and military accomplishments that won Desdemona. They call Desdemona and she supports Othello's story. Brabantio then blesses the couple.
The Duke sends Othello to head a fleet of Venetians to defend Cyprus from a Turkish attack. Desdemona goes along with Othello. Iago convinces Roderigo that he will still win Desdemona in the end, but privately admits that he's just using Roderigo for money while he plots his own revenge against Othello. When the Venetian fleet arrives in Cyprus, governor Montano reports that a …show more content…

Iago responds that he has heard Cassio fantasize about Desdemona in his sleep and that he has seen Cassio wipe his mouth with Desdemona's handkerchief. Othello rewards Iago by promoting him to the status of lieutenant and orders him to kill Cassio within three days. Othello then confronts Desdemona in her room and demands the handkerchief. Desdemona has been searching for it and confesses she cannot find it. Othello leaves. Meanwhile, Cassio's mistress, Bianca, comes to his room. Cassio asks her to make a copy of a handkerchief he's recently found in his room because he likes

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In the first act of the play, after Roderigo finds out that Othello married Desdemona, he carries out a dialogue with Iago about Iago’s discontentment with Othello, Roderigo comments, “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,/ If he can carry it thus!” With this, Roderigo shows his feelings of jealousy for Othello, basically stating that luck was on Othello’s side in getting Desdemona, but it will probably not last very long. In addition to this, Roderigo gives Brabantio large sums of money to Iago in order to try to get Desdemona from Othello. In addition to Roderigo’s jealousy, Iago’s jealousy of Cassio cascades to the point where he begins to manipulate Othello to want to kill Cassio, which ends up leading to the death of Desdemona. In the beginning, Iago details how he was passed up for a promotion by Othello.

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Othello’s character undergoes a significant change due to a series of events at the hands of Iago, the play’s antagonist to enhance the fact that even a valiant heroes can become corrupt. In the beginning of the play, Othello adores

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As the tragedy begins, Othello and Desdemona had run off and gotten married without telling Desdemona’s father. When Iago finds out he did not get the job he wanted, he tells Roderigo to “Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen”(I. I. 76-80). Brabantio, who did not know about his own daughter’s marriage, is finding out from two strangers. This allows Iago to take advantage of Barbantio’s surprise and to come in between the newly weds with his disapproval.

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Othello’s life transforms the second he steps into Cyprus. Iago’s motives are devastating as he plan’s to take Othello’s position, regardless of the cost. Iago plants the seed of deceit and unfaithfulness when he hints of an affair involving Othello’s love, Desdemona and Cassio. An overwhelming feeling of jealously takes a hold in Othello’s life. Othello is no longer the well spoken, and respected army general that everyone knew him to be, but instead a short tempered man with little respect for

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