Plot Summary Flashcards
(15 cards)
Act 1, Scene 1
-Iago tells Roderigo he hates Othello because he promoted Cassio who has much less experience
-They stand outside Brabantio’s house and shout to wake him up
-From shadows they tell him about his Desdemona’s secret marriage to Oth
-Iago makes him angry by describing Oth + Des with sexual animal imagery
-Brab doesn’t recognise them at first, eventually sees Rod and scene ends with him offering to help Brab find Oth + Des
Act 1, Scene 2
-Iago tells Oth that Brab knows about marriage
-Cassio arrives with message from Duke asking Oth to come to the Senate to talk about war with Cyprus
-Just a about to leave, Brab and Rod arrive with soldiers to arrest Oth for bewitching Des
-Hears Duke has called for Oth he allows him to go
Act 1, Scene 3
-Brab, Oth, Cass + Iago arrive at Senate
-Brab tells Duke that Oth has betwitched Des
-Duke listens to Oth who explains she fell in love with him as he told her stories about his life
-Des is called for and she tells the Senate she married him for love and her duty is now to him rather than Brab
-She asks to go with Oth to Cyprus and Brab warns Oth that she has deceived him so may deceive Oth
-Oth asks Iago to bring his wife Emilia
-Alone with Rod, Iago persuades him to follow them to Cyprus, saying Oth and Des love will not last
-Alone, Iago tells audience his plans to make Oth believe Des is unfaithful to him with Cass
Act 2, Scene 1
-News is brought to Montano, governor of Cyprus, that war is over because Turkish fleet was badly damaged by storms
-The messenger announces that Cass has arrived
-Next ship to arrive is Des, Iago and Emilia
-Cassio greets Des affectionately
-Observing them, Iago tells the audience this fits with his plan
-Finally, Oth ship arrives and he and Des are delighted to be together again
-Left alone with Rod, Iago convinces him that Des is already bored with Oth and has switched her attention to Cass, and that Rod should provoke him into a fight later that evening
-Alone with audience, Iago offers more reasons why he hates Oth
Act 2, Scene 2
-Oth’s herald announces a party to celebrate the triumph over the Turks and Oth’s marriage to Des
Act 2, Scene 3
-Oth leaves Cassio and Iago in charge of party and goes to spend time alone with Des
-Iago convinces Cass to drink even tho he protests he doesn’t like getting heavily drunk
-With Cass clearly drunk, Iago tells Montano that he fears how much trust Oth has in Cass, and secretly sends Rod to provoke Cass to fight
-Montano tries to stop fight but Cass fights him instead and injures him
-Oth arrives demanding to know what is going on
-Iago protests he doesn’t not want to speak badly of Cass but tells him anyway
-Hearing of Cass’s drunkenness and fighting, Oth deprives him of his office
-Believing Iago is his friend, Cass tells him how upset he is about losing his reputation and that he can’t remember much of it
-Iago tells him to ask Des for help in convincing Oth to give him his job back and Cass agrees
-Left alone, Iago tells audience that as Des repeatedly pleas to Oth about Cass, it will place doubt in his mind about her
-Rod arrives, complaining that he is bruised from the fight, has no money left and thinks it is time to go home.
-Iago assures him that the plan is working well.
Act 3, Scene 1
-The morning after the fight, Cassio asks Emilia to help him speak to Des
-Iago offers further support
-Emilia tells Cass that Des is already speaking up for him and trying hard
-Cass asks Emilia to help him speak to Des alone
Act 3, Scene 2
-Oth passes through, taking to Iago and others about affairs of state
Act 3, Scene 3
-Des reassures Cass that she will continue to speak to Oth on his behalf and tells him not to worry
-Iago makes sure Oth sees the end of their conversation and notices Cass leaving Des
-He says to Oth that it can’t have been Cass placing doubt and overthinking in his mind
-Des persuades Oth to talk to Cass
-Iago immediately begins to sow seeds of suspicion in Oth’s mind, subtly at first and then more obviously, suggesting something is going on between Cass and Des
-He advises Oth to observe them well when together
-Iago leaves Oth convinced of his wife’s infidelity
-When Des comes back with Emilia, Oth complains he feels unwell
-As Des tries to help him she drops her handkerchief
-Left alone, Emilia picks it up, telling the audience how Iago has asking her to steal it many times
-Iago returns and takes it from her
-He tells the audience that he will plant it in Cass’s room, hoping it will provide further proof of Cass’s affair with Des
-Oth returns to see Iago, furious at the idea of his wife with Cass
-He demands Iago provide ‘ocular proof’
-Iago winds him up saying it would be hard to catch them in the act
-He pretends he has heard Cass talking in his sleep about the affair, then adds that he has seen Cass using Des’s handkerchief
-Oth is convinced and vows revenge
-He asks Iago to kill Cass and plans to kill Des himself
Act 3, Scene 4
-Des is upset about losing her handkerchief but Emilia pretends she knows nothing about it
-Oth comes in acting strangely and asks to borrow the handkerchief
-She tries to make him talk about Cass but he keeps repeating ‘the handkerchief’ until he walks off and she is left confused
-Iago returns with Cass and, hearing Oth was upset, Iago leaves to find him
-Des thinks affairs of state must have made him upset
-Emilia thinks he is jealous but Des says she has never done anything to make him feel that way
-They leave and Bianca, a woman in love with Cass, arrives
-Cass gives her the handkerchief saying he found it in his chamber and asks her to copy the design
Act 4, Scene 1
-Pretending to be supportive, Iago continues to wind up Oth about Des and Cass until Oth is so disturbed he collapses
-When he comes around, Iago tells him to hide and listen as he talks to Cass about Des
-Iago confides in the audience and then makes jokes with Cass about his relationship with Bianca
-Bianca arrives angrily returning the handkerchief to Cass saying it is ‘some minx’s token’
-Oth is convinced Cass was laughing about his affair with Des, that she gave him the handkerchief and he had given to to a ‘whore’ (Bianca is a prostitute)
-Oth is determined to kill Des that night and Iago even suggests to strangle her bed where she ‘contaminated’
-Des enters with Lodovico
-He brings a letter from Venice telling Oth to travel home and leave Cass in command of Cyprus
-As Oth reads, Des and Lodovico talk about the disagreement between Cass and Oth
-Oth becomes so angry at Des for defending Cass that he hits her, insults her and yells at her to get ‘out of my sight!’
-He then leaves, after attempting to regain his composure
-Lodovico is shocked at Oth’s behaviour
-Iago suggests that Oth’s behaviour has become increasingly erratic
Act 4, Scene 2
-Oth questions Emilia about Des and Emilia defends her
-He then questions Des himself but does not ask her directly about Cass or the handkerchief
-She refuses to believe her when she claims she is innocent
-Des asks Iago for his help
-Emilia says she is convinced Oth has been ‘abused by some most villainous knave’ but Iago tells her she is a fool
-He sends the women away promising things will work out well
-Rod arrives, angry that Iago’s promises to help him win Des have came to nothing, despite all the jewels he has give to Iago to give to Des
-Iago convinces Rod that in order to stop Oth and Des leaving Cyprus he must ‘remove’ Cass by ‘knocking out his brains’
Act 4, Scene 3
-Emilia helps Des get ready for bed and expresses her concern about Oth’s behaviour
-Des remains loyal to him but cannot get a song out her head which she heard sung by her mother’s maid Barbary who was in love with a man who went mad, and she died singing it
-Des says she cannot believe that any woman would be unfaithful to her husband
-Emilia blames man for not understanding that women have feelings just as they do
Act 5, Scene 1
-On a very dark night, Iago leads a reluctant Rod to where he can find Cass
-Iago confessed to the audience that whatever way it works out, if Rod kills Cass, Cass kills Rod or they kill each other, it works out in Iago’s favour
-Rod attacks Cass but Cass stabs him
-Iago stabs Cass in the leg from behind then runs away
-Oth hears Cass’s yells and believes Iago killed him
-Believing this, he continues on to kill Des
-Lodovico and Gratiano hear the yelling and decide to fetch help
-They meet Iago who pretends to be horrified at Cass’s injury
-Iago secretly finds the injured Rod and kills him
-Bianca enters and is distraught at Cass’s injuries
-Iago insinuates that she was to blame for the attack
-Emilia enters and Iago sends her to tell Oth and Des what had happened
Act 5, Scene 2
-Des is asleep on her bed
-Oth kisses her and she wakes up
-He tells her to pray and urges her to confess that she gave the handkerchief to Cass
-She says no but he refuses to believe her
-She pleads for her life but he suffocates her
-He hears Emilia calling him and he lets her in
-She tells him that Cass killed Rod and that Cass lives
-Emilia hears Des calling out and finds her just as she dies
-Oth confesses and says how Iago knew it all
-Emilia is shocked at her husbands involvement
-She yells for help and Montano, Gratiano and Iago rush in
-Emilia confronts Iago, who admits he told Oth that Des was unfaithful with Cass and tries to stop her talking
-Oth defends himself saying he saw his handkerchief in Cass’s hand
-Emilia tells him how she found it
-Oth realises the truth
-Iago stabs Emilia and runs away, Montano runs after him
-Lodovico, Montano and Cass come in with Iago as prisoner
-They piece together what happened from letters found in Rod’s possession
-Oth is arrested
-Lodovico tells Oth his office is removed and Cass now rules in Cyprus
-Before they can take him away, Oth stabs himself, kisses Des and dies
