Scene Summaries

Question 1

A1S1 summary

Answer 1

Iago and Roderigo rouse Brabantio that Othello has stolen Desdemona from him, attempting to set up a conflict.

Question 1

A1S1 significance

Answer 1

First insight into Iago’s manipulations as his first attack on Othello fails

Question 2

A1S2 summary

Answer 2

Brabantio brings violence to Othello who quiets the confrontation calmly.

Question 3

A1S2 significance

Answer 3

Othello contrasts the savage beast implied by Iago which sets him up to be Aristotle’s tragic hero.

Question 4

A1S3 summary

Answer 4

• Brabantio interrupts a state meeting to address his grievances - the Duke sides with Othello and sends him to Cyprus.
• Desdemona begs to go with him
• Put money in thy purse
• Iago’s plan soliloquiy

Question 5

A1S3 significance

Answer 5

• Othello and Desdemona are set up to be strong
• Iago presented comedically to the audience (complicit)

Question 6

A2S1 summary

Answer 6

• Everyone anticipating Othello’s return from battle
• Cassio is polite to Desdemona which gets used as cannon fodder for Iago
• Iago then convinces Roderigo of Cassio’s love to rile him up

Question 7

A2S1 significance

Answer 7

• Cyprus as a setting allows for Iago to thrive
• Iago begins to plant the seeds for Othello’s downfall despite the rejoice

Question 8

A2S3 summary

Answer 8

• Iago convinces Cassio to drink and tells the audience his plan.
• A drunk Cassio leaves, only to return in a fight with Roderigo
• This wakes Othello who asks Iago what happened.
• Iago feigns innocence then tells the truth, he then consoles Cassio who laments the loss of his relationship

Question 9

A2S3 significance

Answer 9

• Iago makes the audience complicit in a scene which is set up as if it’s from a comedy
• Introduces the idea of Iago’s full plan

Question 10

A3S3 summary

Answer 10

• Othello and Iago catch Cassio leaving Desdemona
• Desdemona begins to nag Othello to set things right with Cassio
• Iago begins to question Desdemona’s loyalty and then leaves
• Othello damns his marriage
• Emilia finds the handkerchief and gives it to Iago
• Othello demands proof and commits himself to Iago

Question 11

A3S3 significance

Answer 11

• the true beginning of Othello’s downfall
• the true malignity of Iago
• Emilia remains aligned to Iago

Question 12

A3S4 summary

Answer 12

• Desdemona laments the loss of the handkerchief and Emilia denies
• Othello demands the handkerchief with increasing anger and explains its ‘history’
• Bianca and Cassio interact for the first time

Question 13

A3S4 significance

Answer 13

• high dramatic irony as the audience sees the impacts of Iago’s plan

Question 14

A4S1 summary

Answer 14

• Iago tells Othello that Cassio has slept with Desdemona and Othello falls into a trance
• Iago sets up Othello to ‘overhear’ a conversation with Cassio where he admits
• Desdemona returns with Lodovico and Othello strikes Desdemona out of anger

Question 15

A4S1 significance

Answer 15

• Overhearing scenes takes from tropes of comedy such as in Much Ado About Nothing which mocks Othello
• First act of Othello which could vilify him

Question 16

A4S2 summary

Answer 16

• begins with Emilia defending Desdemona’s honour to Othello
• follows with Desdemona invoking pity as she desperately defends herself to Othello
• Othello exits and Iago enters with Emilia where Emilia begins to question what has caused Othello to act as such
• ends with Iago convincing a disgruntled Roderigo that he must kill Cassio

Question 17

A4S2 significance

Answer 17

• invokes sympathy for Desdemona
• Emilia begins to question the cause of Othello’s actions
• sets the audience up for A5S1 where Roderigo attempts to kill Cassio

Question 18

A4S3 summary

Answer 18

• Desdemona requires that if she were to die before Emilia then to shroud her in wedding sheets
• Emilia and Desdemona have a conversation about women who commit adultery
• This shows the true purity of Desdemona

Question 19

A4S3 significance

Answer 19

• Women interact in a situation away from men
• Builds the tension surrounding the death of Desdemona

Question 20

A5S1 summary

Answer 20

• Roderigo attempts to ambush Cassio in the dark
• Iago stabs Cassio in the leg and leaves
• Gratiano and Lodovico enter to see Cassio
• Iago reenters with a light and kills Roderigo
• Bianca enters to accusations from both Emilia and Iago

Question 21

A5S1 significance

Answer 21

• Emilia is quick to accuse Bianca
• Iago harms both Roderigo and Cassio and admits to not caring who dies
• Othello is spurred on by Cassio’s shouts

Question 22

A5S2 summary

Answer 22

• Culmination of the plot
• Othello smothers Desdemona
• Emilia questions Iago and realises that he is the villain
• Othello attacks Iago who escapes and kills Emilia
• Others catch Iago who holds his tongue
• Othello attempts to salvage his reputation before killing himself.