Plot in Othello

It is not clear whether Brabantio actually believes that Othello has committed a crime, or whether he is just threatened on a personal level. Nonetheless, Brabantio frames his condemnation of Othello as a broader act of justice. It is notable that Brabantio ends his lines, and the scene as well, with a rhyming couplet, a departure from the usual blank verse of the play. Shakespeare often uses this technique to end a scene or speech with emphasis.

The magnifico is the title of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father. Iago wishes to know whether Othello and Desdemona have consummated their marriage, for Brabantio has the power to separate them.

Iago’s plot sets the stage for the second act. By spreading a rumor that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Iago hopes to accomplish a “double knavery.” Such a rumor would destroy both Othello and Cassio, the two men for whom he holds a grudge.

Iago claims that Othello and Desdemona will tire of one another in time. As with much that comes from Iago’s mouth, it not clear whether he believes this to be the case or whether he says this to further his own ends, in this case by raising Roderigo’s hopes.

Iago repeats this request, beseeching Roderigo to put together funds to give to Iago. The idea is that with funds, Iago will execute a plan to separate Othello and Desdemona and deliver her into Roderigo’s arms.

Desdemona’s argument for joining Othello on the frontlines is complex but compelling. She claims that she loves Othello for his mind and his military prowess, and to separate her from him while he exercises those qualities would be a shame.

Shakespeare structures this scene so that the tension and dramatic irony build and finally break in these lines. The audience can foretell how the Duke’s opinion of Othello will rapidly shift upon hearing the news regarding Desdemona. The Duke greets Othello with praise and respect, but the news of his problematic marriage to Desdemona will inevitably surface.

Brabantio and the Duke meet with their own individual problems with which they need the other’s assistance. The Duke seeks assistance in fighting off the Turks. Brabantio seeks to undo Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Shakespeare may have used the political conflict between the Venetians and the Turks as a parallel to the drama between Othello and his enemies.

Iago’s goal is to lure Cassio into courting Desdemona. By playing the role of the irreverent knave, he has succeeded in bringing Desdemona and Cassio closer together.

Shakespeare often inserts short, expository scenes like this one to keep the plot moving forward. It is common for theater productions to remove or cut short these moments.

Iago’s plot enters its next phase. His aim is for Cassio to plead to Desdemona for his position as lieutenant. Iago will then lie to Othello that Cassio is making sexual advances on Desdemona. The idea is that when Desdemona then approaches Othello to relay Cassio’s request, Othello will believe that Desdemona is helping Cassio out of mutual, adulterous infatuation. Once again, Iago constructs the next phase of his scheme at the act’s end so as to executes it in the next.

In this dialogue, Iago and Cassio share slightly different opinions on Desdemona’s character. Cassio views Desdemona with admiration and respect, referring to her as “exquisite,” “fresh and delicate.” Without disagreeing, Iago adds a sexual tone, calling Desdemona provocative and “full of game.” Iago’s goal is to compel Cassio to make advances on Desdemona.

According to Emilia’s report, Othello has mixed feelings about Cassio’s reinstatement. On the one hand, Cassio attacked Montano, a man of high repute, and thus shamed himself. On the other hand, Othello loves Cassio and has the power—”needs no other suitor but his likings”—to return Cassio to his rank.

The opening of Act III finds Cassio working to undo the damage he did in Act II. Here he sets a group of musicians to play in front of Othello’s house in an attempt to regain favor with his general.

Othello asks Iago to deliver letters to the ship captain who will in turn report to the Venetian Senate. By “walking on the works,” Othello means that he will be visiting and surveying the fortifications, preparing for battle. The purpose of this short scene is to heighten the plot’s tension.

For the first time in the play, Othello directs his anger towards Iago, calling him “villain.” It is a shallow label; Othello does not understand the depths of Iago’s villainy. Rather, he projects his confusion and rage about the possibility of Desdemona’s faithlessness onto Iago, demanding “the ocular proof.”

Iago cleverly employs personification here, identifying not Cassio as the foe but rather jealousy itself. This continues Iago’s tactic of withholding the specific accusation of Cassio, allowing the thought to emerge in Othello’s mind. This moment represents the beginning of the play’s climax. Now that Othello knows of the fictional adultery, the rest of the play is devoted to the unfolding consequences.

Iago cleverly frames his thoughts as untrustworthy and beyond his own control. He claims that his thoughts about Cassio might be unnecessarily upsetting. All the while, Iago builds Othello’s anticipation.

As if to quell Othello’s concerns about her intentions, Desdemona assures him that her case to reinstate Cassio is not a “boon,” or personal favor. Rather, it is in Othello’s best interests.

Desdemona stresses the immediacy of Cassio’s case because of Cassio’s fears that Othello might leave him behind entirely after too long. From Othello’s perspective, Desdemona may be stressing the urgency of the case out of her feelings for Cassio.

This exchange between Cassio and Desdemona places Desdemona in a higher tier of importance than Othello. Not only does she claim to have the power to reinstate Cassio, Cassio himself pledges to be her servant, not Othello’s.

At this line, Cassio gives Bianca the handkerchief that has been left in his chambers. Bianca immediately suspects that Cassio has taken another lover, a “newer friend.” It is thus clear that the relationship between Othello and Desdemona is not the only one marked by jealousy.

The English writer William Somerset Maugham criticized the plot of Othello as follows in his 1946 volume A Writer's Notebook:

I don’t know why critics expect writers always to do as well as they should have done. The writer seldom does what he wants to; he does the best he can. Shakespearian scholars would save themselves many a headache if when they come across something in the plays that is obviously unsatisfactory, instead of insisting against all reason that it is nothing of the kind, they admitted that here and there Shakespeare tripped. There is no reason that I can see to suppose that he was not well aware that the motivation in certain of the plays is so weak as to destroy the illusion. Why should the critics say that he didn’t care? I should have said that there was evidence that he did. Why should he have put into Othello’s mouth those lines beginning 'That handkerchief did an Egyptian to my mother give . . . ' unless it was because he was aware that the episode of the handkerchief was too thin to pass muster? I think it would save a lot of trouble to conclude that he tried to think of something better, and just couldn’t.

Iago’s plan is coming to fruition. Lodovico, a Venetian nobleman, has seen the results of Othello’s rage and will spread the word of Othello’s apparent insanity. Iago, always calculated in his speech, reveals as little as he needs to in order to reinforce Lodovico’s perspective. His reply of “He is much changed” is technically true, but it does not tell the whole truth. The audience understands the irony nonetheless.

Iago’s plan is coming to fruition. Lodovico, a Venetian nobleman, has seen the results of Othello’s rage and will spread the word of Othello’s apparent insanity. Iago, always calculated in his speech, reveals as little as he needs to in order to reinforce Lodovico’s perspective. His reply of “He is much changed” is technically true, but does not tell the whole truth. The audience understands the irony nonetheless.

In this exchange, we can see how Othello struggles with his shifting view of Desdemona. He begins with “Ay, let her rot” but loses this steely edge when he says “O, the world hath not a sweeter creature.” Indeed, after each of Othello’s lines, Iago must renew the general’s anger for Desdemona with a “Nay, you must forget that” or a “Nay, that’s not your way.” Despite the evidence of adultery before him, Othello’s feelings for Desdemona are mixed.

“Caitiff” means “coward” and comes from “captivus,” the same Latin root as “captive.” In the previous line, Iago cleverly lowers his voice before making mention of Bianca but after bringing up Desdemona. Thus, Othello believes that Cassio is referring to Desdemona, and he becomes enraged.

Iago claims that Bianca is a prostitute: a “strumpet” in Middle English. As he puts it, Bianca draws in many men but loves only Cassio. Iago plans to use this relationship between Cassio and Bianca to his own ends. Iago will encourage Cassio to talk about Bianca while the eavesdropping Othello will believe that Cassio is discussing Desdemona.

Iago brings Othello in on the next phase of his plan: to draw out Cassio’s stories of seduction in front of a hidden, “encaved” Othello. Iago asks Othello to search for the expressions of bravado in Cassio’s face. The word “fleer,” of Scandinavian origin, indicates a look of mockery. A “gibe” is an insult, and a word derived from the French “giber”—to shake.

Iago responds to Rodrigo’s doubts by pulling him deeper into his plans. Iago’s next step is to have Othello killed. Iago hopes to manipulate Rodrigo into committing the murder for him.

Emilia gets to the heart of Desdemona’s suffering. Desdemona sacrificed a great deal in order to marry Othello. She abandoned her family and her status for her husband, only to be abandoned by him now as well.

Othello’s command to Desdemona to go to bed and dismiss Emilia is suspicious, and it foreshadows events to come. It is curious, too, that Desdemona follows these orders without question despite her recent dispute with Othello. This is evidence of her continued, if unwise, devotion.

Each of Shakespeare’s plays follows a five-part plot structure that unfolds over the course of its acts. The five parts are: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. As the resolution of the play’s events draws near, Iago senses the coming consequences. Because of his deep involvement in every detail of the plot, he understands that he will either succeed or perish.

Iago finds a means to pin Cassio’s death on Bianca. His strategy is to frame her look of shock upon witnessing Cassio’s death as evidence of her guilt. Iago also preemptively discredits her words, saying “guiltiness will speak,/Though tongues were out of use.”

When Iago sees the outcome of the altercation—that Cassio has beaten Rodrigo—he intervenes and delivers a blow to Cassio. To complicate matters, Cassio does not die, and his cries attract the attention of Othello.

“Quat” is an antiquated word that means both “pimple” and “young person.” Iago uses both definitions here, teasing Rodrigo for his sensitivity. As Iago tells us, he wants both Rodrigo and Cassio to die. Rodrigo is a problem because he wants his money back; Cassio is a problem because “the Moor may unfold [Iago] to him.” In other words, if Othello and Cassio were to meet and talk, they could unravel Iago’s schemes.

Iago coaxes Rodrigo into killing Cassio and reminds him of the stakes of the situation. In a clever, alliterative phrase, Iago claims that this moment “makes us, or mars us.” Iago, manipulative as ever, attempts to be as uninvolved in the murder as possible.

Having heard the news that Cassio has not died, Othello realizes that his murder of Desdemona is premature. After all, Cassio knows the truth of the adultery (or lack thereof). Shakespeare plays on the old saying that “revenge is sweet,” giving its flavor a sour turn.

At this point, Othello commits to his course of action. He will kill Desdemona, no matter the evidence she offers in her own defense. The metaphor of “chok[ing]” the conception of her guilt adds a connotation of violence to the exchange. He also foreshadows the method by which he kills her.

As Desdemona looks back on her actions, her only misdeed was her decision to marry Othello. Those “loves” she bears to Othello are sinful in the sense that their marriage is considered scandalous to many. The tragedy here is that her choice to commit the sin of loving Othello has led to her undoing.