Summary

Title: Othello by William Shakespeare

OTHELLO FULL TITLE: The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice Written by:
William Shakespeare
Literary genre: Tragedy
Author: William Shakespeare

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England Baptized on April 26,

1564 (unknown date of birth). Died on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52.

regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist called as Englands National Poet coined as Bard of Avon
most popular playwright in England
written comedy, history, tragedy and poetry author of the famous tragedy
playwright Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar
Setting

PLACE: Begins in Venice and in the island of Cyprus thereafter.

TIME: Late sixteenth century, during the wars between Venice and Turkey

Characters
Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Michael Cassio, Emilia, Roderigo, Bianca, Brabanzio,
Duke of Venice, Montano, Lodovico, Graziano, Clown.
Othello -The plays protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the
armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by
all those around him.
Desdemona -The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and
Othello are secretly married before the play begins. Pure, meek, self-possessed and
determined. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with
Iago, and responding with dignity to Othellos incomprehensible jealousy.
Iago -Othellos ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the
villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old.
Michael Cassio - Othellos lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier,
whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is
extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing

his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassios youth, good looks, and friendship with
Desdemona to play on Othellos insecurities about Desdemonas fidelity.
Emilia - Iagos wife and Desdemonas attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is
deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.
Roderigo -A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is
convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemonas
hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to
Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio
after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona.
Bianca -A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Biancas favorite customer is Cassio,
who teases her with promises of marriage.
Brabanzio-Desdemonas father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian
senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general marries
his daughter in secret.
Duke of Venice -The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for
Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to
reconcile Othello and Brabanzio to send Othello to Cyprus.
Montano -The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he
recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships.
Lodovico -One of Brabanzios kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice
to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters announcing that Othello has
been replaced by Cassio as governor.
Graziano -Brabanzios kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the
chaos of the final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemonas father has died.
Clown -Othellos servant. Although the clown appears only in two short scenes, his
appearances reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots.
PLOT: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution

Exposition

Othello and Desdemona marry and attempt to build a life together, despite their
differences in age, race, and experience. Their marriage is sabotaged by the
envious Iago, who convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful.

Rising Action

Iago tells the audience of his scheme, arranges for Cassio to lose his position as
lieutenant, and gradually insinuates to Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful..

Climax

The climax occurs at the end of Act III, scene iii, when Othello kneels with Iago and
vows not to change course until he has achieved bloody revenge.

Falling Action

Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassios room and later arranges a conversation
with Cassio, which Othello watches and sees as proof that Cassio and Desdemona
have slept together. Iago unsuccessfully attempts to kill Cassio, and Othello
smothers Desdemona with a pillow. Emilia exposes Iagos deceptions, Othello kills
himself, and Iago is taken away to be tortured.

Resolution

The intrigue of Othello is watching Iago work his manipulative magic. The
deceptions grow, bit by bit, until Othello is quite ensnared by his own jealous
thoughts. The plot thickens and thickens, and the complications twist and turn until
we finally arrive at the psychological climax: Othello's declaration that he'll kill his
wife. We chose this as the climax, rather than the actual killing, because we are
building toward Iago's defeat of Othello's mind, not Othello's defeat of Desdemona's
body.
Minutes after she dies, Emilia figures out that Iago is responsible for the whole
mess. When she shares this with Othello and his men, Iago kills her. Othello, broken
by grief and guilt, stabs himself. Almost everyone dies.
Theme:
The incompatibility of military heroism and love; the danger of isolation; jealousy.
Message:
You need to be able to trust your significant other and they need to be able to trust
you. Who you put your trust in does matter, and if you dont trust those who youre
closest to things can go wrong.
Conclusion
Love consumes all those who take part in it and in Othellos case; his love for
Desdemona has blinded him. And it gave Iago a chance to corrupt him so easily. The
wicked emotion of jealously, not only resulted in the deaths of three of Othello's
main characters, it caused the sudden deaths of innocent characters as well.
*Characterization*
Shakespeare drew the plot from Othello from Giraldi Cinthios Tale of the Moor, a
sixteenth-century Italian tale. Just a glimpse at the original elevates our
appreciation for Shakespeares genius and vision, as he transforms a mediocre tale
into one of the worlds great works of art.

The Fall of Othello -The central question of Othello might be phrased this way:
How does a decisive, resourceful, and intelligent soldier, a successful general, allow
himself to be so manipulated by another? In Act 1, Othello is self-confident, open,
clear-headed, and calm; see his reaction when Brabantio tries to arrest him.
Consider too how calmly he expresses his love for Desdemona to the Duke. Othello
brings adventure to her sheltered life while she offers him love and stability.
Othellos jealousy is aroused and it begins to drive him. At the end of the scene he
declares his unwavering commitment to murder his wife. Note too how his language
begins to mimic the sexual coarseness of Iago.
So impassioned has he become that, in Act 5, he cannot grant a hearing to his
wifes deathbed denial. For Othello, killing Desdemona is an honorable and
necessary act, even a sacrifice. Desdemona must be punished for her adultery,
which corrupted their spiritual love, and she is sacrificed to save her from further
dishonor. Othello is more sorrowful, than angry here. Ironically, he wants the act of
murder to be dispassionate and rational yet he acts in the throes of emotion. After
he recognizes the truth, Othello articulates his epitaph proudly, rationally,
somewhat calmly, and without self-pity.
Othello as Tragic Hero
1. The traditional tragic hero must be extraordinary in rank and deed of
high estate, great reputation and prosperity. Othello is a highly successful
general in the Venetian army with many heroic adventures in his past.
2. A Tragic Flaw Hamartia A tragic flaw is the personality trait or fated mistake
that leads to a tragic heros downfall. Iago identifies Othellos tragic flaw at the end
of Act 1.3.400-03. Othello is gullible, a trait Iago exploits as Othello thinks men
honest that but seem to be so.
3. Outside elements cooperate in the heros fall. First and foremost, consider
the role of Iago in Othellos downfall. But consider other forces that conspire against
him: bad luck with the loss of the handkerchief and Biancas arrival with the
handkerchief, Desdemonas naivet, and more. How do Othellos foreignness and
race, the importance of which is signaled by the title of the play, affect his
relationships with the other characters? How does being a Moor in Venice affect his
own confidence and sense of security? How does Iago use Othellos foreignness in
his plotting?
4. Recognition Anagnorisis Othello experiences recognition or anagnorisis,
as he not only learns the specific truth about his wifes good nature and Iagos evil
plotting, but he also learns about the complexity of human nature, human emotion,
and the world itself. Willingness to Suffer Othello serves as his own judge, jury, and
executioner. Is he fair to himself at the end of play? Does he depict himself
accurately in his self-delivered eulogy?
Othello as Traditional Tragedy
Restoration Traditional tragedy follows a pattern of upheaval and restoration.
Because the tragic hero is such an important figure, the state itself is affected by his

fate. Here, the island of Cyprus and the Venetian army are thrown off balance
although Othello has less of an impact than Oedipus and Hamlet on their respective
states. Still, order is restored at the end when a wiser and more experienced Cassio
assumes Othellos position.
Poetry The traditional language of tragedy is poetry, which establishes an exalted
atmosphere and expresses the heights and depths of human emotion and action
more completely.
Catharsis The emotional renewal created by an audiences feelings of pity and
terror for a tragic hero, resulting in the recognition that the heros tragic fate was
just and that his acceptance of that fate makes the tragedy complete.