Chronology of events in Othello

Act 1
1. Iago talks with Rodrigo about how they hate
Othello; theyre plotting to get Othello in trouble
with Brabantio for running away with his
daughter.
2. They wake up Brabantio.
3. Iago then talks to Othello and says that Brabantio
has said bad things about him
4. Everyone gathers at the senate talking about the
Turks trying to invade Cyprus (pg 29).
5. Othello enters and tells his story about how
Desdemona fell in love with him
6. Brabantio says angrily, fine, marry my
daughter.
7. Roderigo realizes that Desdemona doesnt love
him; he says hes going to drown himself. Iago
makes fun of him and says, Sell your land to get
money (49). Iago plans to use this money for
his own ends.
8. Iagos plot hes going to get Othello to go
against Cassio by telling Othello that Cassio has
slept with his wife and Iago will use Rodrigos
money that he gets from his land.
Act 2
1. Montano (an official/soldier on Cyprus) says
Turkish ships didnt survive the storm

2. A ship comes in carrying Iago, Emilia,

Desdemona, and Roderigo
3. Iago puts down women says You rise to play
and go to bed to work maybe meaning that
theyre all prostitutes.
4. Othello arrives, greets his wife joyfully, and
plans a party to celebrate the Turks defeat and
the marriage of Desdemona and himself
5. Iago gives speech about his plot wife for
wife and in this speech he plans to abuse
Cassio by making Othello think Cassio is
cheating with Desdemona. He plans to use
Roderigo in this plot.
6. Iago gets Cassio drunk even after the lieutenant
admits that he has poor brains for drinking.
7. Roderigo starts a fight with Cassio; Cassio
chases him, and Montano intervenes. Roderigo
escapes and Iago causes the town to wake up.
Othello arrives on the scene; listens only to
Iagos side of the story and punishes Cassio.
8. Cassio laments the loss of his reputation, and
Iago suggests that he pressure Desdemona to
talk her husband into giving Cassio back his
position.
Act 3
1. Cassio tries to get into Othellos good graces so

he sends musicians to sing for him.

2. Cassio talks Emilia into helping him get a
chance to talk to Desdemona because he knows
that Othello will listen to her.
3. Desdemona promises to do anything she can to
help Cassio
4. Cassio doesnt feel comfortable being in
Othellos presence at the time so he leaves very
quickly when Othello and Iago enters.
5. Othello asks if that was Cassio he saw leaving
the room, and Iago said that oh Cassio
wouldnt act like a guilty man when you
approach = more reverse psychology.
6. Othello and Desdemona argue Desdemona
asks Othello to make Cassio his lieutenant
again, and he says he will talk to him, but
Desdemona persists, and Othello says he wants
to be left alone
7. Iago and Othello are now alone and Iago
suggests the affair between Cassio and
Desdemona. Othello asks if Cassio is honest (a
key word in the play), and Iago pretends to be
reluctant so that it seems as if he is trying to be
nice and protect Cassio. Iago makes Othello
think about adultery and suggests that Othello
watch Desdemona when she is with Cassio
8. Othello tells Iago to tell Emilia to watch
Desdemona when shes with Cassio

9. Desdemona and Emilia tell Othello that he is

wanted at dinner, but Othello says that he has a
pain in his forehead, and Desdemona says,
Here Ill wrap it in my handkerchief. But
with enmity Othello pushes it away saying its
too small and it falls to the ground
10. Emilia grabs the handkerchief after
Desdemona and Othello leave it behind. She
knows that Iago asked her to take it several
times, so she teases him with it and he is very
pleased to take it from her.
11. Iago plots to have Emilia plant the
handkerchief in Cassios room
12. Othello enters and flies into rage.
13. He wants Iago to get him visual evidence
that Desdemonas unfaithful, but Iago says it
would be impossible to actually see her having
sex with Cassio.
14. Iago lies and tells Othello that while Cassio
and Iago shared a bed, Cassio called out
Desdemonas name in his sleep took his hand
kissed it and threw his leg over Iagos thigh.
Othello is OUTRAGED.
15. Othello kneels and vows to heaven that he
will get his revenge on Desdemona and Cassio
16. Iago kneels with him vowing to help
execute his masters vengeance.
Act 4

1. The act opens with Iago questioning Othello

about his jealous thoughtsa reversal of the
previous acts question-and-answer technique.
This beginning shows that Othello is obsessed
now with the topic of Ds virtue and that he is
far from his old self.
2. Iago points out that imagining Ds betrayal is
one thing, but the handkerchief = solid proof.
3. Othello falls into a trance on and his state
enables Iago to greet Cassio and set up Othello
for the overhearing scene in which he thinks
Cassio is talking about various antics with
Desdemona.
4. Bianca enters and yells at Cassio and throws
the handkerchief at him which plays right into
Iagos scheme.
5. Iago tells O how to kill Desdemona.
6. Lodovico and attendants enter from Venice with
a letter ordering Othello to return home.
Othello should regain his composure but fails to
do so and strikes Desdemona who weeps, not
understanding why her husband is angry with
her.
7. Scene 2: an essential scene for setting up the
terms for Othellos unequivocal damnation. He
asks Emilia if she has seen Desdemona
cheating on him. She replies never!, but

unconvinced, Othello bids D. enter and calls

her a whore and gives her money. In academic
circles this scene is referred to as the brothel
scene.
8. Iago enters after O. exits and he tries to comfort
Desdemona. Emilia guesses that some scurvy
fellow/eternal villain has been spreading lies
about her mistress. Iago commands Emilia to
be silent. Desdemona fails to attend to their
discussion, and finally the two women exit to
have dinner.
9. An angry Roderigo enters and expresses his
frustrations with Iago. Iago manages to sooth
him with more false promises and persuades
him to kill Cassio with him, arguing that the
newly weds can not leave Cyprus if Cassio
cannot become governor.
Scene 3:
1. Othello bids D. to go to bed and dismisses
Emilia for the night.
2. Emilia has laid the wedding sheets on the bed
and Desdemona is haunted by a song a servant
who was abandoned by her lover used to sing.
3. The two women discuss the price of adultery
Emilia would commit the act if she might gain
the world in return, but D. says otherwise.
4. The scene concludes with a long speech in
which Emilia decries the womens unfair

treatment by men.

Act 5
Scene 1:
1. Roderigo tries to hurt Cassio but is stabbed
instead, so Iago hurts Cassios leg and exits.
2. Othello overheads the cries and thinks Iago has
succeeded in fatally wounding Cassio. He exits
after declaring his resolve to avenge himself
upon his wife.
3. Lodovico and Gratiano hear Roderigo and
Cassios cries. Iago enters and pretends to be
surprised by what he sees. While Lodovico and
Gratiano are not looking, he fatally stabs
Roderigo. We later learn that Roderigo does not
die right away and that he has letters in his
pockets that incriminate Iago.
4. Bianca enters and Iago attempts to frame her
perhaps a sign that his is becoming less skillful
in his scheming.
Scene 2:
1. Othello opens the scene with his famous Put out
the light, then put out the light speech. He is
psyching himself up to kill D.
2. He asks her if she had prayed and then lies and
tells her that Cassio has confessed to an affair

with her.
3. D. asks that he call Cassio and ask him to
confirm this in person, but Othello says his
mouth is stopped i.e. that Cassio is dead.
4. D. cries realizing her alibi is gone, and O.
smothers her.
5. Emilia knocks on the door and enters with the
news that Roderigo is dead and Cassio is hurt.
6. D cries out, and Emilia hears her dying words.
7. Emilia ask why O killed his wife and he answers
that Iago told him of Desdemonas infidelity.
Emilia insists that Iago told a lie, and O. draws a
sword on her.
8. Montano, Gratiano and Iago enter. Othello
continues to state Ds crimes, and Iago admits
that he told the general that his wife was false.
Othello is so caught up in his lie, that he states
again that Cassio confessed to the sin.
9. Gratiano states that Brabantio has died of grief,
and it is good that he did not live to see his only
child murdered at the hands of her new husband.
10. Emilia explains that she gave the
handkerchief to Iago, and Othello begins to
grasp his mistake. He turns to stab Iago but is
disarmed, and Iago stabs his wife and exits.
11. Gratiano stays and guards O while the others
chase Iago.
12. Emilia dies.

13. Lodovico, Montano, and Cassio (in a chair)

enter with captive Iago.
14. Othello tries to kill Iago and wounds him
15. Othello apologizes to Cassio
16. Roderigos letters are presented, and Iagos
plotting becomes known.
17. We learn that Roderigo told that others that
Iago set him up to kill Cassio and then stabbed
him in the dark after Cassio injured him.
18. Othellos command is taken way, and Cassio
is made governor.
19. Othello makes his final speech and kills
himself.
20. Gratiano points out that a suicide cannot go
to heaven.
21. Lodovico asks Cassio to decide how to
torture Iago and promises to return to Venice and
tell what has happened.