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Chanelle Campbell
Mr. White
AP English 12th
November 6th 2015

Othello: The Website

http://chanellecampbell.weebly.com/

*Link to the play

Othello
By William Shakespeare
*Link to the book
*Links to music
Synopsis: (page 1)
*Othello summary from bardweb.net*
The Characters:
Othello: The Moor, or an officer of the Venetian Military. He's a good warrior, but he becomes
undone by jealousy and pride.

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Desdemona: Othellos wife, a virtuous and high class woman who is pulled innocently into a
snakes charm.
Iago: The deceptive snake of the play, a man who wears the mask of Janus Relevant. Not only
does he poison Othello's perception of reality, he covers himself under his ploy of "honest Iago."
His reasoning behind the manipulation is to get his lieutenant position back, and to get revenge
for what Othello has done to his wife Emilia.
Cassio: The young lieutenant of Othello, unaware of Iago's intentions. He is pulled into the
dismay by being accused of having a love affair with Desdemona, but his true affection lies with
Bianca.
Roderigo: A foolish Venetian in lust who fancies Desdemona, hoping she will leave her husband.
To get what he wants, he asks Iago for help, which makes him a pawn of the Devil's board.
Emilia: Iago's wife, and the hand-maiden of Desdemona. She almost catches the snake's tail
before he gets away.
Bianca: A courtesan who Cassio visits frequently; Cassio asks her to make a copy of
Desdemona's handkerchief, and the fact that the handkerchief is found in her place further
incriminates Cassio. She is the only female in the play whom Cassio shows less than full respect
to, likely because she is a prostitute.
The Duke of Venice: As ruler of the city, he orders Othello to fight in war against their enemies
in Cyprus. If Othello holds this deed, he can stay with Desdemona, which leads them to the
forsaken city of Cyprus.

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Brabantio: A renowned Venetian citizen and father of Desdemona who feels betrayed by
Othello's deeds because the snake spit venom in his ear. He foreshadows betrayal by telling
Othello if Desdemona is willing to deceive her own father, she's willing to deceive him too.
"The poor soul sat singing by a sycamore tree.
Sing all a green willow..."
*image of maps, willow tree, Shakespeare, and Shakespeare quote*
"Sing willow, willow, willow; Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones..."
*polls, map of Venice
*Othello simplified by Thug Notes YouTube video
*Symbaloo resources

Elements - Important Themes: (page 2)

*my YouTube Video
Allegory - A narrative that has 2 meanings one literal or surface meaning and the other
metaphorical (the characters and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. An example
of this is the handkerchief Othello gave Desdemona; it represents both just a piece of cloth with
some sentimental value and the loyalty and trust thrown away in Othello's vivid imagination.

Allusion - Any reference, direct or indirect, to a person, place, event, or character in history,
literature, mythology, etc. An example of this is nearly every character calling Othello "The

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Moor."

Catastrophe - the concluding action of a tragedy, where the principal character meets with death
or other significant defeat. An example of this was the death of Othello, Iago, Desdemona, and
Emilia.

Catharsis - Purgation or purification of the emotions of pity and fear from the viewing of a tragic
drama. An example of this is when we watch Othello's descent into madness, we feel an
unending sorrow for his pain.

Characters - Living beings in a work of fiction. Examples are the characters themselves, i.e.
Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, etc.

Comic Relief - A humorous scene, incident or speech in the course of a serious fiction or drama.
An example of comic relief is when the character Rodregio's foolishness appears, giving the
audience a laugh.

Conceit - An ingenious and fanciful notion or conception through an elaborate analogy showing
striking parallel between two dissimilar things. An example of this is when Iago assumes Othello
has slept with his wife with no proof at all, other than him losing his job.

Connotation - The suggested or emotional meaning of a word as compared with its dictionary
definition. An example of this is the use of the word wretch; back in Shakespearean time,

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everyone was considered a wretch, so if you were to be called a good wretch, you were deemed
higher than mediocre.

Context - The setting or frame of reference in which an event takes place. An example of this is
when Iago "pours pestilence" in Othello's ear; in order for his venom to work, Iago had to make
Othello doubt his wife's loyalty, so he put that into context.

Effect - The impression made by a literary work on a reader or society. An example of this is the
effect Othello has on modern day society, showing how muddled communication can be, and
how we still suffer from miscommunication.

Hamartia - The tragic flaw or error of judgment

Invocation - An address to a god or muse whose aid is sought. An example of this is when Iago
asks help from Janus, the two-faced god.

Socratic Irony - Pretending to be ignorant when in fact the character is being cautious or
tentative. Iago is the perfect example for this: he pretends to be innocent but is actually wanting
revenge.

Verbal Irony - Contrast between what is stated and what is suggested. An example of this is when
Iago uses the metaphor for cheating in Act IV.

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Mood - The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the words images situations in a literary
work. An example of this is the somber mood Othello gives.

Plot - The action that which happens in a literary work. An example is the plot of Othello,
which is basically one man who wants to ruin everything for everyone but then ends up getting
caught and dying, with a spritz of Greek tragedy.

Complication - smaller actions or events which confound and compound the original problem. A
great example is that damn handkerchief getting lost.

Crisis - The turning point for better or worse in a play. The crisis in Othello would be when
Othello asks Iago to kill Cassio for him, while Othello plans to strangle Desdemona.

Climax - A point of high emotional intensity often the protagonist and antagonist clash for the
last time. The climax of Othello is when Roregio and Cassio fight in Act V, and while Othello
and Desdemona argue.

Denouement - Falling action, the conclusion of a plot, the resolution. The resolution of Othello is
when Emilia finally catches Iago and tries to tell authorities what he's done.

Recognition - The moment at which a chief character recognizes the happy or awful truth. An
example is when Othello realizes that Iago manipulated him, and Desdemona was innocent.

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Reversal - The thrilling change of luck for the protagonist at the last moment. An example of this
is when Iago is cursed by Emilia, making his luck turn sour.

Setting - A combination of locale, historical period, season or hour, and spiritual, ethnic and
cultural background. The setting of Othello is four hundred years before the Shakespearean era,
and takes place in Italy, specifically Venice and Cyprus.

Tone - The writers or speakers attitude toward his subject, audience, or himself. An example of
this is the character's tone: Iago is deceptive, Othello is noble, Rodregio is foolish, etc.

Tragedy - A serious fiction involving the downfall of a hero or heroine, also called Othello.

Tragic Flaw - In a tragedy, the defect in the hero that leads to a downfall. An example of this is
Othello's wild imagination, which leads to his death.

Tragic Irony - the most noble and most deserving person, because of the very grounds of his or
her excellence, dies in defeat. An example of this is Desdemona, who although never lied, never
cheated, and always loved Othello, was killed.

Act I: (page 3)
*Summary of Act I: Courtesy of Cliff Notes*

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Act I of Othello starts with a devil and his fool. Iago, with Rodregio beside him, sets off to start
his master plan. Since Iago wants Othello to feel the world has turned against him, Iago
manipulates Rodregio's strings. You see, Rodregio wants Desdemona, the lovely daughter of
Brabantio, but Othello has already married her. Iago promises the maiden to Rodregio, as long as
Rodregio does exactly what he says. Iago being the pimp, Rodregio being the loyal customer.
Rodregio's racist views towards Othello comes out in spite of Othello eloping with "his"
Desdemona, and Iago takes advantage of his ignorance. Iago in his masters and slaves speech
(Act I Scene I) accentuates his racism in order to fully control Rodregio, while also showing his
mastermind complex of manipulating emotion. Here's the speech itself: "O, sir, content you;
I follow him to serve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd:
Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
Do well thrive by them and when they have lin'd their coats
Do themselves homage. These fellows have some soul;
And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,

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It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago.
In following him, I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am."
-Othello Act 1 Scene 1 (41-65)
Othello, being the well-esteemed Venetian general, gives Iago's job as lieutenant to Cassio,
which angers Iago into a deceitful fury. In order to stir chaos, Iago convinces Rodregio to wake
Brabantio from his slumber with news of infidelity concerning the Moor and his precious
daughter. The snake also pontificates Brabantio, combating one argument after another. Iago not
only is able to install fear by making Brabantio paranoid about his daughter, but he also uses
Brabantio's racism to inflict the blame on Othello, without even making himself apparent. Iago's
manipulation gives him a stronger hold on the situation, and leads influential people against
Othello.The Devil has come out to play, even in the first act. Every devilish line is listed here in
Act I:
"Though I do hate him as I do hell paines"
-Iago

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"To find out practises of cunning hell"
-Brabantio

"Be not too hard for my wits, and all the Tribe of hell..."
-Iago

"I hau't: it is engendred: Hell, and Night..."

-Iago

"Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you."

-Iago

"...and the Moor, are making the Beast with two backs."
-Iago

"You are one of those that will not serve God..."

-Iago
In the darkness of the middle of the night, Brabantio can only see Rodregio speaking. Iago is
clouded under shadows. Once poison is seeped into Branbantio's ear, the courtly Venetian citizen
arises to seek out Othello, and to bring him to prison for his crimes of foul against his devoted
daughter Desdemona. Once the party has found Othello, Iago makes himself appear innocent to
the incentive, and he's coined "Honest Iago." Iago then refers to Janus Relevant, for he is the God
of multiple faces, and having multiple intentions. Iago is two-faced.

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"By Janus, I think no..."
-Iago (Act I Scene II)
Brabantio declares Othello to show at the Venetian Court, and charges him with witchcraft (black
magic) in front of the Duke of Venice. Brabantio is tenacious in believing that his daughter was
possessed, and determinedly fuels the fight with emotion. However, Othello's sorcery of words
work. Othello's defense of love was so powerfully spoken that no one could believe he cursed
Desdemona to fall in love with him. The Military Council's workings were just like the battle
between Othello and Brabantio; like Heaven and Hell, and like Venice and Cyprus in war.
Yet the Venetian Military needed Othello to fight, so they promised him that he could keep
Desdemona as long as he wins the war. Othello won against Brabantio and Cyprus. Whilst in
war, Iago displays his true motives in a soliloquy. Iago believes love is a corrupt weapon that
only causes destruction rather than happiness. This is Iago's own words, paraphrased: "I'm not
just manipulating for money, I despise Othello. He's not only taken away my rightful and
honorable job as Lieutenant, but he has been sleeping with my wife. It's not fact, only rumored,
but I will believe it to be true as if I saw the deed with my own eyes. He trusts me, my facade of
'Honest Iago.' I will use that to my advantage. I'll ruin him. I will make him regret putting Cassio
in my shoes, and I'll curse him with a whore's luck too. Then he'll know how it feels. Curse
Othello."

Act II: (page 4)

*Summary of Act II: Courtesy of Cliff Notes*

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Act II of Othello takes place in Cyprus, first on its shore then in its inner city. After the war is
won, Othello and the Venetian Military celebrate the victory. I like to refer to Cyprus as "What
happens in Cyprus stays in Cyprus." With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as
Cassio
-Iago (Act II Scene I) What Iago means by this quote is that he'll be able to ensnare Cassio and
everything he stands for, along with Othello, by making his chivalry look like unrequited love
towards Desdemona. He knows that the Moor is insecure himself, and the smallest seed of doubt,
the smallest spit of venom, will drive Othello mad. Someone as attractive and generously kind as
Cassio will look like a threat to Othello, if his view is warped enough by Iago. The tiniest little
nudge by "Honest" Iago with seemingly good intentions will end in peril. That's the power of
Iago's words, the snake's venom can control the black spider himself by making his safety net of
a web turn into a playground of pawns and devils. Pontification is the overload of information,
the machine-gun retaliation of arguments. An example of pontification in Act II is when Iago
pressures Cassio into drinking. Iago knows that Cassio is a heavy drinker, and that he'll be easier
to manipulate once he's intoxicated. Iago tries to drill in the notion that Desdemona is an
attractive woman, and Cassio agrees, but only in the most respectable way possible. When Iago
realizes that Cassio won't mess up and say something discourteous about her, he then pressures
the young lieutenant to drink in celebration. Cassio denies the offer, saying he already had a cup
of wine, but Iago pressures him harder, manipulating him into toasting for Othello's victory. He
also says that Cassio has two gentlemen waiting for his arrival at the celebration. Peer pressured,
Cassio can't turn down the offer. Iago plays a drinking game with the group of gentlemen
(including Cassio,) but is the one singing. Meaning he's the one pouring, not drinking. It's fitting
to see the Devil feed venom to the unsuspecting flies. Once Cassio is hazily intoxicated, Iago

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ushers Rodregio to pick a fight with him. Iago got the Cyprus guards drunk as well, so starting
chaos isn't hard at all. If everyone sees the bold and respectable Cassio drunkenly quarrel over
minuscule matters, his reputation will be tarnished, along with his new job. Iago also tells
Montano, the governor of Cyprus, that Cassio has a drinking problem, which hurts Cassio's
reputation even further. Rodregio in disguise (he wears a beard in order to continue their ploy)
attacks Cassio, and Cassio of course retaliates back and causes a scene. Montano tries to calm
Cassio, and believing Cassio has a drinking problem, tells him that he must quit the liquor.
Cassio, drunk and foolish, takes this as a threat, and attacks Montano. Othello enters the riot,
wondering what the hell is causing all this noise. When he sees Cassio attacking a high-class
officer, he strips Cassio of his job as lieutenant. When the scene has calmed, Iago comforts
Cassio, exclaiming that reputations are worthless. He persuades Cassio by telling him to beg
Desdemona for his job back, saying "the general's wife is as influential as the general himself."
However, Cassio doesn't know that Iago wants to "pour pestilence" into Othello's ear, making
jealously tear his mind apart. While Cassio visits Desdemona earnestly and without any other
intention than to get his job back, Iago will make sure that Othello sees two lovers in an affair."

"And whats he then that says I play the villain?

When this advice is free I give and honest,
Probal to thinking and indeed the course
To win the Moor again? For tis most easy
Th' inclining Desdemona to subdue
In any honest suit.
...How am I then a villain

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To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,
Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!
When devils will the blackest sins put on
They do suggest at first with heavenly shows
As I do now. For whiles this honest fool
Plies Desdemona to repair his fortune
And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,
Ill pour this pestilence into his ear:"
-IagoHere are all the hellish references in Act II:
"Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your
kitchens, Saints m your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and
housewives' in your beds."
-Iago

As hell's from Heauen

-Othello

"Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil?"
-Iago

"Diuinitie of hell, when diuels of the blackest sinnes put upon"

-Iago

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". . . a slipper and subtle knave, a finder of occasions, that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit
advantages, though true advantage never present itself; a devilish knave."
-Iago

"Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on. . .I'll pour this pestilence into his
ear,That she repeals him for her body's lust; And by how much she strives to do him good,She
shall undo her credit with the Moor."
-Iago

"O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!"
-Cassio

"It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows
me another, to make me frankly despise myself."
-Cassio

"Every inordinate cup is unblessed and the ingredient is a devil."

-Cassio

Act III: (page 5)

*Summary of Act III: Courtesy of Cliff Notes*
Cassio enters Act III with musicians in hopes that they'll lighten the mood, and make both
Desdemona and Othello feel better. Iago makes the first move of establishing "suspicious"

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behavior between Cassio and Desdemona by muttering under his breath, which Othello
overhears. Othello questions him, and Iago pretends to withhold bad news. When Cassio exits
quickly, the combination of Iago's muttering and his leave makes Othello suspicious. This is the
start of the end.
Othello says "chaos" will come again in Act III Scene III because he feels that if he didn't love
Desdemona before, seeing her will finalize it all. He'll tell if he truly loves her or not when she
graces by.
Iago specifically uses the words "indeed," "seems," and "think" early on in Act III Scene III
because he'd designed his words so intricately that the uncertainty will drive Othello mad. Iago
made sure that Othello doesn't exactly know that Cassio and Desdemona are lovers; that the
empty void of unknowing will eat him whole.
Iago uses a dozen methods of manipulation, if not more. One method is when Iago specifically
tells Othello that an honest man wouldn't sneak away so guiltily, as Cassio had done before.
Another method is when Iago acts like he knows something about Cassio and Desdemona that
Othello doesn't know, and he forces Othello to drill it from him. Although it seems like Iago has
something hidden underneath that layer of honest with which Othello wants to know, all that's
really there is a devilish coward. Iago's "secret" will seem more believable because Othello has
to drag out bad information from an "honest" man. Another tactic is when Iago acts doubtful in
telling this secret, as if he doesn't want to hurt Othello. Yet all this snake wants is to kill the black
spider. "Perchance vicious in guess," says Iago (translation: I might be wrong.) Iago also uses a
metaphor of cheating to describe the relentless void of jealously, which Othello's imagination
takes and turns into a fury of agony and betrayal, making his lovely Desdemona with the

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wonderful Cassio give him terrible seziures. Another strategy Iago uses is when he suggests
Desdemona is willing to lie again, as she did with her father when they got married. Othello's
imagination connects her betrayal to the rumor of her new lover, which Iago suggests that she
could just as easily cheat on her own husband.
Othello reveals his insecurities to Iago, which the Devil immediately acts upon. Not only is
Othello insecure about his mental state and his age, he feels he can't please a woman like Cassio
can, with which Iago makes pure agony for him. Comparing yourself to others will kill you.
Once Othello has his terrible seizure, Desdemona find him hurt, and comforts him. After seeing
her wonderful joy, he finds himself so foolish to think such terrible things about the lovely
Desdemona. She assumes that what he has is a headache, so she cools his head with a
handkerchief decorated with woven strawberries. He assures her that he feels fine, and she drops
the handkerchief on their bed. Such a small moment lead to the fates deciding life. Emilia,
Desdemona's hand-maiden, finds the handkerchief, and keeps it for herself, thinking that
Desdemon' wouldn't need such a thing if she neglected it here anyway. Iago finds her, and finds
the handkerchief with her. Emilia gives her husband the handkerchief, as she was planning to
anyway as a good gesture, but becomes suspicious when Iago is thrilled to have a piece of cloth.
With this materialistic matter, sentimentality will drive Othello into the depths of jealously, a
void where only the hopeless go.
In fact Iago states himself that the most treacherous part of envy is when you begin to fabricate
the events of betrayal, even when your evidence consists of nothing but covetousness itself. A
loophole of agony, and in Othello's case, an entire void of endless possibilities where in reality
there are none. Below are five quotes that are incredibly important to Othello's plot:

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Your napkin is too little, Let it alone. Her handkerchief falls.
-Othello
Othello says this to Desdemona after she tries to comfort his headache. The quote in literal terms
means that handkerchief is too small to give him comfort. Figuratively, it could mean the last of
Othello's sanity left him. He completely believes in a lie conspired in part by ago, but mostly by
his own insecurity. This is an important quote, if not the most important, because it is the symbol
of tragedy in such a small amount of time with such a minuscule object.

Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ.
-Iago
In his monologue, Iago explains how he has planted the "seed" of doubt in Othello's mind. It is
imperative to the plot because it shows how powerful emotional manipulation is by someone
who seems trustworthy. It completes Othello's madness, and it shows how even a warrior of a
terrible past can be undone by unreality.

"She did deceive her father, marrying you, And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks,
She loved them most.
-Iago
Iago says this to Othello, which not only is an insult, but a powerful, if not the most impactful,
manipulation which irreversibly erases Othello's sanity. This argument describing how
Desdemona's actions can repeat themselves pushes Othello off the edge completely.

Ill see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove, And on the proof there is no more but this: Away at

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once with love or jealousy!
-Othello
In this quote, you can see Othello's complete transition into emotional suspicion. It was this same
mentality that killed his wife and that killed himself. The meaning behind my saying is that
Othello needed to see faith in his own wife, but didn't even have an ounce of faith in himself. It's
easy to see how easily manipulated he was.

Oh, curse of marriage That we can call these delicate creatures ours, And not their appetites!
-Iago
I found this quote interesting as it suggests that even hundreds of years ago, men can not control
women and other men like animals, like cattle. It also suggests that Shakespeare thought poorly
of marriage, as an ephemeral happiness that turns quicker than sour milk. In this quote Othello
tears his mind apart after Iago leaves him to his own devices. This quote shows the direct
miscommunication that stems from a jealous heart.
To further incriminate Cassio, Iago puts the lovely handkerchief right into the hands of Cassio, or
his bed, where he and his courtesan Bianca lie at night. If Othello sees Cassio with the
handkerchief, he'll take it as sure proof and will kill his innocent love.
Othello, finally into complete emotional fury, threatens Iago, and forces him to give him any
proof that Desdemona has slept with Cassio. Iago, not breaking character, pretends to be hurt by
his words. Iago swears that he should've never been honest. Othello starts to believe him slightly
more than before because of this. Iago pretends to finally spit out the secret he's been holding in,
telling Othello that Cassio talks in his sleep, and dreams about Desdemona constantly. Othello
then wants Cassio dead. It's amazing to see how powerful yet gullible a person can be in their

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emotional state; Iago changed Othello from a logical proof-seeking man to someone willing to
kill in spite of emotion.
When Othello enters his chambers, Desdemona immediately notices his strangeness. She
assumes he's acting strange because of the stress he's under, and because she lost the "precious"
and cursed handkerchief somewhere.

Act IV: (page 6)

*Summary of Act IV: Courtesy of Sparknotes*
Iago uses a hypothetical argument to get into Othello's head. He asks what if you were to just
kiss another woman, or appear to be naked in bed with her, would that be harmful to your
marriage? Iago only uses this to portray the image of Cassio with Desdemona, which leads him
to tell Othello about the handkerchief.
Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is guilty because of his sleep talking, and to incriminate
Cassio even further, Iago has Othello hide in the corner while Iago talks to Cassio. Iago will talk
to Cassio about Bianca, his courtesan, but Iago purposely says Desdemona's name loudly during
their conversation so it appears that they are talking about Desdemona. Since Cassio seems to be
less respectful towards Bianca, although he loves her, this angers Othello because it seems that
Cassio treats Desdemona's love like any other whore.
Speaking of prostitutes, Bianca appears in the conversation, with the terribly unfortunate item
itself: the handkerchief. She is angered that the handkerchief belongs to someone else, and she

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says Cassio can visit once he actually comes compensated. She leaves in an angered hurry, and
Iago tells Cassio to go chase after her.
Othello comes out of the shadows, and now he's completely certain of the facade: Desdemona
slept with this man. Iago doesn't stop talking about how Cassio held the handkerchief, and how
he'd given Desdemona' precious item to a whore. Othello wants both Cassio and Desdemona
dead.
Iago suggests killing Desdemona by strangling her rather than poisoning her. He says that
strangling her in the same bed she committed infidelity is a fitting death, but really Iago wants
Othello to suffer from killing his wife as much as possible. Poisoning is too indirect and too swift
a killing; strangling can last minutes, sometimes even hours. Othello will be in ultimate agony,
strangling his own wife.
Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore, suggesting that she committed adultery, but she
consistently denied such an accusation. He slaps her and walks away. In her bed chambers
Emilia and Iago himself comfort her. Emilia grows suspicious as to who is spreading lies about
Desdemona and infidelity, and she curses them. Unknowingly, she curses her husband with The
Serpent's Curse. The Serpent's Curse is the curse that God put on the serpent of the Devil in the
garden of Eden for deceiving Adam and Eve into eating fruit from the forbidden tree. It lasted in
the serpent losing his feet, and from then on Lucifer was forbidden to walk the earth.
Since Iago became cursed by Emilia, luck nearly dried completely out for him. Emilia nearly
finds out about his ploy, and tries his best to keep her silent. On the other hand Rodregio yells at
Iago, furious at him for losing everything he has. Iago almost loses two pawns, but is still able to
manipulate Rodregio into killing Cassio for him.

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With revenge plotted against innocent lives, Desdemona still recovers from Othello hitting her in
front of noblemen such as Montano and Lodovico. As she's recovering in bed, she feels a wave
of melancholy hit her. She feels the need to sing the Willow Song, a beautiful song about how
much a widow loved her befallen. Although Emilia is with her, Desdemona still feels an
unending desolation. She feels a weary need to know who is knocking on the door, but Emilia
denies the sound, blaming it on the wind. Emilia also notices how strange Desdemona has
become, talking about how short-lived her life is. What she doesn't know is that Death is
knocking on her door, foreshadowing Desdemona's terrible end.
Emilia tries to comfort Desdemona, saying that it's not her fault at all that someone is spreading
lies. In fact, many women commit adultery all the time, as said by Emilia. According to Emilia,
it's "husband's faults if wives do fall" because they never treated their wives as human beings.
Here is every single Devil/Hell reference in Act IV:
"A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!"
-Emilia

"It is hypocrisy against the devil:

They that mean virtuously, and yet do so, The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven. "
-Iago

"And keep the gate of hell!"

-Othello

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"Is't possible?--Confess--handkerchief!--O devil"
-Othello

"Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell."

-Othello

"Let the devil and his dam haunt you!"

- Bianca

"Ay, there, look grim as hell!"

-Othello

"O, 'tis the spite of hell, the fiend's arch-mock"

-Othello

"Devil!"
-Othello

"O devil, devil!"

-Othello

"Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves"

-Othello

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Act V: (page 7)
*Summary of Act V: Courtesy of Sparknotes*
Act V starts off with the fight between Rodregio and Cassio. Iago benefits from this "no lose
situation" because he wins either way the situation goes, for example: if Rodregio dies, then the
secret about the money-loaning is kept safe, if Cassio dies, the secret about the handkerchief is
kept safe, but if they both die, no secrets spill.
The fight sprawls out between Rodregio and Cassio, ending up in Rodregio's death. Gratiano and
Lodovico don't run in to help at first because they're high-class government officials and can't
risk dying in the streets. After his death, Iago implies that Bianca is involved on the attack on
Cassio because both Iago and Rodregio planned to ambush him outside of Bianca's house.
Here is every Heaven/Hell reference in Act V:
"Here, here! for heavens sake, help me!"
-Cassio

". . . O heaven! Roderigo."

-Iago

"Marry, heaven forbid! Light, gentlemen; Ill bind it with my shirt."

-Iago

". . . I must weep, but they are cruel tears: this sorrows heavenly; it strikes where it doth
love. She wakes."

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-Othello

"If you bethink yourself of any crime unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace, solicit for
it straight."
-Othello

"Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
no; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul."
-Othello

"Then heaven have mercy on me!"

-Desdemona
"And have you mercy too! I never did offend you in my life; never loved Cassio but with
such general warranty of heaven as I might love: I never gave him token."
-Desdemona

"Twill out, twill out: I peace? No, I will speak as liberal as the north: let heaven and
men and devils, let them all, all, all, cry shame against me, yet Ill speak."
-Emilia

"Thou art rash as fire, to say that she was false: O, she was heavenly true!"
-Emilia

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"Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true, if heaven would make me such another world
of one entire and perfect chrysolite, Ild not have sold her for it."
-Othello

"Do thy worst this deed of thine is no more worthy heaven than thou wast worthy her."
Emilia
"O heavens forfend!"
-Everybody

"O heaven! O heavenly powers!"

-Emilia

"Twill out, twill out: I peace? No, I will speak as liberal as the north: let heaven and men
and devils, let them all, all, all, cry shame against me, yet Ill speak."
-Emilia

"By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen. O murderous coxcomb! What should such a
fool do with so good a woman?"
-Emilia

"Are there no stones in heaven but what serve for the thunder?Precious villain!"
-Othello

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". . . Whip me, ye devils, from the possession of this heavenly sight! Blow me about
in winds! . . ." -Othello

"Shes, like a liar, gone to burning hell: twas I that killd her." Othello

"Cassio did top her; ask thy husband else. O, I were damnd beneath all depth in hell, but
that I did proceed upon just grounds to this extremity. Thy husband knew it all."
-Othello
Othello's "put out the light" speech in the beginning of Act V Scene II is terribly ironic
because Othello compares Desdemona's life to that of a candle; while it's easy to put out the light
of both the candle and of Desdemona, and a candle can be relit, nothing can reanimate her again.
He puts his faith in her that she'll come to life again, but in the past he's never trusted her, an
ironic move for such a strong and gullible man.
Othello strangles Desdemona to death. Emilia enters the scene just after her death, and is
belligerent towards who committed such an act. Othello tried to pretend that he didn't do it by
asking who would do such a crime (he pulled an Iago by making himself look like he didn't kill
Desdemona,) but he didn't care enough to follow through. He felt guilty of his crime, and he is a
good man, despite killing his innocent love. He confessed immediately.
Eventually Othello kills himself, but not before Iago kills Emilia and he kills Iago. Emilia dies
from being stabbed and lies next to Desdemona, while Iago dies bleeding out on the cold hard
ground from being stabbed by Othello. Then Othello kills himself with a hidden dagger after
authorities took away his sword.

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When Othello wounds Iago, he claims he's happy he didn't die so quickly, because Othello
wanted to see him suffer through an infected wound. He also wanted to see him arrested for his
crimes.
Othello is a tragic hero, but he wouldn't be one without an impending flaw: his imagination. Iago
could've gotten nowhere with his plan if Othello just simply communicated with Desdemona and
Cassio. Yet it was his insecurities, and his vivid imagination that lead him on the brink of sanity.
Iago was there to push him off the edge, but Othello could've controlled the distance between
that edge by facing reality. Human imagination is a wonderful thing, but letting it loose in one
direction for too long of a time, and you'll end up in another world, a realm different from the
one you were born.
Othello is insanity meant for human kind to watch from a distance. I feel it was created to
showcase what kind of person to trust, and who you should be willing to give you're trust to.
Relationships, experiences, drama, etc. are just fickle matters, but it is the choices you decide
that determine where you go. You choose to inch closer to that brink of sanity, and you choose to
back away from that cliff.
To me the universal meaning of Othello is that trust is something you can't see, but it is
something you just know. You can let your wildest dreams take a hold of you, but you can't let go
of that one soul who can bring you back to reality, like taking a deep breath from drowning in a
haze of water and human imagination.
*Is a banana really a banana? Who knows?...*