Othello, the Moor of Venice

Plot
Othello, the Moor of
Venice, was written by
William Shakespeare, in
1603, and it was
plushed for the first
time, in 1622, more or
less.
It is a play theat wrote
in five acts.

This shakespearean tragedy is the love history between the Moor

Othello and Desdmona, the Brabncio's daughter. Othello is a
general of the Republic of Venice that marriege in secret with
Desdmona, the Senator Brabncio' daughter.
When his alferes Iago discovers it, for envy and revenge against
the Moor, because he named Cassio, and not he, as his lieutenant,
he decide, together Rodrigo, to go to Brabncio's house and talk
to he that Othello had kidnapped Desdmona.
The Senator didn't believe it, and orders to his employees that call
Desdmona in her bedroom, but she is not there. Brabncio goes
with Iago and his soldiers to take satisfaction with Othello, but, in
the same time, Cassio arrives with a message of the doge to
Othello. Then, everybody goes to doge meet. The doge ask to
Othello goes, with his soldiers, to protect the Chipre Island
against the turkish invasion.

 After talks over Republic troubles, the Senator

Brabncio accuses Othello to bewitch and to kidnap his
daughter, Desdmona. Othello says that the Senador
Brabncio always liked to hear his histories about his
life and adventures of war, and hearing these histories,
Dedmona be in love with he. And this was his unique
bewitch.
He ask that Desdmona arrives for she to confirm that it
is true. Desdmona confirms and Brabncio tells for she
that he preferred to have an adopted daughter that like
she one. Then, he bless the couple, but wish to Othello
that she doesn't deceive he like she do with her father.
Othello goes to Chipre with Cassio, Iago, Rodrigo and his
soldiers in separate vessels. During the journey, a storm
destroied the turkish vessels.

 In the Chipre Island, Iago prepare a plan to Othello sack Cassio, doing
Cassio, Rodrigo and other soldiers drunks and foughts among their.
When Othello wakes up because the noise, he decides to sack
Cassio.
Iago pretending to be Cassio friends, advises he to find Desdmona
and to ask to she to convince Othello to reinstate he. Desdmona
promises help you.
Iago begins to invite lies for Othello saying that Cassio and
Desdmona are lovers. Othello come to house and to see Iago
talking to Desdmona, then, he believes that is being betrayed.
At night, during the dinner, Othello says to Desdmona that he is not
feeling well and he is headache. Desdmona ask to he if she could
hold his head with her handkerchief. Othello rejects and they goes to
have dinner. Desdmona forgets her handkerchief, then Emilia get it
and gives to Iago.
Iago meets Othello and he ask to Iago gives to him a proof that
Desdmona is an adulter. Iago answers that he saw the Desdmona's
handkerchief with Cassio.

 Meanwhile, Desdmona ask to Emilia if she had saw her

handkerchief, but Emilia answers that not.
Othello arrives and pretending to be coughing, he ask to Desdmona
her handkerchief. She says that it don't to be with she. They begins
to discuss. Cassio gives the Desdmona's handkerchief to his lover,
Bianca and ask to she to make a copy of it.
Othello receives an order to arrives to Venice and Cassio would stay
in his place. Rodrigo and Iago pretends a fighter to kill Cassio.
In her bedroom, Desdmona take a shower and goes to bed to wait
for Othello. He arrives to house and, looking for Desdmona
sleeping, after hurt she, he kissed her lips untill she wakes up.
Othello ask to Desdmona to make a pray and, after they discuss, he
kills Desdmona suffocated with her pillow.
Emilia come into the bedroom and confesses that was she that
stealled and gaves to Iago the Desdmona' handkerchief. Iago stabs
Emilia and she goes to bed and dies next to Desdmona. Othelo
stabs Iago and after, stabs himself.

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. In spite of his elevated
status, he is nevertheless easy prey to
insecurities because of his age, his life as a
soldier, and his race.

Desdemona - The daughter of the Venetian senator

Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married
before the play begins. While in many ways
stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also
determined and self-possessed. 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 twentyeight years old. While his ostensible reason for desiring
Othellos demise is that he has been passed over for promotion
to lieutenant, Iagos motivations are never very clearly
expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost
aesthetic delight in manipulation and destruction.
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.

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.

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.

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
in Act I, scene iii, and then 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: his puns on the
word lie in Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate
Othellos confusion of two meanings of that word in Act IV,
scene i.

Themes

Jealousy
Othello is the most famous literary work that focuses on the dangers of
jealousy. The play is a study of how jealousy can be fueled by mere
circumstantial evidence and can destroy lives.
Race
Othello is one of the first black heroes in English literature. A military
general, he has risen to a position of power and influence. At the same time,
however, his status as a black-skinned foreigner in Venice marks him as an
outside and exposes him to some pretty overt racism, especially by his wife's
father, who believes his daughter's interracial marriage can only be the result
of Othello's trickery.
Gender
Gender relations are pretty antagonistic in Othello. Unmarried women are
regarded as their fathers' property and the play's two marriages are marked
by male jealousy and cruelty (both wives are murdered by their own
husbands). Most male characters in Othello assume that all Venetian
women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why female sexuality is a
huge threat to men in the play. Othello is easily convinced his wife is
cheating on him and feels emasculated and humiliated as a result.

Sex
Shakespeare's play explores some common sixteenth century anxieties about
miscegenation (interracial sex and marriage) by examining the relationship
between a black man who marries a white woman, accuses her of being
unfaithful, and then strangles her on her wedding sheets. In Othello, most male
characters assume that women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why all
three women characters in the play are accused of sexual infidelity.
Marriage
Shakespeare's portrayal of marriage is pretty bleak in Othello. The play begins with
a conflict between Desdemona's husband and her father, who sees his daughter's
elopement as a kind of theft of his personal property. The play's two wives
(Desdemona and Emilia) are both unfairly accused of infidelity, and both wives are
murdered by their abusive husbands.

Manipulation
Othello's villain, Iago, may be literature's most impressive master of deception. Iago
plots with consummate sophistication, carefully manipulating Othello (without any
real proof) into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful. His understanding of
the human psyche is phenomenal, as is his ability to orchestrate a complicated
interweaving of pre-planned scenarios. Iago's deception is potent because of his
patience, his cleverness, and what seems to be his intrinsic love of elegant
manipulation.

Warfare
Since the play's protagonist is a military general, war is always hovering in the
background in Othello. But the only actual battle the play promises is avoided,
thanks to bad weather. The real battleground of the play, it turns out, is the mind.
Many critics read Othello as an extended war allegory; it is possible to see Iago's
machinations as the strategic planning of a general, individual victories as minor
battles, and the three resulting deaths the casualties of psychological combat. The
play also dwells on the relationship between masculine identity, war, and sexuality.

Hate
Hatred is supposed to have a cause, some concrete event or insult that
inspires a lasting rage. But in Othello, the play's villain is motivated by a hatred
that seems to elude any reasonable definition. Iago's hatred and his
determination to destroy his boss, Othello, seems out of proportion with the
reasons he gives for it: anger that Othello did not promote him or jealousy
that Othello might have slept with Iago's wife. Iago's loathing has been
famously called a "motiveless malignancy" that redefines our understanding
of hatred, making it seem a self-propelling passion rather than the
consequence of any particular action.
Identity
In Othello, Shakespeare explores factors that play an important role in the
formations of one's identity race, gender, social status, family relationships,
military service, etc. Othello is also concerned with how an individual's sense
of identity (which can break down and be manipulated by others) shapes his
or her actions.