Othello, the Moor of Venice
A devastating tragedy of jealousy, manipulation, and racial otherness in which the great general Othello is destroyed by his subordinate Iago — one of the most purely evil characters in literature — and driven to murder his innocent wife Desdemona.
At a Glance
- Genre: Tragedy
- Approximate date: c. 1603–1604
- Setting: Venice and Cyprus
- Source: Cinthio's Hecatommithi (7th story, 3rd decade)
- Acts: 5
Dramatis Personæ
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| OTHELLO | A noble Moor; general in Venice's service; tragically self-doubting |
| IAGO | Othello's ancient (ensign); the play's supreme villain; motiveless malignity |
| CASSIO | Othello's lieutenant; Iago's target; honest and well-liked |
| RODERIGO | Venetian gentleman; Iago's dupe; in love with Desdemona |
| BRABANTIO | Venetian Senator; Desdemona's father; dies of grief |
| DUKE OF VENICE | Sends Othello to Cyprus |
| GRATIANO | Brabantio's brother |
| LODOVICO | Kinsman to Brabantio; brings news from Venice |
| MONTANO | Othello's predecessor as governor of Cyprus |
| A CLOWN | Servant to Othello |
| DESDEMONA | Othello's wife; innocent; faithful; murdered |
| EMILIA | Iago's wife; Desdemona's attendant; reveals the truth |
| BIANCA | Cassio's mistress; used as "evidence" against Desdemona |
Plot Summary
Act I: Iago, passed over for promotion (Cassio was made lieutenant), plots revenge on Othello. He alerts Brabantio that his daughter Desdemona has secretly married the Moor. Othello is summoned before the Duke; he eloquently defends his marriage. The Duke sends Othello to Cyprus. Iago reveals his plan to Roderigo: he will use Cassio to destroy Othello.
Act II: In Cyprus, a storm destroys the Turkish fleet. Cassio arrives first; then Desdemona; then Othello. In the celebration, Iago gets Cassio drunk; Cassio quarrels with Roderigo and wounds Montano. Othello strips Cassio of his lieutenancy. Iago counsels Cassio to petition Desdemona to plead his case.
Act III: Iago begins his psychological campaign. He plants the first seeds of jealousy ("Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago"), exploiting Cassio's innocent conversations with Desdemona. He obtains Desdemona's handkerchief (the first gift Othello gave her) from Emilia. He tells Othello that Cassio has the handkerchief — "evidence" of an affair. Othello is transformed: "Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content!" He demands "ocular proof." Iago arranges for Othello to overhear a conversation with Cassio about Bianca that seems to be about Desdemona.
Act IV: Othello falls into an epileptic fit. He strikes Desdemona publicly. Lodovico arrives from Venice; he is horrified by what he sees. Roderigo is persuaded to kill Cassio. Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona; is told she is faithful; does not believe it. The "willow scene": Desdemona and Emilia talk of unfaithful husbands; Desdemona sings the willow song.
Act V: Iago and Roderigo attack Cassio; Cassio is wounded; Iago kills Roderigo to silence him. Othello, in a terrible ceremonial calm, smothers Desdemona. Emilia arrives; she insists on telling the truth; she reveals Iago's manipulation of the handkerchief. Iago kills Emilia. Othello, recognizing his catastrophic error, stabs himself and dies kissing Desdemona. Iago refuses to speak; is taken to torture.
Key Themes
- Jealousy — "the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on" (Iago's warning, which he himself embodies)
- Race and otherness — Othello's race is central to his vulnerability to Iago's manipulation of his sense of social displacement
- Iago's evil — Coleridge's "motiveless malignity"; Iago's motives are shifting and potentially ironic
- Appearance vs. reality — "I am not what I am" (Iago, I.i)
- Love and trust — Othello's love is absolute; his destruction of it is absolute
Notable Quotations
"I am not what I am." *(Iago, I.i)*
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on." *(Iago, III.iii)*
"She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them." *(Othello, I.iii)*
"Put out the light, and then put out the light." *(Othello, V.ii)*
"I have done the state some service, and they know 't." *(Othello, V.ii)*
LibriVox Recording
Othello audiobook on LibriVox — Free public domain recording.
Cross-references
- Tragedies — genre context; one of the four "great tragedies"
- Hamlet — revenge, deception, the malevolent counsellor
- Much Ado About Nothing — Don John's plot to destroy Hero's reputation prefigures Iago
- The Merchant of Venice — race and marginalization in Venice