Key Events

Test yourself

Iago’s Treachery

Act One Scene Two establishes Othello as a commanding, composed character, while reinforcing Iago’s treachery.

Events

Act One Scene Two opens with our first presentation of Othello as Iago deceives him into believing he is his faithful and loyal supporter.
Cassio tells Othello the state needs him, as war is imminent with the Turks in Cyprus, while Brabantio alleges Othello of seducing Desdemona with magic and drugs and calls for his arrest.
Othello remains calm and believes his service for the state will stand him in good favour.

Iago’s treachery

Iago seamlessly switches from inciting Brabantio and Roderigo’s hatred to instead appearing supportive and loyal to Othello, claiming he wished to violently attack Roderigo ‘under the ribs’ as he was so angered by his reaction to news of the marriage.
Othello calmly replies ‘Tis better as it is’, establishing him as a commanding, composed character.

Cassio’s call

Michael Cassio’s first appearance comes with news from Cyprus as Othello has been ‘hotly called for’ by the Duke to assist ‘on the instant’ with the imminent Turkish invasion.
Here, we see how vital Othello’s services are to the state, and how well respected he is by the most authoritative of figures – the Duke – in Venice.

Brabantio and Othello’s Reaction

Brabantio’s response to Othello upon meeting him is coarse and direct and is heavy with racist prejudices that may have been common of the time.

Brabantio’s response

Brabantio’s response to Othello upon meeting him is coarse and direct: he bemoans Othello as a ‘foul thief’ who has ‘stowed’, ‘enchanted’ and ‘abused’ his ‘delicate’ daughter.
He accuses Othello of deceiving and forcing Desdemona’s hand in marriage using ‘drugs or minerals that weakens motion’.

Foreignness

Brabantio constantly refers to Othello’s 'otherness' - an idea with runs throughout Othello - both in racial and social terms as he laments that Desdemona has ‘shunned the wealthy curled darlings of our nation’ for Othello’s ‘sooty bosom’.

‘Arts inhibited and out of warrant’

His references to ‘arts inhibited and out of warrant’ imply Brabantio believes Othello has used voodoo or black magic to seduce Desdemona.
He seems to make assumptions about Othello based on common prejudices rather than any knowledge he has of Othello.

Predictions

At the end of the scene, he suggests that allowance of the marriage may even lead to wider societal corruptive consequences – he warns that ‘if such actions may have passage free / Bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be’.

1Context

1.1Introduction

1.1.1Specifications

1.2Background

1.2.1Shakespeare

1.2.2Love

1.2.3Tragedy

1.2.4Historical Context

1.3Othello

1.3.1Setting

1.3.2Social Issues

2Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure

2.1.2The Exam

2.2Scene One

2.2.1Key Events

2.2.2Key Themes

2.2.3Key Ideas

2.3Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events

2.3.2Key Themes

2.3.3Key Ideas

2.4Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events

2.4.2Key Events 2

2.4.3Key Themes

2.4.4Key Ideas

3Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events

3.1.2Key Events 2

3.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy

3.1.4Scene Two: Events

3.2Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events

3.2.2Key Ideas

4Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two

4.1.2Scene Three

4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas

4.1.4Scene Four

5Act Four

5.1Scene One

5.1.1Key Events

5.1.2Key Ideas

5.2Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events

5.2.2Key Ideas

5.3Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events

5.3.2Key Ideas

6Act Five

6.1Scene One

6.1.1Key Events

6.1.2Key Ideas

6.2Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events

6.2.2Key Ideas

7Character Profiles

7.1Major Characters

7.1.1Othello

7.1.2Iago

7.1.3Desdemona

7.1.4Emilia

7.1.5Cassio

7.2Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio

7.2.2Other Characters

8Key Themes

8.1Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love

8.1.2Love 2

8.1.3Tragedy

8.1.4Tragedy 2

8.2Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private

8.2.2Appearance & Reality

9Writing Techniques

9.1Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure

9.1.2Genre

9.1.3Form & Language

9.1.4Language & Imagery

10Critical Debates

10.1Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy

10.1.2Traditional

10.1.3Modern & Contemporary

10.2Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach

10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

10.2.3Marxist Approach

11Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1Specification A

11.1.1Specification A

11.1.2Love Through the Ages

11.2Specification B

11.2.1Specification B

11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy

12Issues of Assessment

12.1The Exams

12.1.1AOs

12.1.2Mark Scheme

Jump to other topics