Key Events

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Iago's Plot

While Othello and Desdemona retire to bed, Cassio is put in charge of the watch. Iago then puts his plan into action.

Iago's trick

While Othello and Desdemona retire to bed, Cassio is put in charge of the watch.
Iago then tricks Cassio into drinking to the point of drunkenness and Roderigo provokes him according to plan, immediately confirming Iago’s slanderous prediction of Cassio’s uncontrolled behaviour to the governor, Montano.

Cassio's disgrace

Cassio strikes Roderigo and wounds Montano, who has intervened to stop the fight.
Othello is roused from bed and to anger.
He dismisses Cassio from his service after hearing Iago’s cunning account of the incident.

Advice

Cassio appeals for advice from Iago, regarding the loss of his reputation and denouncing the demon drink.
The latter plays the good friend and tells him to use Desdemona to try to get his place back since the ‘General’s wife’ is now ‘the General’.

Desdemona

Iago’s description of Desdemona is low and coarse, contrasting with the flattering and courteous comments that Cassio makes about her.
Iago has set up revellers to trap Cassio into having to be sociable and to toast to the health of ‘black Othello’ or prove himself ill-mannered.

Iago

Thus Iago uses virtues as well as faults against their owners to unmake what has been made: the lieutenancy, the marital union, and the respect of Cypriots for Venetians.

Iago's Plot 2

Iago manages the action, entrances and exits, and timing of this scene in a masterly fashion, and comes out of it well himself.

Drunkenness

In Iago’s view, real men can hold their drink, and be the life and soul of the party, as he can.
Drunkenness was seen as a state akin to bestiality, since it involves loss of clear vision and reason, and is an ‘enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains’.

Iago's cunning

Iago manages the action, entrances and exits, and timing of this scene in a masterly fashion, and comes out of it well himself: he diminishes people’s reputations, both in their eyes and in the view of others, and raises himself in everyone’s esteem.

Illustrative background for Sex ?? "content

Sex

Whenever Iago can get in a reference to sex, he does so, as in the ‘bride and groom / Divesting them for bed’, and his speech equates love with ‘opposition bloody’ and the battle imagery of ‘swords’, ‘tilting’, ‘odds’ and ‘action’.

Speech

Speech and the disadvantages of those who cannot speak (Cassio and Montano), are made clear in this scene.
Double-talking Iago can speak in a way that both condemns Cassio and yet appears to be pleading on his behalf, as a loyal friend would.

Wrath

It is of crucial significance that Othello says, ‘My blood begins my safer guides to rule, / And passion, having my best judgement collied, / Always to lead the way’.
This is tantamount to having fallen: letting passion overrule the safer guide of judgement, as in Adam’s original sin.
To reinforce a recurring image, ‘collied’ means ‘blackened’.
Othello never recovers from his giving way to the deadly sin of wrath at this moment.

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

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