Othello in Shakespeare’s

Othello in Shakespeare’s

The play begins in Venice, Italy, in a conversation between Lago and Roderigo. Lago had been taking money from Roderigo and was also angry at Othello, the protagonist and a general in the Venetian for failing to appoint him as his lieutenant, instead, he chose Cassio. Later on, they both decide to see Brabantio, the father to Desdemona, a woman who Othello had escaped to marry without her father’s consent. Brabantio soon finds out that Desdemona was not in the house and angry thoughts about her being with Othello starts to strike him.

The following morning, Othello was talking with Lago, telling him that he does not fear Desdemona’s father, who might be looking for his daughter, as he is a general in the military and that he loves her. Michael Cassio interrupts their conversation and says the Duke of Venice needs to see Othello right away for some military activity. Subsequently, Brabantio arrives with Roderigo ready to beat Othello or kill him for daring to marry his daughter. At the Duke, Othello defends himself, clarifying that he loved Desdemona and that he never used any tricks to marry her (Shakespeare 13). Later on, Desdemona arrives and confirms that they are both in love with each other. Duke tells Brabantio to stop complaining about the duo and then he sends out Othello to fight in Cyprus. Desdemona claims to follow her love and then Lago, his wife, Emilio, Cassio and Roderigo also follow suit.

Roderigo holds a short conversion with Lago, where he claims that he madly loves Desdemona and his friend promises to get her to him once they destroy Othello. Lago ponders to ruin Othello and plans to tell him that Cassio was sleeping with his wife, Desdemona. The crew re-appear in Cyrus, and surprisingly, there is only a big party instead of a battle. A drunk Lago plans a fight between Cassio and Roderigo and angrily, Othello fires Cassio for being drunk while on duty (Shakespeare 36). Cunningly, Lago advises Cassio to ask Desdemona to plead with her husband so that he could be reinstated. Lago continues with his malicious plans this time to tell Othello about his “wife’s affair.”

Cassio talked to Desdemona, and she agreed to convince her husband to reinstate him as his lieutenant. Othello and Lago approach them, and Cassio slips away as he does not want to meet with Othello, something that Lago notices as suspicious, but continues with his plot when left alone with Othello and warns him of the wife’s affair with Cassio and tells him to watch out for anything wary (Shakespeare 68). Othello is upset and falls ill, whereby Desdemona comes to help him and bandages his head with the “special handkerchief” that he gave her as a symbol of their love, which his late mother gave him.

Emilia steals the handkerchief for her husband, Lago who had been asking for it in the past. Lago places the handkerchief in Cassio’s room, whereby Othello enters to find Lago lying, which he later believes as soon as he finds the handkerchief in Cassio’s room. He concludes that Desdemona is cheating on her and she deserves to die because of it. The next scene opens to an argument between Desdemona and her husband, while Emilia watches. Othello needs to know where the handkerchief is while Desdemona wants to talk about Cassio unaware of her husband’s prejudice, which leads to a fight.

Later on, Bianca, a prostitute, who is in love with Cassio meets him. Cassio gives her the handkerchief he got from Lago and promises it’s not from another woman. Lago afterwards, meets Cassio and tunes the conversation so that Cassio could talk provocatively about Bianca. Cassio is oblivious about Othello hiding behind them, overhearing their conversation. Othello hears Cassio say “I gave it to her good” and fumes thinking that he is talking about his wife, he thinks of killing the guy by himself. Bianca enters the room and throws the special handkerchief onto Cassio after discovering that it indeed belonged to another woman. She walks out, and Cassio follows her. Othello filled with fury is ill-advised by Lago to strangle his wife (Shakespeare 146). When he next meets Desdemona, he hits her in the face and continues to yell at her calling her afflicting names. A messenger from Venice witnesses this incidence, as he tells him, he has to go back home.

Roderigo, on the other end, is tired of paying Lago money and not getting the promised “goods,” Desdemona. Lago calms Roderigo down and tells him to kill Cassio whenever an opportunity arises. Emilia and Desdemona are talking, and Desdemona foreshadows her death through a song, but Emilia justifies cheating, especially if there is a good reason for doing it. Lago and Roderigo lurk out waiting for Cassio and Roderigo try to stab him, but is instead stuck to the ground. Lago comes out from his hiding and stabs Cassio in the leg (Shakespeare 142). Two men nearby come rushing towards the three and Lago accuses Roderigo of being the assailant. Before Roderigo defends himself, Lago stabs him to death. Emilia arrives, Lago narrates a false tale and sends her to report this to Othello.

Othello kills Desdemona the moment Emilia walks in. Confused, she reports incorrectly that Cassio killed Roderigo. Othello is now infuriated by Cassio, whom he thought was not alive (Shakespeare 153). Emilia realizes soon that her husband is the cause of this misery, and she shouts about her evil husband’s deeds as people walk in the room. Lago attempts to stab her, but the truth is now out. Othello now demands the truth from Lago why he solely destroyed his life, but Lago does not give a sensible reason. The Venetian men take Othello to Venice to face his punishment for killing his wife. Cassio now becomes the general in the Venetian army, Othello’s former position. Othello decides to end his life for his stay without Desdemona is grievous and unbearable.

In conclusion, Othello is a well-schemed play that revolves around the mischievous deeds played by Lago, who wants to destroy Othello’s life. He uses Roderigo and Cassio as his tools, as they both envy his wife and career. Othello is a hardworking general in the Venetian militia, and he loves his wife and eventually could not continue living without her. Emilia, the wife to Lago, believes her husband until she realizes what atrocity Lago has caused among her friends and family, where she reveals to every one of her husband’s evil deeds. The love in couples should be strong and bonding not to be ruined by rumour mongers. Finally, people should persevere no matter where life takes and at no point should anyone decide to take their own life.