The article contains-
• Synopsis of the play Othello
• Source of the play Othello
• Theatrical History of Othello
Othello Synopsis and Analysis
Othello is one of the most successful creations, probably written in 1603 or 1604. The play has been described as a domestic tragedy lies in the destruction of the happy personal lives of general and his bride by the perverse malice of a single unsatisfied man.
◇ Summary of Othello Act by Act:
• Act 1, Scene 1 of Othello:
Roderigo who has been courting Desdemona is distressed at Iago’s news that she has eloped with Othello, a Moorish general in the service of Venice. Iago, who is Othello’s aide, assures Roderigo that he also hates the Moor because Othello has denied him a promotion that went instead to Cassio. He says that he only continues to serve the general in the hope of revenge. Iago and Roderigo awaken Desdemona’s father, Brabantio to inform him of the elopement.
• Act 1, Scene 2:
Iago tells Othello of Brabantio’s anger, as Cassio arrives with word that the general has been summoned by the Duke to a council of war. Brabantio and Roderigo arrive. The angry father informed of the Duke’s council, plans to accuse Othello there.
• Act 1, Scene 3:
The Duke and several senators receive news of an imminent Turkish attack on the Venetian island of Cyprus. Othello and Brabantio arrive and Brabantio makes his accusation. Othello replies that Desdemona loves him and has married him of her own free will. When she is summoned she supports his account. Brabantio concedes and the meeting turns to business.
Othello is ordered to leave for Cyprus. Desdemona is to live there with him and Iago is to escort her in a later ship. Privately, Iago assures Roderigo that Desdemona will soon repent marriage to a Moor, and that if Roderigo will come to Cyprus he will continue to help him with his suit by delivering presents to Desdemona. Roderigo agrees and leaves. Iago reflects on how easy it is to get money from this fool. Saying that Othello is rumoured to have cuckolded him, he goes on to plot revenge upon both Othello and Cassio; he will make the general believe that Cassio is the lover of his new wife.
• Act 2, Scene 1:
In Cyprus the Venetian governor Montano and two friends discuss the great storm that may have destroyed the Turkish fleet. A third gentleman brings news that Cassio has arrived with word that this has indeed happened, but that the ship carrying the new governor, Othello, has disappeared. Iago arrives with Desdemona, his wife Emilia and Roderigo.
Iago engages the two women in a courtly exchange of witticisms while they wait word about Othello. The general arrives safely and greets Desdemona with affection. The group moves indoors, except Iago and Roderigo. Iago proposed a plot. He says that Desdemona is in love with Cassio and proposes that Roderigo pick a fight with the lieutenant while he commands the guard that night in the hopes that fighting on duty will disgrace Cassio and remove him as potential competition for Desdemona. Roderigo agrees. Iago meditates on the course of his plans. He will abuse Cassio to Othello and get credit from the general, while at the same time making him sick with jealousy.
• Act 2, Scene 2:
A gentleman reads Othello’s proclamation of a public holiday. All the soldiers are at liberty until eleven at night, when they must return to duty.
• Act 2, Scene 3:
Despite Cassio’s insistence that a little wine will make him very drunk, Iago convinces him to drink for the sake of the holiday. They join some others, including Montano, and when Cassio goes to take his guard post he is drunk. Iago sends Roderigo after Cassio; he shortly reappears, pursued by the drunken lieutenant who gets into a fight with Montano. Iago sends Roderigo to sound the alarm, and Othello appears and angrily dismisses Cassio from the post.
Left alone with a dismayed Cassio, Iago convinces him that his only hope of recovering his position is to get Desdemona to present his case to Othello. Cassio agrees and leaves and Iago exults in the success of his scheme: now Othello will witness and jealously misconstrue Desdemona’s interest in Cassio.
• Act 3, Scene 1:
Cassio has hired musicians to play before the general’s quarters in the hope of influencing his mood. Iago sends Emilia to Cassio; she assures him that Desdemona favours his cause and agrees to take him where he may meet with the general’s wife.
• Act 3, Scene 2:
Othello prepares to conduct an inspection of the fortifications.
• Act 3, Scene 3:
Desdemona assures Cassio she will plead his case to Othello. Cassio withdraws as Othello and Iago approach; Iago pretends to regard this suspiciously. Desdemona asks Othello to take Cassio back and he agrees saying that he loves her and can deny her nothing. She leaves and Iago begins to ask seemingly innocent questions about Cassio.
He pretends to be reluctant to express his suspicion, but goes on to inflame Othello with the idea of a sexual affair between Cassio and Desdemona. He suggests that if Othello delays Cassio’s reappointment he can see if Desdemona supports the lieutenant to an excessive degree. Othello fears that Desdemona has been unfaithful because he is black or because he is old, but he tries to resist the thought.
Desdemona and Emilia arrive to accompany him to a state banquet, and Othello disguises his distress. As they leave, Desdemona drops a handkerchief that was Othello’s first gift to her. Emilia picks it up, and Iago takes it from her as she leaves. He states his intention to plant it on Cassio. Othello returns and angrily demands proof of Desdemona’s infidelity. Iago asserts that Cassio has Desdemona’s handkerchief. Enraged, Othello goes on his knees to formally swear vengeance, and Iago affirms his loyalty and joins him in the oath, promising to kill Cassio himself and to help Othello kill Desdemona.
• Act 3, Scene 4:
Desdemona speaks of Cassio, but Othello demands his handkerchief. He says it was charmed by an Egyptian sorceress so that the woman who lost it would be damned in the eyes of her lover. Desdemona denies that it is lost. She tries to change the subject back to Cassio and Othello leaves in a rage.
Iago and Cassio appear; Desdemona remarks on Othello’s strange anger, and Iago volunteers to go to see the general. Emilia observes that Othello may be jealous of his wife, even though he has no reason, and Desdemona decides she must approach him again. The women leave Cassio as Bianca appears. She humorously chastises Cassio for not seeing her more often. He asks her to make him a copy of embroidered handkerchief he has found.
• Act 4, Scene 1:
Iago says that Cassio has admitted to sleeping with Desdemona. Beside himself with rage, Othello babbles incoherently and then faints. Cassio appears and Iago tells him he has important news that he will give him once Othello has recovered and they can speak alone. Cassio leaves and when Othello awakens Iago tells him that if he eavesdrops on the meeting he has arranged with Cassio, the general will hear Cassio speak of his affair with Desdemona.
Cassio returns and Iago speaks to him of Bianca, his lover. With amused disrespect, Cassio laughs about how she presumes to think she will marry him, and Othello, crying out in asides, believes he is speaking of Desdemona. Bianca arrives, angry about the handkerchief, which she believes was given to Cassio by another woman.
Othello now thinks that Cassio has given Desdemona’s love token to a harlot. Bianca and Cassio leave, and Othello says he will kill Desdemona; Iago promises to kill Cassio that night. Desdemona appears with Lodovico, who brings a message from Venice calling Othello back and placing Cassio in command of Cyprus. When Desdemona is pleased, Othello hits her; enraged, he can barely speak. He orders her away and then leaves. Lodovico is surprised at this behaviour, but Iago confides that it is sometimes much worse.
• Act 4, Scene 2:
Othello quizzes Emilia who says there is no reason to suspect Desdemona and Cassio. He does not believe her and sends her to summon his wife. When Desdemona appears he accuses her and ignores her denials. He leaves in a rage as Emilia reappears. When Desdemona tells Emilia of Othello’s state, she fetches Iago, and the two try to reassure her.
Desdemona and Emilia leave as Roderigo arrives. He complains that Iago has taken his money and jewels and done nothing for him. Iago tells him that because Cassio is to replace Othello as governor, the general is leaving and will take Desdemona with him. Iago promises to help Roderigo to kill Cassio so that Othello will have to stay and Desdemona will remain within reach.
• Act 4, Scene 3:On his way out, Othello tells Desdemona that she is to prepare for bed and dismiss Emilia. Desdemona says that she loves Othello despite his unreasonable anger, though she also has a presentiment of tragedy; she sings a song that was sung by an abandoned woman while she died. Though Desdemona is revolted by the idea of sexual infidelity, Emilia declares that men deserve it.
• Act 5, Scene 1:
Iago sets Roderigo up to ambush Cassio; he Hope’s that Roderigo and Cassio will kill each other, for Roderigo may claim repayment from him and Cassio may disprove his story. Cassio appears and Roderigo attacks him, but is wounded by Cassio. Iago then wounds Cassio from behind and flees. Othello sees the wounded Cassio crying for help and exults in the sight. He leaves as Lodovico and Gratiano arrive. Iago returns, pretends to be enraged at the assault on Cassio, and kills Roderigo. Bianca arrives. Iago declares that she is probably involved in the attempted murder and places her under arrest.
• Act 5, Scene 2:
Othello, at the bed of the sleeping Desdemona, is overcome with love for her and declares that he will not harm her beauty, but will kill her bloodlessly. She wakes, and he tells her to prepare for death. He says the handkerchief is proof of her adultery. She says that Cassio will clear her, but Othello triumphantly reports his death. She pleads for her mercy, but Othello smothers her.
Emilia appears, and Desdemona recovers enough to declare that she is dying in innocence. She dies, and Othello proclaims that he has murdered her because she was unfaithful. Emilia denies it, and Othello declares that Iago has proved it. She calls for help, and Montano, Gratiano and Iago appear. Othello speaks of Desdemona’s handkerchief, and Emilia reveals the truth. Iago kills her and flees. Montano chases him, leaving Othello to his mounting grief.
When Lodovico brings Iago back, Othello attacks him and wounds him before he is disarmed. Othello declares himself a fool but not a dishonourable one, stabs himself with a hidden weapon and dies.
◇ Source of the play Othello
The source for Othello was a novella by the Italian author, Cinthio, published in his collection Hecatommithi (1565). No surviving English translation of the tale was made until much later, and scholars dispute whether the play-wright read Cinthio in Italian, in a French or Spanish translation, or in some now lost English translation. In any case, Shakespeare made a number of significant changes in Cinthio’s tale.
He accelerated the course of events to produce a taster drama, and he altered the personalities of the major characters, making Othello and Desdemona nobler and Iago more coldly malevolent. He also added such minor characters as Roderigo, Brabantio and the Venetian officials.
◇ Theatrical History of the play Othello
The earliest known performance of Othello took place at the court of King James I on November 1, 1604. Numerous other performances in various theatres and at court are prior to the closure of the theatres by the civil war in 1642; and it appears to have been among the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays in his own lifetime, as it has been ever since. Richard Burbage was the first Othello, and though the original Iago was not recorded, it is known that after 1619 Joseph Taylor was famous in the role.
(A scene from the 1965 film of Othello with Laurence Oliver as the Moor and Maggie as Desdemona. Courtesy of Culver Pictures, Inc)
In the 18th century, Othello continued to be among the most often performed of Shakespeare’s plays. Most leading actors undertook the title roles, with Barton Booth, James Quin, Spranger Barry prominent among them while John Henderson and Charles Mucklin were successful Iago.
In the early 19th century, Edmund Kean was acclaimed as the greatest Othello of all time. Eleven films have been made on Othello – seven of them silent movies. An Italian film shot in Venice in 1909 was the first attempt to film Othello on location. Othello has also been made for television three times, all in Great Britain (1946, 1955, 1981). In addition, Othello has inspired several operas, the most notable being Guiseppe Verdi’s Othello (1887), which is considered among the greatest of all operas.
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