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Quote: “My husband will never get a moment’s rest, I’ll keep him up at night talking about you until he runs out of patience. He will think that his bed has become a conference table for discussing your problem—he won’t be able to get away from it. I’ll bring up your name at every moment. So cheer up. I’m your advocate, and I’d rather die than give up on you” (3, 3).

Context: Desdemona reassures Cassio that she will speak to Othello and continuously remind him until Othello recruits Cassio, back as a lieutenant. Desdemona also tells Cassio that she believes him and won’t rest until he gets his job back. This passage shows how kind-hearted and loyal she is. Her loyalty and determination personality traits are shown when she states, “I’d rather die than give up on you.”

Analysis: This relates to the Climax as Iago’s plan is starting to work. The more Desdemona reminds Othello of Cassio, the more he’ll suspect that she’s cheating on him. This will anger Othello and develop great jealousy in him. After this, Iago will manipulate and gaslight Othello into thinking that Desdemona loves Cassio instead. He wants to do this to take over the lieutenant position and destroy Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. Iago will use Desdemona’s kindness and empathetic personality against her, to bring harm to her marriage.

Quote: “Cassio, my lord? No, I don’t think so. He wouldn’t sneak away looking so guilty when he saw you coming” (3, 3).

Context: Iago is trying to manipulate Othello and making him feel angered and jealous. He tries to imply that Cassio looked guilty of something after leaving Desdemona. He tries his best to make Othello think that Cassio and Desdemona are having a secret affair.

Analysis: This relates to the Climax as Iago keeps hinting that Desdemona is cheating on Othello. This is significant as it’ll anger Othello and create loose ends and distrust among the couple. Iago is doing this to get revenge from Othello since he didn’t appoint him as his lieutenant. He makes Othello think that Desdemona has a prostitute-like reputation and that it’ll eventually affect Othello.

Quote: “Watch your wife. Watch how she is with Cassio. Just watch—don’t be either completely suspicious or completely trustful. I wouldn’t want to see you taken advantage of because you’re such an open and trusting guy. Watch out! I know the people of Venice well” (3, 3).

Context: Iago continuously plants poisonous seeds in Othello’s mind that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio. Since he told Cassio to constantly and secretly meet Desdemona, he will use that to show Othello “proof” for his allegations against them. He seems to imply that since Cassio is from Venice, he shouldn’t be trusted. He tries to manipulate Othello into thinking that he is not good enough.

Analysis: This relates to the Climax as Iago gradually implants negative things about Desdemona. This contributes to the climax as soon enough, Othello will get fed up and confront her about everything or lash out on her. Othello then asks Emilia (Iago’s wife), to observe Desdemona. Iago then tells Othello to leave the matter alone, but he’s already done the damage he intended to do. Iago even hints that Othello's nature of trusting too much will soon bring him harm. By stating such, he hints at his desires to use Othello's gullibility to destroy and exploit him.

Quote: “I’ll leave this handkerchief at Cassio’s house and let him find it. To a jealous man, a meaningless little thing like this looks like absolute proof. This handkerchief may be useful to me. The Moor’s mind has already become infected with my poisonous suggestions. Ideas can be like poisons. At first they hardly even taste bad, but once they get into your blood they start burning like hot lava” (3, 3).

Context: Iago is having a soliloquy as he states that he’ll plant Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s house. He says that Othello will fall for this as proof since Iago has already implanted doubts in his mind. He implies that when people share negative thoughts with others, they end up never forgetting them and that it eventually haunts them. He shows how Othello is feeling after Iago poisoned his mind by saying that Desdemona is cheating on him.

Analysis: This relates to the Climax because it allows the readers to infer that Othello is going to do something out of anger. We can infer that Othello’s mind has been poisoned with negative thoughts about Cassio and Desdemona. Othello will now be confident that Desdemona doesn’t love him anymore and that she is unfaithful, thus making him angry. He will get more angered because Desdemona shows pure love towards him and he’ll think that she is faking it or that she’s a “whore.” This is all done so Othello can’t regain his peaceful marriage.

Quote: “I don’t know about that, but I saw a handkerchief like that today. I’m sure it belongs to your wife, and I saw Cassio use it to wipe his beard” (3, 3).

Context: Although Iago asked his wife, Emilia to pick up the handkerchief and placed it in Cassio’s room, he implies that this is proof of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. He does this because Othello asked him to bring real proof of Desdemona cheating on him. Since Othello is angered and jealous, he fails to recognize this is a trap.

Analysis: This relates to the Climax because Othello believes that this incident has proven Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. We can now infer that Othello has developed great hatred in his heart for Desdemona. Readers later find out that the Handkerchief is a sign of Desdemona’s chastity and love for Othello, and when “she gives it away,” it means that she has given away her body and love to Cassio, thus making her look like a “whore” to Othello.

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"Oh, I’d kill that bastard Cassio forty thousand times if I could! Killing him once is not enough revenge. Now I see it’s true. Oh, Iago, all the love I felt is gone, vanished in the wind. Welcome, hatred and vengeance! Get out of my heart, love! My heart feels like it’s full of poisonous snakes!" (3, 3).

This quote shows the effectiveness of Iago's poisonous hints towards Desdemona's unfaithfulness. It shows how someone's jealousy can destroy others completely. It also shows how Othello's jealousy has completely consumed him to the point that he now despises Desdemona. All his genuine love for her has turned to pure hatred.

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Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, was released on April 18, 1988, by Epic Records. In the song, Michael Jackson speaks about his relationship with a girl named Diana, who he believes is unfaithful with him. He states that she can't be trusted and that she isn't the girl he thought she was. In the song, Michael says "You never make me stay. So take your weight off of me. I know your every move. So won't you just let me be. I've been here times before. But I was too blind to see. That you seduce every man. This time you won't seduce me" By this, he simply means that Diana intends to hurt him and use him. He believes that she is cheating on him and that she commits adultery with other men. Throughout the song, you can draw comparisons between Othello and Michael. For example, they both deeply love their significant others but have turned their hearts to stone because some person has told them about the "unfaithfulness" of their partners. Both men are extremely hurt and want to seek revenge. Othello and Michael are both paranoid and jealous without realizing that the rumors may be false. In both the song and play, viewers can see the damage couples receive because of falsehoods.

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Iago's portrayed as the perfect villain in the play. Iago's schemes worked until the end, and they were effective while brilliant. Iago's dedication to ruin Othello was strong and never went astray, thus leading him to obtain his desires. He could turn the innocence and good in others, against them, in a way to benefit himself. He doesn't keep friends and uses people for his own benefit.

Quote: "“I am not what I am” (1, 1).

Analysis: In Act 1, Iago is showed as a deceitful man. He claims to help Othello, just to take advantage of him. He states that to get what he wants, he needs to get Othello to trust him. This passage explains that Iago is not as he seems to others. He becomes friends with and gains trust, to manipulate and harm them for his own gain.

Quote: "But listen to me; let me guide you. I brought you here from Venice. Be on guard duty tonight. I’ll put you in charge. Cassio doesn’t know you. I’ll be nearby. Make Cassio angry somehow, either by speaking too loud, or insulting his military skills, or however else you want" (2, 1).

Analysis: In Act 2, Iago recruits Roderigo to do the dirty work for him. He gets him against Cassio, so he doesn't have to get involved in the mess. In this passage, Iago tells Roderigo to get Cassio angered enough so, Cassio gets out of the way of him and Desdemona. He comes as a friend but does this for his own benefit. Iago does this so, Cassio's removed from the position as Lieutenant, so Iago replaces him easily. This shows him as a perfect villain because he gets the work done without getting his hands dirty.

Quote: "My lord, you know I’m your friend" (3, 3).

Analysis: In Act 3, Iago starts to feed Othello's mind with toxic and negative thoughts about Desdemona. In the passage, we can see that he comes off as a friend and trusted person so he can be more convincing. This is a quality of a pure villain because he's able to manipulate and gaslight his victim into thinking that he cares for them. By stating that he's Othello's friend, he raises his credibility and shows how much he cares for Othello's wellbeing. After doing his damage, Iago's often shown saying comforting things to calm down his victims. In a way, he resembles a jaguar. Jaguars stalk their prey until they pounce on them, killing them. Iago emotionally lures his victims in his traps.

Quote: "It’s true, that wasn’t such a nice thing to do. But I wish I could say that’s the last time he’ll do it!" (4, 1).

Analysis: In Act 4, Iago's plan worked as Othello developed a severe hatred for Desdemona. In the passage, Lodovico asks if Othello abuses Desdemona and if he's always lost his temper. Iago comes off as an innocent and loyal bystander and hints that Lodovico's suspicions are real. Iago uses many means to get others against his victims. He has the charisma to make people believe him right away. In a way, he resembles Ted Bundy. Both him and Ted often used their charismatic personalities to gain trust from others. This shows that Iago's tactics are effective. He works with everyone's negative thoughts about others and quickly proves them without any proof needed. He cunningly uses logical fallacies to prove his points.

Quote: "If you’re smart, you’ll go home. IAGO draws his sword" (5, 2).

Analysis: In Act 5, Iago's schemes are revealed. Instead of owning up to his mistakes, he covers them up. He also drew his sword on his wife so she won't speak the truth. This passage shows how relations don't affect Iago or his plans. He seems to work solo and doesn't depend on anyone, thus making him successful in his plans. His lack of attachment to people allows him to carry the deadliest of plans.

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Iago - How am I then a villain? [Othello]

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Iago resembles the Character of O'Brien from the novel 1984 by George Orwell. In 1984, O'Brien cunningly convinces Winston that he's also against the party. Not only is O'Brien duplicitous, but also a loyal Party member of Big Brother (the oppressing government). O'Brien manipulates Winston into thinking he's his friend, but in reality, he's just gaining information to torture him in the end. Towards that ending of the novel, O'Brien gaslights and brainwashes Winston until he's loyal to Big Brother. In Othello, Iago also used O'Brien's tactics to gain what he wanted. He seemed like a friend to Cassio and Othello, but in reality, he wanted the far worst for them both. Iago used manipulation and brainwashing to create doubts in Othello's relationship with Cassio and Desdemona, thus leading to Desdemona's death. Once his scheme's revealed, it's far too late to turn back as Othello has also killed himself. Both Iago and O'Brien used their victim's insecurities to take benefit from them.

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Othello: A Tragic Hero That's Responsible For His Own Death

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Othello: A Tragic Hero That's Responsible For His Own Death

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Othello's credulous and naïve personality is the cause of his tragic death and blunders. He fails to realize that not everyone is as pure-hearted ass he is, and often fails to recognize malevolence individuals. Instead of using logic to form his opinions, he chose to believe those around him. Since he was so insecure about himself and his background, he allowed his jealousy and anger, create his decisions. If he was confident in his marriage to Desdemona, he would've seen through Iago's lies and manipulation.

Quote: “She thanked me and told me that if a friend of mine had a story like mine to tell, she’d fall in love with him. I took the hint and spoke to her. She said she loved me for the dangers I’d survived, and I loved her for feeling such strong emotions about me. That’s the only witchcraft I ever used. Here comes my wife now. She’ll confirm everything” (1, 3).

Analysis: In Act 1, Othello has deep feelings for Desdemona and has respect for Cassio. Othello and Desdemona had secretly married because they had a strong endearment between each other. In this passage, Othello confesses his true love for Desdemona. He claims that the only Black Magic he used to win Desdemona's heart, the magic of true love and passion. He states that the couple fell in love with the consent of both of them. He states they have deep feelings for each other. In this scene, it seems as if the couple have an unbreakable bond. Othello seems like he deeply cares for Desdemona and loves her a lot.

Quote: “Cassio, I love you, but you’re never again going to be one of my officers—” (2, 3).

Analysis:  In Act 2, Othello's quite fond of Cassio, but after a quarrel erupts between Cassio and Roderigo, Othello's forced to fire Cassio from his position of Lieutenant because he was under the influence. This passage shows that Othello doesn't let his emotions or feelings towards someone, affect his decisions. It shows that when he makes decisions, it's solely based on what he believed was the right thing to do. Up to now, Othello doesn't let others influence him and makes his own decisions. This passage shows that although Othello cares for Cassio, he can't rely on him because he acted immaturely.

Quote:  “Why did I ever get married? I’m sure this good and honest man sees and knows more, much more, than he’s telling me” (3, 3).

Analysis: In Act 3, Othello becomes quite suspicious of Desdemona, based on Iago's claims. If he truly loved her he wouldn't believe Iago's claims about her. He shouldn't have blindly believed Iago to a point it wrecks his sanity. If he was wiser about the situation, he would've seen that Desdemona was faithful to him at all times. In this passage, Othello regrets his marriage and states he believes Iago the most. Othello is gullible enough to believe Iago's claims.

Quote: “Oh, you devil, you devil! You can cry all day and all night, and I still won’t believe you’re sad. Get out of my sight!” (4, 1).

Analysis: In Act 4, Othello's love for Desdemona has been completely lost. If he had opened up his eyes, he couldn't see that the proof Iago gave him was full of lies. He was to blind in jealousy that he couldn't see that maybe Desdemona lost his handkerchief or that Cassio was speaking about Biana. As readers, we could see Cassio was talking about Bianca, but because Othello was so drawn up, in hatred, he took everything Cassio said, personally. In the passage, we can see how Othello has changed his treatment towards Desdemona, by first calling her his "love and darling" to a devil. It shows that he's hearts turned to stone and that he's lost all love for Desdemona.

Quote: “You mean the man who used to be Othello? Here I am.?” (5, 2).

Analysis: In Act 5, Othello finds out about Iago's schemes and Desdemona's innocence and honesty. In the passage, Othello claims he became a different person when he doubted Desdemona's faithfulness. He has a hard time bearing the truth and commits suicide while confessing his love for his wife. If Othello hadn't been so gullible he could've prevented both his and Desdemona's death.

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Othello Clip- Othello Confronts Desdemona

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Othello resembles the Character of Winston from the novel 1984 by George Orwell. Both of them are manipulated and brainwashed by antagonists, to a point where they question their sanity; In other words, they're both gaslighted. Both of them get betrayed by someone they believed was their trusted friend. In 1984, Winston's betrayed by O'Brien. He believes that he can trust him with his true beliefs about Big Brother, which eventually backfires because O'Brien is an undercover Inner Party member that's loyal to Big Brother. O'Brien then uses Winston's confession against him and tortures him until Winston's loyal to Big Brother. In Othello, Iago comes off to Othello as a friend, when in reality, he wants revenge and wants to harm him. In both scenarios, it was the protagonists' fault for their downfall.

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1984 (11/11) Movie CLIP - O'Brien Tortures Winston (1984) HD

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Quote: “He’s taking her hand. That’s right, go ahead and whisper together. This is all I need to get Cassio. Yes, keep smiling at her, Cassio. Your fine manners around women will be your downfall. Oh, I’m sure you’re saying something very clever” (2, 1).

Context: Iago schemes to himself while stalking Cassio and Desdemona. He sees that Cassio is showing loads of respect towards her and is comforting her. He thinks about using Cassio’s sense of manners and charisma as a way to manipulate him. He also uses this to make Othello think Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio.

Analysis: This relates to the rising action as it lays out Iago’s whole plot in front of readers. It shows that Iago is a toxic and manipulative man that will do anything to destroy the lives of those he believes have wronged him. He also displays his iniquitous personality and wants to take revenge from Othello, for allegedly sleeping with his wife. It also shows his cunning and his coldly intellectual mind. This also relates to the rising action as readers can use the foreshadowing sentence, “Your fine manners around women will be your downfall” to predict that something horrible and dreadful is going to happen to Cassio.

Quote: “I’ll get them so riled up that they’ll only calm down when Cassio’s fired. To get what you want, you need to get Cassio out of the way. If you don’t do that, things are hopeless for you” (2, 1).

Context: Roderigo has an outburst and claims that Iago isn’t helping him. Iago states that Roderigo needs to get Cassio “out of the way,” or else he wouldn’t be able to commit adultery with Desdemona. Iago tries to convince Roderigo that he shouldn’t be easily discouraged as he has everything under control. Roderigo fails to realize that Iago is just using him to get rid of Cassio, so Iago can get the position of Othello's lieutenant.

Analysis: This relates to the rising action as Iago makes Roderigo feel as if Cassio is his enemy. It shows how Iago uses Roderigo to enact the first part of his plan. Iago recruits him to anger Cassio, so Othello fires him, thus leaving an open spot for Iago. The passage also showcases Iago’s manipulative personality. Iago is shown acting like his victim's friend, to take advantage of them for his benefit.

Quote: “If I can just get him to drink one more glass after what he’s drunk already, he’ll be as argumentative and eager to fight as a little dog” (2, 3).

Context: Iago pressures Cassio to drink a lot of wine so he can get him fired and show how careless he is. He does this to ensure that he replaces Cassio. Earlier, Iago had convinced Roderigo to anger Cassio by mocking or saying rude comments to him. After Montano gets into an argument with Cassio, Iago even goes to the extent to claim that Cassio’s a heavy drinker. He does this to show that Cassio is careless and lazy.

Analysis: This relates to the rising action as Iago tries to encourage Cassio to drink more so he won’t stay in his senses or under control. This way, it’ll be easier for Roderigo to get Cassio angered. This contributes to the rising action as it shows the success of the first step of Iago’s plan. This also helps Iago as it adds to one more person that dislikes Cassio. Lastly, he chooses to spread the message that Cassio is unfit for lieutenant as he’s “careless, lazy, and a heavy drinker.” He also tries to heavily damage Cassio’s reputation so people will stop being in favour of him.

Quote: “Cassio, I love you, but you’re never again going to be one of my officers” (2, 3).

Context: Iago manages to get Cassio fired by Othello. Othello explains that he still cares for Cassio but can’t allow him to be his lieutenant ever again.

Analysis: This relates to the rising action as Iago gets as he wishes. Now, he states that he’ll encourage Cassio to speak with Desdemona while he tells Othello that they’re having an affair. This passage is quite significant because it displays Iago’s cunningness. This is quite significant as all has gone as planned since this is the second step to Iago's plan.

Quote: “Othello’s wife has a lot of influence now. He’s completely devoted to her. Go open your heart to her. Ask her to help you get back your position. She is so generous, kind, and ready to help that she thinks it’s wrong not to do everything she can, even more than she is asked to do. Ask her to help you heal the rift between her husband and you. I’d bet my lucky stars your problem will be forgotten, and your relationship will be stronger than ever” (2, 3).

Context: Iago gets ready to launch the next step in his plan. He tells Cassio to speak with Desdemona since Othello always listens to her right away. He comes as a “friend,” but Cassio fails to realize that Iago has bad intentions for him. When Iago says, “your relationship will be stronger than ever,” readers can infer that Iago means between Desdemona and Cassio. He encourages him to meet Desdemona alone, so Othello doesn’t get angered, while he wants the quite opposite. This passage shows Iago’s cunning personality at work.

Analysis: This relates to the rising action as Iago gets what he wants. He encourages Cassio to speak with Desdemona because she will urge and bother Othello about it, thus adding to his suspicions about her unfaithfulness. Iago tells him to “open your heart to her” because that will make Othello more jealous, as Iago planned. This will also convince Othello to believe Iago when he says that Desdemona is cheating on him. Iago tries to show Cassio that he has the best intentions for him, so he doesn’t suspect anything. This will also help Iago gain some evidence that Desdemona is cheating on Othello, thus breaking bonds in their marriage, and lowering Othello's respect for Cassio. All of this is done to insure Iago's position as Othello's lieutenant.

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The Falling Action and Resolution Analysis

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The Falling Action and Resolution Analysis

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Quote: “And when he laughs, Othello will go crazy. In his ignorant jealousy, he’ll totally misunderstand Cassio’s smiles, gestures, and jokes” (4, 1).

Context: Iago indicates that he will speak to Cassio about the Prostitute, Bianca. This way, when Cassio says insulting and disrespectful things about Bianca, Othello will believe he’s talking about Desdemona. This way, there would be more “proof” toward Iago’s point.

Analysis: This relates to the Falling Action as this will surely anger Othello and confirm his suspicions on Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. He will be disheartened and hurt. This situation is adding lots of fire towards his jealousy, which makes him even more envious than before.

Quote: “Yes, unfortunately. I’d do anything to bring them back together, since I really care for Cassio” (4, 1).

Context: When Lodovico comes to visit Desdemona, she replies that she would do anything for Cassio to regain his position as Othello’s lieutenant. This situation angers Othello as he mistakes Desdemona’s kindness more romantically towards Cassio.

Analysis: This relates to the Falling Action because it's the last straw for Othello's anger and jealousy. Since he thinks that Desdemona is bluntly expressing her love towards Cassio, he becomes extremely angered. Although she's innocent, Othello mistakes her empathetic behavior for expressing deep emotions for Cassio. This makes Othello determined to end the “ongoing affair" and kill her, so she isn't unfaithful with anyone else.

Quote: “I have to do it, I have to do it. I have to keep my reason in mind. I won’t say out loud what my reason is, but I have to do it” (5, 2).

Context: Othello decides to kill Desdemona, so she isn’t unfaithful to anyone else. Although she claims she is completely loyal to him, he doesn’t believe her because of the “proof”  Iago gave him. He realizes that if he kills her, he can never bring her back.

Analysis: This relates to the Falling Action because it shows the scene in which Othello is fed up with Desdemona’s “unfaithfulness”  and wants to kill her. He states he wants to kill her in a way that she doesn’t “shed any blood.” He constantly expresses his love for her but he decides the best decision is to murder her and Cassio. Although Cassio encourages this, Othello is blind to see his wife's love and desire for him. This scene will lead up to what happens after she’s died.

Quote: “No one. I did it myself. Give my love to my kind husband. Oh, goodbye!” (5, 2).

Context: While Desdemona is dying she claims that she killed herself, even though Othello murdered her.

Analysis: This relates to the Resolution because it shows how much love Desdemona had towards Othello. It shows that even though he killed her, she still had a great love for him, thus proving that she was innocent and was completely faithful towards him. This also shows that Othello was wrong for jumping to accusations. One can even say this proves that Desdemona loved Othello more than he loved her. She believed in him and knew that one day he'll find out the truth and love her again, thus dying happily.

Quote: “(to DESDEMONA) I kissed you before I killed you. Now, killing myself, I’m dying while I kiss you again” (5, 2).

Context: Othello finds out by Emilia that Desdemona was faithful to him and that Iago lied about everything because he was jealous of Cassio’s position as a lieutenant. He feels so bad that he commits suicide.

Analysis: This relates to the Resolution because Othello feels so guilty that he ends his life. He doesn’t want to live, knowing that he wrongly killed his wife. Since he loved her so much, he believed that the best thing to do was kill himself since he killed her. He misses her and believes there's no reason to live because the love of his life isn't with him. He realizes that even though Iago encouraged and manipulated him, he was partly responsible for his mistakes. He asks for his story to be told truthfully because he doesn't want to be known as a villain or hero. The tragic ending shows that Othello wanted Iago to live with the guilt forever, thus not killing him. For Othello, dying meant peace, and for Iago, living meant the torture of knowing he lead to the murder of two innocent lovers.

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"God, I wish I could forget about the handkerchief! What you told me it haunts me like a nightmare—he’s got my handkerchief!" (4, 1).

In this passage, Othello states he is quite jealous of Cassio obtaining his handkerchief. He indicates that Desdemona's unfaithfulness angers him greatly and that "it haunts him like a nightmare." He's constantly reminded of his wife's dishonesty and it feeds his rage even more.

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"It’s sad, but Iago knows she had sex with Cassio a thousand times. Cassio confessed it, and she pledged her love to him by giving him the handkerchief I’d given her. I saw it in his hand. It was an old memento that my father gave to my mother" (5, 2).

While explaining to Emilia that Iago knows the truth, readers can see how damaged Othello is by the incident. He's jealous and has a pure hatred for Cassio because he thinks Desdemona loves Cassio, not him. He also explains the significance of the handkerchief. For Othello, the handkerchief symbolized Desdemona's innocence, love, desire, chastity, and morality. To give it away to someone else is equivalent to Desdemona giving away her body and love to that person.

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While Desdemona's getting ready for bed, she's become afraid of Othello's wrongful anger against her since he believes she's been unfaithful with him. To cope with her sadness, she sings a song called "The Willow Song," that her mother's maid taught her. The Willow Song is a song about a woman that weeps and mourns over the lost love with her husband, thus reflecting Desdemona's feelings and emotions. The song symbolizes the melancholy Desdemona feels because she's framed for committing infidelity. She also sings the song because she believes Othello will go mad and leave her like the man in the song while leaving her dying with a broken heart.

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Othello is one of the famous tragedies written by William Shakespeare in 1603. The play's written about a noble general in the Venetian Army named Othello. Othello's officer, Iago, becomes enraged after being overlooked for the position of Othello's lieutenant and takes revenge by tricking him into thinking that his fair wife, Desdemona, is having infidelity with Lieutenant Michael Cassio. Othello allows his jealousy to consume him and murders Desdemona despite her pleading her fidelity. After Iago's schemes are revealed, Othello commits suicide out of guilt and self-loathing.

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Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Othello summary

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Quote: “No, calm down. I’m serving under him to take advantage of him. We can’t all be masters, and not all masters should be followed” (1, 1).

Context: Iago and Roderigo are badmouthing Othello behind his back. Roderigo asks why Iago doesn’t quit if he despises Othello. Iago states that by working under Othello, he's serving himself. Iago is furious about not being appointed as a lieutenant and believes he deserved the position instead of Cassio. Iago states that not everyone can be a leader and that not all leaders should be followed.

Analysis: This relates to the inciting incident because this scene develops the main conflict between Iago, Roderigo, Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello. This shows that Iago’s anger is driven by his envy towards the position Othello gives Cassio. Due to his revenge-driven and envious desires, Iago vows to ruin Othello’s happy marriage with Desdemona. Iago also takes advantage of Roderigo’s aspiration to get Desdemona to commit adultery with him. The setting at this point is on some street in Venice. He implies that neither Cassio nor Othello is fit to be good leaders. Iago also has the desire to seek revenge from both Cassio and Othello, thus, he recruits Roderigo to help him take revenge from Othello.

Quote: “It’s true. She’s gone. The rest of my life will be nothing but bitterness. Now, Roderigo, where did you see her?—Oh, that miserable wretch!—You say you saw her with the Moor?—Oh, who would want to be a father?—How did you know it was her?—To think she tricked me so easily!” (1, 1).

Context: Iago and Roderigo go to Desdemona's father, Brabantio’s house. They go to inform him of Othello and Desdemona's marriage, to break it apart. Iago urges him to check for his daughter in her room if he suspects they’re lying. Brabantio comes back outraged after finding out they are right. He’s shown extremely angry by his daughter’s decision and insists on going to the duke to take action against Othello. At one point, he even claims he'd rather let Roderigo marry his daughter instead of Othello.

Analysis: This relates to the inciting incident because it shows how Iago and Roderigo’s plan is starting to work. It seems to foreshadow that Othello and Desdemona's marriage will not work out. It also relates to the inciting incident as more people are finding out about their marriage due to the whole commotion. Iago and Roderigo manage to convince Brabantio that Desdemona has run away but he believes that Othello used Black Magic against his daughter. He has a hard time believing that Desdemona went with her own will. The setting at this point is both at Brabantio’s house and at the Duke’s.

Quote: “—Come here, Moor. I’m forced to give my blessing to this marriage” (1, 3).

Context: Desdemona expresses her deep love for Othello while he speaks on how they fell in love. After listening to Othello’s story, the Duke replies that even he would give his daughter to him. Later, finding out that the marriage was Desdemona’s choice, Brabantio gives up on trying to persecute Othello and sadly offers his blessings upon their marriage. He still expresses his distrust and hatred towards Othello by calling him racial slurs and making racist remarks.

Analysis: This relates to the inciting incident because it showed that Iago and Roderigo’s plan to break the marriage didn’t succeed. It also indicates that there will be stronger plans to break it up. It shows how determined Iago is to destroy Othello. This situation also showed how fair and equal the duke was towards everyone, despite Brabantio being racist towards Othello. It also shows how bad of a father Brabantio is because after seeing that Othello is true and pure, he still didn’t want to accept that his daughter was happy. Although he eventually gave up, he did more harm than good.

Quote: “Othello, you understand better than anyone how the defenses for Cyprus work. Even though we have a very good officer in charge there already, everyone says you’re the better man for the job. So I’ll have to ask you to put a damper on your marriage celebrations and take part in this dangerous expedition” (1, 3).

Context: Since the Turkish were planning to invade Cyprus, the Duke appointed Othello to lead the mission as he seems best for the job. Othello agrees but on the condition that Desdemona comes with him since Brabantio, Othello, and Desdemona, disagree with letting her stay with her father. Othello also appointed Iago and Emilia to make sure Desdemona arrived safely in Cyprus. Iago, Cassio, and Roderigo all come along as well.

Analysis: This relates to the inciting incident because it indicates the main setting of the story as Desdemona, Othello, Cassio, Roderigo, Emilia, and Iago, were all heading for Cyprus. This incident also relates to the inciting incident as it gives Iago the chance to get his plan to work. Since he is in charge of bringing Desdemona to Cyprus, he has more control over her.

Quote: “I’ve worked it out. With a little help from the devil, I’ll bring this monstrous plan to success” (1, 3).

Context: Iago brags about scheming to bring Othello down. He’s envious of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship and vows to ruin it. His whole motive is to receive Cassio’s position or higher.

Analysis: This relates to the inciting incident because it shows how Iago’s enviable personality makes him determined and dedicated to ruin Othello. Even he acknowledges that this is the Devil's work. Readers can get a sense of foreshadowing by the wording such as “monstrous plan” because they can infer that the plan will bring destructive damage to everyone.

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"Oh, you’re happy now, but I’ll ruin your happiness, for all my supposed honesty" (2, 1).

In this passage, Iago is thinking to himself and celebrating the fact that he'll ruin Cassio's reputation. Since Iago was overlooked, for Othello's lieutenant, he's determined to strip Othello's happiness so he becomes miserable. This shows how a little bit of jealousy and the urge of power can destroy many people. Iago also states that he has a suspicion that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia.

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“But Cassio’s been chosen over me. My career is cut short by some bookkeeper, even though the general saw my fighting skills first-hand in Rhodes and Cyprus. This accountant is now lieutenant, while I end up as the Moor’s flag-bearer” (1, 1).

The theme of jealousy is prevalent in Othello many times. In this quote, Iago expresses his hatred towards Cassio and believes that he is more capable than him. He believes he deserves the position far more than Cassio did. Iago displays an egotistical personality that drives his envious emotions to the destruction of others. He is determined to get what he thinks he deserves.

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The Prevalent Theme of Jealousy and Insecurity

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The Prevalent Theme of Jealousy and Insecurity

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In Othello, the most significant theme was jealousy among individuals. But the main cause of Othello's jealousy was self-doubt and insecurities. In the play, Othello isn't confident about his background and wonders if Desdemona truly loves him. His self-doubt leads to the destruction of his marriage. In the song "Love" by Keyshia Cole, the lyrics "I used to think that I wasn't fine enough. And I used to think that I wasn't wild enough." In the song, one can connect how Keyshia and Othello feel about themselves in their relationship. They both don't think they are good enough for their partner. If Othello was more confident in himself, he would've seen past Iago's lies and manipulation. When Keyshia says "Now you're gone, what am I gonna do
So empty. My heart, my soul can't go on. Go on, baby, without you
My rainy days fade away when you come around please tell me baby. Why you go so far away
Why you go. Oh, love. Never knew what I was missing," she mirrors how Othello feels after he finds out about Iago's plans. He commits suicide because he's unable to bear with the pain and remembers that Desdemona was the ease in his life. He feels empty and doesn't want to live without his beloved wife.