Order versus chaos is introduced at the beginning of the play when Iago, Othello's ensign, is talking to Roderigo, a jealous suitor of Desdemona. Iago tells Roderigo that he hates Othello, who gave the position of lieutenant to Michael Cassio, an inexperienced soldier instead of him. Due to his hatred towards Othello, Iago with Roderigo, go to Brabantio, Desdemona's father and tell him that Othello has taken and married his daughter. He then accuses Othello before a senate, who let him go after being convinced that he is innocent after using his power of language (rhetoric) to tell them that he and Desdemona love each other. That night, they leave for Cyprus, where he is needed to help defend against the Turks.
Shortly after they arrive, Roderigo tells Iago that he has no chance of breaking up Othello's marriage, but Iago assures him that Desdemona will lose interest in her husband and find someone else (Cassio). He then says that he should disgrace Cassio by getting in a fight with him, so later on that night, Iago gets Cassio drunk and Roderigo starts a fight with him. In the end, Othello ends up firing Cassio because he accidentally stabs Governor Montano. This was the first step in Iago's plan to ruin Othello.
Cassio's reputation is ruined, but Iago tells him that he could get back on Othello's good side by talking to Desdemona and getting her to convince Othello to give him back his title, but in reality, he only says this so that he can say they are having an affair to make Othello jealous. After Cassio and Desdemona are done talking one day, Iago and Othello see him leaving her bedroom. Othello becomes upset, and Iago suggests that they're having an affair. Shortly after her conversation with Cassio, Desdemona asks Othello to give him his position back. Othello sees this as confirmation of the affair.
That night, Othello isn't feeling well, and Desdemona offers him her handkerchief (the first gift given to her by Othello) to wrap around his head, but he says it doesn't fit and it falls to the floor. They go to dinner, and Emilia, Iago's wife, finds it and gives it to her husband because he had been asking her to steal it. He then plants it in Cassio's room for physical evidence of his and Desdemona's affair. Othello asks Iago for proof of their affair, and Iago responds by saying that he saw Cassio wipe his beard with it. Othello becomes furious after he asks Desdemona about it, says she doesn't have it, and changes the subject to Cassio. Later, Cassio appears and asks a courtesan to copy the embroidery.
Iago talks to Othello, and tells him to hide around the corner while he talks to Cassio and tries to get information from him. While talking to him, Bianca, Cassio's courtesan appears, furious. She claims that she won't copy the embroidery because she thinks that it belongs to someone that he is sleeping with. Othello sees this jealousy reaction as final confirmation of Cassio's affair with Desdemona and becomes angry. His anger is pushed over the edge and hits Desdemona after Lodovico enters with a letter stating that he is to return home and that Cassio would be replacing him.
Iago later convinces Roderigo that in order for Othello and Desdemona to stay in Cyprus, he must kill Cassio, but when he attacks him, Cassio ends up wounding him instead. Afterwards, after multiple people are trying to figure out what happened, Iago pretends to discover Roderigo, and murders him. While all of this is happening, Othello is in his bedroom, standing above Desdemona preparing to kill her for being unfaithful. She wakes up and tries to tell him that she has done nothing wrong, but he smothers her.
Emilia then enters to give the news that Roderigo had been killed, and Othello is shocked when she said Cassio had not been killed. Suddenly, Desdemona wakes and says that she was murdered, then says that she was not murdered, but committed suicide. Emilia asks Othello what happened, and he confesses to killing her for having an affair which Iago brought to his attention.
The room fills with people, and at first Othello is convinced Iago was telling the truth about the affair, but Emilia tells him that she found the handkerchief on the ground and gave it to Iago, which made Othello furious. He tried to kill Iago but was disarmed. Iago then kills Emilia and tries to flee, but is caught. Lodovico tells Othello that he has to be brought back to Venice and be tried, but he gives a speech, and kills himself with his sword. At the end, Lodovico orders Iago to be executed.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
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