Scene I:
Iago tells Rodedrigo how Cassio has been promoted over him to the position of lieutenant to the Moor Othello, a general in the service of the Venetian State. Iago is furious but resolves to continue serving Othello for his own ends. Having learnt that his master has married in secret, Desdemona the love of Rodrigo, they resolve to inform Brabantio of their elopement.
Scene II:
Iago tells Othello of Brabantio�s fury. Cassio comes from the duke of Venice with a summons for the Moor: there is trouble in Cyprus; the Turks are coming to attack the Venetian colony. Despite Othello�s wishes, Brabantio insists the Duke be informed of the marriage of Desdemona and Othello.
Scene III:
The Duke and senators are discussing a report that a Turkish fleet is on its way to Cyprus, when Othello and Brabantio arrive. Othello defends himself beautifully against the charges of bewitching Brabantio�s daughter, Desdemona; she confirms his story of how they came together. Brabantio reluctantly accepts this situation. Othello is appointed the governor of Cyprus. Desdemona is to accompany her husband and Iago will escort her to the island. Roderigo threatens suicide for love of desdemona, but Iago assures him that she will tire of Othello and that Roderigo will then be able to seduce her, once along Iago speaks of a rumor that this wife emilia has betrayed him with Othello.
Act II:
Scene I:
The Turkish fleet is caught in a tempest and destroyed off the coast of Cyprus. The Venetian ships are scattered and Cassio is concerned for Othello�s safety, though he is delighted to see desdemona safely landed in Cyprus with Iago. Iago observers the closeness of desdemona and Cassio, thinking he can use it for his evil devices. Once Othello has arrived and gone with his entourage to the castle, Iago persuades Roderigo that desdemona and Cassio are in love and enlists his help in bringing down Cassio in the eyes of Othello to further his plans. Again, Iago�s jealousy emerges when he is left alone.
Scene II:
A herald announces a double celebration for the loss of the Turkish fleet and Othello�s marriage.
Scene III:
Having learned that Cassio has a low tolerance for drinking, Iago reasons to intoxicate him and use Roderigo to get him angry. In the midst of the brawl, Cassio stabs Montano, a well-respected person of Cyprus almost killing him. Othello enters and finds Cassio drunk and angrily dismisses Cassio from his service. Cassio, devastated turns to Iago for help, who tells Cassio to enlist the help of Othello�s wife, Desdemona in regaining his favor with Othello.
Act III:
Scene I:
Despite Emilia�s reassurance that Othello still holds him dear, Cassio insists on seeing desdemona alone.
Scene II:
Othello sends Iago with letters to the senate.
Scene III:
Desdemona urges Othello to forgive Cassio. Once she has gone, Iago starts to work on Othello: he states repeatedly that Cassio is an honest man, while hinting the very opposite. He warns the increasingly uneasy Othello �O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!� Othello is insistent that he would never be suspicious without concrete evidence, but Iago advises him to watch Desdemona with Cassio, adding that she in fact deceived her father when marrying him. Badly shaken, Othello resolves to discard Desdemona if she proves to be unfaithful to him. When Desdemona drops her handkerchief, emilia gives it to Iago, because he had been pestering her about it for weeks. He plants the handkerchief in Cassio�s house. Othello returns to Iago, with accusations of him torturing him and wants proof of Desdemona�s infidelity. Iago claims to have heard Cassio talking of her in his sleep and to have seen him use her handkerchief.
Scene IV:
Having told Othello that she does not have his handkerchief, Desdemona continues to plead with him to see Cassio. She hopes that her husband�s anger is due to affairs of state, but nonetheless disturbed by his uncharacteristic behavior. Cassio gives the handkerchief to his mistress Bianca, telling her that he found it in his room and would like it copied.
Act IV:
Scene I:
Iago fans Othello�s increasingly violent jealousy, until he collapses in a fit. Once Othello has recovered, Iago suggest that he eavesdrop on a conversation with Cassio and Desdemona. Unknown to Othello they are actually discussing Bianca, who arrives with the handkerchief, convinced that it belongs to another woman. Othello is no longer in doubt and vows to murder Desdemona, leaving Cassio to be dealt with by �honest� Iago. When Lodovico comes from Venice with a letter from the Duke, he is appalled to see Othello strike his wife.
Scene II:
Despite Emilia�s insistence on her mistress� innocence, Othello accuses Desdemona of being a whore. Iago tells Roderigo that Othello and Desdemona are to leave Cyprus; he suggest Roderigo kill Cassio, to prevent the two from leaving.
Scene III:
Desdemona remembers her mother�s maid who was forsaken in love and died singing a song of �Willow�; she can�t get the melody out of her head.
Act V:
Scene I:
Roderigo fails to hurt Cassio, so Iago darts from his hiding place and wounds him in the leg. Pretending to avenge Cassio, Iago then kills Roderigo.
Scene II:
Othello enters the room of Desdemona, and delivers his inner thoughts of how he must kill her to stop her from hurting any other men. He asks if she has prayed this night for he is going to kill her, and wouldn�t want to destroy her soul. She pleads with him, that she has been faithful to him, but he won�t listen and smothers her. Emilia is horrified to learn of her husband�s part in the tragedy. Despite Iago�s attempts to silence her, she reveals the truth about the handkerchief, upon which Iago kills her. Othello lunges at Iago, but only wounds him. Overwhelmed with grief, he stabs himself and dies beside Desdemona�s body. Refusing to explain his actions, Iago is led off to prison.
