Othello Plot Summary

William Shakespeare's Othello or The Moor of Venice. (Othello is a famous soldier who serves the Duke of Venice. He is from north Africa and has African features, apparently including a dark skin. The action takes place in Venice, but location apparently changes later to the island of Cyprus.)

The play opens with Iago (Yago or ee-yago) talking to his friend Roderigo. Roderigo complains that he has given Iago a lot of money. He is upset to hear that Othello has married the woman he is in love with, Desdemona. Iago says that he hates Othello because he gave the job of second-in-command to Cassio instead of him, while he serves Othello as a subordinate officer. Iago encourages Roderigo to tell Desdemona's father Brabantio that his daughter has run off with an African.

Brabantio, very upset, tries to get the Duke to annul the marriage. He accuses Othello of using witchcraft to win Desdemona, but, when Desdemona is brought in, she explains that she loves Othello. The Duke advises Brabantio to get over his anger. Othello is sent off on a military mission, because the Turkish fleet is threatening an attack on Cyprus. He leaves Iago in charge. Iago's wife Emilia is to look after Desdemona.

The Turkish fleet is shipwrecked in a storm and the Venetians are victorious. Othello happily comes to Cyprus with his wife. Iago plots to make Othello think that Desdemona is in love with Cassio. Another reason that he hates Othello is that Iago believes Othello may have seduced his wife Emilia.

Iago gets Cassio drunk and sends Roderigo and others to get him into a fight. In the brawl, Cassio stabs a man who dies. The uproar brings out Othello who reproaches Cassio and demotes him from his military position. Iago suggests to Cassio that he ask Desdemona to ask Othello to forgive him. She agrees to help.

Next Iago begins to drop hints that he knows something about Cassio. He warns Othello to "beware of jealousy." He points out that Desdemona deceived her father to marry Othello. Believing in Iago's honesty, Othello begins to doubt his wife. Emilia notices that Desdemona drops her handkerchief (probably like a fancy embroidered linen scarf); she picks it up, because Iago has been begging her to get it for him.

Othello, tortured by doubts, demands proof of Desdemona's infidelity. Iago claims that he heard Cassio talking about her in his sleep. Then he claims to have seen Cassio with Desdemona's handkerchief, which was a present from Othello. Desdemona comes to Othello and asks him to forgive Cassio, which seems to confirm his jealous fears. He demands that she produce the handkerchief. Meanwhile Cassio has given the handkerchief to Bianca, a prostitute who is in love with him.

In the next scene, Iago goes further and tells Othello that Cassio has admitted having an affair with Desdemona. Othello becomes so enraged that he faints or has a fit.

Iago stokes Othello's jealousy more by having him watch a conversation between him and Cassio. Cassio is talking about Bianca and laughing about her, but Othello believes he is talking about Desdemona. Bianca comes in and waves the handkerchief at Cassio. Othello recognizes it. He is now determined to kill his wife. Iago suggests that he should strangle her in bed.

The Duke enters and Desdemona mentions Cassio to him. Othello is so furious that he strikes her, shocking everybody. Othello questions Emilia about Cassio and his wife, but she denies that anything is going on. Othello insults Desdemona, who is crushed by his anger.

Iago persuades Rogerigo to attack Cassio. Desdemona approaches Othello who brusquely tells her to go to her bedroom. Emilia is to be sent away. Desdemona asks Emilia whether she really believes there are married women who have affairs with other men. She would never do it. Emilia has another viewpoint: women have feelings too, and men who mess around should not expect faithfulness.

Roderigo attacks Cassio, but is badly wounded. Cassio is wounded by Iago, who runs off and then runs back and pretends to rescue Cassio by stabbing Roderigo! He accuses Bianca of being responsible for the whole plot.

Othello comes into the bedroom. Desdemona is asleep and he kisses her. She wakes up and pleads for her life, but he smothers her with a pillow. Emilia comes in and discovers the murder. She is horrified to learn that Othello's jealousy originated in "honest Iago." People come running when she screams and she denounces Iago: she was the one who gave him the handkerchief. Iago stabs her and runs off. Iago is brought back in and Cassio arrives to explain how Iago left the handkerchief in his room. Iago is to be punished, and so is Othello. But Othello has a hidden knife and stabs himself over Desdemona's body.

Othello's speech in which he explains to the Duke how Desdemona came to fall in love with him.


Her father loved me, oft invited me;
Still questioned me the story of my life
From year to year—the battles, sieges, fortunes
That I have passed.
I ran it through, even from my boyish days
To the very moment that he bade me tell it;
Wherein I spoke of most disastrous chances
Of moving accidents by flood and field,
Of hair-breadth scapes in the imminent deadly breach,
Of being sold to slavery, of my redemption thence,
And portance* in my travel's history.                                    *behavior or actions
Wherein of antres* vast and deserts idle,                        *caves
Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven,
It was my hint* to speak—such was my process—                        *chance
And of the cannibals that each other eat
The Anthropophagi*, and men whose heads                 *(Greek)—human-eaters          
Do grow beneath their shoulders. These things to hear
Did Desdemona seriously incline;
But still the house affairs would draw her thence,
Which ever as she could with haste dispatch,
She'd come again, and with a greedy ear
Devour up my discourse. Which I observing
Took once a pliant* hour, and found good means            *convenient
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart
That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,
Whereof by parcels she had something heard,
But not intentively. I did consent,
And often did beguile her of her tears*,            *made her cry
When I did speak of some distressful stroke
That my youth suffered. My story being done,
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs;
She swore 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange;
'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful.
She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished
That heaven had made her such a man. She thanked me,
And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,
I should but teach him how to tell my story,
And that would woo her. Upon this hint, I spake:
She loved me for the dangers I had passed,
And I loved her that she did pity them.

Homework for the Week of April 25th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday	MEMORIZE LINES	MEMORIZE LINES	MEMORIZE LINES
Tuesday	Spelling Lesson 102 Math	Spelling	Math Test Yearbook Pages
Wednesday	Spelling	Spelling Lesson 73 problems 1-4, 7-14,  16, 17, 20-23, 28-30	Lesson 75 Lesson Practice and Mixed Practice Problems except 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 22, 23, 28.
Thursday	Journal Have lines perfected Spelling Test LHBW Ch 5	Journal Have lines perfected Spelling Test LHBW Ch 5 Math Lesson 74 except problems 2, 7, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21, 28, 29	Journal Have lines perfected
Next Week			MWG Review.

Ann's Assignment for April 28th

Assignment for Thursday, April 28.

In Across, read Chapter 13, Lesson 2, pp. 342-47.
         Write a short paragraph showing reasons why a new invention, the printing press, was important to Martin Luther’s success as leader of a new Christian sect or church (Lutheranism).

Read Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2, pp. 11-33.

Homework for the Week of April 18th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday	MEMORIZE LINES ALL WEEK	MEMORIZE LINES ALL WEEK	MEMORIZE LINES ALL WEEK
Tuesday	Spelling	Spelling	Math Test Calendar Pictures
Wednesday	Spelling	Spelling Finish investigation 7	Investigation 7 all
Thursday	Journal Spelling Test Chapter 3 LHBW Lesson 99 finish	Journal Spelling Test Chapter 3 LHBW Lesson 71 Activity and Lesson Practice	Journal Ann Lesson 73 DO problems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30
Monday Next Week	Chapter 4 LHBW	Chapter 4 LHBW	MWG review in two weeks

Homework for the Week of April 11th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	Spelling Words	Spelling Words	Math Test
Wednesday	Spelling Test Practice	Spelling Test Practice Lesson 69 Mixed Practice, Problems 1-12, 18-23, 28-29.	Negative Number Worksheet Lesson Practice Lesson 68
Thursday	POW Journal Spelling Test	POW Journal Spelling Test Math Test	POW Journal Ann Math Test 9 Lesson Practice Lesson 67
Next Week	Memorize Lines	LHBW chapter 2 Memorize Lines Lesson 70 DO PROBLEMS 1-5, 8, 10, 11, 13-15, 19, 21, 23-28, 30	Calendar Pictures Memorize Lines Lesson 70 Lesson Practice Lesson 70 lesson Practice except 12, 14, 15, 17, 22, 25, 24, 26, 28, 29

Homework for the Week of April 4th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday			Math Test
Wednesday	Ch 1 LHBW Alisha Cursive two pages Cursive One Page	Cursive One Page Math- Lesson 66 problems 3, 4, 6-11, 13, 16, 19, 20, 22-25, 27, 28-30	Math, Lesson 65 Except Problems 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 27, 25, 28
Thursday	POW Journal Spelling Test Same words as last week	POW Journal Spelling Test Same words as last week Math Test.	POW Journal Ann Lesson 66 except problems 3, 10, 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29
Next Week

Homework for Kym's Class

7th graders First Draft was due the 21st.  As no one had turned it in by then, it is now due Sunday, Apr 3 sent to me.

3&5 graders--group all facts under subject headings and have a thesis statement for your report.

Malachi has 4 subject headings
Alisha, Lenin, and Jonathan 5 subject headings

Presley 6 subject headings

Ann's Assignment for over Break II

Assignment due April 7 after Spring Break:

Pick one of these topics and write a one and a half (1 ½) page typed paper about the artist's work and what made it important.

Cite pictures from the books by page number or get some pictures off the web that you can add on at the end of your paper.
We'll share the books and do research during typing class and from 11:15-lunch today. Take notes on your computer.

Here's how we'll do it.

A draft will be due the Thursday after Spring Break, April 7. I'll go over your work with you and plan for an oral presentation the following Thursday, complete with art works for us to look at. I'll help you put cards in the books to mark the art that you want to show.

Emi and Kaliana will share Leonardo da Vinci, dividing up the work, maybe between art and science. (But each of you should cover the facts of his life as part of your report.) Your source book will be History of Italian Renaissance Art (pp. 443-69), Across the Centuries, and the giant book of Leonardo drawings and paintings.

Maddy will do Michelangelo. She can use History of Italian Renaissance Art (pp. 469-480, 496-515, 544-54, and 649-59), and the big book on Michelangelo.  Start with the facts about his life. Then maybe concentrate on the Sistine Chapel and one or two sculptures?

Homework for the Week of March 21st

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	Spelling Malachi- JGP	Spelling Presley Poem	Kym Writing
Wednesday	Spelling	Spelling Math- Lesson 64 Problems 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27	Lesson 62 Except 4, 10, 11, 16, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 MWG Ch 28
Thursday	Current Event Journal	Current Event Journal	Current Event Journal Ann Lesson 64 problems 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 18, 21, 30 Do these Problems MWG Ch. 29
Next Week

Ann's Assignment for over Break

Read Chapter 12, lesson 3, pp. 325-28.
Maddy: you have your choice of the artists below, except Leonardo, who is being shared by Kaliana and Emi.

Begin the Assignment due after Spring Break:

Pick one of these topics and write a one and a half (1 ½) page typed paper about the artist's work and what made it important. Use our volume on Italian Renaissance Art for your research. Also, we have a

Cite pictures from the book by page number or get some pictures off the web that you can add on at the end of your paper.
We'll share the books and do research during typing class and from 11:15-lunch today. Take notes on your computer.

Brunelleschi—Competed with Ghiberti on the Baptistry door project. Started ideas about perspective, introduced a new style in cathedrals, and built dome of the Florence cathedral (1377-1446).


Massacio (1401-1428) and Mantegna (1431-1506)—Important "realistic" painters. How did they make people feel that what they painted was "real?"


Botticelli and Ghirlandaio—Idealizing and beautiful paintings, some about classical mythology (1445-1510) (We have a DVD about one of B's paintings, on Spring, La Primavera.)


Donatello—Son of a butcher who became a great sculptor. (1386-1466) D. lived a long time and produced many famous works. (in the Power of the Past DVD)

TWO LATER FIGURES

Leonardo da Vinci—A genius who thought about everything. See material in Across too. (1452-1519) (I have a giant book on Leonardo's sketches, if you want to use it!) Chosen by Emi and Kaliana.

Michelangelo—Great painter and sculptor: the 14 foot David statue in Florence and the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. (1475-1564) (You can use my book on all his amazing work.)

Work Due Tuesday March 22 for Kym's Class

7th graders pretty decent draft due to be cleaned up and posted on your blog that day.

Lenin and Jonathan finish your nature pieces and save as a draft on your blog.

Missing Work

	Missing Assignments
Alisha	Logic Puzzle, Journal x3, Current Event
Malachi	Current Event
Presley	Journal
Jonathan
Lenin	Lesson 57 Mixed Practice, Journal, Current Event
Maddy	Math Test 5, Lesson Practice Lesson 64, Lesson Practice Lesson 62, Journal x2, Current Event
Emi	Journal x 3, Math Test 3, Lesson 58 Mixed Practice, 59 Lesson Practice, 60 Lesson Practice, Lesson Practice Lesson 65, Mixed Practice 65, Test 7
Kaliana

Homework for the Week of March 14th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday	Spelling One Page Cursive	Math lesson 62 problems 1, 4, 12, 16, 18, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30 Spelling One Page Cursive	Poem Review Math lesson 61 except 1,10,13, 16, 18, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30
Thursday	POW- Memorize poem of at least 50 words. Journal Spelling	POW- Memorize poem of at least 50 words. Journal Spelling Math Test	POW- Memorize poem of at least 50 words. Journal MWG Ch 27
Next Week

Homework for the Week of March 7th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday			Linear Equations
Tuesday	Spelling	Spelling	Math Test MWG Ch 25
Wednesday	Science Project Topics Spelling	Math Test Science Project Topics Spelling	MWG Ch 26 Math, Lesson 58 Except problems 1,2,9,10,16,19,22 23,25,26
Thursday	Current Event Journal Spelling Test	Current Event Journal Spelling Test	Current Event Journal Lesson 59 LP Lesson 60 LP
Next Week			Poem Review... Over three hundred words.

Homework for Week of February 28th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	Malachi Math Lesson 81 One Page Cursive JJP Chapter 38	One Page Cursive JJP Chapter 38 Math, lesson 58 except problems 5, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 29
Wednesday	Spelling JGP Ch. 38.	Spelling JGP Ch. 38.Lesson 59 Selected	Chapter 23 MWG Lesson 57 except problems 4, 10, 11, 12, 17, 20, 22, 25, 26, 29.
Thursday	POW Journal Spelling Test	Math Test POW Journal Lesson 60 except 3,9,11,14,19, 25,27,28,29	POW Journal
Next Week	Need Topics for Science Project	Need Topics for Science Project	Linear Equations Across, Chapter 12, The Italian Renaissance, pp.316-319. Write a paragraph based on the pages assigned: Who were the "humanists"? When did they live? What about them was different from the generations before them that produced the great cathedrals?

Homework for Week of February 21

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	JGP 30 Math, Lesson 77	JGP 30	Hexagon in Book Author Letter MWG Ch 20+21 Emi- Math Fixes
Wednesday	One Cursive Page Math lesson 78	One Cursive Page Math lesson 54	Pentagon
Thursday	Final Draft Report	Final Draft Report	Final Draft Report
Next Week	JGP chapter 35	JGP chapter 35

Ann's Assignment for the next few weeks.

Assignment, Thursday, February 17 (Reminder)


Across, Chapter 11, Lessons 2 & 3, pp. 289-301

Read "Joan of Arc" pp. 1-3 (down to last two lines on 3)

-------------------

Assignment, Thursday, February 24

Finish Joan of Arc (end of 3-6)

Read Across, Chapter 12, Lesson 1 on Early Modern Period, pp. 308-313.

Assignment due week after next:
Compare the two saints, Joan and Francis, in two-page, typed paper. What did they have in common? What made them different? How did each of them affect a) religious belief and b) history? Which one did you like most and why?
--------------------
Assignment for Thursday, March 3

Writing assignment on Francis and Joan.

Homework for Week of February 14th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	Spelling Words JGP Ch. 25 One Page Cursive	Spelling Words JGP Ch. 25 Lenin: Picture of Ladybug One Page Cursive	Construct a regular Hexagon MWG Ch. 17+18 Emi letter Maddy letter
Wednesday	Spelling Sentences One page Cursive	Spelling Sentences One page Cursive Lesson 52	Bring Photos. Chapter 19 MWG
Thursday	CE Journal First Draft Report Spelling Test Finish Math, Lesson 73.	CE Journal First Draft Report Spelling Test Lesson 53 (skip problems 7,8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 26, 27.)	CE Journal First Draft Report
Next Week			Geometry constructions in book due on Monday. I want this to look nice.

Homework for Week of February 7th

Day	3rd	5th	7th
Monday
Tuesday	Spelling words written four different ways	Spelling words written four different ways Lesson 50
Wednesday	Sentences POW Journal Spelling Test (Study) Read JGP to Ch. 20	Sentences POW Journal Spelling Test (study) Jonathan JGP drawing Read JGP to Ch. 20	POW Journal
Thursday			Lesson 54
Next Week	Report Outline Due Monday	Report Outline Due Monday	Report Outline Due Monday

Meteorology Report Important Dates

Rough draft due February 17th


Final draft due February 24th