Othello- Act 3 Summary

Summary:
Scene 1:
-​ Cassio has hired musicians to play music outside of Othello’s house to win his heart
-​ But, Othello’s clown dismisses the musicians; Cassio’s idea has failed
-​ Cassio gets the clown to ask Emilia to come speak with him so that he can ask her to access
Desdemona
-​ When the clown leaves, Iago enters and tells Cassio that he will send for Emilia straightaway and
figure out a way to take Othello aside so that Cassio and Desdemona can confer privately
-​ Iago exits and Emilia enters and tells Cassio that O&D have been talking about him
-​ D is defending C and O still loves him
-​ Othello worries that Montano’s influence and popularity in Cyprus would make Cassio’s
reappointment impractical, no matter how much Othello cares for his former lieutenant
-​ Emilia allows Cassio to come in and tells him to wait for Desdemona
Scene 2:
-​ Othello, Iago and some gentlemen enter the scene
-​ Othello tells Iago to deliver a letter to the captain of the ship that brought O to Cyprus
-​ Othello marches off with the governors
-​ Because Othello is going around the city to see how they’re going to protect the city from attack,
it gives Cassio a chance to speak to D
-​ If Othello witnesses this, chaos will erupt
Scene 3:
-​ Desdemona, Cassio and Emilia are having a moment alone
-​ D promises C that she will return things to how it was before with O
-​ Othello comes up the stairs with Iago and Cassio sees so he runs away because he ain’t ready to
see Othello yet
-​ Othello asks Iago if that was Cassio
-​ Iago denies it
-​ Othello chats to Desdemona and she is really persistent when asking Othello to speak to Cassio
-​ Her insistence makes Othello suspicious
-​ D and E leave
-​ Iago begins to instigate and questions if Cassio knew D when Othello was in a relationship with
her
-​ He reveals that Cassio was the one that would help communicate messages to D
-​ Iago pretends he is holding bad words back about C
-​ Iago is cunning and pretends he doesn’t want to say what’s on his mind
-​ Alone with Othello, Iago begins his insinuations of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona by
reminding Othello that Cassio served as Othello and Desdemona’s go-between during their
courtship
-​ Othello asks Iago whether he believes Cassio to be honest, and Iago feigns reluctance to answer
-​ Iago plants in Othello’s mind thoughts of adultery, cuckoldry, and hypocrisy, until Othello
screams at the ensign to speak his mind
-​ Iago suggests that Othello observe his wife closely when she is with Cassio
-​ Desdemonda did deceive her very own father to get married so why won’t she deceive Othello?

, -​ When Desdemona re-enters with Emilia, Othello's aspect is changed; he watches her intently,
looking for signs
-​ Desdemona sees that Othello doesn’t look too well so she gives him a handkerchief
-​ Othello says he is fine and as they go off, the handkerchief falls
-​ They go in to dinner, and Emilia picks up the fallen handkerchief, one that her husband, Iago,
often urged her to steal from Desdemona. Emilia decides to have a copy made to give to Iago, but
he enters, sees the handkerchief, and snatches it from her
-​ When Othello enters, Iago sees that Othello cannot regain his peace of mind
-​ His speech is fevered, sweeping and frantic; he believes that his wife has been unfaithful to him
-​ Othello then turns on Iago with savage intensity and demands to see the proof of Desdemona's
infidelity
-​ Iago says he once slept at Cassio’s and heard him sleeptalk
-​ Cassio was telling Desdemona to be careful about their love
-​ Iago says that he has seen Cassio wipe his brow with the handkerchief embroidered with
strawberries which is the one he gifted to Desdemona
-​ Othello is angry and says D is a beautiful devil and finds a way to kill her
-​ Othello gives Cassio’s role to Iago and Iago is gassed
-​ Now he swears action, and Iago swears to help him
-​ Othello wants Cassio dead, Iago agrees to do it, and then Othello wonders how to kill Desdemona
Scene 4:
-​ Desdemona tells the clown to find Cassio and tell him she has spoke to Othello
-​ The clown leaves and Desdemona and Emilia are talking
-​ Desdemona states she has lost her handkerchief
-​ Othello enters and asks Desdemona for her hand and compliments it
-​ He chastises her hands moistness which suggests sexual promiscuity
-​ She mentions Cassio and Othello needing to speak but Othello asks her for the handkerchief
-​ She gives him a random one and says she doesn’t have the meaningful one
-​ He explains how an Egyptian sorceress gave it to his mother and told her it would make her
desirable and keep Othello’s father loyal
-​ But, if he lost it, Othello’s father would leave her
-​ On Othello’s mum’s death bed she gave the handkerchief to Othello and instructed him to give it
to the women he loves
-​ The story makes Desdemona unsettled and she says she has it, just not on her person
-​ Not believing her, he demands the handkerchief
-​ She tried to change the subject to Cassio (obvi this is gonna make Othello mad because he thinks
she is cheating on him with him)
-​ But, he is persistent on mentioning the handkerchief and then proceeds to exit
-​ Desdemona thinks Othello is obsessed over the handkerchief because he doesn’t want to speak
about or to Cassio, she thinks he is attempting to change the conversation
-​ She keeps asking about Cassio which makes Othello think she is eager to change the topic from
the handkerchief because she doesn’t have it
-​ Othello thinks Desdemona is disrespecting him
-​ C&I enter and Cassio pleads for Desdemona’s help
-​ Releasing Iago is aggravated, Iago goes to speak with him