Othello- Act 5 Summary

Summary:
Scene 1:
-​ Iago and Roderigo wait outside of the prostitute house where Cassio is visiting Desdemona
-​ Iago places Roderigo with a rapier where he will be able to ambush Cassio
-​ Iago leaves, but he isn’t too far in case he needs to help Cassio
-​ Cassio enters so Roderigo stabs him but fails to pierce through his armour
-​ Cassio then stabs Roderigo
-​ Iago darts out in the commotion, stabs Cassio in the leg, and exits
-​ Not knowing who has stabbed him, Cassio falls
-​ At this moment, Othello enters
-​ Hearing Cassio’s cries of murder, Othello believes that Iago has killed him
-​ Inspired by what he believes to be Iago’s successful vengeance, Othello returns to his bedroom to
kill Desdemona
-​ Lodovico and Graziano enter and hear Cassio’s and Roderigo’s cries
-​ They can see nothing because of the darkness, and they are wary of helping the crying men in
case it is a trap
-​ Iago walks out with a torch and is in his pyjamas as if he has nothing to do with what is going on
-​ Iago first pretends to discover Cassio, who begs him for help, and then stumbles upon Cassio’s
assailant, Roderigo, whom Iago stabs without hesitation
-​ Graziano and Lodovico are still unable to see Iago, and they are unaware of what he is doing
-​ Finally, the three men come face-to-face, and they question Cassio about his injuries
-​ Bianca enters and begins to cry out when she sees the wounded Cassio
-​ Iago questions Cassio about his assailant, but Cassio can provide no explanation for what has
happened
-​ Iago suggests that Roderigo is to blame
-​ Cassio says that he does not know Roderigo
-​ Attendants carry off Cassio and Roderigo’s corpse
-​ Emilia enters, and Iago tells her what has happened, adding the explanation, “This is the fruits of
whoring”
-​ He and Emilia chastise Bianca, at whose house Cassio had dined that evening
-​ Iago takes Bianca under arrest, and sends Emilia to tell Othello and Desdemona what has
happened
-​ Iago ends the scene with an aside: “This is the night / That either makes me or fordoes
[undoes] me quite”
Scene 2:
-​ Holding a candle, Othello stands over the sleeping Desdemona and prepares to kill her
-​ He bends down to kiss her once before he does the deed, she wakes, and he tells her to prepare to
die
-​ Growing frightened, Desdemona asks her husband why he means to kill her, and Othello responds
that she has been unfaithful to him with Cassio and he has seen the proof in the handkerchief
-​ Othello refuses to believe Desdemona’s denial of the charge, saying that Cassio has confessed but
will speak no more, since he has been killed by Iago
-​ Desdemona begins to weep for Cassio, which only drives Othello into a greater rage

, -​ Wrestling with her as she begs to be allowed to live just a little longer, Othello finally succeeds in
smothering his wife
-​ Emilia calls from outside the door, and Othello, apparently delirious, confuses her cries with his
wife’s and concludes that Desdemona is not yet dead
-​ Thinking himself to be merciful, and not wanting to have his wife linger in pain, he smothers her
again
-​ Othello draws the bed curtains and lets Emilia in. Emilia informs Othello that Cassio has killed
Roderigo
-​ Othello asks if Cassio has been killed as well, and Emilia informs him that Cassio is alive. As
Othello begins to realise that his plans have gone awry, Desdemona cries out that she has been
murdered
-​ She stays alive long enough to recant this statement, telling Emilia that she was not murdered but
killed herself
-​ She dies. Othello triumphantly admits to Emilia that he killed Desdemona, and when she asks him
why, Othello tells her that Iago opened his eyes to Desdemona’s falsehood. Unfazed by Othello’s
threat that she “were best” to remain silent, Emilia calls out for help, bringing Montano,
Graziano, and Iago to the scene
-​ As the truth of Iago’s villainy begins to come out through Emilia’s accusations, Othello falls
weeping upon the bed that contains the body of his dead wife
-​ Almost to himself, Gratiano expresses relief that Brabantio is dead, the first news the audience
has heard of this, and has not lived to see his daughter come to such a terrible end
-​ Othello still clings to his belief in Iago’s truth and Desdemona’s guilt, mentioning the
handkerchief and Cassio’s “confession.” When Othello mentions the handkerchief, Emilia erupts,
and Iago, no longer certain that he can keep his plots hidden, attempts to silence her with his
sword
-​ Graziano stops him and Emilia explains how she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago
-​ Othello runs at Iago but is disarmed by Montano
-​ In the commotion, Iago is able to stab his wife, who falls, apparently dying. Iago flees and is
pursued by Montano and Graziano
-​ Left alone onstage with the bodies of the two women, Othello searches for another sword
-​ Emilia’s dying words provide eerie background music, as she sings a snatch of the song
“Willow.” She tells Othello that Desdemona was chaste and loved him
-​ Gratiano returns to find Othello armed and defiant, mourning the loss of his wife
-​ They are joined shortly by Montano, Lodovico, Cassio, and Iago, who is being held prisoner.
-​ Othello stabs Iago, wounding him, and Lodovico orders some soldiers to disarm Othello. Iago
sneers that he bleeds but is not killed
-​ He refuses to say anything more about what he has done, but Lodovico produces a letter found in
Roderigo’s pocket that reveals everything that has happened
-​ Seeking some kind of final reconciliation, Othello asks Cassio how he came by the handkerchief,
and Cassio replies that he found it in his chamber.
-​ Lodovico tells Othello that he must come with them back to Venice, and that he will be stripped
of his power and command and put on trial
-​ Refusing to be taken away before he has spoken, Othello asks his captors, “When you shall these
unlucky deeds relate, / Speak of me as I am”