Jealousy Marriage/ Infidelity Platonic Madness Race Truth vs The role of Honour, Motif of
romantic love deception, women reputation poison,
love hatred and manipulatio
masculinity, n
control
Act 1, Scene 1
The play begins in media res where a conversation takes place between Iago and Roderigo about Othello and Desdemona’s marriage
Iago and Roderigo awaken Brabantio to tell him of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage- he adopts Iago’s racist ideals and gathers officers to
investigate
‘an old black ‘i follow him ‘thieves, ‘poison his
‘one Micheal ram is to serve my thieves, delight’
Cassio, a tupping your turn upon thieves’
Florentine – a white ewe’ him’ ‘plague him
fellow almost ‘her duty, with flies’
damned in fair ‘You'll have ‘in following beauty, wit
wife’ your daughter him, I follow and fortunes’
covered with but myself’
‘his eyes had a barbary
seen the horse’ ‘I am not
proof’ what I am’
‘making the
beats with ‘though I do
two backs’ hate him as
hell pains... I
‘lascivious must show
moor’ out a flag and
sign of love’
Act 1, Scene 2
Cassio travels to summon Othello to the senate
Brabantio and his men also arrive, confronting him about his relations to Desdemona
They travel to the Duke
‘i love the ‘keep up your ‘By Janus’ ‘thief’ ‘spoke such
gentle bright scurvy and
, Desdemona’ swords, for ‘foul thief’ provoking
the dew will terms
rust them’ against your
honour’
‘you shall
command ‘my parts,
more with my title and
your years my perfect
than with soul will
your manifest me
weapons’ rightly’
‘abused her
delicate
youth with
drugs or
minerals’
‘a practicer of
arts inhibited’
Act 1, Scene 3
Brabantio brings his suspicions to the senate, who are eventually in full, support of Othello
Othello shares how him and Desdemona fell in love
They request to go to Cyprus together
‘i won his ‘she has ‘a man he is ‘to fall in love ‘I hate the ‘stolen from ‘the valiant ‘the moor is
daughter’ deceived her of honesty with what she moor. My me’ moor’ of a free and
father and and trust’ fear look on’ cause is open
‘to fall in may thee’ hearted... let ‘i won his ‘valiant nature... will
love with ‘this is the us be daughter’ Othello’ as tenderly
what she ‘it is thought only conjunctive be led by the
feared look abroad that witchcraft I in our ‘the house ‘her father nose as
on’ ‘twixt my have used’ revenge affairs would loved me, oft asses are’
sheets he’s against him' draw her invited me’
‘with a done my ‘thou hast thence’
greedy ear office. I already, with ‘I’ll sell all my