Othello- Act 4 Summary

Summary:
Scene one:
-​ Iago keeps insinuating that Desdemona has been unfaithful
-​ Iago goads Othello by remarking that it is no crime for a women to be naked in bed with a man if
nothing happens
-​ These persistent insinuations of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness drive Othello to his edge and make
him crazy
-​ Iago them straight up states that Cassio and Desdemona have had sex
-​ This revelation is too much for Othello, who becomes incoherent and faints
-​ Cassio enters, and Iago mentions that Othello has fallen into his second fit of epilepsy in two days
-​ He warns Cassio to stay out of the way but tells him that he would like to speak once Othello has
gone
-​ Othello comes out of his trance, and Iago explains that Cassio stopped by and that he has
arranged to speak with the ex-lieutenant
-​ Iago orders Othello to hide nearby and observe Cassio’s face during their conversation
-​ Iago explains to Othello that he will make Cassio retell the story of where, when, and how often
he has slept with Desdemona, and when he intends to do so again
-​ When Othello withdraws, Iago informs the audience of his actual intention
-​ He will joke with Cassio about the prostitute Bianca, so that Cassio will laugh as he tells the story
of Bianca’s pursuit of him
-​ Othello will be driven mad, thinking that Cassio is joking with Iago about Desdemona
-​ The plan works: Cassio laughs uproariously as he tells Iago the details of Bianca’s love for him,
and even makes gestures in an attempt to depict her sexual advances
-​ Just as Cassio says that he no longer wishes to see Bianca, she herself enters with the
handkerchief and again accuses Cassio of giving her a love token given to him by another woman
-​ Bianca tells Cassio that if he doesn’t show up for supper with her that evening, he will never be
welcome to come back again
-​ Othello has recognised his handkerchief and, coming out of hiding when Cassio and Bianca are
gone, wonders how he should murder his former lieutenant
-​ Othello goes on to lament his hardheartedness and love for Desdemona, but Iago reminds him of
his purpose
-​ Othello has trouble reconciling his wife’s delicacy, class, beauty, and allure with her adulterous
actions
-​ He suggests that he will poison his wife, but Iago advises him to strangle her in the bed that she
contaminated through her infidelity
-​ Iago also promises to arrange Cassio’s death
-​ A trumpet then goes off
-​ Desdemona enters with Lodovico, who has come from Venice with a message from the duke
-​ Lodovico irritates Othello by inquiring about Cassio, and Desdemona irritates Othello by
answering Lodovico’s inquiries
-​ The contents of the letter also upset Othello, he has been called back to Venice, with orders to
leave Cassio as his replacement in Cyprus
-​ When Desdemona hears the news that she will be leaving Cyprus, she expresses her happiness
-​ Othello cannot believe Desdemona is so blunt and ignorant so he proceeds to slap her

, -​ Lodovico is horrified by Othello’s loss of self-control, and asks Othello to call back Desdemona,
who has left the stage
-​ Othello does so, only to accuse her of being a false and promiscuous woman
-​ He tells Lodovico that he will obey the duke’s orders, commands Desdemona to leave, and storms
off
-​ Lodovico cannot believe that the Othello he has just seen is the same self-controlled man he once
knew
-​ He wonders whether Othello is mad, but Iago refuses to answer Lodovico’s questions, telling him
that he must see for himself
Scene 2:
-​ Othello questions Emilia to see if Desdemona has been unfaithful
-​ Emilia strongly vouches for D
-​ D enters and Othello instructs Emilia to leave and close the door and not let anyone in and gives
her money to do this
-​ D is very confused as Othello keeps saying she has been unfaithful
-​ Othello weeps and proclaims that he could have borne any affliction other than the pollution of
the “fountain” from which his future children are to flow
-​ When Desdemona fervently denies being unfaithful, Othello sarcastically replies that he begs her
pardon: he took her for the “cunning whore of Venice” who married Othello
-​ Othello storms out of the room, and Emilia comes in to comfort her mistress
-​ Desdemona tells Emilia to lay her wedding sheets on the bed for that night
-​ At Desdemona’s request, Emilia brings in Iago, and Desdemona tries to find out from him why
Othello has been treating her as if she's been unfaithful
-​ Emilia says to her husband that Othello must have been deceived by some villain, the same sort
of villain who made Iago suspect Emilia of sleeping with Othello
-​ Iago assures Desdemona that Othello is merely upset by some official business, and a trumpet
flourish calls Emilia and Desdemona away to dinner with the Venetian emissaries
-​ Desdemona and Emilia leave
-​ Roderigo enters, furious that he is still frustrated in his love, and ready to make himself known in
his suit to Desdemona so that she might return all of the jewels that Iago was supposed to have
given her from him
-​ Iago tells Roderigo that Cassio is being assigned to Othello’s place
-​ Iago also lies, saying that Othello is being sent to Mauritania, in Africa, although he is really
being sent back to Venice
-​ He tells Roderigo that the only way to prevent Othello from taking Desdemona away to Africa
with him would be to get rid of Cassio
-​ He sets about persuading Roderigo that he is just the man for “knocking out [Cassio’s] brains”
Scene 3:
-​ After dinner, Othello proposes to walk with Lodovico, and sends Desdemona to bed, telling her
that he will be with her shortly and that she should dismiss Emilia
-​ Desdemona seems aware of her imminent fate as she prepares for bed. She says that if she dies
before Emilia, Emilia should use one of the wedding sheets for her shroud (symbolic?)
-​ As Emilia helps her mistress to undress, Desdemona sings a song called “Willow” about a woman
whose love forsook her