“Othello” by William Shakespeare- Notes on Act One
Act One, Scene One
● Iago and Rodrigo use epithets and vague pronouns when referring to
Othello and Desdemona, building tension as the audience knows that
the people that they are speaking of must be important, but do not know
why.
○ “Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.”- Rodrigo
○ Othello is referred to only as “the Moor”.
○ When approaching Brabantio, the men refer to him as “her father”
● Iago expresses his anger at Cassio’s promotion, believing that he was
more deserving of it because of his superior military experience. As a
result, Iago believes that the decision was made out of favoritism
because of Cassio’s higher social rank.
○ “Preferment goes by letter and affection / And not by gradation,
where each second / Stood heir to the first”- Iago
● It is clear that Iago maintains the appearance of a friendship with
Othello so that he enact his own plans, improve his own station and
(perhaps) enact revenge.
○ “I follow him to serve my turn upon him. / We cannot all be
masters, nor all masters / Cannot be truly followed.”- Iago
○ “Others there are / Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty, /
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves; / And throwing but
shows of service on their lords, / Do well thrive by them, and
when they have lined their coats, / Do themselves homage.
These fellows have some soul, / And such a one I do profess
myself.”- Iago
● Iago’s plans are, as of yet, unclear. In fact, it is impossible to tell if he
has one at all. However, he clearly has some undefined goal, and is
skilled in the trickery that he will use to achieve it.
, ○ “In following him, I follow but myself. / Heaven is my judge, not I
for love and duty, / But seeming so for my peculiar end… I am not
what I am”- Iago
○ Iago is prepared to manipulate (the as yet unnamed) Othello by
continuing the masquerade of friendship.
○ “I must show out a flag and sign of love, / Which is indeed but
sign.”- Iago
● Roderigo and Iago wake Brabantio from his slumber with harrowing
cries of theft.
○ They use aggressive, insulting, and racist language to denounce
Othello, and inform Brabantio that he has married his daughter
(Desdemona).
○ “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your
white ewe. Arise, arise!”- Iago
■ Iago uses the typical associations of black/evil and
white/pure to racially attack Othello.
○ Brabantio is an influential Venetian senator, and Desdemona is
his only child. Despite his position, his issue with the marriage is
to do with race and not social status.
○ “Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you”- Iago
■ The shouts are lewd and inflammatory, implying that
Othello not only intends to marry Desdemona, but that he is
defiling her honour. Imagery regarding good/evil and
religion is prevalent.
○ “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse”- Iago
○ “To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor”- Roderigo
● It is revealed that Roderigo was a failed suitor of Desdemona.
○ “My daughter is not for thee.”- Brabantio, to Roderigo
● Brabantio believes that his daughter has rebelled against him in a cruel
and unnatural way.
Act One, Scene One
● Iago and Rodrigo use epithets and vague pronouns when referring to
Othello and Desdemona, building tension as the audience knows that
the people that they are speaking of must be important, but do not know
why.
○ “Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.”- Rodrigo
○ Othello is referred to only as “the Moor”.
○ When approaching Brabantio, the men refer to him as “her father”
● Iago expresses his anger at Cassio’s promotion, believing that he was
more deserving of it because of his superior military experience. As a
result, Iago believes that the decision was made out of favoritism
because of Cassio’s higher social rank.
○ “Preferment goes by letter and affection / And not by gradation,
where each second / Stood heir to the first”- Iago
● It is clear that Iago maintains the appearance of a friendship with
Othello so that he enact his own plans, improve his own station and
(perhaps) enact revenge.
○ “I follow him to serve my turn upon him. / We cannot all be
masters, nor all masters / Cannot be truly followed.”- Iago
○ “Others there are / Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty, /
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves; / And throwing but
shows of service on their lords, / Do well thrive by them, and
when they have lined their coats, / Do themselves homage.
These fellows have some soul, / And such a one I do profess
myself.”- Iago
● Iago’s plans are, as of yet, unclear. In fact, it is impossible to tell if he
has one at all. However, he clearly has some undefined goal, and is
skilled in the trickery that he will use to achieve it.
, ○ “In following him, I follow but myself. / Heaven is my judge, not I
for love and duty, / But seeming so for my peculiar end… I am not
what I am”- Iago
○ Iago is prepared to manipulate (the as yet unnamed) Othello by
continuing the masquerade of friendship.
○ “I must show out a flag and sign of love, / Which is indeed but
sign.”- Iago
● Roderigo and Iago wake Brabantio from his slumber with harrowing
cries of theft.
○ They use aggressive, insulting, and racist language to denounce
Othello, and inform Brabantio that he has married his daughter
(Desdemona).
○ “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your
white ewe. Arise, arise!”- Iago
■ Iago uses the typical associations of black/evil and
white/pure to racially attack Othello.
○ Brabantio is an influential Venetian senator, and Desdemona is
his only child. Despite his position, his issue with the marriage is
to do with race and not social status.
○ “Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you”- Iago
■ The shouts are lewd and inflammatory, implying that
Othello not only intends to marry Desdemona, but that he is
defiling her honour. Imagery regarding good/evil and
religion is prevalent.
○ “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse”- Iago
○ “To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor”- Roderigo
● It is revealed that Roderigo was a failed suitor of Desdemona.
○ “My daughter is not for thee.”- Brabantio, to Roderigo
● Brabantio believes that his daughter has rebelled against him in a cruel
and unnatural way.
