Play Review - Othello, the Moor of Venice

Title:Othello, the Moor of Venice
Playwright: William Shakespeare
First Performance: 1603
Important Characters: Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Cassio, Emilia, Roderigo
Main Themes: Insecurity makes one susceptible to others and can lead to his downfall; jealousy is a chief motive behind horrendous acts; loss of something precious leads to actions that will replace/balance/counteract it; holding on too tightly to one's honour will lead to his demise; isolation from consequence and society can lead to the loss of reason and rationality; order is not established in disorder, the law of man cannot overrule the law of nature.
Critical quotations:Othello is an "exceptional calamity" - A.C. Bradley, Othello is "the most romantic of Shakespeare's heroes" - A.C. Bradley, "the nature of the Moor is noble... but his blood is of the most inflameable kind" - William Hazlitt

Summary:
The first act begins with Roderigo and Iago discussing both Desdemona (whom Roderigo has a creepy crush on) and Othello's recent act to promote Cassio to lieutenant, a man who in Iago's words "a Florentine...that never set a squadron in the field". He is completely inadequate for lieutenant in Iago's opinion, who has "seen the proof at Cyprus" and is an experienced soldier. Iago tells Roderigo his 'love' Desdemona is already married secretly to Othello. Roderigo goes to see Brabantio (D's father) and they tell him this news, that "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe". Brabantio is furious that a "black Moor" is now his son in law and goes to the council to sort out the matter. Scene 3 begins with this and is quickly dismissed at Othello's tale of how it was D that fell in love with him for his tragic stories and he loved her "that she pitied them". War with the "Ottomans" over Venitian port Cyprus, a barren island where one "can barely descry a sail" the conditions are so foul, is in the air. Othello is to be general of the Venitian soldiers sent to fight these Turks. It is decided that his newlywed wife with accompany him. She leaves her family behind for her husband. Iago's soliloquy finishes the act with his dastardly plan to both ruin Cassio and Othello. He will make Othello think that Cassio and D are having an affair in order to make him usurp Cassio and have Othello revealed as a cuckold (Iago thinks he has been cuckolded himself as he says that Othello "hath leapt into his seat" and slept with his wife Emilia)

Act two is our introduction to the isle of Cyprus and conditions are not good. This is where we begin to see the different uncouth environment in comparison to Venice's state and order. Desdemona arrives on the island safely along with other main characters (Cassio, Iago and Emilia). A bit of sexual innuendo follows with Iago making misogynist statements that women "rise to play and go to bed to work". Othello then arrives safely, Desdemona is relieved and a happy lover's embrace follows. After all but Iago and Roderigo exit, Iago fuels Roderigo's jealous anger that D is now married to Othello and reveals part of his plan. He tells Roderigo to get Cassio drunk and then have a fight with him. Roderigo does so, knowing full well that Cassio has "very unhappy brains for drinking". Despite that Cassio gets drunk and angry when Iago starts a brawl. Othello comes out to see his lieutenant fighting and gets so mad he strips him of his position. Ashamed and sobering up, Cassio begs Iago for advice. Iago slyly tells him to appeal to Desdemona for help.

Act three: Cassio hires musicians to play outside Othello's window in apology. Othello angrily sends them away. Emilia convinces Desdemona to hear Cassio and Iago organises to lead Othello away for a while so they may talk in private. He pleads his case to her and she vows she would "rather die than give [his] cause away". Unfortunately this is a telling piece of foreshadowing here. D openly admits her talking to Cassio and pleads with Othello to reinstate him. He reluctantly agrees. after D exits Iago starts to sow seeds of doubt in Othello's mind. Plays on his racial insecurities and Othello begins to wonder why he got married at all. Iago leaves and Othello sees the logic in Iago's suggestion: his age, lack of social skills and race are all against him. He comes back to find Desdemona there with dinner and he refuses to believe she is an adulterer and claims that if he "love thee not/chaos is come again". When he complains of a headache she attempts to bind his head with a handkerchief, however he brushes it away. It lies undisturbed by both on the ground. Emilia picks up the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. He then incorporates it into his scheme.

Othello is deeply troubled about Iago's words to him and demands proof of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. Iago then tells Othello that Cassio and Desdemona have shared a bed "as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys" tormenting the newlywed general. Othello contemplates suicide at first for the shame of it. Iago then drops the bomb saying that he's seen Cassio wiping his beard with a handkerchief with strawberries on it... Othello's gift to Desdemona. Now Othello is insanely jealous and wants to "hear [Iago] say/ that Cassio's not alive". Iago agrees to this.

Desdemona (not hearing any of the previous) calls for Cassio in order to tell him she thinks Othello will reinstate him. She asks Emilia what has happened to her handkerchief. Othello then enters enquiring after the same after guilt tripping her that "to lose or give't away were such perdition as nothing else could match". She cannot produce it and so Othello is convinced she is having an affair.

Act four: Iago is bolder with Othello and claims he has seen Cassio and Desdemona in bed together. Keeps coming back to the handkerchief. Iago gloats as Othello has a seizure of sorts (shock?). When Othello stirs Iago instructs him to hide whilst Cassio and him talk about Desdemona to prove he is sleeping with her. Iago does so, but instead of talking about D, he asks after Cassio's love interest Bianca in a low voice and Cassio responds loudly. Once Cassio holds up the handkerchief and asks Bianca to copy the pattern, she takes offense as it is undoubtedly "some token from a newer friend". Shortly after Lodovico of Venice arrives to inspect Othello's work in Cyprus. Desdemona enters and tells him of his strange behavior toward her. They both enter and give Othello a letter from the senate instructing that Cassio should be made governor. This is the opposite of what both men thought, Cassio even saying he would "shape [Othello] for a governor". Othello is mad and Desdemona's pleasure at this is worse. He slaps her with a single exclamation of "devil!" causing a shock throughout the company and besmirches Othello's reputation. She is sent away to her bedchamber where she tells Emilia she thinks something bad will happen.

Act 5: Anything that can go wrong goes wrong. Roderigo and Iago plan to kill Cassio, fuelling Roderigo's anger by saying that C is D's new love interest. It fails however and Roderigo is killed. The scene changes to Desdemona's bedchamber. Othello is determined that "she must die, else she'll betray more men". After a brief struggle, Desdemona is killed. Emilia enters and sees the near-dead woman to hear her last words that "nobody" "hath done this deed" but her own self. She alerts everyone, they enter and the plot comes out that she was innocent and Iago is evil. Emilia figures this out but is then murdered by her husband. Othello is dumbstruck and heartbroken. He then kills himself next to Desdemona asking that he be remembered as "one who loved not wisely, but too well". Iago struggles but is caught by Cassio and taken away for torture or questioning. Lodovico concludes saying that he will tell this "heavy act with a heavy heart". Exeunt.