OTHELLO
The play is in chronological order, one event succeeds, the order. It opens with Lago a soldier under the command of Othello. He is arguing with Roderigo a wealthy manin Venice. He desires to elope with the beautiful Desdemona.
PLOT/STORYLINE
He discovers that Desdemona is in love with Othello, he then plants Lago to keep watch over Othello’s ambition on the girl. Roderigo has mistrust on Lago because he is very close to Othello. He attributes Lago’s inability to feed him with adequate information about Desdemona to this reason. Ironically however, Lago is not in close relation with Othello because he has chosen Casio to be his right hand man instead of him (Roderigo). In conspiracy, Lago and Roderigo inform Brabantio Desdemona’s father that Othello is in love with his daughter.
This information angers Brabantio who in response sends people to arrest Othello at night for abusing his daughter. Lago when asked by Othello, denied having any knowledge of Brabanatios provocation when infact he is the brain behind the ugly scene. Lago instead, advises Othello to apply wisdom in handling the men that Brabantio has sent to arrest him. Othello relies on his fame and reputation and decides not to hide, or flee. Othello and Desdemona get married without the consent of Desdemona’s father.
Desdemona’s father accuses Othello of using magic power to influence his daughter’s consent. The conflict almost resulted to cries but for the letter that arrives to inform Othello to resume duty in Cyprus to meditate on crisis. Brabantio is unhappy situation, he had wished that Otello, be fired and be made to face the full weight of the law (imprisonment). The council opens and the senators and the Duke are discussing what to do to their enemies (the Turks). Brabantio complains in bitterness to the council how Othello has forced his daughter to relationship through magical powers.
The council is then compelled to bring in Othello to give evidence. Desdemona is equally invited to counter or support Othello’s evidence. Othello discloses how he falls in love with Desdemona and her response to his proposal. Since Desdemona’s evidence supports that of Othello, the Duke and council encourages Brabantio to consent and receive Othello as his son-in-law. They see this as the only remedy to the tension.
Recognizing military intelligent the night in Othello and his wife, recommend them to be sent to Cyprus to fight and defeat their Turkish enemies. The verdict does not go well with Roderigo, he becomes disappointed, his dreams of having Desdemona has dashed as this is a legally confirmation of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Lago remains hopeful and encourages Roderigo to fight on. He feels that the marriage will soon hit the rock (collapse) he urges him to gather more money for him.
Lago is unhappy with the decision of Othello to make Casio his lieutenant instead of him (Lago). He continues to ectort more money form Roderigo by criticizing Othello before himself. He designs a plan to deceive Othello that his wife Desdemona has been playing secret love affairs with Casio.
ASSIGNMENT
- The drama Othello is an example of (a) comedy (b) tragic-comedy (c) catastrophe (d) tragedy
- Othello is the (a) Antagonist (b) minor character (c) melancholy (d) protagonist of the play
- Bianca is the (a) Wife of Othello (b) Wife of Lago (c) Lady Duke (d) Casio’s mistress
- The antagonist of the play is (a) Lodovico (b) Bratiano (c) Casio (d) Lago
- The handkerchief wa first picked by (a) Bianca (b) The Servants (c) Emilia (d) Desdemona
- Desdemona was murdered by (a) Lago (b) Her husband (c) Her own suicide (d) Emilia
- The commander that took over the command of Cyprus from Othello is (a) Casio (b) Lago (c) Montano (d) Roderigo
- The wealthy man that sends gift to Desdemona through Lago is (a) Casio (b) Roderigo (c) Lodovico (d) Bar Brantio
- The setting of the drama is in (a) Venice and Cyprus (b) Rome and Italy (c) London and Paris (d) Germany and Turkey
Hold your hands
Both you of my inclining and the rest where it my cue to fight, I should have known it
Without a prompter, whither will you that I go.
To answer this your charge?
- Speaker A is _________
- He is speaking to speaker B ………………
- What is meant by ‘To answer this your charge?’
Barbrantio Desdemona’s father has accused Othello of using charm to force his daughter into marriage with him.
“I think this tale would win my daughter too good Brabantio take up this mangled matter at the best/men do their broken weapons rather use/than their bare hands”
- Speaker A is ___________
- He is referring to speaker B ____________
- Speaker A is advising speaker B
See also
THE ANVIL AND THE HAMMER
THE DINNING TABLE (GBANABOM HALLOWELL)
AFRICAN PEOTRY
THE BLOOD OF A STRANGER
INTRODUCTION TO AFRICA DRAMA – HARVEST OF CORRUPTION