Othello Navigator: Scene Summary Index

Act 1, Scene 1: Hopelessly in love with Desdemona, Roderigo is angry that his supposed
friend Iago didn't do anything aout the elopement of Desdemona and !thello, ut Iago
convinces him that he hates !thello" " " " Shouting vulgarities, Iago and Roderigo
announce the elopement to Desdemona's father, #raantio, who declares that he will form
a posse to chase down !thello" Iago snea$s off to %oin !thello so that he can pretend that
he is still his loyal ensign"
Act 1, Scene &: Iago, pretending to warn !thello that #raantio is coming after him, tries
to ma$e !thello angry at his father'in'law" " " " (assio and some of !thello's men come to
summon !thello to the Senate, which needs him to deal with the )ur$ish threat to
(yprus" " " " #raantio and his men arrive" #raantio orders his men to sei*e !thello, and
Iago tries to provo$e a rawl, ut !thello maintains control of the situation" +veryone
leaves for the Senate"
Act 1, Scene ,: )he Du$e and senators receive news of a serious threat against (yprus,
which ma$es the Du$e very glad to see !thello" " " " #raantio rings his charges against
!thello, and !thello tells the true of story of his and Desdemona's mutual love" " " "
Desdemona arrives and confirms !thello's story, then receives permission to accompany
!thello to (yprus" " " " Iago persuades Roderigo that he can still have Desdemona, if he
will %ust disguise himself and come to (yprus" " " " In a solilo-uy, Iago develops his plan
to ma$e !thello %ealous"
Act &, Scene 1: After crossing a stormy sea, (assio, Desdemona, Iago, +milia, and
Roderigo arrive in (yprus" (assio shows what a ladies' man he is, and Iago plans to use
that against him" " " " !thello arrives, has a %oyful reunion with Desdemona, and
announces that the threat from the )ur$ish fleet has een lown away y the storm" " " "
Iago persuades Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with (assio and that therefore (assio
must e made to lose his %o" In a solilo-uy, Iago again e.plains his motives and plans"
Act &, Scene &: A Herald announces to the people of (yprus a celeration of the dispersal
of the )ur$ish fleet and of !thello's nuptials"
Act &, Scene ,: Iago tal$s (assio into drin$ing too much, then has Roderigo provo$e him"
" " " /hen 0ontano tries to intervene, (assio wounds him" !thello comes in and stops the
fight, then fires (assio" " " " Iago persuades (assio that he can get Desdemona to tal$
!thello into giving him his %o ac$" " " " In a solilo-uy, Iago re%oices at his own
cleverness" " " " Roderigo comes to complain to Iago that all he's gotten is a eating, ut
Iago persuades him that the plan is wor$ing"
Act ,, Scene 1: (assio rings musicians to play in front of !thello's house, ut !thello's
servant sends them away" (assio sends the servant to as$ if +milia will spea$ with him"
Iago enters and promises (assio that he will $eep !thello out of the way" " " " +milia tells
(assio that Desdemona is already pleading his case to !thello, ut (assio still wants to
tal$ to Desdemona, and +milia invites him in"
Act ,, Scene &: !thello sends Iago to deliver some official correspondence, and tells him
to meet him later to inspect some fortifications"
Act ,, Scene ,: Desdemona promises (assio that she will do everything she can for him" "
" " !thello and Iago appear and see (assio spea$ing with Desdemona" Iago tries to raise
!thello's suspicions, ut Desdemona forthrightly declares that it was (assio she was
tal$ing to, argues that !thello should restore (assio to his position, and apparently wins
her point" " " " Alone with !thello, Iago succeeds in ma$ing him elieve that Desdemona
is having an affair with (assio" " " Desdemona comes to call !thello to dinner" !thello
says he has a headache, and Desdemona offers to ind his head with her hand$erchief,
ut !thello pushes it aside and it drops to the floor" +milia pic$s up the hand$erchief and
gives it to Iago" " " " !thello returns to Iago, who continues to fan the fires of his %ealousy,
telling him '' among other things '' that he has seen (assio with Desdemona's
handerchief" !thello decides that oth (assio and Desdemona must die"
Act ,, Scene 1: Desdemona sends the clown for (assio, ecause she hopes that !thello
will now restore him to his position" )hen she wonders where she could have lost her
hand$erchief" " " " !thello -uestions Desdemona aout the hand$erchief, and tells her that
she should never lose it" She tries to tal$ aout (assio and tells !thello the hand$erchief
isn't lost, ut when she can't show it to him, he leaves in a fit of anger" " " " Iago and
(assio arrive" (assio wants a definite answer to his re-uest, ut Desdemona tells him that
!thello is out of humor" Iago pretends surprise that !thello is angry, and leaves, saying
he will find out what's wrong with him" " " " +milia thin$s !thello is %ealous, ut
Desdemona tal$s herself into elieving that !thello is only upset y some prolem in
(yprus, and she tells (assio to wait while she goes to find !thello" " " " As (assio is
waiting his prostitute girlfriend, #ianca, finds him and complains that he has stayed away
from her too long" He ma$es e.cuses and gives her Desdemona's hand$erchief to copy"
#ianca gets %ealous, ut she ta$es the hand$erchief and persuades (assio to wal$ her part
way home"
Act 1, Scene 1: Iago continues his psychological torture until !thello falls into a
trance" " " " (assio appears and wants to help !thello, ut Iago sends hims away and tells
!thello that if he hides himself he will see (assio tal$ing aout his encounters with
Desdemona" " " " (assio returns and Iago arranges it so that while (assio is tal$ing aout
#ianca's foolish love for him, !thello thin$s he's tal$ing aout Desdemona" " " " #ianca
appears and throws the hand$erchief in (assio's face, ut invites him to supper, so (assio
follows her" " " " !thello, thin$ing that he has %ust seen the proof of Desdemona's adultery,
is heart'ro$en that Desdemona must die, ut Iago gets him to name the time, place, and
method of her murder" " " " 2odovico, accompanied y Desdemona, delivers letters to
!thello from the Senate of 3enice" !thello, overhearing Desdemona say that she is glad
that (assio has een appointed the new governor of (yprus, stri$es Desdemona and
humiliates her, then storms out" " " " 2odovico is surprised and shoc$ed at !thello's
ehavior, ut Iago suggests that 2odovico hasn't seen the worst of it"
Act 1, Scene &: !thello tries to get evidence of Desdemona's guilt from +milia, and then
treats Desdemona as though she were a whore" " " " Desdemona is traumati*ed y
!thello's treatment of her, and +milia is outraged" +milia thin$s that some villain has
een pouring poison in !thello's ear, ut Iago assures Desdemona that !thello is only
upset y some prolem with affairs of state" " " " Roderigo complains to Iago that he has
gotten nothing from all his efforts, and threatens to -uit his pursuit of Desdemona, ut
Iago persuades him that he will ed Desdemona within two nights if he murders (assio"
Act 1, Scene ,: !thello orders Desdemona to dismiss +milia, go to ed, and wait for him"
Desdemona gets ready for ed and sings 4/illow,4 a song of lost love" Desdemona as$s
+milia if there really are women who commit adultery5 +milia tells her that there are, ut
their sins are the fault of their husands" Desdemona resolves not to e such a woman"
Summary of Act 6, Scene 1: At Iago's instigation, Roderigo attac$s (assio, who wounds
him" Iago wounds (assio from ehind and runs away" !thello, thin$ing that (assio is
dead, goes to $ill Desdemona" " " " 2odovico and 7ratiano hear (assio's cry for help, ut
are afraid of what might happen to them in the dar$ if they go to him" Iago appears,
loo$ing as if he has %ust gotten out of ed, and goes to (assio" Roderigo calls out for help,
and Iago $ills him" " " " #ianca enters and Iago tries to pin everything on her" +milia enters
and learns that (assio is wounded and Roderigo is dead" Iago sends her to deliver the
news to !thello and Desdemona"
Summary of Act 6, Scene &: 2oo$ing at the sleeping Desdemona, !thello has a hard time
trying to tal$ himself into $illing her" She awa$es and defends herself against his
accusations" He smothers her" " " " Hearing +milia call at the door, !thello finishes off
Desdemona, then lets in +milia" +milia tells him that Roderigo is dead and (assio is
wounded" Desdemona cries out that she has een murdered, clears !thello of the guilt,
and dies" !thello declares that he $illed her ecause she was a whore" +milia refuses to
elieve that Desdemona was a whore or that Iago ever said so5 she cries 4murder4 and
calls for help" " " " 0ontano, 7ratiano, Iago and others answer +milia's call" +milia
demands that Iago deny he ever said that Desdemona was false, ut Iago says that he did
say so and tries to shut +milia up" +milia declares that Iago is the villain who incited
!thello to murder Desdemona" /hen !thello mentions that he saw the hand$erchief in
(assio's hand, +milia reveals that she found it and gave it to Iago" !thello attac$s Iago"
Iago gives +milia her death'wound and runs away" )he other men disarm !thello and
leave 7ratiano to guard him while they pursue Iago" " " " +milia says farwell to
Desdemona, tells !thello that Desdemona was chaste and true, then dies" !thello finds
another sword, ut can't use it ecause the sight of dead Desdemona overwhelms him
with guilt and grief" " " " 2odovico enters, followed y 0ontano, (assio, and Iago, who
has een captured" 2odovico -uestions !thello, gives more proof of Iago's guilt, and
announces that !thello will e returned to 3enice for trial" As he is aout to e led away,
!thello as$s for a chance to say 4a word or two"4 He spea$s of how he wants to e
rememered, then stas himself, $isses Desdemona, and dies"