Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Close Reading Organizer - Act 1, scene 3

Directions: Read each summary entry and think about which themes listed in the Themes Key apply
to it, then color in those themes in the Theme Tracker. Next, write a few sentences of Analysis to
explain how the themes you chose apply to each summary section.

Themes Key
1 Prejudice
2 Appearance vs. Reality
3 Jealousy
4 Manhood and Honor
5 Womanhood and Sexuality

Summary Theme Tracker Your Analysis

The Duke of Venice meets with his The illusion created here contributes
senators about a Turkish invasion of to the theme of appearance vs
Cyprus. They manage to see through reality.
a Turkish ploy to make it look as if
1 2 3 4 5
the Turks will attack Rhodes instead
of Cyprus. Then the Duke and the
Senators discuss how to repel the
Turkish attack on Cyprus.

Othello and Brabantio enter along Brabantio continues to insist, that

with their men. Brabantio demands
that they cease discussing state
business and instead deal with the
fact that his daughter has been
corrupted by spells and potions so
that she would marry a man she
1 2
would never otherwise have
considered. The Duke promises to
help Brabantio prosecute the man
who has seduced Desdemona, but
when he learns that the accused
man is Othello he gives Othello a
chance to defend himself.
Desdemona could never have been
sexually drawn to someone of
Othello's racial background in the
absence of some kind of deception
on his part. Brabantio portrays her
3 4 5 as fickle and delicate, unable to
make her own decisions as an
individual. Brabantio expected the
senators to support him, but all their
support was extended to Othello
because he is indispensable.

Othello admits that he married 1 2 3 4 5 Othello is confident and assertive.

Desdemona. But he denies using He is gambling with his life but he

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______
any magic to win her love, and says
that Desdemona will support his
story. They send for her. As they
wait for Desdemona to arrive,
Othello says that Brabantio used to
invite him to his house to hear his
life story, with all its dramatic tales
of travel, battle, and valor. These
stories, Othello says, won
Desdemona's love. The Duke
comments that he thinks his own
daughter might be won over by
Othello's story.
Desdemona arrives. Brabantio
asks his daughter to whom she owes
obedience. Desdemona responds
that just as her own mother once
had to shift her obedience from her
own father to Brabantio, so must she
shift her obedience from Brabantio to
Othello. At this, Brabantio
grudgingly gives up his grievance
against Othello, and allows the
meeting to turn back to affairs of
state.
As discussion turns back to fighting
off the Turks, the Duke says that
Othello must go to Cyprus to lead
its defense. Though the Duke at first
suggests that Desdemona stay in
Venice with her father, Brabantio,
does it valiantly because he knows
no matter what Desdemona will
always be by his side. The struggles
faced by Othello highlight how he
has gone through all possible
difficulties a human could possibly
imagine. From starving to being
humiliated to being abused and
tortured. He has done it all and
victory has been with him
throughout. This bravery is what
instigated sympathy and love in
Desdemona. She didn’t praise nor
admire this but felt that he nor any
human should not have to go
through what he has. Othello is also
very self-aware, admitting that he is,
“rude am I in my speech,” which
makes his story more believable.
Even though Desdemona is
portrayed as a controversial female
figure here her decision to rebel
against the father can’t be portrayed
in triumphant light since an
Elizabethan audience would fine it
morally inappropriate. Desdemona
1 2 3 4 5 presents an argument here which
Brabantio can’t argue against. She
shows complete devotion to her
current husband, which every wife
was expected to do. Although her
act of betrayal would have been
frowned upon by the Elizabethan
audience.
1 2 3 4 5 Othello and Desdemona exhibit
devotion to each other and
Brabantio expresses infinite hatred
and pain. Othello protects her and
intermingles his work with his
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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Othello, and Desdemona all object, marriage life now.

and the Duke says that she may go
with Othello.

Brabantio exits, but not before Foreshadowing. Brabantio defines

warning Othello to watch Desdemona's independence as
Desdemona—since she disobeyed 1 2 3 4 5 disloyalty to men. Brabantio is
her father, she might disobey her extremely hurt here.
husband.

Because Othello must leave for

Cyprus that night, he decides that
Desdemona should follow after him
in the care of Iago, and asks Iago to
1 2 3 4 5
have his wife attend Desdemona.
Othello and Desdemona then exit to
spend their last few hours together
before Othello must depart.

Iago and Roderigo are left alone.
Roderigo, convinced his chances with
Desdemona are now hopelessly
lost, talks of drowning himself. Iago
mocks Roderigo for such silly
sentimentality. Roderigo responds
that he can't stop himself from
1 2
feeling so miserable, but Iago
disagrees, saying that a person can
control himself by sheer force of will.
He tells Roderigo to follow them to
Cyprus, where he will make sure that
Desdemona will end up with him—for
a price. Roderigo exits.
Iago makes Roderigo seem like a fool
which makes Roderigo play right
into Iago’s hands and does exactly as
he says. He convinces Roderigo how
his plan will work which emphasizes
on how deep his manipulation runs.
3 4 5 Has a general, derogatory view of
women which shows how he
belittles everyone who he thinks is
below him. Portrays all Venetian
women as deceptive and fraudulent.

Alone, Iago delivers a soliloquy in 1 2 3 4 5 Manipulating Othello is easy

which he says again that he hates
the Moor. He notes that there are
rumors that Othello has slept with
his wife, Emilia, and while he isn't at
all sure that the rumors are true,
he'll act as if they're true. He says
that he will take Roderigo's money
and decides that he will convince
Othello that Cassio is having an
affair with Desdemona, and in so
doing also get the position of
because his one fatal flaw is how he
trusts everybody around him and
thinks they are as genuine as him.
Iago derives his sense of self, his
manhood, from his ability to
manipulate others. He uses
everybody’s weaknesses around him
in order to play his hand.

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

lieutenant. He adds that Othello has

a "free and open nature" (1.3.380)
and therefore thinks that anyone
who seems honest actually is honest,
and that he will use this trait to lead
Othello by the nose.

Rusandi 12A