Othello

Brabantio, a wealthy senator in Venice, had a beautiful daughter named Desdemona. Many men wanted to marry her because of her good qualities and wealth. But Desdemona didn’t like any of the men from her own place and race. 

This unique lady, who cared more about a person’s mind than their looks, had fallen in love with a Moor, a black man, who her father liked and often invited to his house. We shouldn’t completely blame Desdemona for choosing such an unusual person to love. Aside from Othello being black, he had everything a lady could want. 

He was a brave soldier, and he became a general in the Venetian service because of his good work in difficult wars against the Turks. The government respected and trusted him. Othello had also travelled a lot. Desdemona, like many women, loved to listen to his stories about his adventures. He would tell her about all the battles, dangerous situations, and near-death experiences he had been through, as well as the amazing things he had seen in foreign countries. 

Whenever she had to leave to do something, she would come back quickly to hear more. Once, she asked him to tell her the full story of his life, which she had only heard parts of before. His stories moved her so much that she often cried. After he finished his story, she sighed a lot. She said it was very strange and sad, and she wished she hadn’t heard it. But she also wished she could be a man like him. 

She thanked him and said that if he had a friend who loved her, that friend only needed to tell his story like Othello did, and she would fall in love with him. 

Othello understood what she was trying to say, and used this chance to talk more openly about his love for her. He convinced Desdemona to secretly agree to marry him. Othello’s race and wealth were not what Brabantio would want in a son-in-law. He didn’t control his daughter’s choices, but he thought that she, like most noble Venetian ladies, would marry a man of high status. He was wrong in this assumption.

Desdemona had deep feelings for the man named Othello, who was dark-skinned. She admired his bravery and other good traits and gave him her heart and all she had. She loved Othello so much that she didn’t care about his skin colour, which was different from most people at the time. She even liked it better than the pale skin of the rich, young men in Venice who wanted to marry her. They got married secretly, but it was impossible to keep this a secret for long.

Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, found out about their marriage. He was very upset and accused Othello in front of the city’s important leaders. He said that Othello used magic to make Desdemona fall in love with him and marry him without asking for his permission. This was not right, according to him.

At the same time, the city of Venice was in danger. The Turks had prepared a big navy and were planning to take over the island of Cyprus, which was under Venice’s control. 

The city’s leaders believed that only Othello could defend the island from the Turks. So, Othello was called to meet the city’s leaders, both as a person being accused and as someone who might get a very important job.

Brabantio, being an old and important man, was allowed to talk first in the meeting. But he was so angry that he couldn’t make a strong case against Othello. 

When it was Othello’s turn to speak, he just told the simple story of how he and Desdemona fell in love. His story was so sincere that the leader of the meeting, the duke, admitted that such a story would have won his daughter’s heart too. It became clear that Othello didn’t use magic, but simply the normal ways of someone in love.

Desdemona was also allowed to speak in the meeting. She thanked her father for everything he had done for her. But she also said she now owed more to her husband, just like her mother had chosen her father over her own father. In the end, Brabantio could not win the argument. He had no choice but to give his daughter to Othello. He even told Othello that he would have preferred to keep her away from him, if he could.

After this, Othello, who was used to the tough life of a soldier, agreed to go to Cyprus and fight the Turks. Desdemona chose to go with him, showing that she valued her husband’s honour more than enjoying a relaxed newlywed life. 

As soon as they arrived in Cyprus, they learned that a big storm had destroyed the Turkish navy. So, the island was safe for now. But there were other problems waiting for Othello and Desdemona, caused by people who didn’t like them. These problems would be more dangerous than any war.

Othello, the general, had many friends but trusted no one more than Michael Cassio. Cassio was a young soldier, very friendly, and good at talking to people. He was good-looking and a great speaker. This might have worried an older husband like Othello, who was married to a young, beautiful woman like Desdemona. But Othello didn’t feel jealous or suspicious at all. He was a very honest and noble man.

Othello had even asked Cassio to help him win Desdemona’s love because he thought he wasn’t good at talking to women. He saw that Cassio was good at it, so he asked Cassio to do the talking for him. This made Desdemona also trust and like Cassio. Even after they got married, Othello and Desdemona still acted the same way with Cassio. 

He would often visit them and his fun and lively conversations were a nice change for Othello, who was more serious. Desdemona and Cassio would laugh and chat just like before.

Othello had recently promoted Cassio to a higher rank in the army, which made Iago, another officer, very unhappy. Iago thought he deserved the promotion more than Cassio. He often made fun of Cassio, saying he was only good at talking to women and knew nothing about fighting. Iago didn’t like Cassio or Othello, because he thought Othello liked his wife, Emilia, too much. Iago started planning a nasty revenge on all three of them – Cassio, Othello, and Desdemona.

Iago was very clever and knew people well. He knew that making someone jealous can hurt them a lot. So, he planned to make Othello jealous of Cassio. He didn’t care if this led to Cassio or Othello’s death or both.

When Othello and Desdemona arrived in Cyprus and heard that the Turkish navy had been destroyed by a storm, there was a big celebration. Everyone was eating, drinking and having fun. They all drank to celebrate Othello and Desdemona.

That night, Cassio was in charge of the soldiers. Othello told him to make sure the soldiers didn’t drink too much and start fighting. But Iago had other plans. He pretended to be loyal to Othello and got Cassio to drink too much.

 At first, Cassio didn’t want to, but Iago persuaded him. Cassio drank a lot and started talking about how great Desdemona was. But then, the alcohol Cassio drank started to affect his thinking. Iago had planned for a fight to start, and it did. 

Swords were drawn and Montano, a respected officer who was trying to calm everyone down, got hurt. The fight grew bigger and Iago, who had actually started it all, acted like it was a huge problem. He even rang the castle bell to alert everyone.

 This woke up Othello, who got dressed quickly and came to see what was happening. He asked Cassio what had caused the problem. By now, Cassio was sobering up and was very embarrassed. He didn’t say anything. 

Iago, pretending he didn’t want to get Cassio into trouble, told Othello what happened but left out the part where he had encouraged Cassio to drink. He twisted the story to make Cassio’s actions seem worse than they were. This made Othello, who was very strict about rules, remove Cassio from his job.

Iago’s first plan worked perfectly. He had made his rival, Cassio, lose his job. But he was planning to use this situation even more later on. Now completely sober, Cassio was very upset. He told Iago, who he thought was his friend, how stupid he felt. He didn’t know how he could ask Othello to give him his job back. 

He was worried Othello would just call him a drunkard. He felt very bad about himself. Iago, pretending it wasn’t a big deal, said that anyone could get drunk. He suggested that Cassio should ask Desdemona, Othello’s wife, to help him get his job back. He said Desdemona could convince Othello because she was friendly and kind. It was good advice from Iago, but his intentions were not good at all.

Cassio followed Iago’s advice and talked to Desdemona. She was easily persuaded and promised to talk to Othello for him. She said she wouldn’t stop until Cassio got his job back. She was so dedicated and charming that Othello, who was still upset with Cassio, couldn’t ignore her. 

When he tried to delay it, she kept insisting that he forgive Cassio soon. She told him how sorry Cassio was and that he didn’t deserve to be punished so much. 

When Othello still hesitated, she said: “What! my lord, I can’t believe I have to try so hard to convince you to forgive Cassio. He’s the same man who helped you win my love. This is just a small favour I’m asking for. When I really want to test your love, I’ll ask for something much bigger.”

Othello couldn’t say no to Desdemona. He only asked her to let him decide when to forgive Cassio. He promised to make peace with Cassio soon. It just so happened that Othello and Iago walked into the room where Desdemona was, just as Cassio was leaving. Cassio had been asking Desdemona for her help. 

Iago, who was always plotting, quietly said, “I don’t like that.” 

Othello didn’t pay much attention to this, because he was focused on talking to Desdemona. But later on, he remembered it.

When Desdemona left the room, Iago started questioning Othello. He asked if Cassio knew about Othello’s love for Desdemona when they were still courting. Othello said yes, Cassio did know because he had helped them connect many times. 

At this, Iago acted surprised and said, “Really?” 

This made Othello think back to when Iago had said, “I don’t like that,” and he started to wonder if Iago was hinting at something. 

Othello trusted Iago and thought he was honest and loyal. He asked Iago to speak openly about his thoughts.

Iago then replied, “What if my thoughts are not good, just like how even in the best places, bad things can happen?”

He went on to say that Othello might not like knowing his thoughts. He warned Othello about jealousy and tried to make him suspicious, all while pretending to care about his peace of mind.

Othello said, “I know my wife is beautiful and loves socialising and having fun. She is talkative and good at singing, playing, and dancing. But these qualities are good when a person is virtuous. I need proof before I believe she is unfaithful.”

Iago then said he didn’t have any proof. He suggested Othello should pay attention to Desdemona’s behaviour when Cassio is around. He warned Othello not to be jealous or too trusting. He said he knew the character of Italian women, like Desdemona, better than Othello. He hinted that Desdemona had been secretive about their marriage, which made her father think she was under a spell. 

This upset Othello because if Desdemona could deceive her father, she could deceive him too.

Iago apologised for upsetting Othello, but Othello asked him to continue. Iago did so, but he pretended he didn’t want to say anything bad about Cassio, who he called his friend. 

He reminded Othello that Desdemona had turned down many men who were just like her to marry him. This showed she was stubborn and might compare Othello to other men.Iago ended by suggesting Othello to delay his makeup with Cassio and watch how keenly Desdemona would speak for him.

 According to Iago, this would reveal a lot. This scheming man was planning to turn Desdemona’s kindness against her, first encouraging Cassio to ask for her help, and then using that very help as a trap.Their talk finished with Iago urging Othello to see his wife as innocent until he had solid proof. Othello agreed to stay calm. But from that moment, Othello felt troubled. 

No sleep could ever bring him back the peace he used to have. He felt tired of his work. He no longer enjoyed being a soldier. His excitement for fighting was gone. Sometimes he thought his wife was honest, sometimes not. Same for Iago. He wished he had never heard about it. He could handle her loving Cassio if he didn’t know it. 

Struggling with these thoughts, he once grabbed Iago’s throat, demanding proof of Desdemona’s guilt, or else he would kill him. Iago, pretending to be hurt, asked Othello if he had seen a handkerchief with strawberry patterns with his wife. Othello remembered giving her one like that.

“I saw Cassio using that same handkerchief today,” said Iago.

“If what you say is true,” Othello responded, “I won’t rest until I get revenge. First, to prove your loyalty, I want Cassio dead in three days. And for Desdemona, I’ll come up with a quick way to kill her.”

To the jealous, small things are as convincing as hard facts. Seeing his wife’s handkerchief with Cassio was enough for Othello to decide they both should die, without asking how Cassio got it. 

Desdemona had never given Cassio such a gift. She would not do something as bad as giving his gifts to another man. Both Cassio and Desdemona had done nothing wrong. But the evil Iago, always planning, had his wife steal the handkerchief from Desdemona, saying she wanted to copy the design. 

In truth, she was to drop it where Cassio could find it, giving Iago a chance to suggest it was a gift from Desdemona.Later, when Othello met his wife, he pretended to have a headache and asked her for her handkerchief. She handed him one.

“Not this one,” said Othello, “but the one I gave you.”

Desdemona didn’t have the handkerchief (it had been stolen, as we already know).

“How?” asked Othello, “this is a problem. An Egyptian woman gave that handkerchief to my mother. She was a witch and could read minds. She told my mother that as long as she had it, my father would love her. But if she lost it or gave it away, my father’s love would turn into hate. On her deathbed, she gave it to me, and told me to give it to my wife if I ever got married. I did that. Be careful with it. Cherish it as you would your own eye.”

“Is that possible?” the scared lady asked.

“It’s true,” Othello continued, “the handkerchief is magical. A woman who lived for two hundred years made it in a fit of magical frenzy. The silkworms that made the silk were blessed and it was dyed with the hearts of maidens.”

Desdemona, hearing about the magic handkerchief, was very scared. She knew she had lost it and was afraid she had also lost her husband’s love. Othello was getting upset and kept asking for the handkerchief. When she couldn’t find it, she tried to distract him and started talking about Michael Cassio (just as Iago had predicted). 

This drove Othello away from the room, making Desdemona worry that her husband was jealous. She had no idea why he would be, and she blamed herself for doubting Othello. She thought maybe some bad news from Venice or troubles at work had upset him. 

She said, “Men aren’t perfect, we shouldn’t expect them to be as attentive after marriage as they were on the wedding day.”

 She felt bad for thinking he was being mean.

When Othello and Desdemona met again, he accused her of cheating, without naming the other man. Othello cried, and Desdemona asked, “Why are you crying?” 

He said he could handle any hardship but her betrayal had broken his heart. He called her a beautiful and sweet-smelling weed and wished she was never born. 

After he left, Desdemona was shocked by his false accusations and asked her maid to prepare her bed with her wedding sheets. When she went to bed, Othello came into the room, planning to kill her. 

Seeing her asleep, he decided not to hurt her physically, but he still wanted her dead, fearing she would betray other men. He kissed her, and the kiss was so sweet, he did it again, even though he was crying.

Desdemona woke up from his kisses and saw him biting his lower lip and rolling his eyes, signs of his anger. He told her to prepare to die and to pray. 

As she begged him to have mercy and to tell her what she had done wrong, he mentioned Cassio and the handkerchief. As she was about to defend herself, he wouldn’t listen anymore. He covered her with the bedclothes and suffocated her.

At that moment, Cassio, injured and bleeding, was brought into the house. Iago had ordered someone to kill him, but the man had only injured Cassio and Iago had killed him. In his pockets were letters that proved Iago’s guilt and Cassio’s innocence. Cassio came to ask Othello for forgiveness and to know why he had ordered Iago to kill him.

Othello realised what he had done. His wife had always been faithful, and he had become a murderer. Unable to bear his guilt, he killed himself by falling on his sword, next to the body of his wronged wife.

Everyone was shocked and horrified by what had happened. Othello had been a respected man and a loving husband until he was misled by Iago’s evil plan. He had loved his wife too much. When he realised his mistake, he cried.

After his death, people remembered his good deeds and bravery. Iago was punished, and the news of the tragic death of their great general was sent to Venice.

THE END