Scene 1

• setting: a street in Venice
• Roderigo (a rich nobleman) is arguing with Iago because he has paid Iago in order to help him convincing Desdemona to give him a chance, but he has just learned that Desdemona is already married to Othello, a general for whom Iago works as an ensign
• still, Iago is fuelled to take some kind of vengeance on Othello because he promoted Michael Cassio to the post of lieutenant instead of him
• Iago deems this more than unfair because he has served greatly in battle and has been recommended by three other generals of Venice - Cassio, however, has no experience in leading men into battle
• Iago thus only pretends to serve Othello
• also, he advises Roderigo to tell Desdemona‘s family about her marriage with Othello
• because of that they head to Desdemona‘s family‘s house and wake her father by crying that he has been robbed
• Brabantio (a Venetian senator) does not believe that because he does not like Roderigo‘s pursuing of Desdemona
• he thinks that it is just a ruse from Roderigo in order to see Desdemona again
• yet, Roderigo claims that his daughter has sex with Othello and Brabantio starts believing him and looks for his daughter
• Iago leaves to go back to Othello who has no clue of Iago‘s involvement with Roderigo
• Brabantio notices that Desdemona is not in the house and declares that his daughter has been stolen from him
• he and his men head with Roderigo to Othello

Scene 2

• when Iago arrives at Othello‘s house, he warns Othello about Brabantio‘s knowledge of his marriage
• a group of men approaches and Iago advises Othello to get back inside
• Othello refuses and the men turn out to be Cassio and some officers
• they deliver the message that Othello is wanted at the duke of Venice‘s court because something has happened on Cyprus, which is controlled by Venice
• the men leave and Brabantio, Roderigo and some soldiers arrive and are rude to Othello
• Brabantio orders his men to attack Othello
• Othello and his men get into a brawl with Brabantio and his followers, yet Othello intervenes and tells both parties to stop
• Brabantio hears that Othello has been summoned to court and determines that he wants to adress the duke himself regarding his daughter‘s secret marriage with Othello
• also, he accuses Othello of having used witchcraft in order to seduce his daughter

Scene 3

• the duke is meeting with his senators to discuss the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
• a sailor arrives and tells them about the Turks that have turned toward Rhodes now (a tactic to mislead the Venetians)
• Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo and some officers arrive and Brabantio claims that his matter is more important than state business
• the duke first takes his side but when he learns that it is Othello who is accused he gives him the chance to speak for himself
• Othello admits that he has secretly married Desdemona but he claims that it was not magic that convinced her to marry him
• it was his lifestory that finally won Desdemona over (with all the battles, travels and reversals of fortune that he experienced)
• Othello‘s story convinces the duke and he dismisses Brabantio‘s accusation
• Desdemona delivers reliable confirmation that she loves Othello by saying that she is most obedient to Othello and not her father
• Brabantio accepts that she has married Othello out of her own will and allows that the duke and his senators tend to their state affairs again
• in order to defend Cyprus from the Turks, the duke sends Othello there
• Othello agrees and asks for appropriate accommodations for his wife
• the duke‘s suggestion that Desdemona should stay with her father is dismissed by Othello, Desdemona and also by her father Brabantio
• Desdemona and Othello leave in order to prepare for the travel
• only Roderigo and Iago remain and Roderigo voices his sorrow over having "lost" Desdemona again
• Iago assures him that everything will turn out as he wishes
• Roderigo contemplates drowning himself because he wants to end his suffering due to rejected love and Iago mocks him for that
• Iago tells Roderigo several times to take a lot of money with him when following him to Cyprus
• Roderigo leaves and Iago soliloquizes about his hatred for Othello as well as his suspicion that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia
• he plots to betray Roderigo for his money and to tell Othello that his wife has betrayed him with Cassio

Function

• although Othello has not appeared yet and although his name is not articulated, the audience already learns about him
  
  • he is referred to as "he" or "him"
  • "the Moor", "the thick-lips" and "a Barbary horse" all indicate that he is dark-skinned
  • Iago draws a threatening portrait of Othello so that Brabantio is afraid that his daughter has been captured and raped by him
  • still, the audience does not believe in what others claim Othello to be because Roderigo is both pathetic and highly jealous since Desdemona has often rejected him
  • also, Roderigo has asked Brabantio for Desdemona‘s hand which the latter declined - Roderigo then turned to Iago for help
  • Iago considers himself a villain and always explains his next vicious steps, which is one more reason for the audience to feel sympathetic towards Othello
• Iago as the driving force
  
  • his schemes inspire and fuel the action of the play
• Othello appears as completely different than what Iago and Roderigo have pictured him to be
  
  • he reacts calmly to the insults and avoids conflict
  • actually, Othello finds himself in a similar situation as Jesus Christ - he is betrayed by his disloyal ensign and his location is tipped off
• Brabantio‘s racist attitude becomes clear: he does not accuse Othello of secretly marrying his daughter but of having used witchcraft in order to attract her
  
  • he can‘t believe that his daughter married Othello willingly
• Othello as an outsider
  
  • he is not like the other Venetians: his race, his history and his looks differentiate from the Venetian society
  • however, he is a valued member of the Venetian state and is treated with higher importance and trust than Brabantio, a nobleman
• introduction of Desdemona
  
  • in Othello‘s story about how Desdemona fell in love with him, Desdemona seems aggressive and rude
  • it is not quite clear who courted whom first in their relationship
  • in her account of events, she appears blunt and confident but also dedicated to Othello and benevolent
  • also, she is well-balanced, intelligent, loving and able to consider her loyalties as a wife and daughter
  • fights for her right to accompany Othello to Cyprus
  • is very blunt about their sexual relationship