Video Transcript
Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello
The romantic drama of Othello reaches a turning point in Act 3, Scene 3. Iago has made Othello suspicious of his wife having an affair. Iago drives home his manipulations, realizes that Othello is now convinced of the affair, and plans to take action. This scene is one of the most exciting in Othello, because the drama that unfolds is what drives the plot to its tragic ending.
The scene opens with Desdemona (Othello's wife), Cassio (Othello's ex-lieutenant), and Emilia (Iago's wife and Desdemona's friend) talking as they walk in the garden of the castle. Desdemona assures Cassio, ''I'll intermingle every thing he does / With Cassio's suit,'' meaning she will make sure to speak of Cassio constantly to Othello to convince him to reinstate Cassio into his service. As they are talking, Emilia spots Othello coming and Cassio, who is nervous about Othello (since being removed from his service) decides to leave.
Othello enters the scene with Iago, the antagonist who is secretly trying to manipulate Othello, and asks Iago if it was Cassio who just left from talking to Desdemona. Iago replies, ''No, sure, I cannot think it, / That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing you coming.'' Iago convinces Othello that Cassio leaving right when Othello arrived indicates that he is guilty about something.
Othello feels jealousy nagging at him when he sees Cassio talking to his wife and Iago helps inspire this jealousy. Desdemona tries to get Othello to meet with Cassio and consider letting him back into his service and, though he agrees to meet with Cassio, Othello never confirms a time.
Iago Incriminates Cassio
After Desdemona and Emilia leave, Iago drives home his manipulations. He asks Othello, ''Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady, / Know of your love?'' to inspire Othello to think that Cassio, even though he knew about Othello loving Desdemona, tried to ''woo'' her as well.
Othello, concerned about this, asks Iago if he thinks that Cassio is honest and Iago stumbles upon his word to try to hint that there is something untrustworthy about Cassio. Othello, recognizing this, says, ''Alas, thou echo'st me, / As if there were some monster in thy thought / Too hideous to be shown'' claiming that Iago, copying Othello's words and not giving a clear answer, thinks that Cassio is untrustworthy.
Iago suggests that Othello watch Desdemona as she interacts with Cassio to make sure they're not having an affair and leaves the stage after Othello asks Iago to have Emilia watch Cassio. Iago, then realizing he has inspired Othello's jealousy sufficiently, returns briefly to tell Othello not to dwell on this idea.
The Handkerchief
After Othello is left alone on the stage, he is upset and says, ''She's gone. I am abused; and my relief / Must be to loathe her.'' He believes that Desdemona has stopped loving him because of his age, his race, or even because he is not as well-mannered as other men. He thinks he must loathe his wife in order to feel better about the betrayal. Desdemona enters to bring Othello to dinner, and they talk briefly before they exit the stage. During this time, Desdemona drops her handkerchief.
After they leave, Emilia picks up the handkerchief and says, ''My wayward husband hath a hundred times / Woo'd me to steal it.'' She claims that Iago wanted her to get this handkerchief, an early love token Othello gave to Desdemona, though she does not know why. Iago comes on the stage and Emilia gives him the handkerchief, after which she departs the stage.
Alone, Iago reveals his devious plot of hiding the handkerchief in Cassio's room as evidence of the affair. He claims, ''Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmations strong / As proofs of holy writ,'' or that even the smallest ''evidence'' will be enough to confirm someone's suspicions if they are jealous.
Othello's Rage
Othello comes back in, claiming to Iago that he would rather be terribly upset than not know if his suspicions are supported. He tells Iago to ''be sure thou prove my love a whor*'' to confirm that Desdemona is being unfaithful. He wants to catch her being unfaithful, but Iago says that this is unlikely to happen directly.
He tells Othello that he has had to share a bed with Cassio, who exclaimed in his sleep, ''Sweet Desdemona, / Let us be wary, let us hide our loves'' and kissed Iago and laid his leg on Iago's thigh.
He claims that this was just a dream, but that he has seen Cassio wipe his beard with the handkerchief Othello gave Desdemona. At this, Othello is filled with rage and feels that his suspicions have been confirmed. He cries out, ''O, blood, blood, blood!''
He tells Iago that Cassio must be killed within three days, but Iago tells Othello not to kill Desdemona. But Othello says, ''I will withdraw / To furnish me with some swift means of death / For the fair devil.''
Othello makes Iago his lieutenant (the job Cassio wanted) before they both exit the stage.
Lesson Summary
In this drama-filled scene, Iago (the antagonist) convinces Othello that Desdemona (Othello's wife) and Cassio (his ex-lieutenant) are having an affair. Emilia (Iago's wife) brings Iago Desdemona's handkerchief, a love token and early gift from her husband, which Iago plans to use to finish framing Cassio. Iago uses as evidence:
- Cassio's running off at the sight of Othello
- A made up story about Cassio talking and acting in his sleep as though in love with Desdemona
- A made up story about Cassio wiping his beard with the Desdemona's handkerchief
Othello is incensed by the end of the scene and ready to take action against Cassio and his wife.
