Othello Act 3 summary:

scene 1:
setting: Outside Desdemona’s bedchamber, Cyprus
characters: Cassio, musicians, clown, Emilia, Iago
Plot:
1. A clown asks the musicians to go away.
2. Cassio asks the clown to entreat Emilia to come speak with him, so that he can ask
her for access to Desdemona
3. Iago enters and tells Cassio that he will send for Emilia straightaway and figure out a
way to take Othello aside so that Cassio and Desdemona can confer privately
4. After Iago exits, Emilia enters and tells Cassio that Othello and Desdemona have
been discussing his case.
5. Desdemona has pleaded for Cassio, but Othello worries he can’t reappoint him due
to professional reasons.
6. Emilia allows Cassio to come in and tells him to wait for Desdemona.
Analysis:
o Musicians play music as a tradition to wake the newly wed couple
o Contrasting fact that “clown” is making fun of musicians
o When Desdemona advocates on Cassio’s behalf, she initiates the first real onstage
conversation she has had with her husband throughout the play. She also displays
her strong, generous, and independent personality.
o Conflict of inside vs outside (important setting)
o Time flow is a key aspect, not many days have passed yet: othello got married he
came to Cyprus defeated the Turks had a celebration party cassio got fired
o Frequent use of dramatic irony, eg: “I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest”

scene 2:
setting: outside the castle, Cyprus
characters: Othello, Iago, gentlemen
Plot:
Iago, Othello, and a gentleman walk together at the citadel. Othello gives Iago some letters
to deliver and decides to take a look at the town’s fortification.
Analysis:
o Solely stands to show Othello’s professional life and career.
o Assumptions about the letter:
- military mission: outcome of war
- current situation: is Cyprus safe
- incident involving Montano: changes in military personnel
scene 3:
setting: a room in the castle, Cyprus
characters: Desdemona, Cassio, Emilia, Othello, Iago
Plot:
1. Desdemona assures Cassio that she will help him, he expresses his gratitude
2. Cassio fears that Othello may not relent. Othello sees them in conversation and Iago
draws attention to Cassio’s hurried departure, implying furtiveness and guilt.
3. Desdemona playfully lobbies Othello about Cassio’s reinstatement. Othello agrees
that Cassio may come to see him at any time.
4. Othello dismisses Desdemona, promising to grant her request. Iago continues to
drop deceptive hints about Cassio. Othello tries to find out what’s on Iago’s mind.
5. Iago indirectly hints towards Desdemona and Cassio, by suppressing his inner
thoughts. He tells Othello reputation is of great importance.
6. Othello assures Iago he’s not naturally jealous. Othello is confident of his wife’s
virtue. Iago yet warns him to watch Desdemona with Cassio, as she is capable of
deception (continues to drop hints about Desdemona’s infidelity)
7. Iago hints towards racist comments. Sets Emilia to keep and eye on Desdemona on
Othello’s orders. Iago asks Othello to notice how Desdemona pleads for Cassio.
8. Othello curses marriage and the fact that he might’ve lost Desdemona as he sees
women’s unfaithfulness. But the sight of Desdemona seems to make him reject his
suspicions.
9. Othello tells he has a headache to get away from Desdemona. Emilia finds the
dropped handkerchief which Iago has urged her to steal.
10. Emilia gives it to Iago. He reveals his plans of planting it in Cassio’s chamber.
11. Othello asks for evidence of his wife’s infidelity.
12. Iago says he heard Cassio talking of Desdemona in his sleep. Othello threatens him
of murder
13. Iago claims that Cassio has Desdemona’s handkerchief. Othello is overcome with
jealous grief and vows revenge to Iago’s call for patience, Othello replies that his
murderous thoughts won’t change.
14. Iago swears to serve Othello who instructs him to kill Cassio within 3 days and
Desdemona himself. Iago becomes the new lieutenant.

Analysis:
o Iago is referred as “honest”- dramatic irony
o Desdemona mentions Cassio as one of the people who’s not in Othello’s “good
books”
o Extremely manipulated planning of the entries and exit of characters by Iago
o Desdemona desperately pleads to Othello, further leading him to believe in Iago’s
thoughts
o The use of the word “Desdemon” is for metrical convenience in the verse format-
it limits the word count and used for syllable length
o Iago acts as a double- faced person to succeed his plan
In Iago’s manipulation:
 conflict of appearance vs reality. Iago manipulates by words and
expressions
 conflict of personal vs professional and Iago combines them both and
breaks all
 many references to chaos (hint at something terrible)
 theme of honesty (repetition)
  Iago takes control over Othello and the entire situation- acting as the
master puppeteer.
 He changes Othello as a person- evident transformation
 Plants the seed of suspicion against Cassio and Desdemona
 Makes Othello curious by hiding his inner thoughts, thereby generating
thoughts of infidelity
 Iago tells Cassio reputation isn’t important in the previous act, however
puts on a drama here for the significance of reputation
 Recurring theme of jealousy
 Shakespeare’s tactic to foreshadow what’s about to come and amplifying
Othello’s hamartia (fatal flaw)
Green- eyed monster is visual imagery
o Page 109
- Othello’s conflicted. He is a victim of his own emotions
- brings in god- idea of morality
o uses Othello’s race and age against him to plant doubt in his mind
o uses Desdemona’s innocence against her
o page 115-
- Othello uses animal imagery for Desdemona for the first time
- Iago is the direct cause for the effect on Othello
- Sudden shift in use of imagery showing stark contrast in how Othello perceives
Desdemona
- Fears betrayal
o Handkerchief is an important symbol
o It is a token of love and Othello’s first give to Desdemona thereby being of high
prestige
o Iago constantly uses vulgar slangs eg: he says it’ll be difficult to catch Cassio and
Desdemona sleeping together even if they were horny as animals
o Makes heaven his witness and plans to kill Cassio and Desdemona as his intense
love and respect for them turns into hatred and jealousy
- Signifies the importance in passage of time
o Key reference- “honesty’s a fool”
o Othello’s quickly falls for Iago trap and is consumed by jealousy like a virus
o Ironically, Iago doesn’t have to prove his own fidelity to Othello for Othello to take
everything Iago suggests on faith.
o The end of Act III, scene iii, is the climax of Othello. Convinced of his wife’s
corruption, Othello makes a sacred oath never to change his mind about her or
to soften his feelings toward her until he enacts a violent revenge.

scene 4:
setting: a room in the castle, Cyprus
characters: Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Cassio, Emilia, Bianca, clown,
Plot-
1. Desdemona orders the clown to find Cassio and bring him the message that she has
made her suit to Othello.
2.  Desdemona wonders to Emilia where her handkerchief might be.
 3. She gives Othello her hand upon request and he chastises her for her hand’s
moistness, which suggests sexual promiscuity.
4. Othello asks for handkerchief, when Desdemona cannot produce the handkerchief,
he wants to see, Othello explains the handkerchief’s history (magical and sentimental
values)
5. Desdemona is unsettled by the story and says that she has the handkerchief, but not
with her. 
6. As he accuses her, demanding “The handkerchief!” with increasing vehemence, she
entreats for Cassio as a way of changing the subject.
7. Emilia laments the fickleness of men
8. Desdemona tells Cassio upon his request of talking to Othello that his timing is
unfortunate, as Othello is in a bad humour, and Iago promises to go soothe his
master.
9. Emilia speculates that Othello is jealous, but Desdemona maintains her conviction
that Othello is upset by some political matter.
10. She tells Cassio to wait while she goes to find Othello and bring him to talk with his
former lieutenant.
11. Bianca, a prostitute, enters, she reprimands him for not visiting her more frequently,
and he apologizes, saying that he is under stress.
12. Bianca accuses him of making her copy the embroidery of a love gift from some
other woman, but Cassio tells her she is being silly. They make a plan to meet later
that evening.
Analysis:
o The previous scene ends on a serious note, but this scene shows a relief in tension
o Use of sarcasm and puns – “I dare not say he lies anywhere”, “He’s a soldier, and for
one to say a soldier lies is stabbing”
o Act of lying- “to tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lie”, casual play of
words confuses Desdemona
o Use of dramatic irony- “O hardness to dissemble”, metonymy- “sun where he was
born”
o Othello acts cynical- says to Desdemona that with a hand like this you need to keep it
away from temptation
o Key reference (dialogue by Emilia):
’Tis not a year or two shows us a man
They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
They belch us
- Theme of gender and patriarchy
- Use of food imagery
- Literary techniques like simile and metaphor
o Cassio is seen beseeching and pleading again- asks Desdemona to hurry and get
him his job- shows desperateness
- This is intense and jarring for Desdemona
- Shows her vulnerability and confusion as well
o Iago yet again continues to put a facade in front of all regarding his innocence
o Desdemona comes up with justifications for Othello’s actions- alternative reasons
- Shows how Desdemona cannot accept false accusations and her unacceptance
from inner conscience regarding this hatred from her husband
o Emilia acts as a foresightful character by noticing the initiative behind all this and
Othello’s on growing jealousy planted by some insider
o Yet again use of dramatic irony “heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind” as
jealousy has already found it’s route in Othello’s mind and overpowered him