2. Act III Scene 1
Comic relief:
a clown is mincing words with a few musicians,
then has a little wordplay with Cassio
Iago enters, and Cassio tells him that he
means to speak to Desdemona, so that she
may clear things up with Othello.
Emilia comes out, and bids Cassio to come in
and speak with Desdemona about his
tarnished reputation.
3. Analysis: Othello’s
Uniqueness
Othello is unlike other Shakespearean
dramas for two reasons:
the scarcity of comic relief, which only appears
briefly at the beginning of this short scene.
there are no subplots running through Othello as
there are in most Shakespearean plays as a whole.
Both of these differences make Othello one of
Shakespeare's most focused, intense
tragedies.
4. Act III Scene 2
Othello gives Iago some letters that need to be
delivered back to Venice
Iago is in turn supposed to give the letters to a ship's
pilot who is sailing back to Venice.
5. Act III Scene 3
Read III.3.1130-1132
Desdemona decides that she wants to advocate
for Cassio.
She tells Emilia so, and that she believes Cassio
is a good person, and has been wronged in this
case
Iago seizes on this opportunity to play on
Othello's insecurities, and make Cassio seem
guilty
Othello then speaks to Desdemona, and
Desdemona expresses her concern for Cassio
She is persistent in his suit, which Othello is not
too pleased about.
6. Act III Scene 3
Iago then plays on Othello's insecurities about
Desdemona, and gets Othello to believe,
through insinuation, that there is something
going on between Desdemona and Cassio.
Othello seizes on this, and then Iago works at
building up his suspicions.
Othello begins to doubt his wife, as Iago lets his
insinuations gain the force of an accusation
against her.
Othello begins to voice his insecurities when it
comes to Desdemona, and himself as well.
Desdemona enters and Othello admits that he is
troubled, though he will not state the cause.
Watch movie scene
7. Act III Scene 3
Read III.3.1132-1134
Desdemona drops the handkerchief that Othello gave her on their
honeymoon
Emilia knew that her husband had wanted it for something, so she
doesn't feel too guilty about taking it.
Emilia gives it to Iago, who decides to use the handkerchief for his
own devices.
Othello re-enters, and tells Iago that he now doubts his wife
Othello demands proof so Iago sets about making stories up about
Cassio talking in his sleep
He says that Cassio has the handkerchief that Othello gave to
Desdemona.
Othello is incensed to hear that Desdemona would give away
something so valuable, and is persuaded by Iago's insinuations and
claims to believe that Desdemona is guilty.
Othello then swears to have Cassio dead, and to be revenged upon
Desdemona for the non-existent affair.
Watch movie scene
8. Analysis: Desdemona
Desdemona's choice of words to describe Cassio
is unfortunate:
she calls him a "suitor," not meaning it in a romantic
sense, although Othello could certainly take it that
way.
Desdemona binds her reputation to Cassio's in
an unfortunate way
She says that if Cassio is wrong, "I have no
judgment in an honest face".
Of course Desdemona means well, but she
gambles too much on another person's honor.
9. Analysis: Jealousy
Jealousy is soon addressed specifically by Iago.
"It is the green-eyed monster," Iago tells him
The "green-eyed monster" becomes a symbol
representing Othello's dark feelings, a specter
lurking in his mind and beginning to steer his
behavior.
Iago's speech is also deeply ironic, since it points out
Othello's flaws, and the root of his tragedy
Othello has no idea of the significance of these
statements, and so neglects to take them to heart.
10. Analysis: Insecure
Othello is deeply insecure about his personal qualities
and his marriage
Insecurity becomes a theme that weakens his resolve not
to doubt Desdemona.
Othello uses his black skin as a symbol for how poorly
spoken and unattractive he thinks he is.
All of his claims are very much beside the point; his
words are actually more complex and beautiful than
those spoken by any other character in the play.
Because he begins to believe that Desdemona cannot
love him, he starts to believe her guilty of infidelity.
The leap is great, but it is all a product of Othello's own
insecurities and his incorrect conception of himself,
another theme of the play.
How Othello sees himself directly influences how he
views Desdemona's love
11. Analysis: Imagery
Othello begins to use the black/ white imagery found
throughout the play, to express his grief and rage at
Desdemona's alleged treachery.
"My name, that was as fresh as Dian's visage, is now
begrimed and black as mine own face," Othello says.
Although the allegations against Desdemona are personally
hurtful to him, Othello focuses more on the public
ramifications, rather than the private
There is great irony in this concern, since this rumored
betrayal is a private one, and also since Othello's name is
highly regarded, because nothing has really happened.
Iago's "proofs" also rely on the animal imagery which has run
throughout the play
he makes Desdemona and Cassio seem like lustful lovers, by
describing them as "prime as goats, as hot as monkeys" (400).
This comparison is calculated, since Iago knows that thinking
of Desdemona as lusting after another man disturbs Othello
greatly.
12. Analysis: Handkerchief
The handkerchief, the most crucial symbol
and object in the play.
The handkerchief, to Desdemona, symbolizes
Othello's love, since it was his first gift to her.
Othello thinks that the handkerchief, quite
literally, is Desdemona's love
When she has lost it, that must clearly mean
that she does not love him any longer.
The handkerchief also becomes a symbol of
Desdemona's alleged betrayal
13. Analysis: Proof
"Proof" is a key word in this scene
Othello demands that Iago prove Desdemona
unfaithful by actually seeing evidence of her guilt.
Iago manages to work around this completely; he
plays off of Othello's jealousy, telling him stories that
damn Cassio and mention the handkerchief
Othello trusts Iago's words to convey proof, and is
thwarted by Iago's dishonesty
Othello only realizes later that he has been tricked
and has seen no proof, when it is too late for him to
take his actions back.
14. Analysis: Language
This act represents the beginning of Othello's giving up
language
From this point forward, notice how Othello's use of
imagery and story become less and less frequent, and how
he begins to rely upon Iago for speech and explanation.
Othello is reduced by Iago and his own jealousy to single
lines of speech, monosyllabic utterings of "O!" and the like.
And just as language is the power with which Othello was
able to woo Desdemona, his loss of it is a resignation of
this power which attracted her to him.
Othello suspects his wife's language, and Cassio's as well;
he is distracted from suspicion of Iago
Othello begins to lose his power over himself, and over
others, when he loses his beautiful language
This resignation marks a huge shift in the balance of power
between Othello and Iago
Iago becomes more dominant in the relationship, and
begins to steer Othello.
15. Analysis: Chaos vs.
Order
In the battle between order and chaos, chaos
seems to be winning out.
Othello abandons his reason in judging Iago's
"proofs," and his abandonment of language
also marks a descent into chaos.
Although it is a chaos controlled by Iago,
order and reason are on the losing side
Raging emotions and speculations begin to
rule Othello's fate, as he comes closer and
closer to his tragic end.
16. Act III Scene 4
Desdemona asks the clown where Cassio is; the clown
goes off to fetch him.
Desdemona is looking everywhere for the handkerchief,
very sorry to have lost it; she knows that her losing it
will upset Othello greatly
Othello enters, and asks for Desdemona's handkerchief;
she admits that she does not have it, and then Othello
tells her of its significance and alleged magical powers.
Desdemona does not like Othello's tone; he seems
obsessed with this object, and Desdemona is so
frightened by him that she wishes she had nothing to do
with it.
She interrupts Othello's inquiry by bringing up Cassio's
attempt to get back into Othello's favor; Othello becomes
angry, and storms out.
17. Act III Scene 4
Cassio then enters, with Iago and laments that
his suit is not successful, and that Othello does
not seem likely to take him back.
Desdemona is sorry for this, since she knows
that Cassio is a man of worth
She tells Cassio and Iago that Othello has been
acting strange, and is upset, and Iago goes to
look for him, feigning concern.
Emilia thinks that Othello's change has
something to do with Desdemona, or Othello's
jealous nature
18. Act III Scene 4
Read III.4.1136-1137
Bianca comes in, and Cassio asks her to copy
the handkerchief that he found in his room
It is Desdemona's handkerchief, though
Cassio has no idea.
He claims he does not love her, and gets
angry at her for allegedly suspecting that the
handkerchief is a gift of another woman.
Bianca is not disturbed, and leaves with the
handkerchief.
Watch movie scene
19. Analysis: Double Meanings
Othello's words often have a double meaning
When he is describing Desdemona's hand, he says it is
"moist" and "hot“ an allusion to a lustful nature.
He says she is of a "liberal heart"; this could mean a
generous heart, but could also be indicating
Desdemona's supposed licentiousness.
"Here's a young and sweating devil here, who constantly
rebels," Othello says; the metaphor speaks badly of
Desdemona, and betrays his distrust of her.
In the next breath, he says, "tis a good hand"; the
juxtaposition of the two statements shows Othello trying
not to betray his disappointment
He is deeply disturbed, and seems to be questioning and
examining her to prove that she really is the harlot
20. Analysis: Magic Hanky
Here, Othello finally elaborates upon the
handkerchief's importance for Desdemona.
"There's magic in the web of it," Othello says;
he language is full of mystical, dark images
Othello reveals that he believes the
handkerchief to literally symbolize
Desdemona's affection
The irony is that although the handkerchief is
lost, Desdemona still loves him.
The theme of appearance vs. reality appears
21. Analysis: Bianca
Cassio's behavior toward Bianca is in sharp contrast to the
courtly politeness he shows Desdemona and Emilia.
This is because of Bianca's station as a courtesan; not
regarded the same respect as ladies
Bianca proves to be as perceptive as Emilia and
Desdemona, and even more realistic about matters of
love.
The change in Cassio's tone and behavior around Bianca
betray a cultural bias of the time toward women of certain
stations
His behavior would not have been thought mean at the
time, because of Bianca's lowly status.
