Key Events

• Roderigo and Iago’s Argument

  This scene introduces Roderigo and Iago’s deceitful partnership, their motives behind it, and how this will provoke further tension later on.
• Events

  • Act One Scene One begins as two men – Roderigo and Iago – argue on a Venice street at night.
  • Both have a mutual hatred of Othello, who has eloped with Desdemona.
  • Iago rouses Brabantio (Desdemona’s father) from his bed to reveal he has been ‘robbed’ of his daughter. He provokes fear of Othello; all go to search for the missing couple.
• Jealousies

  • This scene introduces Roderigo and Iago’s deceitful partnership, their motives behind it, and how this will provoke further tension later on.
  • Iago’s intense jealousy of Michael Cassio’s promotion to lieutenant is established. He derides him as a soldier with ‘mere prattle [talk] without practice’.
• Nepotism

  • Iago accuses Cassio of being promoted ‘by letter and affection’ rather than ‘old gradation’. He believes Othello promoted him for nepotistic reasons rather than for his genuine talent.
• Iago's motivations

  • Shakespeare emphasises Iago’s resentful and cunning motivations towards Othello; he states ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’, and reveals his selfishness as he argues ‘In following him, I follow but myself’.
• Iago's motivations

  • Shakespeare emphasises Iago’s resentful and cunning motivations towards Othello; he states ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’, and reveals his selfishness as he argues ‘In following him, I follow but myself’.
• References to Othello

  Iago and Roderigo use insulting and derogatory language to describe Othello. They present him as evil and animalistic before we meet him.
• ‘Thick lips’

  • Both Iago and Roderigo use pejorative slurs (insults). They appear to mock Othello's appearance.
  • Roderigo refers to Othello as ‘thick lips’.
• Black vs white

  • Iago refers to Othello using bestial, coarse and sexual imagery as the ‘old black ram’ that is ‘tupping [mating with] your white ewe [Desdemona]’.
  • Iago presents Othello in an animalistic, barbaric manner by comparing him to a 'ram'.
  • The colour imagery is symbolic. The colour ‘white’ is conventionally associated with ideas of purity and cleanliness; the colour ‘black’ with ideas of evil and wickedness. Iago seems to be setting up a contrast between Desdemona and Othello by implying that they are pure and impure respectively.
• Bestial & devil imagery

  • Iago also refers to Othello as the ‘devil’ and a ‘Barbary horse’.
  • A Barbary horse is a horse that comes from North Africa.
  • Iago presents Othello in bestial, evil terms from the play's outset. The audience has not met Othello yet, which means that audience members are being prepared for a devilish, bestial man.
• Brabantio’s Reaction

  Brabantio is shown to be a gullible fool, who is easily swayed.
• The disrespect

  • It is revealed here that Desdemona has eloped with Othello without her father’s permission (an act that would have been seen as hugely disrespectful and controversial at the time; and in tragedies, would typically lead to disaster for those who have eloped).
• Women

  • After being awoken, Brabantio reminds Roderigo he has already told her ‘my daughter is not for thee’, reminding this audience that women often had little say in who they married.
• A fool

  • Once Iago and Roderigo rouse his anger, Brabantio exclaims ‘O, that you had her!’ to Roderigo, suggesting his sudden preference for Roderigo – already shown to be a gullible fool.
  • Some critics argue his reaction and sudden preference for Roderigo is based on implicit racism rather than genuine logic.
• Racism

  • Brabantio refuses to believe Desdemona’s agency in her ‘treason’ against him, worrying that ‘charms’ have been placed upon her by Othello.
  • Because people had such limited worldly knowledge when Shakespeare was writing, they often attached myths to certain people - in particular, anyone who was some kind of 'other'. For example, lots of people assumed that those from pagan lands engaged in impious activities like witchcraft.
  • Brabantio seems to make this kind of assumption about Othello.