The scene opens with messages that Cyprus is about to be attacked by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire.
Into the midst of this excitement comes Brabantio to appeal to the Duke for justice at Othello's elopement
with Desdemona. He accuses the Moor of seducing his daughter through magical spells and drugs.
Othello defends himself in that it was merely his stories of the battlefield -- and of the strange people
whom he encountered -- which had won Desdemona to him.
Desdemona, upon being summoned, confirms Othello's innocence. Since Brabantio will not have her
back into his house, however, she is forced to follow Othello to Cyprus.
In the meantime, Iago hatches his plot to revenge himself on Othello, as well as to win Desdemona over
Othello was very much "the other" or "the outsider".
First, he was a Moor who, in Shakespeare's time, were despised in England. Furthermore, although the
Moors of Spain had long converted to Christianity, it was suspected that their conversions were false and
that, at heart, they were still practising Islamic custom.
He was also dark skinned and, again in Shakespeare's day, black had the connotation of evil. "To be the
black sheep of the family" meant to be the odd one out, not to be trusted.
The colour black was associated with death and Satan whereas white was associated with purity and
goodness. A person wore black to a funeral whereas brides wore white to their wedding. This was then
transferred in the class structure: White people were trusted whereas Black people were distrusted.
Biblically, Black people were believed to be the descendants of Ham, doomed to be "hewers of wood and
drawers of water" -- in other words, to be slaves. Indeed, it was this association which enabled Europe
of Elizabethan times and after to enslave black people.
Putting this aside, Othello did not fully understand Venetian customs. He had grown up in a culture of
magic and witchcraft -- or so the Venetians (and Shakespearian audience) thought.
It is very clear that Brabantio would never have given Othello the hand of Desdemona in marriage if he
had not been forced to do so because Venice needed Othello to help them defeat the Turks.
It is also very clear that the Duke would have carried out Brabantio's wishes to slap Othello in gaol for
eloping with Desdemona except that his military prowess was essential at that moment.
It would also appear that Othello was not the Duke's first choice for commander but rather one Marcus
Luccicos. It is only when the latter was not available that the Duke was forced to turn to Othello.
This too would possibly further explain Othello's insecurity -- he was not the Duke's right-hand man but
only his second choice.
For much the same reason, Iago felt insecure (and resentful) when he discovered that he was not
Othello's first choice but had to play second fiddle to Michael Cassio.
Once Othello was on Cyprus and the war was suddenly over, he was thereupon thrust into the role of
Governor. He was, however, a military man and not a Governor, and this undesired status would have
enhanced his insecurity.
He had now to rule a people whom he did not fully understand and, to do this, he needed to lean on the
very person whom he had insulted just days earlier by overlooking him for military promotion, i.e. Iago.
In other words, for purposes of war, Othello trusted Michael Cassio but, for purposes of peace, he needed
Iago. Iago, however, was the worst person to trust because he was hell bent on wreaking revenge on
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?