In Act 1, Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft to charm Desdemona into marrying him. Othello refutes this accusation by explaining the development of his mutual love with Desdemona. He defends himself against Brabantio’s accusations in the Duke’s council, where he denies using any form of witchcraft to win Desdemona’s heart. The Duke promises to help Brabantio prosecute the man who has seduced Desdemona, but when he learns that Othello is the accused man, he gives Othello a chance to defend himself.
When Brabantio and his posse come to arrest Othello for stealing Desdemona, Brabantio accuses Othello of using magic on his daughter. Othello denies any witchcraft and claims his amazing stories are the only “charm” he used. Later, Othello admits that the match was not pleasing to him and accuses Othello of witchcraft.
Brabantio charges Othello with using witchcraft to get Desdemona to marry him because she wouldn’t marry a “moor”. When Brabanzio finds out that his daughter, Desdemona, has married Othello, he accuses Othello of using witchcraft to make her marry him. This charge is recognized prima facie as a crime, and Othello has his wife sent for trial. If she says she was bewitched, he will accept any sentence.
On the basis of Desdemona’s testimony, Brabantio made the accusation of witchcraft against Othello with no solid evidence, and the charge was dismissed. This story highlights the complex relationship between Othello and his father-in-law, Brabantio, and the consequences of his actions.
📹 Othello – Play Summary
Set in Venice, Italy, Othello is a tragedy written by Shakespeare in 1603. Adapted from a story by Italian writer Giraldo Cinthio, the …
How does Othello defend himself against Brabantio’s accusation?
In Act 1, Scene 3, the Duke of Venice decides to take defensive action against a threat against Cyprus. Othello defends himself by claiming he ‘charmed’ Desdemona with his stories, not magic. Desdemona confirms this, and their marriage is approved by the senate. Othello must sail to Cyprus to lead the fight against the Turks, while Desdemona sails separately. Iago declares his hatred of Othello and swears to break up the marriage, using Roderigo as a pawn.
As Cassio, Desdemona, Iago, Emilia, and Roderigo arrive in Cyprus, Iago watches closely as Cassio greets Desdemona and plots to use their friendship against them. Othello announces the destruction of the Turkish fleet and reunites with Desdemona. Iago tricks Roderigo into believing Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, and they plot to get Cassio fired. Alone, Iago reveals that he believes Othello has an affair with his wife, Emilia.
How does Othello respond to the charge?
Brabantio charges Othello with the use of witchcraft to seduce Desdemona in the presence of senators and the Duke. Othello refutes these allegations, asserting that the love between the two constitutes his sole recourse to witchcraft.
How does Othello react to Brabantio’s outrage?
Othello exudes confidence and happiness, operating under the assumption that his military reputation will shield him from Brabantio’s personal displeasure. He vows to outmaneuver his objections, despite his previous actions.
Does Brabantio accuse Othello of witchcraft?
In Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, Brabantio levels accusations of witchcraft against Othello.
What are Brabantio’s charges against Othello?
Brabantio charges Othello with the use of sorcery and magical potions to influence Desdemona’s decision to marry him.
What crime does Brabantio charge Othello?
Brabantio asserts that Othello obtained his daughter’s hand in marriage through the use of sorcery, a claim that he presents before the Duke and other senators.
How do the Duke and the senate deal with Brabantio’s accusations of witchcraft?
In her testimony at Othello’s trial, Desdemona asserts that she married him out of love. The Duke determines that Othello is not culpable of bewitchment and directs him to engage in combat against the Turks in Cyprus, a colony of Venice.
How does Othello isolate himself?
Othello, a Venetian, is marginalized and excluded from social interactions due to the racialized perception of his skin color, as observed by Brabantio and Roderigo. Iago employs emotional manipulation tactics, which ultimately result in Othello’s estrangement from Cassio and Desdemona, as well as his own alienation from the broader social fabric.
How does Desdemona defend herself in response to Othello’s accusations?
Desdemona asserts that she is his “true and loyal wife” and refutes allegations that she is “false as hell,” a “whore,” and a “public commoner.” This effectively negates the accusations.
How does Othello counter these accusations?
In response to Brabantio’s accusations, Othello defends his marriage to Desdemona, emphasizing his respect for her autonomy and his reliance on personal merit over deceit.
How does the Senate react to Brabantio’s charges against Othello?
The Senate is disinclined to accept Brabantio’s accusations against Othello, as they require Othello’s assistance in vanquishing the Turkish fleet. Consequently, the Duke seeks to ascertain his stance on the matter.
📹 Is Othello a victim of racism? | 3 top grade ideas about identity in Othello
Race is a key theme in ‘Othello’, but is the tragedy of Othello caused by racism as we understand today? In this video, I offer a top …
this is a good summary however a few things addressed 1. Othello does not see cassio give the handkerchief too bianca, instead Iago manipulates him into hiding behind a corner and peaking while he talks to Cassio ABOUT BIANCA while Othello thinks they were talking about Desdemona, and then bianca walks in with the handkerchief saying that it was probably given to him by his other mistress 2. Othello does not begin to doubt his wife’s fidelity at the time you said he did, he begins to doubt it the second time Iago mentions it to him which was in Act 3 where he says “leave me iago” and begins to have a seizure otherwise you are correct just these things need to be addressed
Tomorrow I am taking my AP literature exam, and I recently saw a performance of Othello that implanted it firmly within my head. I have read and discussed 6 different works of literature with the rest of my peers in this class, but Othello was not among them. Despite this, I am actually more inclined to use Othello for the Free Response Section than any other work I have studied, and hope that the prompt ends up aligning with my desire.
Othello is stupid. He’s an excellent soldier, general and warrior, but he has a very low self-esteem and an inferiority complex due to his black skin that makes him feel an outsider in a white society. His low consideration of himself makes him think he doesn’t deserve the love of a beautiful, noble, sweet and most of all, white woman like Desdemona. He’s the only true guilty, not Yago. If he believed not to deserve her love, why the hell did he marry her? Othello never really loved Desdemona, because he never loved himself first. On the contrary, Yago or even the Devil in person could tell him anything but he wouldn’t have doubted of the faithfulness of his wife. He always compares himself to the educated and civilized Venetian white men. And yet he knows well that Desdemona refused many of those and chose him. Why does he think she married him for? Moreover, he doesn’t even give her the benefit of the doubt, he takes as true all what comes from Yago’s mouth. No, he definitely doesn’t deserve the love of Desdemona. Whenever I re-watch It, I would really like to talk to Othello and tell him “Oh stupid, your wife really loves you, what do you lack for not being loved?”.
hi I had my AQA English lit a-level today! the Othello question was: “Iago’s skill makes him a likeable anti-hero instead of a villain” Explore how Iago’s attitudes to love are presented in the play. I was kind of thrown as I found it hard to link the question to the statement, but I think I did ok!
This is a very interesting argument! However, why would Othello think that it is due to his race that others treat him so, what made him think like that? He must have endured some form of racial discrimination to think in such a way, or is it because he is rather straightforward and sees the obvious difference between himself and others being his race?