OTHELLO
ACT 2 REVIEW
ACT 2, SCENE 1
• The Turkish fleet perishes in the storm; thus, the
Venetian forces arrive in Cyprus without having to
fight in any battle
• Cassio arrives on the island first and tells Montano
how wonderful Othello and Desdemona are. They
are worried, however, if the other ships have made
it through the storm
• The ship Desdemona, Iago, and Iago’s wife, Emilia,
arrives second. Cassio kisses Emilia’s wife in
welcome and Iago puns that if Emilia whipped
Cassio with his tongue (insults) like she does to Iago,
that he would not be kissing her
ACT 2, SCENE 1
• Iago continues to go on about Emilia being a nag
and Desdemona tries to defend her. Emilia is her
lady attendant. Desdemona asks Iago his opinion of
women and Iago responds with a series of sexist
and racist jokes. She is just trying to pass the time as
she is worried about her husband who hasn’t yet
arrived.
• Iago points out in an aside how Cassio tends to
greet the ladies with kisses and how he will easily be
able to use that in his scam of revenge
• Finally, Othello arrives .
ACT 2, SCENE 1
• When Othello arrives, he and Desdemona embrace
& kiss passionately in front of everyone. Othello
instructs Iago to go and get their things and take
them to the castle.
• When the rest of the characters leave, Iago and
Roderigo continue their scheming
• Iago says that when men are in love they tend to
get jealous easily and he will use this to his
advantage
• He also assures Roderigo that Desdemona is
already getting sick of Othello
ACT 2, SCENE 1
• He says that Cassio is handsome, charming and
valiant and says that the fact that Desdemona held
his hand when greeting him is proof that she is
interested in him
• Iago suggests to Roderigo that since Cassio will be
in charge of the watch that night, that he should
pick a fight with him so he will be demoted to
reduce his competition for Desdemona
• Roderigo agrees to go along with the plan
• Alone on the stage, Iago lets us in on his evil plans
ACT 2, SCENE 1- THE EVIL PLAN
• Iago is pleased with how his plan is going and
actually believes it is possible that Cassio &
Desdemona could have an affair
• He admits that Othello is a loving husband to
Desdemona, but reveals that he wants revenge
because he believes that Othello has had an affari
with his wife, Emilia
• He also adds that he thinks Cassio has had an affair
with his wife
• He plans to have Cassio demoted, then he will tell
lies about him to Othello to make him so jealous, he
will not be able to think straight
ACT 2, SCENE 2
• The herald makes an announcement that because
the Turkish fleet has been destroyed, Othello had
decreed that there will be a big celebratory party in
Cyprus that night. Everyone can do as they please.
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Othello asks Cassio to keep watch over the
partying. Cassio says this is actually Iago’s job, but
that he will help out. Othello says he trusts Iago, and
then says to Desdemona that it’s time to
consummate the marriage
• Othello leaves and Cassio and Iago are left to start
to start their watch. Iago says it’s only 10pm, too
early for them to start, and says Othello has only got
them to do this because he has other things to take
care of. So they put it off.
• Iago tries to get Cassio to talk about how attractive
Desdemona is
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Iago tries to get Cassio to call Desdemona a whore,
but Cassio won’t bite
• Instead, he tries to get him to drink. He says they
should have a toast to Othello. Cassio says he
shouldn’t because they are working, he isn’t much
of a drinker, and he’s already had one drink
already
• Iago goes to answer the door, and lets us know his
plan to get Cassio drunk, knowing that Roderigo is
also drunk & depressed about Desdemona, and
that the 3 men at the door are quick to fight when
they are drunk
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• When the three men enter with Montano, they give
Cassio another drink. Iago is pleased as it goes right
along with his plan.
• Iago sings a song about King Stephen who is too
distracted with his clothes & loses his kingdom
• Everyone is getting drunk, and Cassio, not being
able to handle himself as well as the others, is
drunker than everyone. He starts feeling guilty and
saying they shouldn’t be drinking, because he
wants his soul to be saved when he dies
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Iago says he wants his soul to be saved too, but that
Cassio should die before him because high ranking
lieutenants should have their souls saved before low
ranking flag bearers.
• Cassio says they should be attending to the watch
as if they aren’t drunk, and says he is not drunk. He
says he can even tell his right hand from his left
hand.
• Cassio leaves to start his watch with the three other
men and Iago is left alone with Montano (the
governor of Cyprus)
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Iago tells Montano that Cassio is extreme in his
habits; when he is good, he is really good, but when
he is bad, he is really bad
• He says that Cassio drinks until he passes out
whenever he can
• Montano comes to the conclusion that Othello is
too nice of a guy to notice that Cassio is an
alcoholic.
• Roderigo comes in and Iago sends him after Cassioa set up for the two to fight
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Iago continues to talk with Montano when Roderigo
comes back in chased by Cassio
• Cassio hits Roderigo (who actually asked for it)
• Montano tries to stop Cassio, and in his drunken
state, Cassio turns on him too
• Iago tells Roderigo to run and to tell everyone that
a huge fight has started. The town bell rings (likely at
Roderigo’s hand)
• Othello comes in to see what has happened and
Iago claims not to know how it started, just that he
saw fighting
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Othello wants answers; Cassio says he can’t speak
& Montano says he’s only guilty if he can be
blamed for not being able to protect himself
• Othello asks Iago for an explanation. Iago says he
doesn’t like to speak badly about Cassio, but he
was just having a chat with Montano when some
guy came running in with Cassio running behind him
and Montano just tried to break it up and calm
Cassio down
• Iago says he tried to chase after the fellow in
question to stop him from waking the entire city
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Othello thinks that since Iago is such a good guy,
that he is just trying to cover for Cassio. Othello is just
imagining how much worse the story may really be
• Othello fires Cassio from his job. Desdemona comes
in, wondering what is going on. He tells her to go
back to bed, and he goes to tend to the wounded
Montano
• Iago tries to comfort Cassio. Cassio is upset about
his tarnished reputation, and Iago tells him that
reputations aren’t important- they are not easily
earned and are easily lost.
ACT 2, SCENE 3
• Iago continues his scheming- he tells Cassio
everything will turn out okay- that Othello was just
being harsh because Montano is the governor
• Iago asks him if he remembers why he was chasing
Roderigo and Cassio doesn’t. Cassio goes on about
how bad drinking is.
• Iago tells Cassio the perfect way to get back into
Othello’s good books: ask Desdemona to persuade
Othello to give him a job as an officer (not his old
job)
• Cassio agrees this is a good idea and leaves Iago
alone on the stage to do more evil plotting
ACT 2, SCENE 3- MORE EVIL PLOTTING
• Iago is very happy with how his plan is going
• He tries to justify his advice by saying that even if he
was actually Cassio’s friend, he would still have
given him the same advice
• He says it just so happens that this good advice will
work perfectly for his plan because Desdemona will
be talking up Cassio to Othello
• Roderigo comes in, beat up, and says he wants to
give up this plan because he’s poor and beaten
(literally).
ACT 2, SCENE 3- MORE EVIL SCHEMES
• Iago convinces Roderigo there is still hope. Even
though Cassio won the physical fight, Cassio has
lost his job and things will end up in Roderigo’s favor
• Iago sends Roderigo off, and continues scheming:
• He will get his wife, Emilia, to talk Desdemona into asking
Othello to give Cassio his job back
• He will get Othello alone and then lead him somewhere
that they will find Cassio and Desdemona speaking in
private