Let's Bust a Recap : Othello

Ohhhhhhhh-thello. I'm not sure I have the comedic wherewithal to create a humorous post for the play Othello. I just don't think I can do it, y'all. It's been a few weeks since I read it, and every time I sit down to write this post, I end up watching youtube videos for half an hour and then I give up and eat an ice cream sandwich.

Let's give it the old college try anyway and move on with our lives, okay?

Othello is the darkest play I've read by Shakespeare thus far. My friend Jen always says she thinks Iago is one of the most evil villains ever written, and you know what, Jen? I get where you're coming from. Iago is one bad mama jama.

So Othello starts out with some guy named Roderigo blubbering to Iago about Othello's secret marriage to Desdemona. Iago basically tells Roderigo that he hates Othello's guts for giving young Cassio the job that Iago wanted to have and sends Roderigo off to go tattletale on Othello and Desdemona to Desdemona's dad. (Because that's what adults do.) Iago then goes to warn Othello that his new father-in-law is coming to kill him. (Because that is the natural reaction of all fathers when they learn their daughter just ran off with some loser.)

Brabantio (Desdemona's dad) and Othello both end up in a meeting with a bunch of senators who hear their case out and decide that Desdemona can make up her own mind about who she wants to marry and Brabantio is just going to have to put on his big boy pants and get over it. Brabantio obviously isn't happy about this and tells Othello that Desdemona is a two-bit liar who will stab him in the back as soon as she gets a chance because that's what she did to dear old dad. (I personally think that was just the rage talking, but whatever.)

In Act II, everybody arrives in Cyprus (where they had all been sent to fight off a fleet of enemy Turks) to find that the bad guys all drowned in a storm so instead of doing the job they'd been sent there to do, they can all party and Othello and Desdemona can go consummate their ill-fated marriage. Iago gets Cassio drunk, and then proceeds to convince Roderigo to fight Cassio which is all part of some elaborate scheme for Roderigo to get some sheet time with Desdemona. (However, we, the readers, know that Iago doesn't give two flying rips about whether or not Roderigo wins Desdemona. He's just using him for his own ends. As he uses every single person in the play including his own wife.)

So Cassio and Roderigo end up fighting, people get hurt, Othello comes out to see what all the noise is about and ends up stripping Cassio of his rank. Because everything is obviously Cassio's fault. (Perfect example of why getting drunk is never a good idea.) Cassio's all heartbroken over it, and Iago persuades him to go ask Desdemona to get her husband to give Cassio his job back.

They're all just playing right into Iago's hands.

In Act III, Iago plants the seed in Othello's mind that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Of course, Iago never comes right out and accuses anyone of anything. He would never dream of speaking poorly or thinking the worst of anyone, but he has noticed some things and Othello should draw his own conclusions about them. (Oh give me a break, can no one see through this guy?!)

Desdemona ends up dropping a handkerchief which Emilia (Iago's wife and Desdemona's BFF) picks up and gives to her husband because he had mentioned he wanted it. Emilia doesn't find this fishy at all and has no idea what he plans to do with it. And apparently, this handkerchief is magic and worth a world of gold to Othello so when Iago plants it in Cassio's chambers and then spins an innocent conversation between Cassio and his mistress into an incriminating trap, Othello thinks he's found the smoking gun and vows to kill his wife and commissions Iago to murder Cassio.

Like taking candy from a baby, y'all. I mean, this is too easy for Iago.

At this point, Othello becomes publicly abusive to Desdemona, and Iago somehow manages to convince Roderigo to kill Cassio during a conversation in which Roderigo is complaining to Iago that his whole plan to get Desdemona for Roderigo isn't working. (What?!)

We've come to Act V and what do you think happens? Roderigo fights Cassio, but Cassio ends up wounding Roderigo. Iago secretly stabs Cassio, but then joins two other guys coming on to the scene like he has no idea what's going on. When Cassio identifies Roderigo as one of his attackers, Iago manages to secretly stab Roderigo (in front of everyone??) to keep him from outing Iago as the instigator of this whole mess and then, Iago accuses Cassio's mistress of the conspiracy to kill him.

Meanwhile, Othello is strangling his wife in her bed because he thinks she's a dirty, Cassio-loving cheater even though she's been nothing but faithful and true and even defends her husband (while he's strangling her—Stockholm syndrome anyone?) when Emilia happens upon them. Emilia is like, "Somebody get in here and help, STAT" and Othello's all, "She gave the magic handkerchief of love to Cassio. She deserves to die."

At this point, Emilia finally gets her head on straight and puts the pieces together and realizes her husband is a low-down, treacherous snake and outs him to the crowd that has gathered. So he kills her, naturally. Othello figures out that he has been duped in the worst possible way and stabs Iago, but not enough to kill him which is fine with Othello because he would rather Iago live the rest of his life in excruciating pain than die too quickly because death would be too good for him.

Lodovico takes Iago and Othello into custody for murdering like, everyone, but Othello kills himself. Iago shuts his mouth so fast and gives no defense for himself. And Lodovico puts Cassio in charge of the world and tells him to punish Iago as he sees fit.

The end.

Really?? This play was crazy. Iago is such a bad villain because he somehow has everyone's complete trust and even love right down to the minute before he kills them. Insane. But also, not unbelievable. Is there anyone out there who hasn't loved someone who was talking behind your back when you thought they were your friend? That's Iago. And that's why this play was really a tragedy. I personally thought Macbeth and Hamlet were both very humorous, but I was not laughing during Othello. Mainly I was reading with very wide eyes and incredulously shaking my head through the whole story. Why couldn't anyone see through Iago?! Definitely compelling, and definitely worth a read sometime.

Who's the most despicable villain of all time, literary or cinematic? Which Shakespearean tragedy should go on my list next year? And what are your thoughts on quick marriages?