Othello: ThemeTracker

The LitCharts ThemeTracker is a mini-version of the entire LitChart. The ThemeTracker provides a quick timeline-style rundown of all the important plot points and allows you to track the themes throughout the work at a glance.

	1.1	Roderigo learns that Desdemona has eloped with Othello. Iago reassures Roderigo that he only is pretending to serve Othello, and actually resents Othello for promoting Cassio over him. Roderigo and Iago go to the house of Brabantio and inform him that Desdemona has run off with Othello. Enraged, Brabantio gets Roderigo to join him in a search party. Iago slips off without revealing his identity.
	1.2	Iago, having slipped off, warns Othello that Brabantio will try to force a divorce between him and Desdemona. Cassio shows up at Othello’s house, summoning him to see the Duke, just before Brabantio, Roderigo and their men show up and threaten Othello. Unfazed, Othello tells everyone to follow him to the Duke’s court.
	1.3	The Duke meets with senators about an imminent Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Othello arrives at court with Brabantia. The Duke explains that he wants Othello to defend Cyrpus. Brabantio accuses Othello of bewitching Desdemona. However, Othello and Desdemona both defend their elopement as a free marriage. The Duke supports them, and Brabantio grudgingly blesses them.Othello, Desdemona, and others depart for Cyprus. Iago promises Roderigo that he will still end up with Desdemona. Alone, Iago tells the audience about his hatred for Othello and his plans to convince Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio in order to ruin them all.
	2.1	On the coast of Cyprus, Montano watches a storm drown the Turkish fleet. The Venetians arrive in Cyprus. Iago convinces Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio and encourages Roderigo to pick a fight with Cassio. Iago tells the audience: he will persuade Othello that Cassio and/or Roderigo are having affairs with Desdemona and drive him mad with jealousy.
	2.2	Othello declares a celebration of their victory over the Turks and of his marriage.
	2.3	Othello puts Cassio in charge of the celebration while he and Desdemona leave to consummate their marriage. Iago gets Cassio drunk; Roderigo picks a fight with him. Montano, whom Iago has warned about Cassio’s drinking, tries to intervene. Cassio wounds Montano. Othello arrives. While seeming to defend Cassio, Iago blames the fight on him. Othello demotes Cassio. Cassio despairs at his lost reputation. Iago instructs him to ask Desdemona to intercede on his behalf. Iago explains to the audience that this will enflame Othello’s suspicions. Roderigo accuses Iago of taking his money without producing results. Iago urges him to be patient. Iago tells audience that he will get his wife, Emilia, to arrange meeting between Desdemona and Cassio, which Othello will observe.
	3.1	Cassio summons musicians to to Othello’s window but is sent away. Cassio summons Emilia and begs her to help him get Desdemona’s attention, so that Desdemona can speak with Othello on his behalf.
	3.2	Othello gives Iago a letter to send to the Venetian senate. Othello tours the fortifications of Cyprus.
	3.3	Desdemona and Cassio talk, in Emilia’s company. When Othello and Iago approach, Cassio, ashamed, hurries away. Pretending to defend Cassio, Iago manages to voice suspicions of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona. Othello is bothered. Othello gets a headache. Desdemona tries to help him by pressing a handkerchief, the first gift Othello ever gave her, against his head. Othello angrily says the handkerchief is too small and lets it fall to the floor. Emilia steals it and gives it to Iago, not knowing he plans to plant it in Cassio’s chamber. Othello demands Iago show him proof of his accusations against Cassio. Iago tells Othello that he heard Cassio talking in his sleep about Desdemona and wiping his mouth with her handkerchief. Enraged, Othello promotes Iago to lieutenant.
0	3.4	Desdemona and Emilia look for the handkerchief. Othello arrives, asks for the handkerchief, then is enraged to find that Desdemona has lost it. Cassio gives Bianca the handkerchief, which he has found in his room, and asks her to make a copy of it.
	4.1	Iago tells Othello that Cassio admits to sleeping with Desdemona. Othello falls into an epileptic fit. Iago speaks with Cassio as Othello hides and watches. Iago and Cassio talk about Bianca, but Othello thinks they’re laughing about Desdemona. Bianca shows up, throws Desdemona’s handkerchief at Cassio and accuses him of having another mistress. Othello vows to kill Cassio. Iago persuades Othello that he must also kill Desdemona. Lodovico arrives, with Desdemona, bearing a letter calling Othello back to Venice and instating Cassio as the general in Cyprus. When Desdmona tries to calm Othello, he strikes her. Iago implies to Lodovico that Othello is going mad.
	4.2	Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona’s fidelity. Emilia defends her mistress, but Othello still confronts Desdemona about her supposed infidelity. Her denials only make him angrier. Desdemona and Emilia question Iago about Othello’s jealousy. He says Othello is just bothered by affairs of state. Iago convinces Roderigo that he will have Desdemona by the next night and if he will just ambush and kill Cassio that evening.
	4.3	Othello takes a walk with Lodovico, instructing Desdemona to go into their chamber and wait for him. Desdemona and Emilia talk about marriage and adultery. Emilia argues that a woman will commit adultery if her husband cheats on her. Desdemona thinks such behavior would be immoral.
	5.1	Set up by Iago, Roderigo attacks Cassio outside Bianca’s house, but Cassio wounds Roderigo. Iago sneaks in and wounds Cassio. Hearing their shouts, and thinking Iago has fulfilled his duty by killing Cassio, Othello resolves to kill Desdemona. When Lodovico and Gratiano arrive on the scene, Iago kills Roderigo to cover his tracks. He also accuses Bianca of conspiring with Roderigo against Cassio.
	5.2	Othello smothers Desdemona, despite her pleas for more time to prove her innocence. Emilia discovers the dying Desdemona. When Othello explains that acted because Iago told him Desdemona had slept with Cassio. Emilia says that Iago is lying. Montano, Gratiano, and Iago arrive. Emilia reveals that she stole the handkerchief on Iago’s orders. Iago stabs and kills Emilia. Letters found on Roderigo’s corpse reveal Iago’s plot. Iago, however, refuses to explain any of his motives. Othello entreats the others to remember him as one that loved “not wisely but too well” and stabs himself with a dagger. Lodovico leaves Iago for Cassio to judge and punish.