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[Beginner]

The following text is a summary of Shakespeare's Othello Act 1.
Next friday i will write a test on it I'm thankful for every help I can get.




Shakespeare`s drama Othello takes place in Venice at night. It starts with a
conversation between Roderigo, a young venetian, and Jago, Othello`s Ancient.
Jago is enraged about Othello`s enactment. Instead of Jago Cassio is
Othello`s new Lieutenant. Out of jealousy Jago wants to take revenge on Othello. Together with
Roderigo, who is in love with Desdemona, the daughter of a senator called Brabantio, Jago goes to
Brabantio`s house and awakes him at night. They tell him that his daughter is away
together with Othello. Brabantio can not believe it, but as he realizes that
his daughter isn`t at home he and his men search for his daughter.
Jago looks for Othello and asks him personally if he had married Desdemona.
Suddenly Cassio and his men appear and he reports Othello that he has to go
to the duke, because of war business in Cyprus. As Othello wants to set off for
the duke, Brabantio and Officers enter. They threaten Othello with swords and
Brabantio insults Othello as a thief.
During that conversation between Brabantio and Othello the duke and his
senators are talking about war situation in Cyprus in the council chamber.
Brabantio, Othello, Jago and Officers interrupt the talk. Brabantio reports
about Desdemona`s kidnapping. The duke listens to Othello`s statement as well,
who says that Desdemona loves him for the dangers he had passed and that he
had not used witchcraft to make her love him. Desdemona comes up and testifies that
she loves the Moor. The duke decides that both can live together, but
because of war Othello must go to Cyprus. Othello instructs Jago to take
care of Desdemona and to send her after him. For Jago it is a good opportunity
to start an intrigue against Othello. He wants Roderigo to approach to Desdemona
and to get rid off Othello.

[advoca]

An excellent effort. Well done.

However, some quickies.

The cgaracter is IAGO, not Jago. Second, he is a standard bearer to Othello. The word 'ancient' to describe a standard bearer is archaic and you would be well adviced not to use it. he is also an ensign, but this word is usually used in a differnt way. It is best to describe Iago as a standard bearer. This makes it absolutely clear.

And he wants to get rid of Othello (not rid off).

Here is a list of the characters, which might be helpful to you.

Othello - The play's protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He possesses a "free and open nature," which his ensign Iago uses to twist his love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy (I.iii.381).
Click here for In-Depth Analysis.

Desdemona - The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello's incomprehensible jealousy.
Click here for In-Depth Analysis.

Iago - Othello's ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old. While his ostensible reason for desiring Othello's demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago's motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and destruction.
Click here for In-Depth Analysis.

Michael Cassio - Othello's lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio's youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello's insecurities about Desdemona's fidelity.

Emilia - Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.

Roderigo - A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona's hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona.

Bianca - A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca's favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage.

Brabanzio - Desdemona's father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret.

Duke of Venice - The official authority in Venice, the Duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and then to send Othello to Cyprus.

Montano - The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships.

Lodovico - One of Brabanzio's kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters announcing that Othello has been replaced by Cassio as governor.

Graziano - Brabanzio's kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona's father has died.

Clown - Othello's servant. Although the Clown appears only in two short scenes, his appearances reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word "lie" in Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate Othello's confusion of two meanings of that word in Act IV, scene i.

[Beginner]

thank you for your advice! I wrote ancient because it's the word that's used in our Othello-version. do you know a good site where I can find summaries or characterizations?