Othello Act 5 study notes

Othello study notes
Act 5 scene 1
This scene is framed by Iago's comments on the importance of this night. Before the action starts, he tells Roderigo: "It makes us or it mars us, think of that, / And fix most firm thy resolution". To Roderigo, Iago is saying "Be brave, kill Cassio, and you will have Desdemona." To himself, he is saying "Be brave, make sure Roderigo, Cassio, and Desdemona die, and you will have your revenge on Othello."
Iago and Roderigo wait in the darkness for Cassio. Iago then withdraws himself, although Roderigo asks him not to go too far in case he needs help killing Cassio. ‘Be near at hand; I may miscarry in’t’. Cassio enters, and Roderigo stabs at him but fails to pierce Cassio’s armour. Cassio stabs and wounds Roderigo. Iago darts out in the commotion, stabs Cassio in the leg, and exits. Not knowing who has stabbed him, Cassio falls. At this moment, Othello enters. Hearing Cassio’s cries of murder, Othello believes that Iago has killed him. Inspired by what he believes to be Iago’s successful vengeance, Othello returns to his bedroom to kill Desdemona. ‘The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word/ Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead!’
Lodovico and Gratiano enter and hear Cassio’s and Roderigo’s cries. They can see nothing because of the darkness, and they are wary of helping the crying men in case it is a trap. Iago enters carrying a light. He first pretends to discover Cassio, who begs him for help, and then stumbles upon Cassio’s assailant, Roderigo, whom Iago stabs without hesitation. ‘O murderous slave! O villain!’
As Roderigo dies, he attempts to expose Iago’s villainy:
‘ O damn’d Iago! O inhuman dog.’ Bianca enters and begins to cry out when she sees the wounded Cassio.
‘O my dear Cassio! My sweet Cassio!’
Iago questions Cassio about his assailant, but Cassio can provide no explanation for what has happened. Iago suggests that Roderigo is to blame. Cassio says that he does not know Roderigo. Attendants carry off Cassio and Roderigo’s corpse. Emilia enters, and Iago tells her what has happened, adding the explanation, ‘This is the fruits of whoring’. He and Emilia chastise Bianca, at whose house Cassio had dined that evening. Iago takes Bianca under arrest, and sends Emilia to tell Othello and Desdemona what has happened. Iago ends the scene with an aside:
“This is the night / That either makes me or fordoes me quite”
Act 5 scene 2
Holding a candle, Othello stands over the sleeping Desdemona and prepares to kill her. He has convinced himself that it is the only solution or else ‘she’ll betray more men’. He bends down to kiss her once before he does the deed, she wakes, and he tells her to prepare to die. Growing frightened, Desdemona asks her husband why he means to kill her, and Othello responds that she has been unfaithful to him with Cassio—he has seen the proof in the handkerchief.
‘That handkerchief which I so lov’d and gave thee thou gav’st to Cassio.’
Othello refuses to believe Desdemona’s denial of the charge, saying that Cassio has confessed but will speak no more, since he has been killed by Iago. Desdemona begins to weep for Cassio, which only drives Othello into a greater rage.
‘Out, strumpet! Weep’st thou for him to my face?’
Wrestling with her as she begs to be allowed to live just a little longer, Othello finally succeeds in smothering his wife.
‘It is too late.’
Emilia calls from outside the door. Othello draws the bed curtains and lets Emilia in. Emilia informs Othello that Cassio has killed Roderigo. Othello asks if Cassio has been killed as well, and Emilia informs him that Cassio is alive. Othello is appalled to think that Cassio has escaped Desdemona’s fate.
‘Not Cassio kill’d! Then murder’s out of tune, And sweet revenge grows harsh.’ When Desdemona briefly revives and again protests her innocence, ‘A guiltless death I die’, Emilia’s attention is drawn to her dying mistress. Emilia demands to know who has killed her. Typical of her generous, loving nature, Desdemona tries to shield Othello from blame, ‘Nobody, I myself, farewell’. Remarkably, with her dying breath, she utters words of love for her husband, ‘commend me to my kind lord’.

Emilia now questions Othello about Desdemona’s death. Othello triumphantly admits to Emilia that he killed Desdemona, and when she asks him why, Othello tells her that he killed Desdemona for having a love-affair with Cassio and that it was Iago that opened his eyes to Desdemona’s falsehood.
‘Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else./ thy husband knew it all.’
Emilia is horrified to learn of her husband’s role in Desdemona’s murder. Unfazed by Othello’s threat that she ‘were best’ to remain silent, Emilia calls out for help, bringing Montano, Gratiano, and Iago to the scene.
‘Help! Help, ho! Help! The moor has kill’d my mistress! Murder! Murder!’
Montano, Gratiano, Iago, and others rush into the bedchamber where Emilia is shouting. Determined to expose Iago’s villainy, Emilia defies her husband as she defied Othello. Iago admits to telling Othello that his wife was indeed unfaithful with Cassio, ‘I told him what I thought, and told no more then what he found himself was apt true.’ Emilia is not afraid to publically condemn him, ‘you told a lie, an odious lie.’ Emilia continues to defend Desdemona’s honour. She tells how she found the handkerchief, which her husband had asked her to steal, and gave it to him.
‘O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune and did give my husband./ He begg’d of me steal it.’
Iago denies this, but Othello attacks Iago and is disarmed, ‘precious villian!’ Iago stabs Emilia and runs out. As she dies, Emilia tells Othello that Desdemona loved him, ‘Moor, she was chaste; she lov’d thee, cruel Moor.’
Othello realizes, too late, that he had been tricked and manipulated.

Othello is filled with guilt, ‘That look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, and fiends will snatch at it’. He cannot imagine a punishment severe enough to fit his terrible crime, ‘Whip me ye devils from the passion of this heavenly sight!’. Lodovico, Montano and Cassio return, with Iago as their prisoner. Othello expects the devilish Iago to have cloven hooves. The Moor wounds Iago, but is quickly disarmed. Lodovico laments Othello’s dramatic fall, ‘O thou Othello that wert once so good, fallen in the practice of a damned slave’. Othello asks Cassio’s pardon before requesting him to ask ‘that demi-devil’ Iago why he ‘ensnared’ his soul and body. Iago refuses to speak a word as to why he plotted against Othello.
‘Demand me nothing: what you know, you know: From this time forth I never speak a word’.
Lodovico produces letters revealing the involvement of both Iago and Roderigo in the attempt on Cassio’s life. Othello is deeply pained and angered by the extent of his foolishness, ‘O fool! fool! fool!’. At this point Lodovico announces that Cassio will replace Othello as Governor of Cyprus and that Iago will be suitably punished for his villainy.

In his closing speech, Othello reflects on his life. He reflects on those aspects of his own character that contributed to the tragedy, ‘one that loved not wisely but too well; of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme’. He realises that he threw away the priceless ‘pearl’ that was Desdemona’s love. Othello reaffirms his honour and takes his own life, falling and dying on Desdemona’s bed.
‘I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee; no way but this, Killing myself to die upon a kiss’.

Cassio reminds us of the earlier noble Othello remarking that ‘he was great at heart’. Othello regains some of his nobility by the close of the play. He also acquires self-knowledge through the intensely painful experience.
In the closing lines of the play, Lodovico condemns Iago for his villainy, telling him to look upon the bed and accept this he is at fault for this tragic ending, ‘Look on the tragic loading of this bed; This is thy work’.