Othello Summary & Dramatic Structure Essay Example

Gustav Freytag is known as a German novelist and playwright. In his time, he created the dramatic structure that is used to analyse German and Shakespearean plays. The plays followed a common structured, which includes the exposition or introduction of the play, the rising action, climax and falling action and denouement. Similarly, the play, Othello, also follows this dramatic structure in its five acts. In Act one, there is the exposition, Act two there is the rising action, Act three there is the climax, Act Four there is the falling action and in Act five there is the denouement. In this essay, the first three acts of Othello will be looked at as it pertains to the dramatic structure.

Othello is a play that takes place in Venice. In Act 1 starts out with Roderigo, a nobleman and Iago of the defence force conversing on the streets of Venice. Roderigo is in love with a lady, Desdemona, so he pays Iago a hefty amount of money to aid him in his quest. However he finds out that Desdemona has eloped with Othello, a Moor who is a general in the defence force. However Iago puts his worry to ease with a plan he has for bringing Othello down. He hates Othello for promoting Cassio to the position of lieutenant, a position that he himself wanted. They put the plan into action by awaking Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, from his sleep. Iago very crudely alerts him to the fact that his daughter is missing and has run away with Othello. Iago leaves, but Barbantio goes to join Roderigo to get to the bottom of this. Later, Iago and Othello are at a club in Venice. He warns Othello that there are attempts to break up the marriage. However Othello is not worried for he has worth to the Venetian army. Othello is then also called to meet the Duke when there is an urgent meeting concerning Cyprus. Barbantio then arrives and threatens Othello and accuses him of witchcraft to sway Desdemona into marriage. Othello is calm and it is suggested they both go to the Duke to settle