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Othello Summary 69607 Views


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Description:

A word to the wise: secret marriages don't work out well in Shakespeare plays. Just ask Othello and Desdemona.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:00

Othello a la shmoop the names Iago yes like Jafar's parrot

00:10

except with a vastly superior speaking voice. some people say I'm Shakespeare's [parrot with man's head]

00:15

meanest villain, because well of all the bad things I did to precious Othello ,and

00:20

well perhaps they're right but who cares? we all have fun in different ways right?

00:25

Oh fellow was this hotshot Moorish guy who convinced everybody in Venice that

00:30

he should be a big bad general in our army. maybe it was all those victories he

00:34

won for us blah blah blah blah blah .I could have done the same I mean I didn't

00:38

but I could have .you know a fellow landed on my naughty list when he

00:42

promoted this loser named Cassio to be his lieutenant ,and clearly I would have [Cassio cheers and Othello grins]

00:48

been the better choice but hey at least it gave me an excuse for my favorite

00:52

pastime, knitting. oh and overly complicated plots

00:56

dealing with horrifically bloody revenge. I first enlisted this guy Roderigo, to my

01:00

cause. after all every villain needs a minion. alright well our first stop was

01:05

the powerful senator Brabantio whom we had the pleasure of telling that Othello

01:10

had recently eloped with his beautiful daughter Desdemona.

01:14

well Brabantio took it about as well as most dads would which is to say not well [tabloid with Desdemona pictured on it]

01:18

at all. and we may have fibbed a little saying that othello used witchcraft to

01:23

seduce Desdemona. even if I didn't hate SLO the whole plan would have been worth

01:27

it just to watch the veins pop out of Brabantio's head.

01:31

Brabantio was dead set on poking Othello full of holes but unfortunately for our

01:36

evil plan the Duke took Othello's side. fella went on and on about how he truly [dad growls, Othello explains]

01:42

loved Desdemona, and then Desdemona showed up and got all gooshy about him.

01:47

long story short the Duke believed their disgustingly sweet love story and

01:52

Brabantio heads off but still not before delivering this warning- look to her Moor

01:57

if thou hast eyes to see she has deceived her father and may thee not.

02:04

exactly the wedding blessing Desdemona was hoping for.

02:07

anyway if you ask me the Duke only spared othello because he wanted a

02:10

fellow to command the army in the upcoming battle against the Turks in [Iago grins]

02:14

Cyprus. did I not mention the upcoming battle

02:17

against the Turks in Cyprus? ha my mistake.

02:20

there was an upcoming battle against the Turks in Cyprus, that is until a fellow

02:24

yours truly and every other important character in this tragedy got to Cyprus

02:29

and found out that the Turkish Navy had been lost in a storm. kind of a fishy

02:34

plot there isn't it ?hmm maybe Shakespeare's producer slapped him with

02:37

some budget cuts. in Cyprus I got back on the revenge train. my new scheme was

02:43

great .I would convince Othello that Desdemona was cheating on him with [Iago smiles]

02:47

Cassio. that way all of my enemies would destroy each other while I sat back and

02:53

laughed and appropriately evil laugh. well of course my plan was needlessly

02:58

complicated but that's just my thing. alright first I got Cassio drunk then I

03:01

got Roderigo to get into a fight with Cassio then a fellow took Cassio's new

03:05

job away which sure that's what I was mad about in the first place oh I could

03:09

have stopped there but where's the fun in that ?well next i got Cassio to ask

03:13

Desdemona to ask othello to give Cassio his job back confused yet hmm? well

03:18

meanwhile I planted seeds in a fellow's head that Desdemona was doing the dirty [Iago sets up Desdemona to look like she's cheating]

03:21

with Cassio behind his back. I was like hey bud watch out for anything

03:25

suspicious, like oh I don't know Desdemona trying to convince you to give

03:30

Cassio his job back. yes move right? now all I had to do was get my wife Emilia

03:36

to steal a special handkerchief that a fellow had given to Desdemona as gift.

03:41

all I had to do was plant the handkerchief in Cassio's room and lead a

03:44

fellow there to find it, and voila that Plus Desdemona is inevitable pleading

03:49

for Cassio and some ingenious manipulations on my part convinced

03:53

othello his wife was cheating on him. Othello decided the only thing to do was

03:57

kill Desdemona, totally normal reaction not over-the-top at all . I suggested he

04:02

strangle her. what can I say I like to be helpful? meanwhile I convinced

04:06

Roderigo to go kill Cassio but he ended up bundling the whole thing, so I had to [Roderigo with a sword]

04:10

kill him and blame it on his girlfriend it's hard to keep a good help you know.

04:14

at least Othello came through in smothered Desdemona to death, I didn't

04:18

have long to enjoy that though because my dumb wife Emilia sold me out and told

04:22

everybody what I'd done. well I stabbed her for foiling my

04:25

perfect plot but it didn't do me much good. finally realizing what had gone

04:30

down othello stabbed me and then killed himself.

04:33

blood was everywhere of course .it wouldn't be a Shakespearean tragedy if

04:38

it didn't end with somebody having to buy a new rug. and that's the end of this

04:41

tragic tale -what's the take away here? easy never get married. [blood in a fancy hall]

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