Othello Summary

Act I
Act I of Othello opens with Iago and Roderigo in the streets, arguing that even though the rich Roderigo pays Iago to help him win Desdemona’s heart, Desdemona will never love him because she is married to Othello. Iago persuades Roderigo to try and get rid of Othello by making Desdemona’s family hate Othello. When the two men stand outside the house of Brabantio (Desdemona’s father), they shout to him that he has been robbed. Roderigo and Iago tell Brabantio that Desdemona and Othello are in a sexual relationship, which angers Brabantio because Othello is a moore. Roderigo then leads Brabantio’s man to Othello.
Just after Cassio tells Othello he is requested by the duke of Venice, Brabantio’s men enter and Brabantio accuses Othello of using charms and spells to steal his daughter. Brabantio then follows Othello to the duke and accuses Othello of stealing Desdemona, but Othello explains that he and Desdemona married after she fell in love with him and his stories. Desdemona states that, because of the marriage, her loyalty stays with Othello (as opposed to her father). She then decides to go with Othello to Cyprus as he plans to defend the island from the Turks. Afterwards, Iago meets with Roderigo and convinces him to grant him more money for his services. After Roderigo leaves, Iago tells the audience how he plans to deceive Othello into thinking that Desdemona is cheating with Cassio.

Act II
Act II begins with Montano predicting that the Turkish fleet would not be able to survive the storm, and he is correct. The first ship from Venice arrives safely, however, carrying: Iago, Emilia, Desdemona, and Roderigo. While Iago rants about the evil ways of women, Cassio pulls Desdemona aside to talk to her. Iago notices that Cassio holds Desdemona’s hand as he talks to her, so he concocts a plan to make it seem as if Cassio has a liking for Desdemona. As all the people exit to celebrate the drowning of the Turks, Iago and Roderigo stay. Iago convinces Roderigo that Desdemona will soon leave Othello, but instead for Cassio. He also convinces Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio.
At Othello’s celebration of both safety from Turks and his wedding, Cassio is on guard, but intoxicated. When other men are around, also intoxicated, Cassio charges Roderigo, but is held down by the other men. Roderigo flees to report a mutiny, and as the other men try to hold Cassio down, he stabs Montano. When Othello comes to find out what happened, Iago pretends to defend Cassio. Suspecting Iago is only trying to keep Cassio safe, Othello dismisses him. Immediately after, however, Iago convinces Cassio to appeal to Desdemona for help, setting up Cassio to be framed for sleeping with Desdemona.

Act III
In the beginning of Act III, Cassio sends musicians to play outside Othello’s window as a gift, but Othello sends his clown to shoo them away. Cassio asks the clown to search out Emilia, who then lets him in to talk with Desdemona. When Othello and Iago enter, however, Cassio flees (creating more suspicion on himself). Desdemona tries to convince Othello take Cassio back into service. Othello agrees to, but refuses to tell his wife when.
Then alone with Othello, Iago starts to press the idea of a relationship between Cassio and Desdemona. After a short while, Iago moves on from the topic, but the damage has already been done. Othello is now very suspicious of his wife, and when she offers him her handkerchief at dinner, he pushes her away. Iago retrieves the lost handkerchief from Emilia and uses it to convince Othello, along with other false stories, that Desdemona is unchaste. Othello vows to attain vengeance against Cassio and Desdemona, and then promotes Iago to the position of lieutenant. Othello yells at Desdemona for not having the handkerchief (which Iago now has), but the unaware Desdemona believes that Othello is just stressing over a political matter. Meanwhile, Cassio is visited by Bianca, a prostitute.

Act IV
Act IV starts with Iago talking to Othello. Iago tells Othello that he will talk to Cassio and ask him about his sexual relations with Desdemona, allowing Othello to listen in on the conversation. When Cassio comes to talk however, Iago asks him instead about Bianca, and Cassio boasts of his sexual relationship with the prostitute. Othello hears these stories, but he does not know they are about Bianca.
Later that night, Othello finds out he will be going back to Venice, with Cassio serving as his replacement. When Desdemona expresses happiness towards this, Othello takes it the wrong way and strikes her in public. When Othello asks Emilia if Desdemona has been unfaithful she tells him no, but he does not believe her. After Iago lies to Desdemona and tells her that Othello is simply stressed because of a political issue, she tells Emilia to set her wedding sheets on the bed for that night. After Othello sends her to bed and tells her he will be with her shortly, Desdemona expects that he will kill her.

Act V
In the beginning of Act V, Roderigo tries to stab Cassio, but cannot pierce his armor. When Cassio retaliates by stabbing him, Iago comes from behind and stabs Cassio without giving away his identity. Meanwhile, Othello kisses his wife for the last time, then proceeds to smother her with a pillow. When Emilia comes in to tell Othello of Cassio’s injury, Desdemona is not completely dead, but as she dies she shouts that she is killing herself (in order to protect Othello from prosecution). Othello takes the blame, however, admitting that he killed his wife.
The truth comes out about Iago’s deception because of Emilia. Angered, Iago stabs and kills her. When Lodovico, Montano, Cassio and Iago enter, Iago is taken prisoner and stabbed by Othello, but does not die. Othello finds out the truth and is told that he will be stripped of his power and taken back to Venice. Instead of giving in to arrest, Othello pulls out a third knife and stabs himself, falling into bed with his dead wife. The play ends with Gratiano as Othello’s heir, Montano in charge of executing Iago, Cassio as governor of Cyprus, and Lodovico preparing to leave to return to Venice.

Examples of Rhetorical Devices in Famous Speeches

Alphabetically, by device:

Alliteration/Assonance

“Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, ‘Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy.’” -Ronald Reagan- The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
Former President Reagan uses alliteration to highlight the spirit of the seven that died on the “Challenger”. His alliteration captures the audience’s attention and makes that statement more memorable. By alliterating special, special, spirit, and says, Reagan captures the audience’s attention and emphasizes that the seven that died on the “Challenger” were heroes.


Allusion
“There's a coincidence today. On this day three hundred and ninety years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, ‘He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.’ Well, today, we can say of the “Challenger” crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.” -Ronald Reagan- The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
Here, former President Reagan uses an allusion to reference the “Challenger” crew to Sir Francis Drake. He uses this allusion to connect one tragedy to another, but also to show that the “Challenger” crew should be honored in the same way as Sir Francis Drake because of their dedication.

Amplification


“Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms, and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.

Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.” -JFK Inaugural Address

The repetition of “let both sides” in former President Kennedy’s speech amplifies his desire for peace and unity. When says “let both sides” for the first time, Kennedy explains that he wishes for unity instead of division. As he repeats the phrase for a second and third time, he adds on that all sides of the word should succeed together in scientific discoveries and other accomplishments. By using amplification on his first idea, he places greater emphasis on peace and unity: the big picture of what he is trying to say.


Analogy
“To apply any other test -- to deny a man his hopes because of his color, or race, or his religion, or the place of his birth is not only to do injustice, it is to deny America and to dishonor the dead who gave their lives for American freedom.” -Lyndon Baines Johnson- "We Shall Overcome"
Here, Johnson uses analogy to say that to deny a man because of race is to dishonor the dead who gave their lives for American freedom. He compares the two people in order to show the connection between the dreamer and the dead who gave their lives for American freedom. The people who fought for freedom died to give the dreamer rights, and Johnson uses analogy to show that by denying the dreamer, you dishonor the hero’s sacrifice.


Anaphora
“We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.” -Ronald Reagan- The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
Former President Reagan uses anaphora here by repeatedly saying “more” before saying a different group of people. By putting “more” before every different group of people he mentions, he creates equal importance between all of them and to show that many more different kinds of people will go into space. By having the “more” repeated, Reagan emphasizes also that, despite this tragedy, the quest into space will not stop.


Antithesis

"Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate." –JFK Inaugural Address

Here, former President Kennedyuses antithesis with inverting statements, to show that America will not be threatened by opposition, but at the same time, will be willing to negotiate. By inverting the first statement into the second one with an antithesis, he creates a very memorable and clever sentence and which is successful in displaying his view of what America should be.


Apostrophe
“And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off. I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery.” -Ronald Reagan- The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
By interrupting his address to speak directly to any schoolchildren who might have watched the “Challenger” tragedy, former President Reagan uses apostrophe. Instead of continuing with a normal address, Reagan speaks directly to schoolchildren in order to explain how bad things happen, but America must continue to explore and strive to discover new things even in the face of danger.

Climax
“I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn't stop there.
I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldn't stop there.
I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. But I wouldn't stop there. –Martin Luther King Jr.- “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
Here, King uses climax by increasing the importance of his words as he continues to speak. By continuing to add more in each paragraph, he keeps the audience interested and also excited to hear what else he is going to do. He continues to say “but I wouldn’t stop there.” By saying this and adding more details, he builds intensity in his words, which impact the reader on a deeper level.

Ellipsis

“This much we pledge -- and more.” – JFK Inaugural Address
By saying “and more” instead of listing more ideas he believes Americans should honor, former President Kennedy uses ellipsis. His exclusion of additional words and phrases not only puts emphasis the ideas he said before, but also forces the reader to think of other ideas they should pledge to. Kennedy includes the ellipsis to keep the audience thinking, and because he tells them there are many more ideas to pledge to instead of listing them all, he is successful.


Hyperbole
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." –JFK Inaugural Address
Former President Kennedy uses hyperbole by exaggerating America’s strength. By exaggerating and saying that America can “pay any price” or “bear any burden,” Kennedy creates an exaggerated sense of pride in the reader for their country. Kennedy tries to convey that America has the strength to press through difficult times, and his use of hyperbole makes him successful. Instead of just saying that America is strong, he exaggerates to say that it can meet any hardship, and while the reader knows that in actuality this is not true, the hyperbole helps create an image of strength.

Metanoia

“Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need -- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, ‘rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation,’ a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.” –JFK Inaugural Address
Here, former President Kennedy uses metanoia by recalling statements he makes, and explaining them. Instead of having read the sentence, “Now the trumpet summons us again – not as a call to bear arms – not as a call to battle – but a call to bear the burden…”, Kennedy adds in the phrases with “though” to show that America needs many things, but above all we must concur “tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.”


Metaphor

“The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.” –JFK Inaugural Address
The metaphor former President Kennedy uses here compares the energy, faith, and devotion used to uphold freedom, to a fire that lights America. Kennedy then goes on to say also that this “fire can truly light the world.” He uses this metaphor to show Americans that their efforts to create unity and freedom will not only affect America, but the entire world as a whole.


Rhetorical Question
“Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?” –JFK Inaugural Address
Former President Kennedy includes this rhetorical question to call the audience to action. By asking if they will join in the historic effort, Kennedy forces the audience to think about what they are willing to do for their country and at the same time, he inspires them to be more American.

Grand Turismo Five Takes Realistic Gaming to the Next Level

 For far too long I have seen ridiculous driving games! You know what I'm talking about, driving games a couple years ago would see it as acceptable for a driver to plow over a tree going over 150 mph and lose no speed! You simply hold down a button and win first place, but not in GT5.
Although I'm not much of a gamer myself, after watching many people play the game and at parties and such, I have come to be very impressed by the games innovative new take on the video game driving experience. Ps3attitude.com states that "Gran Turismo 5 offers the best and most complete racing experience we've ever seen." Considering certain aspects such as drivetrain, torque, and horsepower as well as modeling even the interiors of it's vehicles to the exact specifications of their real-life counterparts.
Watching players frustration as they smash into guard rails and walls is something I have very much longed for! Thats right gamers! You can't take a 90 degree turn going 150 in your Lamborghini Gallardo! The game even teaches in it's tutorials the proper ways to take certain turns and explains the importance of drafting in high-speed races. Unlike racing games of the past, not only does it teach about these techniques, but they are actually required for success in gameplay.
Even aspects such as mechanical damage are taken into consideration, which is quite amazing to me. We've all seen games where the bumper starts to hang off a little or the windshield cracks after hitting a wall, but GT5 considers more than just that. Even simply taking a corner to hard or fast can throw off your wheel alignment for the rest off the race. Really fascinating stuff!
While some are frustrated by the difficulty of such a realistic game, they need to understand that the days of plowing over trees effortlessly and smashing one's way through a race track are over! With more games like GT5 hopefully on the way soon, the only way to avoid the continually improving virtual reality of video games would be to pick up the next Mario Kart! Who knows, maybe even Mario Kart will start stepping up their game...

TV and Video Games: Good or Bad?

Is watching Spongebob, Squidward, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs bolt around the underwater society they inhabit in their television show poisoning the minds of our youth, or instead enriching thier imagination?
I remember my mother always chastising me for watching TV on Saturday afternoons:
"Go outside and play ball," she would shout at me from the upstairs. In a world of continuously developing technology, however, would a child benefit more from tossing around a ball, or admiring and studying the current state of technology through video games and television? I, personally, would much more like to see children exposed to culture through telvision networks such as the History Channel or any one of the numerous news networks scattered throughout the 1000+ channels. It might be time to get real, Moms and Dads: your children aren't learning as much playing ball!
Don't get me wrong! I'm simply trying to expland what you may see as benefical for yourself or your children. While many of our teachers and didactic friends may argue that video games and television simply waste brain power, think of how well the two stimulate the brain...
If you think about it, not only are today's young people learning about and absorbing moral and idealistic responsibilties, but also increasing their ability to contemplate on what others might consider impossible. Remember Back to the Future Two? When the people of 1989 saw Marty Mcfly travel to 2015, where the common people utlized technology such as video-conferencing? A person can't help but wonder whether or not the people who came up with Skype, Oovoo, Chatroulette, and other video conferencing technology may have drawn inspiration from this themselves! Perhaps now, if we let the youth watch movies such as TRON: Legacy, they'll in turn be able to recreate the "Tron" technology the same video-conferencing came to be.
Some games and television shows don't always lead to the next technological advancement, to be sure, but even through watching a simple cartoon there must be purpose, no? Sometimes, I think we fail to see the little things behind these seemingly useless shows and games. If nothing else, they expand our youths imagination, encouraging them to think and be the future thinkers and artists of the upcoming generation. Nothing to be ashamed of! Don't be so quick to turn off that TV, Xbox, or Playstation... Let good ol' Spongebob teach the kid something!

Teenage Love: Why Do They Try?

While alot of parents believe thier sons, daughters, and all young people alike date simply for the experience with dating, it is important to try and understand all the possible alterior motives involved with young love. Why do they try? What is the point? The desire for young people (especially teenagers) to find love is a common thing in todays world. It is important to understand that there are a variety of reason why teenagers are looking for love, and I've wrote down a few of my own thoughts on the subject. We'll start with one of the most common possibilities I've come up with:

1. The Media
Any show or movie a child flicks to through the channels these days involves some kind of TV couple. It's always been this way. Lucy and Ricky, Forrest and Jenny, Sandy and Danny, Cory and Topanga, Jim and Pam; they're all over the place! Now, in the same way a little girl would see Britney Spears and want to dance and dress like her, or a young boy would want to be cool like Danny Zuko, children see their favorite TV couples and picture the same thing for themselves. When children model aspects of thier lives after these shows (wardrobes, attitudes, morals) how can we expect them not to pick up and imitate their favorite character's relationship status?

2. Peer Pressure
Between friends and family, a teenager can find oneself surrounded by talking of boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, break-ups, make-ups, marriage and divorce. Because of the unavoidable suffocation teens feel as single males and females around couples, they will assuredly be pressured into having a relationship of thier own. Having a significant other might also help them to feel more like they "belong" in certain conversations, parties, dances, or double dates.


3. Simple Lust
On top of everything going on in a teen's head, they are also going through puberty. Changes are going on, hormones an all that jazz are creating sexual tension in the body, like it or not, teens are going to pursue relationships sometimes fueled only by lust. In order to avoid getting to risque, I won't get into detail here!

The important thing to understand is that teens are going to want to be in relationships for a variety of reasons. Trying to understand why they have these natural tendencies is okay, but in most instances, the category of "love" can be very vague and inexplicable! Simply let nature take it's course as long as the relationships stay healthy!

A Beginner's Guide to Guitar Playing

While we all know I can't completely start you out on guitar in a single Hub, when it comes to guitar playing there's a few things worth knowing before you start.

First off, the same way an actor/actress doesn't try to memorize all thier lines in a single shot, you shouldn't try to master guitar playing the day you pick one up. I'm not going to try and scare you away by saying that learning to play guitar is going to take forever because, in all honesty, the basics of guitar are rather simple. Don't, however, think that means you can conquer all the basic skills in one day. Stay organized. This leads to my next tip:

Buy into the hype, and buy a book! Most people are quick to shut down the idea of learning how to play an instrument out of a book, turning to top dollar music lessons instead, but it's not necessary! When I got my first electric guitar at age 13, the first thing I did was look up all the basic chords on Google. Upon entering my first serious guitar lesson (specifically jazz guitar), the first thing my teacher did was write down a couple books he requested that I buy for our lessons. An eager student, I ordered all the books online and brought them to my next weekly lesson. It might surprise you to learn that these weekly 60 dollar lessons (keep in mind all the books together were only about 30 dollars) consisted solely of my teacher leading my through the book work, which I could have done myself! Forget the lessons, but do get the books (I suggest a Hal Leonard or Berklee Method book)!

Once you have your book: take it easy, and step by step! The book will have chapters and will be broken up into parts, this is for a reason! Like I said before, don't try and rush through the whole thing, and make sure to start from the very beginning. I stress this because I always see people who've been playing guitar for years plateau and can't get any better because they skipped the first few pages of the book and can't even hold the pick right! If you, on the other hand, stick by the book, you'll be on the right track. On top of that, make sure you don't forget:

Keep it fun! I can't tell you how many people I've seen put down the guitar because of how let down they've been by the book work. It's true people: the book work isn't always fun... but that's when it's most important that you do other things to keep it fun for you. Once the book has taught you about technique and a few chords, feel free to put the book down for a while and have some fun with the instrument! Learn the A, D, and E chords, and you can learn AC/DC's "Back in Black." With G, E minor, C, and D, you've got Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on My Guitar."

As long as you keep it fun and stick to the book work, you'll go from a great foundation to a well educated guitar player! It's not nearly as difficult as people try to make it seem!

Comfortability: Why's She's Not That Into You

Comfortability: it’s what controls every aspect of our lives, even in the smallest possible ways: where you sleep, how you sleep, what you say, how you say it, who you talk to, who you admire; comfortability. Open your heart and mind and you’ll see it.
The girl you are afraid to talk to will never love you, whether you talk to her or not, as long as you are afraid of talking to her. Nobody likes to be feared. Okay, maybe Kimbo Slice and Adolf Hitler like to be feared, but girls don’t want to be Adolf Hitler. Needless to say, as single women, they also don’t wish to be feared… Being afraid of talking to a girl is completely natural for someone who doesn’t understand the benefits of comfortability.
For ages, nice guys have asked other girls, their friends, and even themselves:
“Why does she like him? He’s a COCKY JERK!” The answer to this question is simple: comfortability. I know what you’re thinking:
“What, no. How could you say this? How can you defend the COCKY JERK?!?” Well, I don’t. I simply stand behind the benefits of comfortability.
At this point you may be questioning my words, but stay with me. What makes a guy a “cocky jerk?”
He must either:
A.) Talk about himself all the time.
Or
B.) Treat her like just another girl.
Now let me ask, what does talking about himself all the time show? It simply shows confidence. Confidence around certain people displays COMFORTABILITY in that instance. Guys who can be confident about themselves in front of girls show those girls that they are comfortable with them.
Mr. Joe-schmoe-nice-guy, on the other hand, says nice things about the girl while he is around her, and only asks questions about her, trying to come off as sensitive. This is a no-no. I AM NOT SAYING THAT BEING SENSITIVE IS BAD. I am instead asking, how do you think the girl feels around this guy? She probably feels feared. She probably senses that this guy is trying very hard to be nice and charming; she senses that HE IS NOT COMFORTABLE AROUND HER; starting to make sense now?
This guy could be the one for her, but she won’t see anything in him because of his lack of comfortability. Let’s say that this guy, instead, walks up to the girl with a smile on his face and talks about how such-and-such was SO FUNNY. He, instead of assuming the role of the hopeless romantic, assumes the role of the comfortable friend posing conversation. This then makes it ten times easier for the girl to be comfortable talking to the guy, or for that matter, to be attracted to him. One love, baby, one love. Just be comfortable!