Othello has married in secret; the Moor has married Desdemona, his lover, who hails from Venice. Othello is given the task of defending the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus against the Turks, who are attempting to invade. By his side throughout is his faithful lieutenant, Cassio. Before Othello is required to fight, the invading Turks are shipwrecked on account of a wild and severe storm. Othello and Desdemona are reunited; a courageous woman and faithful wife, she had gone with him to Cyprus, and she and Othello lead the Cypriot islanders in a celebration of the Turks' demise.
Othello has great trust in his companion and ensign, Iago, but Iago has become increasingly jealous of Othello's prosperity and is also becoming a little paranoid. He has convinced himself that both Othello and Cassio have slept with Emilia, his wife, and in order to avenge this imagined wrong decides to trick Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful, and that it is Cassio with whom she has cheated; he also plans to convince Othello that Desdemona is pregnant with Cassio's child. Slowly but surely, he plants the seeds of suspicion in Othello's mind; when he sees that Othello is growing a little jealous of the friendship between Desdemona and Cassio, he plants Desdemona's handkerchief within Cassio's clothing, and sets the two up as illicit lovers. As Iago has planned, Othello finds the handkerchief, and is both angry and distraught. He is convinced now that Iago is right and that his wife and his lieutenant are having a passionate affair. He decides that he will kill both of them.
Othello smothers Desdemona, and she dies as Emilia comes into the bedroom to tell Othello what Iago has done, and that the charade of the affair between Desdemona and Cassio is just that; a charade, and a lie. Othello is highly distressed when he realizes what he has done; he and the authorities capture Iago and beat him. Othello is almost mad with anguish and stabs Iago, wounding him. Othello kills himself. Iago is taken away; he will be tortured and executed.
