Scene summary
Othello questions Emilia: he asks whether she saw Cassio and Desdemona together, whether they whispered, whether Desdemona sent her away. Emilia replies that she has never seen or heard anything wrong, swears to the honesty of Desdemona and says that whoever put this idea in his head deserves the serpent's curse. Othello sends for Desdemona and, alone with her, says he wants to see her eyes, makes her swear she is honest, and treats her like a whore. She kneels, says she is his chaste and loyal wife and asks what she is accused of. As he leaves, Othello pays Emilia like a procuress. Desdemona, stunned, asks Emilia to spread the marriage sheets and to call Iago. In front of him, Emilia says some villain forged the slander only to win a post, and Iago consoles Desdemona, saying Othello is tense over affairs of state.
Afterwards Iago restrains Roderigo, who demands the jewels given to Desdemona and threatens to ask for satisfaction: he promises him a night of action, the watch in which Cassio is to be killed, since a commission from Venice is to appoint Cassio in place of Othello, and so prevent the couple from sailing to Mauritania.
Analysis
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