English Literature books summary

to help with the conflict there; he begs that Desdemona be able to go with

him, since they have been married for so little time. Othello and Desdemona

win their appeal, and Desdemona is to stay with Iago, until she can come to

Cyprus and meet Othello there.

Roderigo is upset that Desdemona and Othello's union was allowed to stand,

since he lusts after Desdemona. But Iago assures him that the match will

not last long, and at any time, Desdemona could come rushing to him. Iago

wants to break up the couple, using Roderigo as his pawn, out of malice and

his wicked ability to do so.

Act II, scene i:

A terrible storm has struck Cyprus, just as the Turks were about to

approach. This might mean that the Turkish attack will not happen; but it

also bodes badly for Othello's ship. A messenger enters, and confirms that

the Turkish fleet was broken apart by the storm, and that Cassio has

arrived, though Othello is still at sea. They spot a ship coming forth; but

Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia are on it, not Othello. Cassio greets them all,

especially praising Desdemona; somehow, Iago and Desdemona enter into an

argument about what women are, and Iago shows how little praise he believes

women deserve. Othello arrives at last, and is very glad to see his wife

arrived, much earlier than expected; he and Desdemona make public signs of

their love, and then depart. Iago speaks to Roderigo, convincing him that

Desdemona will stray from Othello, as she has already done with Cassio. He

convinces Roderigo to attack Cassio that night, as he plans to visit

mischief on both Othello and Cassio.

Act II, scene ii:

Othello's herald enters, to proclaim that the Turks are not going to

attack, all should be joyful, and Othello is celebrating the happiness of

his recent marriage.

Act II, scene iii:

Iago and Cassio are on the watch together; Iago gets Cassio to drink a bit,

knowing that he cannot hold his liquor at all. Iago also tries to get

Cassio's feelings about Desdemona, and make her seem tempting to him; but

his intentions are innocent and friendly, so this approach fails. Cassio

leaves for a bit, and Iago says that he intends to get Cassio drunk, that

will hopefully cause a quarrel between Cassio and Roderigo, who has been

stirred up against Cassio. Iago wants to see Cassio discredited through

this, so that he might take Cassio's place. Montano and others come, and

Iago entertains them with small talk and song; soon, Cassio is drunk, and

Roderigo has approached. Cassio fights offstage with Roderigo, and comes

forth, chasing him; Montano tries to hinder Cassio, but Cassio just ends up

injuring him. All the noise wakes Othello, who comes down to figure out

what has happened. Montano tells what he knows of it all, and Iago fills in

the rest‹making sure to fictionalize his part in it all too. Cassio is

stripped of his rank, and all leave Cassio and Iago alone.

Cassio laments that he has lost his reputation, which is very dear to him.

Iago tries to convince him that a reputation means little; and, if he talks

to Desdemona, maybe he can get her to vouch for him with Othello. This will

help Iago get the impression across that Desdemona and Cassio are together,

which will make Othello very angry if it works. Iago then gives a soliloquy

about knowing that Desdemona will speak for Cassio, and that he will be

able to turn that against them both.

Act III, scene i:

The third act begins with a little bit of comic relief; a clown is mincing

words with a few musicians, then has a little wordplay with Cassio, who

bids the clown to go and see if Desdemona will speak with him. Iago enters,

and Cassio tells him that he means to speak to Desdemona, so that she may

clear things up with Othello. Emilia comes out, and bids Cassio to come in

and speak with Desdemona about his tarnished reputation.

Act III, scene ii:

Othello gives Iago some letters that need to be delivered back to Venice,

which Iago is in turn supposed to give to a ship's pilot who is sailing

back to Venice.

Act III, scene iii:

Desdemona decides that she wants to advocate for Cassio. She tells Emilia

so, and that she believes Cassio is a good person, and has been wronged in

this case; she pledges to do everything she can to persuade her husband to

take Cassio back. Cassio speaks with her briefly, but leaves just as

Othello enters because he does not wish for a confrontation. Iago seizes on

this opportunity to play on Othello's insecurities, and make Cassio's exit

seem guilty and incriminating. Othello then speaks to Desdemona, and

Desdemona expresses her concern for Cassio; she is persistent in his suit,

which Othello is not too pleased about. Othello says he will humor her, and

the subject is dropped for a while.

Iago then plays on Othello's insecurities about Desdemona, and gets Othello

to believe, through insinuation, that there is something going on between

Desdemona and Cassio. Othello seizes on this, and then Iago works at

building up his suspicions. Soon, Othello begins to doubt his wife, as Iago

lets his insinuations gain the force of an accusation against her. Othello

begins to voice his insecurities when it comes to Desdemona, and himself as

well. Desdemona enters, and they have a brief conversation; Othello admits

that he is troubled, though he will not state the cause.

Desdemona drops the handkerchief that Othello gave her on their honeymoon;

Emilia knew that her husband had wanted it for something, so she doesn't

feel too guilty about taking it. Emilia gives it to Iago, who decides to

use the handkerchief for his own devices. Othello re-enters, and tells Iago

that he now doubts his wife; Othello demands "ocular proof" of Desdemona's

dishonesty, so Iago sets about making stories up about Cassio talking in

his sleep, and says that Cassio has the handkerchief that Othello gave to

Desdemona. Iago knows how important this handkerchief is to Othello; it was

his first gift to Desdemona, and was given to him by his mother. Othello is

incensed to hear that Desdemona would give away something so valuable, and

is persuaded by Iago's insinuations and claims to believe that Desdemona is

guilty. Othello then swears to have Cassio dead, and to be revenged upon

Desdemona for the non-existent affair.

Act III, scene iv:

Desdemona asks the clown where Cassio is; the clown goes off to fetch him.

Desdemona is looking everywhere for the handkerchief, very sorry to have

lost it; she knows that her losing it will upset Othello greatly, although

she claims he is not so jealous that he will think ill of the loss. Othello

enters, and asks for Desdemona's handkerchief; she admits that she does not

have it, and then Othello tells her of its significance and alleged magical

powers. Desdemona does not like Othello's tone; he seems obsessed with this

object, and Desdemona is so frightened by him that she wishes she had

nothing to do with it. She interrupts Othello's inquiry by bringing up

Cassio's attempt to get back into Othello's favor; Othello becomes angry,

and storms out. Desdemona and Emilia both note that Othello is much

changed; he is unkind and seems jealous, and they are suspicious of the

change in him.

Cassio then enters, with Iago; he laments that his suit is not successful,

and that Othello does not seem likely to take him back. Desdemona is sorry

for this, since she knows that Cassio is a man of worth; she tells Cassio

and Iago that Othello has been acting strange, and is upset, and Iago goes

to look for him, feigning concern. Emilia thinks that Othello's change has

something to do with Desdemona, or Othello's jealous nature; they still

cannot fathom what has happened, and exit, leaving Cassio.

Bianca comes in, and Cassio asks her to copy the handkerchief that he found

in his room; it is Desdemona's handkerchief, though Cassio has no idea. He

claims he does not love her, and gets angry at her for allegedly suspecting

that the handkerchief is a gift of another woman. But, Bianca is not

disturbed, and leaves with the handkerchief.

Act IV, scene i:

Othello is trying, even after swearing that Desdemona was unfaithful, not

to condemn her too harshly. He is talking with Iago about the handkerchief

still, and its significance in being found; but, soon, Iago whips Othello

into an even greater fury through mere insinuation, and Othello takes the

bait. Othello falls into a trance of rage, and Iago decides to hammer home

his false ideas about his wife. Iago calls Cassio in, while Othello hides;

Iago speaks to Cassio of Bianca, but Othello, in his disturbed state,

believes that Cassio is talking of Desdemona, which is the last "proof" he

needs before declaring his wife guilty. Bianca comes in, and gives the

handkerchief back to Cassio, since she swears she will have nothing to do

with it.

Othello is incensed by Cassio, still believing that he was speaking of

Desdemona, rather than Bianca. Now, Othello is resolved to kill Desdemona

himself, and charges Iago with murdering Cassio. Ludovico, a noble Venetian

whom Desdemona knows, has recently landed; Desdemona and Othello welcome

him there. But, when Desdemona mentions Cassio, Othello becomes very angry

and slaps her in front of everyone; she rushes off, very upset. Ludovico

especially is shocked at this change in Othello, and has no idea how such a

noble man could act so cruelly.

Act IV, scene ii:

Othello questions Emilia about Desdemona's guilt, or the chance she has had

an affair with Cassio. Emilia admits to having seen nothing, though Othello

does not believe her. Emilia swears that she has seen and heard all that

has gone on between Cassio and Desdemona, and that Desdemona is pure and

true. Othello believes that Emilia is in on all this too; he accuses

Desdemona, and her insistence that she is innocent only infuriates him

further. Othello leaves, and Desdemona and Emilia try to figure out what

has happened to Othello, and what they can do; Desdemona feels especially

helpless, and Emilia is very angry. Emilia thinks that someone has

manipulated Othello into accusing Desdemona, and has poisoned his mind;

however, Iago is there to dispel this opinion, so that Emilia does not

inquire further into her theory. Upon leaving the women, Iago comes across

Roderigo; he is not pleased with how Iago has handled things, and knows

that although Iago is promising him Desdemona's favor, he has done nothing

to indicate that he has worked to achieve this. Iago quiets him by making

him believe that if he kills Cassio, then he will win Desdemona; Roderigo

decides to go along with it, but Iago is coming dangerously close to being

revealed.

Act IV, scene iii:

Othello tells Desdemona to go to bed, and dismiss Emilia; Emilia regrets

Desdemona's marriage, although Desdemona cannot say that she does not love

Othello. Desdemona knows that she will die soon; she sings a song of

sadness and resignation, and decides to give herself to her fate. Desdemona

asks Emilia whether she would commit adultery to win her husband the world.

Emilia, the more practical one, thinks that it is not too big a price for a

small act; Desdemona is too good, and too devout, to say that she would do

so.

Act V, scene i:

Iago has Roderigo poised and ready to pounce on Cassio, and kill him; if

either of them is killed, it is to Iago's benefit, although he would like

to have both of them disposed of, so that his devices might not be

discovered. Roderigo and Cassio fight, and both are injured; Othello hears

the scuffle, is pleased, and then leaves to finish off Desdemona. Iago

enters, pretending that he knows nothing of the scuffle; Gratiano and

Ludovico also stumble upon the scene, having no idea what has happened.

Roderigo is still alive, so Iago feigns a quarrel, and finishes him off.

Bianca comes by, and sees Cassio wounded; Iago makes some remark to

implicate her; Cassio is carried away, and Roderigo is already dead. Emilia

also comes in, and pins more blame on Bianca; she has done nothing, but

Iago has some quick work to do if he is to exonerate himself in this mess.

Act V, scene ii:

Othello enters Desdemona's room while she is asleep; and though she is

beautiful, and appears innocent, he still is determined to kill her. He

justifies this with images, metaphors, and ideas of her rebirth after

death, and though his rage is softened, he is still much mistaken about

her. Desdemona awakens, and he tells her to repent of any sins before she

dies; she believes there is nothing she can do to stop him from killing

her, and continues to assert her innocence. Othello tells her that he found

her handkerchief with Cassio, though Desdemona insists it must not be true;

she pleads with Othello not to kill her right then, but he begins to

smother her. Emilia knocks, curious about what is going on; Othello lets

her in, but tries to conceal Desdemona, who he thinks is already dead.

Emilia brings the news of Roderigo's death, and Cassio's wounding.

Emilia soon finds out that Desdemona is nearly dead, by Othello's hand;

Desdemona speaks her last words, and then Emilia pounces on Othello for

committing this horrible crime. Othello is not convinced of his folly until

Iago confesses his part, and Cassio speaks of the use of the handkerchief;

then, Othello is overcome with grief. Iago stabs Emilia for telling all

about his plots, and then Emilia dies; the Venetian nobles reveal that

Brabantio, Desdemona's father, is dead, and so cannot be grieved by this

tragedy now. Othello stabs Iago when he is brought back in; Othello then

tells all present to remember him how he is, and kills himself. Cassio

becomes temporary leader of the troops at Cyprus, and Lodovico and Gratiano

are supposed to carry the news of the tragedy back to Venice. Iago is taken

into custody, and his crimes will be judged back in Venice.

Richard III

Act One, Scene One

Richard gives a short speech detailing his plot against his brother

Clarence, who comes before him as heir to the throne of England. Richard

has just succeeded in having Clarence arrested and it as a prisoner that

Clarence walks onto the stage, guarded by Sir Robert Brackenbury.

Richard asks Clarence what the reason for his arrest is. Clarence replies

that someone told King Edward that a person with a name starting with the

letter "G" would cause his family to lose the throne. Since Clarence's full

name is George, Duke of Clarence, he was considered to be the primary

suspect. Richard complains that this arrest is the result of the women

plotting against Clarence, most notably Queen Elizabeth and possibly also

Mrs. Shore.

Brackenbury tells the men he is not allowed to let anyone converse with the

prisoner, and takes Clarence into the Tower of London. Richard comments

that he will soon remove Clarence permanently and thus clear the path to

the throne for himself.

Lord Hastings, also known as Lord Chamberlain, emerges from the Tower,

having just been freed. Lord Hastings tells Richard that King Edward IV is

sickly and ailing, and cannot hope to live much longer. After he departs,

Richard remarks that he will first have Edward kill Clarence. This will put

Richard into a position where upon Edward's death he can assume the throne.

He also plots to marry Lady Anne Neville, who is the widow of Edward,

Prince of Wales and the daughter-in-law of Henry VI, whom Richard just

killed.

Act One, Scene Two

Lady Anne enters the stage accompanied by halberdiers who are carrying an

open coffin with King Henry VI in it. She asks the men to stop, during

which time she laments the death of the king. Lady Anne then curses any

future children which Richard might have, and prays that after Richard's

death his future wife will know even more grief than Lady Anne currently

feels.

Richard enters and is immediately cursed by Lady Anne for his role in the

death of her husband. Richard tries to woo her by telling how lovely he

thinks she it, but Lady Anne scorns him after each attempt. He finally

tells her that he killed her husband so that he alone could love her. In a

moment of decision, Richard bends down on his knees and tells her to kill

him if she cannot forgive him. She replies, "I will not be thy executioner"

(1.2.172)

Richard stands up and proposes marriage to her, succeeding in making Lady

Anne wear his ring. He tells her to go wait for him in one of his London

residences while he mourns the death of Henry VI. Lady Anne leaves after

saying farewell to Richard, who delivers a soliloquy in which he expresses

surprise about the fact that she seems to like his looks.

Act One, Scene Three

Queen Elizabeth enters the stage with Lord Rivers and Lord Gray. They

discuss the fact that King Edward is ill. Queen Elizabeth is apprehensive

about her future if he should die. She remarks that Richard Gloucester

becomes her son's Protector if Edward passes away, and that Richard does

not like her or her companions.

The Duke of Buckingham and Lord Stanley arrive. They have just been to see

the king, and they inform Queen Elizabeth that he is looking well.

Buckingham informs her that the king want to meet with her brothers and

with Richard in order to get them to make peace.

Richard and Lord Hastings enter the room, with Richard complaining bitterly

about the lies which "they" tell the king. When asked who "they" are,

Richard implicates the queen's brother, Lord Rivers, and her two sons. He

then blames them for the recent imprisonment of Lord Hastings, and for the

current jailing of his brother Clarence. Queen Elizabeth is outraged at

these suggestions, and threatens to tell the king.

Queen Margaret arrives, she is the widow of Henry VI and the mother of

Edward whom Richard killed. She speaks directly to the audience, without

the other characters hearing her. She remarks that Queen Elizabeth has her

to thank for the throne, and calls Richard a devil for the murders he

committed.

Richard defends himself vehemently, pointing out his fierce loyalty to his

brother Edward. He then points out the fact that the Queen and her brother

fought against his brother in the war between the House of Lancaster and

the House of York, to which Richard belongs.

Queen Margaret, fed up with the arguments and accusations, steps forward

and addresses them all. She plans to tell them once again about how Richard

killed her son Edward, but all of the gathered characters attack her for

having killed Rutland. This refers to a previous play in which Margaret

crowns the Duke of York with a paper crown and waves a handkerchief dipped

in his son Rutland's blood in front of his eyes. She tells them that

because her Edward died, so too must the current Edward, Prince of Wales

meet his death.

Following several curses made by Margaret, most of which are directed at

Richard, the entire company is summoned into King Edward's chambers.

Richard remains behind and meets with two murderers whom he sends to kill

Clarence. A revealing quote is when Richard says, "And thus I clothe my

naked villainy / With odd old ends, stol'n forth of Holy Writ," meaning he

hides his crimes with Christian behavior.

Act One, Scene Four

Clarence and Brackenbury enter the stage. Clarence has had a terrible

nightmare in which he breaks free of the Tower and attempts to cross to

Burgundy accompanied by his brother Richard. While on the ship, Richard

stumbles. When Clarence tries to help support him, he is flung into the

ocean by Richard, where he slowly drowns.

Clarence falls asleep with Brackenbury sitting next to him for protection.

The two murderers sent by Richard arrive and hand Brackenbury their

commission. He acknowledges the paper which says to hand his prisoner over

to the two men.

The first murderer has a sudden attack of conscience. He is able to

overcome this by remembering the large reward which Richard is paying him.

The second murderer tells his companion to drive the devil out of his mind,

since the devil is only confusing him. Clarence wakes up and asks for a cup

of wine.

The murders engage Clarence in conversation, and inform him that he will

die. He pleads to their sense of Christianity, at which they list his many

sins, most notably the killing of Henry VI's son Edward. Clarence then begs

the men to talk to Richard, whom he promises will reward them well. They

inform him that Richard is the man who sent them, a fact that Clarence

cannot believe. He seems about to overcome them with his persuasive words

when the first murderer stabs and kills him. The second murderer refuses to

participate, and even declines to receive his part of the reward.

Act Two, Scene One

King Edward enters, followed by most of court who previously went to his

chambers. He carefully orchestrates a scene of friendship after ordering

them to forgive each other. His orders to each man tell them exactly how he

wants them to behave, including whose hand to shake, or who should kiss the

hand of the queen.

Richard enters this farce and is ordered to forget his hatred of the Queen

and her family. He does this, but when the Queen tells him to bring

Clarence back to court, he immediately destroys the entire scene. Richard

replies, "Who knows not that the gentle Duke is dead?" (2.1.80), at which

all the other actors are shocked.

King Edward delivers a brief speech lamenting the fact that his brother

Clarence has been killed by his orders. He recalls the many times that

Clarence saved his life or helped him attain the throne. King Edward then

departs. Richard asks Buckingham if he noticed how guilty the Queen's

kindred looked when the news of Clarence's death was announced.

Act Two, Scene Two

The old Duchess of York, the mother of King Edward, Clarence and Richard,

enters with Clarence's two children. She is mourning the death of Clarence,

but for the children's sake instead pretends to be upset about Edward's bad

health. However, after a few moments Queen Elizabeth enters with her hair

disheveled, and announces that King Edward has also died.

The Duchess of York remarks that all she has left is Richard, about whom

she says, "And I for comfort have but one false glass" (2.2.53). The

children tell the Queen that since she did not grieve for their father,

they will not grieve for King Edward. The Duchess tells them all that she

accepts all of their suffering and will lament for them.

Richard enters and convinces them to travel to Ludlow where the young

Prince Edward is staying. They all agree that it is safer for them all to

Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47