Othello

Summary Act 5

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SCENE 1

Despite feeling feint of heart, Roderigo resolves to kill Cassio if only for the sake of preventing Othello from leaving Cyprus right away with Desdemona in tow, which he assuredly will (to attend to his father-in-law's funeral) if nothing is done to bring the affairs of state to the point of a crisis. (By killing Cassio, Roderigo would create a vacuum in the chain-of-command which would compel Othello, and by extension Desdemona, to linger in Cyprus.) Roderigo's ambush proves to be a disaster, however, as Roderigo sustains a serious wound due in large part to the thickness of Cassio's coat. Worse, R