The Two Men Who Approached the Brabantio Home

(Venice, September of 1571) Shouts of vulgarity, the calling for the Senator or Venice, Signior Brabantio, a gossip of Othello rang throughout the Brabantio household in the night; waking the employees and family members of Brabantio in panic No one had an idea of what these shouts were about, but it didn’t sound good. Running to witness this ruckus, I find the culprits. Near the shipping docks of Brabantio's home, the Venetian man by the name of Roderigo crept in the night with a man by his side.

The man beside Roderigo was hard to figure, but he eluded the presence of Othello’s ensign, the man who goes by the name of Iago; the man had his back to Roderigo as if not wanting to be seen. Iago begins to shout

“Thieves! Thieves! Thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! Thieves! Thieves!” towards Brabantio's window on the top floor. Thieves? We were all confused. We had seen no sight of thieves but then realized that it was mentioned to get the attention of all residents. More employees rushed to the windows beside me, intrigued but eyes frightened by the loud shouts. Some time had passed, then Brabantio opened his balcony door and looked down at the noise that had awakened him. Brabantio did not look very happy to be woken at such late hours but proceeded to ask the men below for the reason behind their abrupt intrusion. The men reply with questions of their own. They ask whether his family too is in his home, and whether or not his doors were locked. It was as if they were the worst burglars; acting as if they were about to break into his home. Brabantio, looking confused, asked,

“Why, wherefore ask you this?”

The Stand-Off

The man in the looks of Iago proclaims that Brabantio's heart should be broken as if half his heart is stolen by none other than his daughter's (husband) Othello. We all look at one another in pure confusion. Iago declares

“Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is topping your white Ewe. Arise, arise.”

Brabantio had a sudden look of confusion on his face himself, almost as if he were disgusted by what he was hearing Roderigo then asks Brabantio if he recognized his voice, to which Brabantio replied

“Not Iwhat are you?”

Roderigo revealed his identity, causing Brabantio to become furious. All who looked after the Senator's household knew of Brabantio’s hatred towards Roderigo; he was the unfit man for his daughter, who will and has, stopped at nothing to capture her attention. Brabantio now fuming with anger responds,

“The worser welcome: I have charged thee not too haunt about my doors: In honest plainness thou hast heard me say my daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness, being full of supper and distempering draughts, upon malicious bravery, dost thou come to start my quiet.”

Roderigo begins to stutter and is cut off by Brabantio, who begins threatening Roderigo's trespassing, accusing Roderigo of robbery

mona's Othello

derigo appeared to have weakened his position after io’s unwelcoming speech and claimed he merely wants to to Brabantio regarding his daughter's whereabouts. The an beside Roderigo still standing his ground shouts