Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603. The play revolves around two main characters, Othello and Iago. Othello is a Moorish military commander who was serving as a general of the Venetian army in defense of Cyprus. The play is set in motion when Othello, a heroic black general in the service of Venice, appoints Cassio and not Iago as his chief lieutenant. Jealous of Othello’s success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots Othello’s downfall by falsely implicating Othello’s wife, Desdemona, and Cassio in a love affair. With the unwitting aid of Emilia, his wife, and the willing help of Roderigo, a fellow malcontent, Iago carries out his plan. As Iago manipulates Othello, he plants seeds of suspicion in Othello’s mind about his wife’s relationship with Michael Cassio. Iago gets hold of a handkerchief belonging to Desdemona and hides it in Cassio’s room pretending it is proof of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Desdemona pleads with Othello to give Cassio his job back. She does this innocently but Othello takes this as proof of her feelings for Cassio. Ultimately, Othello becomes persuaded that his honor is tarnished by his wifes unfaithfulness and can only be restored through Desdemonas and Cassios deaths. Overcome with jealousy, Othello kills Desdemona. When he learns from Emilia, too late, that his wife is blameless, he asks to be remembered as one who “loved not wisely but too well” and kills himself.