The third scene begins with the Duke and the members of his counsel discussing the various messages they have received from Cyprus. The messages disagree about the number of Turkish ships on the water and whether the ships are actually sailing for Cyprus or for some other land. The Duke knows, however, just how much the Turks want Cyprus; and he knows that he needs to take immediate action.
Before the Duke can finish telling Othello about his mission to Cyprus, Brabanzio interrupts and complains about how his daughter has been stolen. The Duke promises that he will bring full justice against the man who had unlawfully taken Desdemona (65-69). But then Brabanzio tells the Duke that the guilty man is Othello (71). The Duke needs Othello’s help urgently to settle the matter in Cyprus, and he is shocked that Othello could be guilty of such a crime. So, he asks Othello to defend himself.
Othello’s defense is one of the longest speeches in the play. He begins (in line 76) by admitting that he has indeed married Desdemona. He then excuses himself for being “rude” in his speech (81). He is stating that he is not a very accomplished or polished speaker, that he is not very good at making speeches. Shakespeare, here, is perhaps having a little fun with this ironic line; for what follows is an extremely smooth and polished speech. This is not intended to suggest that Othello is a liar. Othello is a man of war, a man of action. He is not a politician or a rhetorician. But Shakespeare is a poet. The speech is beautifully written to suggest or symbolize the beauty of truth. The audience is meant to accept Othello’s statement about being a poor speaker as the truth even though his speech indicates otherwise. This is a good example of poetic license (an act of a writer who breaks conventional rules or presents an idea contrary to fact in order to achieve an artistic effect). Shakespeare wants the audience to be moved emotionally by the language in this speech. A “rude” or plain speech would not have this effect.
Othello continues to state that he will relate “a round unvarnished tale” (line 90 – a simple and plain story), but he is interrupted by Brabanzio. Brabanzio’s interruption, which is full of prejudice, again suggests that Othello used magic to win Desdemona. Brabanzio does not believe there is any other possible explanation:
It is a judgement maimed and most imperfect
That will confess perfection so could err
Against all rules of nature. (99-101)
Brabanzio means that only a person who cannot think clearly and rationally would believe that Desdemona (referred to as “perfection”) could act in such an unnatural way without being drugged or charmed by magic. Brabanzio, like most people of his day, believes that a well-raised white woman could never fall in love with a black man. He sees the black man as an entirely different species, and individuals from different species should not mate. Brabanzio is stating that the mixing of black and white people goes against the rules of nature. To him, such mixing is like having a cat mate with a dog.
The Duke, however, readily realizes the weakness of Brabanzio’s logic. Othello then requests that Desdemona should be called forth to speak before the Duke as well. As they wait for Desdemona to arrive, Othello begins his unvarnished tale and his extremely eloquent speech (beginning in line 127).
Othello begins by explaining how he became friends with Brabanzio and was often invited to Brabanzio’s house. There, Othello would relate the story of his life. Being a warrior and a man of action, Othello’s life was one full of adventure and excitement. He had traveled in many exotic places and often risked losing his life.
In his account, Othello also describes the
strange and fantastic people and creatures that he saw:
And of the cannibals that each other eat,
The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads
Do grow beneath their shoulders. (142-44)
The word anthropophagi is another way of saying cannibal or man-eater.
During the Middle Ages several travel books were written (such as Mandeville’s Travels), and Shakespeare’s description comes from such books. Such travel books were often full of exaggeration, and many passages were purely imaginary. The writer might claim to have seen a unicorn or some other fantastic creature. Some of these travel books also contained illustrations. The man whose head grows beneath his shoulders is depicted in one. The drawing shows a man whose face is directly on his chest and who looks like he does not have a head at all.
Most people during the Middle Ages and Renaissance did not travel much or at all. Thus, the fantastic and imaginary elements of a travel book were accepted as truth. And such books were also extremely popular. They excited the minds and imaginations of the readers. In the same way, Othello’s tale excites and delights Brabanzio. More to the point, the tale also delighted Desdemona.
Othello explains that as he told his story to Brabanzio, Desdemona would sometimes stop at the doorway and listen (144-49). But because Desdemona also had household chores to attend to, she could never hear the complete story. So, later, Othello met with Desdemona privately and retold his entire life story to her. Desdemona feels pity for Othello when he tells her of the dangers that he faced and the difficulties that he encountered (160). Desdemona is moved emotionally by the tale and falls in love with the teller, and Othello cannot but help return the love to the sweet and emotional girl.
This is the only witchcraft I have used. (168)
Othello declares that he did use magic to win Desdemona, the magic of love. But he did not use any other kind of magic or potions or charms to win her love.