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Why has Lodovico come to Cyprus, and how does he become a part of Iago's scheming?

Inside the world of the play, Lodovico has come to Cyprus in order to bring news from the Duke of Venice. He says that the Duke wants Othello to return to Venice and Cassio to take over command in Cyprus.


From a narrative standpoint, though, Lodovico enters the play at this time to witness the fall into tragedy that the story takes. He sees Othello slap Desdemona (who is Lodovico's kin) and is horrified by...

Inside the world of the play, Lodovico has come to Cyprus in order to bring news from the Duke of Venice. He says that the Duke wants Othello to return to Venice and Cassio to take over command in Cyprus.


From a narrative standpoint, though, Lodovico enters the play at this time to witness the fall into tragedy that the story takes. He sees Othello slap Desdemona (who is Lodovico's kin) and is horrified by his actions and the change in his personality. When he mentions his shock to Iago, Iago suggests that this is the new normal for Othello and that he has seen him do even worse things. In Act 5, Lodovico also witnesses Cassio's screaming and Iago's implication of the stabbed Roderigo as Cassio's assailant.


At the end of the play, Lodovico is able to bring out proof of Iago's treachery in the form of letters Roderigo kept, explaining the intricacies of the plan. After he gives some lectures about the tragedy that has happened, he leaves to take the tale back to Venice, turning from a witness into a storyteller.

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