The Physical and Psychological Journeys of Othello Othello is the tragedy and, incidentally, the name of a Moor who serves as a general in the Italian army. He spends the first act of Shakespeare's play in Venice, but is soon sent to Cyprus to fight the Turkish invasion. His journey is not at all officially evident in the play. One moment he is defending himself in the Senate of Venice, the next moment he is in Cyprus, taking credit for winning a battle that the storms fought for him against the Turks. The story unfolds from there. His future lieutenant, Iago, whispers in his ear about his wife, Desdemona, and the unforgivable crime of adultery, throwing Othello's orderly world to the winds of fate. and the destination of Othello's initial journey were to be compared to Othello's psychological journey over the course of the play (and, more importantly, the development of his relationship with the villain, Iago), they turn out to be strikingly similar. Whether Shakespeare intended the parallel or not, and there is no sure way to tell, the coincidence is great....... Venice, where the story begins, is a place of order, rich and wonderful. Similarly, the third scene of the first act shows that Othello's relationship with Iago is, on the surface, based on honesty, respect and admiration. He says, as he prepares to lead the ships to war: "honest Iago, I must leave you my Desdemona." (1.3.336) Although it may seem naive for Othello to do such a thing when trouble is evidently lurking and the sense of foreboding is almost tangible, the reader must keep in mind that Venice is an orderly and respected city and the relationship of the General with Iago can be summed up perfectly in a sentence uttered by Brabantio:......“This is Venice. My house is not a farm. (1.1.119)......But while Venice is certainly no grange, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. It could also be argued that Iago's first scene, when he incites Desdemona's father to take revenge on Othello using racist and bestial insults, is very similar to the first war speeches in the Senate and the general who is told that he must leave his homeland to defend Cyprus from the Turks......."An old black ram is taking your white sheep," (1.1.98) Iago shouts to Brabantio, at the same time that Othello is informed of his new assignment.