Roderigo is introduced in the play's opening in Act One, Scene One, where, alongside
Iago, he alerts
Desdemona's father
Brabantio that his daughter is eloping with
Othello, a fact that Iago knows will cause him great annoyance. After breaking off from Iago, who hid in the earlier scene from Brabantio's sight, he joins Brabantio and his men in their journey to Sagittary in Act One, Scene Two, in hopes of finding Othello and Desdemona. They find Othello and Brabantio tells him he will bring the law on him, but Othello reveals he has already been summoned by the Duke for some "present business of the state". At the council-chamber, Othello and Desdemona reveal that they are truly in love and married, which sends Roderigo into a suicidal despair. Iago manages to convince him to stick with their plan by promising that, if Roderigo "puts money in his purse", they will be able to destroy Othello, giving him the perfect chance to win Desdemona over. A heartened Roderigo promises to sell all of his lands. In Act Two, Roderigo joins Iago in his journey to
Cyprus, where the Venetians are expecting a Turk invasion, in hopes of being able to woo Desdemona. When the Turks drown in the ocean, Iago convinces Roderigo to invoke a brawl with Cassio, whom Iago has convinced to get drunk, leading to Cassio wounding the Cypriot governor Montano. Othello demotes Cassio as punishment. He does not appear again until Act Four, Scene Two where he is enrolled in Iago's plot to murder Cassio, a desire he has had since the start of the play. In Act Five, Scene One, Roderigo is wounded in his botched assassination attempt of Cassio: he becomes the first to realise Iago's true plans. He is then fatally stabbed by Iago, cursing him before his departure. ==Performances==