The Physical and Psychological Journeys of OthelloOthello 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 ordered to Cyprus to fight the Turkish invasion. His journey is not at all officially perceptible in the play. Sometimes he defends himself in the Senate of Venice, sometimes he is in Cyprus, taking credit for having won the 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 ordered world to the winds of destiny... Yet if the starting point and destination of the Othello's initial journey were to be compared to Othello's psychological journey throughout the play (and, more importantly, to the development of his relationship with the villain, Iago), they turn out to be strikingly similar. Whether Shakespeare wanted to make the parallel or not, and there is no real sure way to know, 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, shall I leave you my Desdemona. (1.3.336) Although it may seem naïve of Othello to do such a thing when trouble is clearly brewing and the sense of foreshadowing is almost tangible, the reader must keep in mind that Venice is an orderly and respected city and that the general's relationship with Iago can be perfectly summed up in a sentence spoken by Brabantio:......“It's Venice. My house is not a barn. (1.1.119)......But while Venice is certainly no barnstormer, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. It could even 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 talks in the Senate and where the general is told that he must leave his homeland to defend himself. Cyprus of the Turks.......“An old black ram is killing your white sheep,” (1.1.98) shouts Iago to Brabantio, just as Othello is informed of his new mission.