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Othello In Purgatory

Summary:

Wrote this for an english assignment. SNL style skit of Othello, Desdemona, and Emilia in purgatory directly after the final scene of the play

Work Text:

We open to DESDEMONA standing alone in a white void. She looks very confused and worn out.

 

DESDEMONA: Where am I? Oh right, I’m dead. Killed by my own husband. What did I do to deserve that? I know I must have done something wrong, I haven’t the slightest idea what. ( She looks around, spinning in place.) This doesn’t look like hell. But it doesn’t quite look like heaven either.

 

(She stands there a moment longer looking around in confusion. Then, another person calmly blips into existence. The figure is facing away from DESDEMONA, and they are looking around in confusion.)

 

FIGURE: Now just where have I ended up now?

 

DESDEMONA: EMELIA?!

 

EMELIA: Oh, Desdemona! My dear, sweet lady, you’re alright! ( She rushes over to 

 

DESDEMONA.) But how? You’re supposed to be dead. I’m supposed to be dead!

 

DESDEMONA: You’re dead?

 

EMELIA: Seems like. Iago stabbed me.

 

DEDEMONA: Iago? 

 

EMELIA: Yes. 

 

DESDEMONA: Iago?

 

EMELIA: Yes.

 

DESDEMONA: Iago… Why?

 

EMELIA: Because he was plotting against you and your husband, and I spoke up about it. 

 

DESDEMONA: Wait, what?!

 

EMELIA: Oh, right! Already dead. Let me explain. Okay so-

 

(She is cut off by another figure blipping into existence, except it’s not as calmly as EMELIA’S entrance. The figure stumbles to the ground, looking disheveled and on the verge of tears. EMELIA notices the figure and grimaces.)

 

EMELIA: Oh, lady, don’t look now.

 

DESDEMONA: Why not?

 

EMELIA: It’s your husband. 

 

OTHELLO: Oh woe is me! Woe is me! How could I have been so foolish? ( He continues incoherently babbling.)

 

EMELIA: Um. Come, lady, wherever we are, it looks endless, so let’s go. ( Before DESDEMONA can protest, EMILIA starts pulling her the opposite direction of OTHELLO, but not quickly enough. OTHELLO looks up. He starts to get up to follow them.)

 

OTHELLO: Desdemona! You’re alive! I’m so sorry- Wait. I’m alive. Never mind. I’m so sorry I ever thought that you….

 

EMELIA: Come on! ( She takes off at a run, dragging DESDEMONA behind her. Othello tries to follow, but stops.)

 

OTHELLO: Where did they go?

 

(A few moments later, EMELIA and DESDEMONA enter on the opposite side that they left. EMELIA gives OTHELLO an exasperated look, then walks off screen again, only to show up on the other side. The cycle repeats itself for a while.)

 

EMELIA: Stop following us! 

 

OTHELLO: I haven’t been! I’ve just been standing here.

 

DESDEMONA: Standing! Wonderful idea. Let’s stay here for a bit. ( She throws herself to the ground.)

 

EMELIA: But we can’t stay here.

 

DESDEMONA: Why not?

 

EMELIA: Because he might hurt you again.

 

OTHELLO: I was trying to apologize! ( He is ignored.)

 

DESDEMONA: We’re dead! He can’t hurt us. 

 

OTHELLO: Are we sure that we’re dead?

 

DESDEMONA and EMELIA: Fairly positive.

 

OTHELLO: Okay, if we’re dead, how are we talking to each other? 

 

DESDEMONA: I don’t know. How am I out of breath despite not currently having a body at the moment? Doesn’t matter, back to the Iago business. What plot did he have against me?

 

OTHELLO: What? You were there! How did you not hear-oh wait I had already killed you.

 

EMELIA: ( Coldly.) Yes, you had. ( She sits beside DESDEMONA.) Iago was able to convince your husband here that you were having an affair with Cassio, despite both of us renouncing the mere idea of it multiple times. 

 

OTHELLO: ( He sits down opposite of them.) But-

 

EMELIA: But on his behalf , Iago told me he wanted your handkerchief, and not knowing any better, I gave it to him. Then he was somehow able to use that to convince your husband that you were cheating on him. ( To Othello. ) Really, out of all lies you could have believed, you believed that she, of all people, had cheated?

 

OTHELLO: Well in my defense he was very convincing.

 

EMELIA: Convincing, huh? So convincing that you ignored the two of us compared to him.

 

OTHELLO: No! Not just you! I thought that Cassio had admitted to the affair himself. 

 

EMELIA: So you asked Cassio about it but not your own wife until after you had decided that she was unfaithful?

 

OTHELLO: No, Iago had me listen to a conversation between him and Cassio, and that’s when he admitted it.

 

EMELIA: That is even worse. It’s a wonder you ever perceived his little scheme as truthful.

 

OTHELLO: Yes, I realize now he probably manipulated that conversation somehow… ( He trails off, clearly thinking hard about this new realization.)

 

DESDEMONA: So. None of it was my fault?

 

EMELIA: No, lady, I assure you, it wasn’t. ( She glares at OTHELLO.)  

 

OTHELLO: Yes yes, I agree. Wasn't your fault in the slightest, and I apologize for murdering you, but, again, in my defense-

 

(EMELIA starts to cut him off again. Another argument is about to start, but is swiftly put to an end by DESDEMONA.)

 

DESDEMONA: Enough with the fighting! Please. We seem to be trapped here together, wherever here is, and I need a moment to process. It would be great to do so in silence. 

 

EMELIA: Alright, yes. We can do that. Where ever are we though?

 

OTHELLO: Purgatory, perhaps? Some in-between place on the passage from life to death?

 

EMELIA: I hate to say you make a good point, but you make a good point. 

 

DESDEMONA: Please!

 

EMELIA and OTHELLO: Alright, yup. Sorry.

 

DEDEMONA: Thank you

 

(OTHELLO and EMELIA sit awkwardly on opposite sides of DESDEMONA, occasionally glaring at each other. DESDEMONA seems to be in the start of a full on crisis, but since we are out of air time the scene fades to black.)