Later on, Brabantio accuses Othello of___________

Analyze the question: This is about Shakespeare's Othello. It asks what Brabantio, Desdemona's father, accuses Othello of.

Explain the concept: In Act 1, Othello and Desdemona have secretly married. Brabantio is a Venetian senator who did not approve of the match. Iago and Roderigo wake him with the news that his daughter has run off with Othello.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Brabantio finds that Desdemona is gone from his house.
2. He goes with officers to find Othello and confronts him.
3. He accuses Othello of stealing his daughter, and says Othello must have used witchcraft, charms or drugs to win her. In Act 1 Scene 2 he says: "O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd my daughter? Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her!"
4. He takes the matter to the Duke and the senators, charging Othello with abducting Desdemona by magic.

Checking the options:

• A. Being unfair to Iago: this is not Brabantio's concern. Iago's grievance about being passed over for promotion is his own.
• B. Instigating a brawl: the brawl is Cassio's drunken fight in Cyprus, which has nothing to do with Brabantio.
• C. Stealing his daughter: this matches the text. He calls Othello a "thief".
• D. Being a Knave: this is not the specific charge he makes.

**Answer: C. Stealing his daughter.

Exam tip: Link each character to their main conflict. Brabantio's grievance is always about Desdemona being taken from him, and the word "thief" is the key to remember. Iago's conflicts are about promotion and revenge, and Cassio's are about the drunken brawl.