在这部奥赛罗片中,奥赛罗生来高大威武，是一员猛将。某日，他遇见了元老的女儿苔丝狄蒙娜（罗斯玛丽·莉琪 Rosemary Leach 饰），一见钟情的两人迅速坠入了爱河。然而，巨大的年龄差距让两人的爱情遭到了众人的强烈反对，婚事亦遥遥无期，两个相爱的人决定私定终身。
阴险狡诈的伊阿古将风头正劲的奥赛罗视为眼中钉，企图除之而后快。在向元老告密的阴谋失败之后，伊阿古开始挑拨奥赛罗和苔丝狄蒙娜之间的感情，他伪造了副将凯斯奥和苔丝狄蒙娜之间的定情信物，使得奥赛罗信以为真。愤怒的奥赛罗将苔丝狄蒙娜掐死，却在之后得知了整个事件的真相，悲痛和悔恨之中，奥赛罗选择了死亡。
Iago (Bob Hoskins) and a comrade-in-arms are outside the Venice home of Desdemona's father, Brabantio (Geoffrey Chater), who does not yet know that she has eloped with Othello (Sir Anthony Hopkins). Iago confides to his friend, who had hoped to marry Desdemona (Dame Penelope Wilton), that he serves Othello to further his own ends. Venice needs Othello to protect its commercial interests in Cyprus where the Turkish fleet is headed. Desdemona insists on going to Cyprus, too. In Cyprus, Iago plots to convince Othello that Desdemona has betrayed him with Cassio (David Yelland). A lot more than political ambition seems to be motivating Iago.
