Act Four of Othello ended with Emilia leaving Desdemona to her doom, I mean, bed. The play has been leading up to these final bursts of violence. Up until now, Othello has been death-free. Yes, Roderigo ambushed Cassio way back in Act Two, but Cassio’s reputation and pride were hurt more than his body. In the tragedies we’ve read thus far, there’s always been a death somewhere in the middle of the play acting as a catalyst (Hamlet, Polonius; Julius Caesar, Caesar and Cinna the Poet; Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio and Tybalt; and Titus Andronicus, well, a whole bunch).
But not Othello. (Why? totally rhetorical… at this point, I don’t have an answer).