Characters (Othello)

This section looks at the characters in Othello by William Shakespeare. The key characters listed below are integral to understanding the themes and tragic progression in the play Othello.

Othello

Role: Protagonist, a highly respected Moorish general in the Venetian army.

Othello’s Traits: Brave, noble, and passionate but also insecure, particularly regarding his race and outsider status in Venetian society.

Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): His overwhelming jealousy and vulnerability to manipulation. Othello's love for Desdemona becomes tainted by jealousy, which leads to his downfall.

Key Development: At the start, Othello is calm and composed, confident in his marriage to Desdemona and his military role. However, Iago's deceit causes him to spiral into intense jealousy, leading him to murder Desdemona. In the end, Othello realises the truth, becomes overwhelmed by guilt, and takes his own life.

Significance: Othello embodies the themes of jealousy, racism, and the tragic consequences of misplaced trust. His journey from a respected general to a tragic figure highlights the destructive nature of these emotions.

Iago

Role: The main antagonist, Othello's ensign (ancient).

Iago’s Traits: Deceitful, manipulative, and cunning. Iago is driven by jealousy and ambition, seeking revenge for being passed over for promotion in favour of Cassio.

Motivations: Iago is motivated by a mixture of professional envy and personal spite. His motivations remain ambiguous, but he hints at suspecting his wife, Emilia, had an affair with Othello, further fuelling his desire for vengeance.

Methods: Iago's manipulation of Othello is systematic and brutal. He uses the trust Othello places in him to plant the seeds of doubt about Desdemona's fidelity, exploiting Othello's insecurities about his race and Desdemona's love for him.

Key Development: Throughout the play, Iago successfully manipulates various characters, notably Othello and Roderigo. By the end, his lies are exposed, but not before he has caused irrevocable damage.

Significance: Iago represents the theme of deceit and the darker aspects of human nature. He has been described as one of Shakespeare's most complex villains due to his lack of clear motivation and his manipulative power.

Desdemona

Role: Othello’s wife, the daughter of Brabantio.

Desdemona’s Traits: Desdemona is pure, loyal, and virtuous. She defies her father to marry Othello, showcasing her independent spirit and strong sense of love and loyalty.

Key Development: Desdemona’s marriage to Othello is central to the play. Though she remains completely faithful, she becomes a victim of Iago’s scheming. Her efforts to reconcile Othello and Cassio are misinterpreted as evidence of infidelity, contributing to Othello’s growing jealousy.

Tragic End: Desdemona is murdered by Othello in a jealous rage, despite her innocence. Even in her final moments, she forgives Othello, showing her enduring love and loyalty.

Significance: Desdemona symbolises purity and innocence, contrasting with the deceit and corruption around her. Her tragic death highlights the consequences of jealousy and the vulnerability of women in a patriarchal society.

Cassio

Role: Othello's loyal lieutenant.

Cassio’s Traits: Honourable, polite, and devoted to Othello. However, he is inexperienced in battle, which causes resentment from Iago.

Key Development: Iago uses Cassio’s closeness with Desdemona to fuel Othello’s jealousy. After being manipulated into a drunken brawl and dismissed from his position, Cassio seeks Desdemona’s help to regain Othello’s favour, inadvertently playing into Iago’s hands.

Significance: Cassio’s character represents loyalty and professionalism, yet he is also used as a pawn in Iago’s plot. His downfall and eventual redemption emphasise the theme of reputation and honour, which is crucial to Othello and the other Venetian men.

Emilia

Role: Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s maid.

Emilia’s Traits: Outspoken, loyal to Desdemona, and ultimately a figure of moral integrity. However, she is also somewhat naive, not realising the extent of Iago’s plans until it’s too late.

Key Development: Emilia’s loyalty to Desdemona contrasts with her unwitting role in the tragedy. She steals Desdemona’s handkerchief for Iago, unaware that it will be used to frame Desdemona for infidelity. When she discovers the truth, she denounces Iago, but he kills her in retaliation.

Significance: Emilia’s realisation of Iago’s treachery serves as the catalyst for Othello’s moment of truth. She also offers a feminist perspective in the play, challenging the gender roles and attitudes towards women, particularly in her speech about the equal capacity of women to feel desire and betrayal.

Roderigo

Role: A wealthy but foolish Venetian, in love with Desdemona.

Roderigo’s Traits: Gullible and easily manipulated by Iago, who convinces him that he can win Desdemona’s love.

Key Development: Roderigo is used by Iago to further his scheme, convinced to provoke Cassio and later attempt to kill him. When Roderigo realises Iago’s true nature, it’s too late, and Iago murders him to silence him.

Significance: Roderigo represents the consequences of blind love and trust. His character emphasises the theme of manipulation, showing how Iago preys on others' desires and weaknesses.

Brabantio

Role: Desdemona’s father, a Venetian senator.

Brabantio’s Traits: Proud and protective of his daughter. Brabantio is initially friendly towards Othello but becomes enraged upon learning of his marriage to Desdemona.

Key Development: Brabantio’s objections to Desdemona’s marriage reflect the racial prejudices of Venetian society. He accuses Othello of using witchcraft to win Desdemona’s love. Although his accusations are dismissed, Brabantio's words foreshadow Othello’s eventual doubts about Desdemona’s loyalty.

Significance: Brabantio's reaction highlights the theme of racism and the obstacles Othello faces as an outsider. His character also underscores the societal expectations placed on women and the patriarchal control over marriage.

Bianca

Role: A courtesan in love with Cassio.

Bianca’s Traits: Passionate and loyal to Cassio, though he does not reciprocate her feelings.

Key Development: Bianca’s jealousy over the handkerchief, which Cassio gives her, further complicates the situation. She becomes a pawn in Iago’s plot, unknowingly contributing to the misunderstandings that drive Othello to jealousy.

Significance: Bianca represents the lower class and highlights the theme of unrequited love. Her treatment by Cassio also mirrors the broader theme of women’s subordinate roles in society.