Othello Character Analysis

The ability of passion to bring destruction upon the lives of the unsuspecting is illustrated in Shakespeare’s Othello with the use of both manipulation and deceit. The curse of fierce passion fell namely on Othello as he transitioned from a respected general to an unstable murderer. His downfall is demonstrated through his increasing self-doubt, lack of ability to articulate, and violence. In the start of the play, he is an accomplished general and happy newlywed, and has yet to be significantly held back due to his being a Moor and outsider in Venetian society. As passion overtakes him, however, Othello truly ingrains the idea that he is less than, and those around him begin to blame his actions on the nature of his ethnicity. He has completely lost his identity to his desires and is unable to think rationally. Shakespeare juxtaposes this version of Othello with his initial composed self in Venice to demonstrate the damage of ignorance to logic and heighten the sense of tragedy. The effects of an overwhelming passion involving love, jealousy, and revenge are shown through Othello’s degradation and loss of stability.

The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello’s character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello’s motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end.

. He is admired by everyone in the play, even Iago comments on what a good man Othello is. Secondly, a tragic hero can not be perfect. He or she must have a flaw of some kind. In Othello’s case it is that he allows his emotions to take over. Manipulated by Iago’s lies, Othello is forced to confront emotions he obviously can not handle. His wisdom and patience are replaced by anger and hate. The power of these destructive emotions ultimately lead to Desdemona’s death and Othello’s suicide

In Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, Iago is uncharacteristically honest when he says "I am not what I am". However, he is not the only character whose appearance differs from the reality. Nonetheless, he is possibly the only person who intends this duplicity. Unfortunately everyone is under the impression that Iago is "honest and just". Once alone, Iago reveals "when devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows as I do now". Iago is two-faced in his relationships, even in the language he uses. After referring to Othello as a "black ram", he then tells him "my lord, you know I love you". Iago has no shame in appealing to heaven and godly images in

serve god if the devil bid you” and he also says “the moor is now

Only by considering a range of perspectives can we truly appreciate the world of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. Another interpretation of Othello examines its post colonial elements through the protagonist Othello, and his insecurities of being a black man in a white society. My interpretation of the play as a portrayal of the values existing in Shakespeare’s time is filtered through these

Othello is set in Italy during the renaissance, and was written by William Shakespeare as a work of tragic theater. The play is named for the general, Othello, a Moor during an extremely racist time period, and also features his wife, Desdemona and his jealous ancient, Iago. By the end of the play, Iago brings Othello to mad jealousy and eventually murder over the supposed (and non-existent) “betrayal” of his wife. With consideration, however, an audience may understand that Othello is not at fault, and pities him despite his mistake.

In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villainous Iago devises a plot with the hopes that Othello and his wife, Desdemona, will be separated so that he can take Othello’s position as head of the Venetian Military. Iago’s scheme consists of him convincing Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has told no one else about his ploy so while everyone else’s actions remain true, he manipulates their every move for his benefit. While their actions may not lead to results that they expected, exploring the reasoning behind everyone’s actions, can give insight to their values since the actions were based on what they believed was the best thing to do. To the characters of Othello, honor is more important than

Shakespeare used the comments of Iago, Brabantio and Roderigo at the beginning of Act One, so that we had preconceived ideas of Othello and were prepared to observe him as “different”, however as we learn about his true personality we feel terrible about forming such prejudiced opinions and therefore we place Othello high up on a pedestal. This is Shakespeare’s intention for his Tragedy, as this provides the central character, Othello, with a further distance to fall, adding significance to his disintegration later on in the play. We learn that the Duke, the highest authority in Venice, holds the utmost respect for Othello proving that the words of Iago, Brabantio and Roderigo do not reflect the opinion of all Venetians: “Valiant Othello”. We now begin to unravel that these particular characters are all biased against Othello, due to personal problems. Brabantio’s discovery of Othello’s marriage to his daughter sparks a hatred within him and his references to piracy and witchcraft exposes a racist element in his character: “O thou foul thief! Where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her”.

Shakespeare’s Othello peels back the layers of society’s underlying feelings regarding people who lie outside of the perceived standard norm. It digs into the heart of society and reveals the damage that is placed upon individuals who are considered outsiders, even if they manage to achieve success. In this particular play, the audience is able to see how the subtleties of racial bias slowly destroy a person’s psyche. Throughout the play, the audience examines Othello cast in both negative and positive positions. Othello is both a great general of the Venetian army as well as, just “the moor” who used “magic” to trick his wife, Desdemona, into a marriage. Through harmful racial language Othello is constantly reminded of his outsider status. The destruction of his character through blatant and subtle criticisms cause Othello to doubt his self-worth and ultimately leads to his self-destruction.

One can strongly argue that Othello is the bravest character in Act l and ll of Othello. In act one othello says, “Let him do his worst. The services I have done for the Venetian government shall speak more loudly than his complaints” (Shakespeare 39). At this point in the text, Iago arrives at Othello’s home, where he tells him that Brabantio will not hesitate to try to force him to divorce Desdemona. In other words, this clearly supports that Othello will not hide and be a coward. Othello is willing to let his actions do the talking instead of himself. He is not hesitant to stand up to Brabantio about his marriage with Desdemona and will do whatever it takes and will go through any punishment just to prove himself right. Furthermore, when Othello is being accused, Othello replies with, “I beg you to send me to the Saggitary inn for the lady herself and let her defend me in her father’s presence.

Othello is one of the greatest plays due to its variety of character and themes. The immorality seen in Iago, the gullibility in Othello, and the desperation of Desdemona make the story. The theme of social status plays a huge role in the story. In addition, the theme of appearance versus reality also plays a huge role in how each tragedy happens. In the critical essay “Othello” it discusses the idea that the characters are cast as outsiders due to false interpretation of what is happening or what is being said. On the other hand, the piece “Othello Character Analysis” emphasizes how characterization reflects the greatness of the piece.

saying he will “tear her all to pieces” and he tells Iago to let him

Othello truly believes that a malignant Turk has taken over the good Venetian within him. He still does not see that his faults are exploited by Iago and used against him. Although he kills himself in such a dignified fashion, Othello is really thinking that he was forced to do this by some unseen evil power. He never has any complete sense of tragic recognition.

Within this play, fundamental questions about humanity, as well as situations, attitudes, and problems that continue to hold strong universal meaning to this day are explored .It shows Shakespeare’s ability to create characters who resemble real life individuals and reflect lifestyles and personalities accurately.  You could not help but be moved by the dark despair and utter wretchedness of Othello’s downfall! Shakespeare has dramatically explored many aspects of the human condition in this play, The Tragedy of