Othello Character Analysis

Shakespeare is prominent in his use of recurring themes throughout his works, particularly those of love, death, and betrayal. All these themes are present in Othello. Most dominant, however, are manipulation and jealousy. Jealousy runs the characters’ lives in Othello from the beginning of the play, when Roderigo is jealous of Othello because he wishes to be with Desdemona, and to the end of the play, when Othello is furious with jealousy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have been engaging in an affair, but manipulation the prominent action that fuels the jealousy within Othello. Some characters’ jealousy is fashioned by other characters. Iago is involved in much of this, creating lies and implementing confusing situations.

     Iago told Othello that he would discuss Desdemona with Cassio, and that he would talk about the affair. Iago does not do this, and instead he talks about Bianca with Cassio, and Cassio laughs at things Iago says. Othello sees Cassio laughing and just assumes he is laughing at Desdemona, which in return upsets him very much. Iago used several tactics to set up Othello for deception in this case.

Secondly, Iago’s use of imagery creates such a lucid picture that makes it hard to believe that it is anything but true. Iago tells of how he slept with Cassio and how Cassio, “gripe an ring my hand, Cry O sweet creature [Desdemona]! Then kiss me hard As if he plucked up kisses by the roots…” This very visual tale makes it hard for Othello to think of anything other than that Desdemona and Cassio are together. It clearly shows that Iago was witnessing an account that Othello believes is true even though Iago later states that it was only a dream; the visual picture is their. Othello believes this is substantial evidence to accuse Desdemona of being with Cassio.

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can blind oneself from identifying the truth. Shakespeare heavily emphasizes this theme throughout the drama Othello, especially through the actions of characters. In the play the heinous antagonist, Iago, uses each character’s jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deceitfulness bring to the demise of many of the main characters in the play, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, Shakespeare is telling us that jealousy is an ugly trait that can hide the truth, which in turn causes many problems between characters in the play.

In the beginning of the play Othello exhibits behaviors leading one to believe that he

Cassio lost Othello's trust, and this actually made it possible for Iago to try to let it look like he and Desdemona are "making the beast with two backs". Cassio, -after following Iago's advice-, tries to get back his military title and Othello's trust through Desdemona, but this makes the situation even worse.

Once a seed of suspicion or doubt is planted in a person’s mind, the noxious effect of jealousy is soon to ensue. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello’s flaws hubris throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience his imminent downfall. He believes what Iago tells him so strongly that he compromises his close relationship with his best friend and his love for his wife. Iago manipulates Othello through the use of extortion, literary techniques, and his keen judge of character. His syntax and diction are so simple yet so powerful because he uses the correct rhetorical questions and addresses Othello with respectful terms such as “my lord.” He allows Othello do most of the talking

Othello's open-mindedness enables him to actually accuse Desdemona, although he does not believe a word of her plea of innocence. Iago's influence has made Othello violent and sarcastic. Although to the Venetian nobility around him, Othello seemed to be fairly like his usual self, his private face became his public appearance when he hit Desdemona in the presence of Lodovico. When Othello once again faces Desdemona with his accusation which she denies, he says "I took you for that cunning whore of Venice that married with Othello".

Trust is fundamental to life, but knowing who to trust can be quite difficult. Having faith in the wrong person could lead to unfortunate outcomes. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, many characters are blinded by Iago’s false personality, causing them to put their trust in someone who eventually makes them feel cheated and betrayed. After reviewing the term sociopath, defined as, “a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behaviour” (English Oxford), one could say that Iago has antisocial personality disorder. The traits Iago displays throughout the play, such as his use of manipulation, his abusive behavior toward others, his lack of remorse, and his deceitfulness make him a true sociopath.

A disorder that changes one’s personalities can relate to a certain character in the tragedy, Othello, written by Shakespeare. This mental illness is known as Dissociative Identity DIsorder, more commonly used as Multiple Personality Disorder. A short summary of what the disorder is, is a brain or thought process that forgets and makes you believe you are a whole new person. Iago is a character in Othello who doesn’t have this disorder but shows how the disorder can look on a person in a minor setting (minor meaning not a severe case). He shows this by his own fault not because he has Multiple Personality Disorder but because he likes the drama involved. When Iago talks to Othello he tells him stuff about his wife pretending to be on his side

Shakespeare and Psychopaths Psychopaths walk among the Earth. They are very rogue like because anyone can be a psychopath (Hare). Psychopaths can be charming and deceitful which can make it very difficult to diagnose whether someone is a psychopath or not (Stout). It is unclear how psychopaths are who they are.

different point of view. To effectively manipulate one must know the weakness of the targeted person. Therefore, using their emotions to enable the manipulation easily. Othello is a tragedy, written by William Shakespeare in the seventeenth century. The play by William Shakespeare includes the character of Iago. Iago is the antagonist in Othello, who cleverly plans out his tactics. Viewing the character of Iago from an analytical point of view shows Iago exposing himself to be a psychopath. Iago can use the weakness of the characters to set up scenes, and earns himself the title “The Honest Iago.” Consequently, psychopaths act as pleasurable people, but in reality, they are different in private. A psychopath sees themselves as preferable and worthy of the respect of others. The complex character of Iago sees himself as being superior to Cassio and is inclined to seek vengeance on Cassio and Othello. The character of Cassio is similar to Othello since they both appear to be impeccable. In Othello, the complex character of “Honest Iago” creates a psychotropic weapon by using the vulnerability of the character’s emotional state to create the perfect tactics.

Overreacting, focusing on power, and jealousy is something everyone experiences at least once in his or her life, and it is not a reason to suspect a mental illness. However, when one constantly overreacts, demands attention, and is envious of others, it may be a cause for concern, especially when he or she has been acting that way all his or her life or just recently as becoming an adult. When reading the drama Othello, without even realizing it, the reader’s brain forms an opinion about the characters within the tragedy based on their actions and words. Shakespeare uses the actions of his characters to enhance the plot and emphasize tragedy surrounding the life of his main character, Othello. All through the text, the journal “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM) is quoted on its description of the known mental disorders throughout the world that helps the doctor diagnose a patient. The DSM defines narcissistic personality disorder as a pattern of grandiosity, a need of admiration, and having an absence of empathy. A personal disorder can present itself as a big issue or as subtle traits that can go undiagnosed for decades and when diagnosed correctly can explain many odd things the patient has done throughout his life. According to the DSM, a person diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) has to exhibit five or more of the symptoms presented.

The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which

Othello Syndrome is sort of a delusional pathological jealousy, marked by doubting a loyal partner of unfaithfulness. The syndrome was named by the English psychiatrist John Todd. Observing, controlling, and violence can happen in the relationship, and it requires psychiatric treatment. The illness is named after Shakespeare’s Othello, who murdered his wife Desdemona because he believed she cheated on him. As in the Shakespearean play, the modern-day patient with Othello syndrome demonstrates with the capacity for violence towards his spouse/partner or himself because of the presumed cheatings. As in the play, the syndrome can be very menacing and it can result in separation of marriage, murder and even