Othello Characters

Othello Characters

1. Othello

   • although he appears on stage much less than Iago and he is much less intresting than Iago, Othello is intended to be the main character of the eponymous play becuase Iago does nott undergo change during the tragedy, but Othello does
   • Tragic ambiguity about the way Othello is presented, personified by the two Othellos we see in the play, although he is a servant to white masters and has apparently more 'primitive' origins, he has a high rank, and aristcratic bearing and civilised skills of rhetoric
   • Othello and Iago are the two faces of men, good and evil in human nature, and conversely, that the same man both suffering the same psychological and psychopathic disturbance tragically triggered by the monster jelousy
   • Othello is presented to be lacking in nobility, he displays an emotional volaility and exceptional sensuousness, which would not be consistent with the contemporary view of how a noble character would behave and considerration for others is not a character trait even his greatest admirers could claim for him
   • Elements of excess in his personality, he couls be accused of execessive love for desdemona
   • Could be accused of hubris of wanting to be god-like, he is over-confident in his abilities and judgement and his belief that his passion and appetites are under control, he has the arrogance to belive he can take on and out-talk Brabantio, the second most important man in Venice.
   • Often dipicted as being a beast or animalistic- comments made about his sexual appetite and performance, exaggrated physical mannerisms and emphasis on Othello's sense of smell and taste, which links him to bestial instincts and appietites
   • Othello makes many references to forces of nature, such as the sun and the moon which suggests paganism underneath his christianity
   • Othello's language and behaviour reveal a bllodthirsty disopsition and savouring of violence and he could be said to revert to primitive beliefs and instincts and lose the veneer of civilisation when under pressure

2. Iago

   • Iago is a Spanish name and one of the most famous saint in Spain: Saint Iago, who was known as the 'Moor Killer' for his slaughter of Spanish Moors
   • Ha a low opinion of Women
   • Satanic in his energy, intelligence and daring contempt for goodness
   • 'Lucky" is more of a fitting epithet than 'Honest', since Iago has the luck of the devil and chance to always be on his side
   • Able to predict the actions of characters throught clever guesswork based on knowledge of how their minds work
   • In 1818 critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge said the reason for Iago's spite was 'the motive-hunting of a motiveless malignity' concluding that Iago is just evil
   • Iago has a general 'spite against goodness in men' so while any virtue exists he attempts to eliminate it, as if he is suffering from a disease or addiction, his appetite for sadistic enjoyment and power grows by what it feeds on

3. Desdemona

   • Central tragic victim
   • Shakespeare presents her as having led a sheltered life of domestic duty under the watchful eye of her father
   • Her name means 'the unfortunate' in Greek
   • Christan martyr who is pure, chaste, devoted to her earthly and heavenly lord and master
   • She is associated with light, which is divine but vunerable
   • the verbal chastisement, physical punishment and withdrawl of love she suffers, could be viewed as putting her in the position of an abused child
   • Presented as naive- about marriage, marrying out of her race, refusing to believe that unfaithful wives exist