OTHELLO

OTHELLO

1. CHARACTERS

   • Othello
   • Desdemona
   • Iago
   • Cassio
   • Roderigo
     • Roderigo is a rich, unintelligent guy who thinks that if he sends Desdemona enough expensive presents, she'll fall in love with him.
       • In the end, Roderigo dies—stabbed in the back (appropriately enough) by his wingman Iago.
   • Emilia
   • Bianca
     • Bianca is a Venetian courtesan who is in love with Cassio .. who in turn sees her as a laughable nuisance.
       • Because Bianca is a courtesan in a city renowned for prostitution and promiscuity, she's a foil to the chaste and ever-faithful Desdemona.
         • Othello doesn't see the difference and believes that Desdemona is unfaithful, even without any proof.
   • Brabantio
     • Desdemona's father, Brabantio, is a rich and important Venetian politician. He likes Othello and invites him to visit his house a lot—but he never expected Othello to "steal" his daughter. Also, he can't accept the fact that Othello and Desdemona are married and claims that his daughter was put under a 'spell'.
     • Racist & misogynistic.

2. THEMES

   • Jealousy
     • Othello succumbs to jealousy when Iago convinces him that Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife – in the end, Othello murders his wife and then kills himself.
     • It is interesting that Iago uses jealousy against Othello, yet jealousy is likely the source of Iago's hatred in the first place. - Jealous is extremely destructive.
   • Race
     • Othello is one of the first black heroes in English literature. A military general, he has risen to a position of power and influence. At the same time, his status as a black-skinned foreigner in Venice marks him as an outsider and exposes him to some pretty overt racism, especially by his wife's father, who believes his daughter's interracial marriage can only be the result of Othello's trickery.
   • Sex & Gender
     • In Othello, most male characters assume that women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why all three women characters in the play are accused of sexual infidelity.
   • Marriage
     • The play's two wives (Desdemona and Emilia) are both unfairly accused of infidelity, and both wives are murdered by their abusive husbands.
   • Manipulation
     • Iago plots with consummate sophistication, carefully manipulating Othello (without any real proof) into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful.
       • Iago's deception is potent because of his patience, his cleverness, and what seems to be his intrinsic love of elegant manipulation.
   • Hate
     • Iago's hate towards Othello seems out of proportion.
     • It can be argues that Othello gradually develops a deep hate towards Desdemona.

3. SETTING

   • Venice
     • Early modern (c. 1500-1750) Venice is a prosperous Italian city and a symbol of law and civilization. It's also full of white people, which makes Othello, a black Moor, stand out among the Venetians.
     • Also a city renowned for its prostitutes.. This may be why Othello loses trust in Desdemona as he becomes suspicious of her fidelity.
   • Cyprus
     • Eventually, action moves to a military encampment in Cyprus, an island sacred to Venus, the goddess of love. On the island of love, away from civilization and rationality, all hell breaks loose and Iago is able to convince Othello that Desdemona has been cheating on him.

4. CONTEXT

   • Historical
     • The war between the Turks and Christians (Venetian state) provides a symbolic backdrop to Othello's tragedy. Cyprus is vulnerable and isolated, like Othello.
   • Social
     • Women in the Renaissance had few legal rights, and their life choices were commonly dictated by their fathers and husbands. However, Shakespeare creates strong female characters in Emilia and Desdemona, who challenge the social order even if they cannot overthrow it.
   • Literary
     • Shakespeare uses features of traditional Greek tragedy (Othello suffers from the fatal flaw of pride) and revenge tragedy (Iago is a scheming Machiavel).
   • Philisophical
     • Most Elizabethans believed in the devil and accepted evil was hard to detect, thus making Iago's deceptions both plausible and terrifying.
   • Cultural
     • Elizabethans were generally suspicious of Italians, viewing them as immoral intriguers and some saw black men as lustful predators. Shakespeare makes use of and subverts these stereotypes.