Characters

Othello
Character
o Tragic hero Flaw - Insecurity (Jealous)
- Trust?
o Controversial
- Becomes racial stereotype
- Is Othello responsible for tragedy or Iago?
o Othello blames Iago perplexed in the extreme
o Conflict between dualities;
Black and white
Inferior and superior
Arrogant and self-doubt
General and husband
Public and private
Hero (Venetian) and villain (Turk)
Trusting and suspicious
Becomes Elizabethan racial Stereotype:
Violent, sex-obsessed, primitive
Loses control (epileptic fit) physically and emotionally
Animalistic
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Redeem himself last speech sacrifices self
Language
Reflects personality
Noble - most [potent grave on reverend signors
Primitive O! O! O!
He thinks he is inarticulate rude am I in my speech
Won Desdemona through speech exotic = cannibals, Anthropophagi
Mythical references Prometheus Compares and sees himself as mythical figure.
3rd person grand majestic figure distant - Othellos occupation gone
Language deteriorates as his morality and personality des e.g. repetition of handkerchief
and strumpet
Language reflects Iagos language
Repetition
Dual meanings
Asides
Sexual innuendos hot, hot and moist
Animals goats and monkeys
Sees himself as force of nature Pontic Sea - III.3

Iago
Character
o Expert manipulation Brabantio, Roderigo, Cassio, Emilia, Desdemona, Othello and Bianca
Audience.
o Manipulates audience racial stereotype I.1 feel like accomplice
o Dramatic irony caused by Iago

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Janus 2 faced God

Motives? Believable?
Power through language reputation -, honest Iago
Opportunist
Stage director
Uses peoples strengths (Desdemonas kindness) and weaknesses (Cassio drunk) against
them
Astute judge in human nature
Possible queer queer reading
Misogynist frequently portrays women as prostitutes
Ends in silence no motive? Lacks power or retains power Denies Othello closure
Ironic fat kills wife because she betrays him stabs her in the back

Language

Persuades
Othello

Changes language according to who he speaks to e.g. crude with Roderigo I.2 line 53
Sexual innuendos
Animal imagery old black ram tupping your white ewe
Repetition
Pauses
Hints
Questions
Asides duality public/private
Play on words honest lie - on Desdemona/ to Othello
Soliloquy addresses audience
Uses others language Brabantio I.1 My house is not a grange (farm)- Inspires Iagos
animal imagery.
Metaphor garden reap what you saw I.3
Poinsoner - Poison his delight
I am not what I am irony and layers of reading

Desdemona
Character
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Start strong, sexy, independent woman defies father asks Duke to accompany Othello
End weak, passive, victim forgives Othello
Influenced by plot believable inconsistency
Nave Misunderstands Othello
Colour blind
Becomes very innocent do women really cheat in their husbands
Lodovico comment ambiguous, innocent? Sexual desire? (undressing at the time)

Language

Noble at the start respectful but decisive

Transparent says what she means no match for Iago
Innocent not by this heavenly light angelic
My lord Othello or God worships Othello like God
Reluctant to say word whore
Little voice cant change anyone through her words no-ones listening
Inconsistency in her character joins in Iagos crude jokes II.1

Cassio Character

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Contrast Othello
Natural suitor for Desdemona white, respected, charming
Relationship with Bianca socially acceptable in Shakespeares time modern audience
judges him more harshly
Popular with women
Abuses Bianca fulfills Emilias idea men devour women
Realizes power or reputation reputation, reputation, reputation

Language

Compliments
Polite about Desdemona
Laughs at Desdemona
Dramatic irony honest Iago
Contrast to Iagos straight forward

Emilia Character
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Practical, realistic
Loyal to Desdemona dies for Desdemonas reputation and the truth
Worldly, wise women being unfaithful for the world
Obedient wife steals handkerchief, asks permission to speak
Innocent victim
Handkerchief contradiction reluctant to give it without knowing the plan
Feminist character believes in equality

Language
Metaphor men= stomach, women=food
Plays with words by this heavenly light
Similarities to Iagos but uses to reveal honest opinion Unlike Iago, uses it to
conceal.

Racist terms most filthy bargain

Has a voice is killed for it

(Feminist reading women speak out threaten male patriarchy so must be silenced)

Bianca
Character o
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Supports Iagos portrayal of Cassio

Represents what Iago portrays Desdemona as
Powerless
Victim
Links to stereotype of Venetian women as courtesans

Language
Little voice= little power
Pleading
Angry/jealous not taken seriously
Themes
Appearance/reality

Whole play based on their contrast

Emilia most practical and realistic character (sees reality) the worlds a huge thing; its
a great price for a small vice Talking to Desdemona about cheating on Husbands for
the world.

Iago appears to be honest, honest Iago Dramatic Irony Audience knows he isnt

Iago appears to be faithful to Othello then refers to him as lusty moor and the devil

Othellos inability to accept reality Desdemona chose him but fails to accept she loves
him She did deceive her father marrying you

Othello appears to be racial stereotype but in fact isnt far more fair than black
Black on the outside, white on the inside

Desdemona is portrayed as unfaithful by Iago In reality she is innocent

Iago refers to himself as Janus 2 faced God

Although Bianca is perceived as a whore she has a heart of gold genuinely loves
Cassio

Power
Iago

Most powerful
Manipulates all other characters
Uses language to gain his power
Uses his power to create chaos
Plague him with flies I.1
Uses his reputation as Honest Iago to gain his power
Destroys others reputation for his own gain (Cassios, Othellos and Desdemonas)
From this time forth I never will speak a word Iago maintains his power by denying
Othello and the others any closure and continue manipulating them through the end.

Othello Noble, powerful general at beginning

Loses his power and control as a result of Iagos manipulation
Loses control over himself physically (epileptic fit) and mentally (loss of language O!
O! O!
Loses reputation and position
Othellos power is based on Desdemona and when he loses her he loses everything
The generals wife is the general
Men Male dominance
Desdemona
Little power, passive victim, forgives Othello commend me to my kind lord
Emilia
Takes power, dies for it
Not suitable in this society for women to have power
Betrays her husband for the truth and Desdemonas reputation.
Bianca

Lack of power and reputation

Abused by Cassio

Love and Hate

Love Othello and Desdemona True love destroys them
Then must you speak/on one that loved not wisely, but too well V.2
My life upon her faith I.3
How I did thrine in this fair ladys love/ and she in mine I.3
Her father loved meI.3
Emilia and Iago Faithful
Bianca and Cassio
Roderigo has lust not love for Desdemona wants her to commit infidelity
Hate

Iagos hatred for Othello and Women

Othellos hatred for Casio Thy bed lust stained, shall with lusts blood be spotted V.1
Brabantios hatred for Othello Based on prejudice, O thou foul thief I.2
Iago creates hate and replaces love - without him Othello and Desdemona would have
had a successful marriage,

Jealousy

Othello becomes obsessive and compulsive due to Iagos manipulation which makes his
jealousy more potent - Is Othello naturally jealous?

Iago is a jealous character Cassio for his job, Othello for position and status,
Desdemona for Othellos love (Queer reading)

Handkerchief as a symbol of jealousy meaning put on it by Othello and Iago and

Bianca and Cassio creates infidelity thoughts.

Roderigo of Othello and Desdemona Loves Desdemona

Othello - Must you speak of one that loved not wisely but woo well Denies jealousy,
yet jealousy caused him to kill Desdemona.

Othello - That we can call these delicate creatures ours/ but not their appetites!
Jealous of Cassio sleeping with Desdemona when they may not have consummated
their own Marriage.

Tis a monster/ begot upon itself, born on itself Jealousy is an uncontrollable monster
that breeds on itself.

They are not ever jealous for the cause/ but the jealous for theyre jealous. Jealous
people often have no reason for their jealousy. Desdemona is oblivious o Othellos
jealousy.

Justice and Judgment Men get justice for their actions Cassio, Roderigo, Iago and Othello Women do not
receive justice, they are killed unjustly Emilia and Desdemona
Misjudgment causes chaos - Othellos misjudgment of Iago
Taking justice into their own hands causes corruption and evil e.g. How Iago decides
to punish Othello and Othello to punish Desdemona and Cassio.

 Justice in the hands of an individual allows evil and manipulation Advocates

democracy and a fair trial.
I.3 Brabantio puts Othello on trial and misjudges him based on Iagos information
II.3 Othello judges Cassio Misjudges him due to Iago
V.2 Othello acts as a judge, jury and executioner of Desdemona after Iagos manipulation.

Parallels

Iagos ultimately evil due to hi corruption of justice.

Divine justice acts Cassio gets promoted into Othellos job and Iago and Othello are
both given punishment for their crimes.
Women receive no justice
Play is about injustice and misjudgment
Othello I.2 My parts, my title and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly His
confidence in justice
Othello I.3 If you do not find me foul in her reportnot only take away, but let your
sentence even fall upon my life
Othello V.2 When you shall there unlucky deeds relate, speak of me as l am then must
you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well
Lodovico V.2 This is thy work and to you, lord governor, remains the censure of this
hellish villain Law being enforced
Othello II.3 Honest Iagowho begun this? and Cassio, I love thee, but never more be
officer of mine Confrontation between Cassio and Othello
Race

Iago plays racist?

Iago conjures Elizabethan racial stereotype in I.1 Othello becomes this in V.1
Iago most evil white
Iago links Othello and animals an old black ram tupping your white ewe
Shakespeare shows us the stereotype then destroys it Othello-noble- more sympathy
towards Othello
Is Othello stereotype naturally (racist) or does society/Iago force it upon him (not racist)
Iago links black with evil and white with good Othello adopts this Desdemona pure
and right V.2
Desdemona - whit stereotype pure, virgin?
Emilia racist most filthy bargain V.2 Othello Becomes savage
The moor constantly an outsider
Initially Othello is exotic, interesting, storyteller
Dukes compliment your son-in-law is far more fain than black!
Fair= white good Othello Conflict
Othello says haply for I am black thinks Desdemona unfaithful because marriage was
unnatural
Desdemona colour blind nave

Other Notes
Conflict dualities and opposites

Black white
Outsider insider
Faith jealousy

Soldier Husband
Public private
Men - women

Love hatred
Words actions
Justice injustice
Good evil

Honest dishonest
Powerful powerless
Virgin - prostitute

Dramatic Structure

No sub-plot adds effect of claustrophobic, painful tragedy

Little relief from tragedy
Other characters provide comparison with Othello and Desdemona add to dramatic tension
- e.g. Cassio and Biancas relationship
Longs scenes build up tension and are interspersed with short scenes often violent
scenes
IV.3 sad scene that builds up Desdemonas death
Lots of opposites
Lots of dramatic irony Iago is the main source of this.
Play relies on repetition and reversal
Reversal e.g
oIagos stereotype reversal then partially fulfilled
oIagos most powerful when Othello is weakest
oCassios reputation lost then restored as is Desdemonas
oIagos honest reputation is reversed by his wifes real honesty
oOthello is on trial in I.3 and is the judge ( who misjudges as he was misjudged by
Brabantio) in I.3 and V.2

Repetition e.g
oIago manipulates confusion in darkness in I.1 and V.1
oIago repeats his manipulation of Roderigo with all characters building up to Othello
oRepetition f language is used for dramatic effect persuasion, disbelief or extreme
emotion honest, think, lies, The handkerchief and My husband
oMen abusing women Iago abuses all three, Cassio abuses Bianca, and the clown
abuses Desdemona.
oOthello and Desdemona echo each other about not betraying the other for all the world
oIago also kills his innocent wife
Shakespeares use of time Double time scale
Short time creates dramatic tension

Desdemona and Othellos wedding night same day they get to Cyprus
Desdemona pleads for Cassios job back the next day and Iago suggests the affair.
AS Othello killing Desdemona has to happen fairly quickly it seems only a matter of days
between arriving in Cyprus and the tragedy.

Long time reflect Othellos paranoia, also adds to realism

Emilia comments that Iago asked her to steal the handkerchief a hundred times
Bianca complains to Cassio What keep a week away?
Othello is convinced Desdemona and Cassio committed the act a thousand times

Setting Venice
More of a democracy (compared to England)

Culture Cultural sophistication, power

Wealth
Civilization
Powerful military
Order
Part of Italy - the Duke
Passionable setting for revenge tragedies

Cyprus
Island isolation, separate
Conflict war- fighting over it
Politically unstable history
Chaos
Represents Othello he is under attack
Storm turmoil, violence, chaos, change, confusion
Othello and Desdemona removed form familiarity and safety