Othello: Main Characters

● Othello
○ Othello is a Moor (of African descent) and the general of the Venetian
army. He is the protagonist of this play, and is usually subject to
discrimination due to his skin color. His insecurities lead him to suspect
Desdemona– his wife– and eventually lead him to kill her.
● Iago
○ Iago is Othello’s ensign and the play's antagonist, driven by revenge after
Othello promotes Cassio over him. He manipulates everyone in the story,
and all the characters fall victim to his schemes. While others see him as
kind and loyal, he is actually a deceitful trickster.
● Desdemona
○ Desdemona is the daughter of Venetian Senator Brabantio. She truly
loves Othello, despite all his abuses. She always denies the fact of
Othello's jealousy until her dying breath. Desdemona is kind, and loves
human kind.
● Cassio
○ Cassio is the newly promoted lieutenant of the Venetian Army. He is
described as youthful, charming, and handsome. He was framed by Iago
to have betrayed Othello by having an affair with his wife– Desdemona.
He is honorable and loyal to Othello.
● Roderigo
○ Roderigo is a gullible nobleman in love with Desdemona. Iago
manipulates him, taking his money and using him to carry out his
schemes. Roderigo obeys Iago, driven by the false hope that Desdemona
will eventually love him.
● Emilia
○ Emilia is Desdemona’s loyal handmaiden. She is treated unfairly by her
husband, but still blindly follows him. However, she is more loyal to
Desdemona, and loves her with all her heart. She always advises
Desdemona and wishes her nothing but happiness.
● Bianca
○ Bianca is a prostitute who loves Cassio, but he sees her as nothing more
than a promiscuous woman. She is disrespected by him and others,
 constantly called a whore with no morals. Despite this, Bianca is deeply
in love with Cassio and believes he might feel the same. Her possession
of the handkerchief plays a key role in the plot.

Themes of Othello:
Jealousy:
● Jealousy is a prominent theme in Othello. It was the root cause of all the conflict
in this act. It shows us the consequences of jealousy, and the corrupting power
it has over us humans. It shows how it can make even the fiercest warriors into
irrational animals.

Appearance vs Reality:
● We see this as Iago, whose public perception is honest and loyal, is the true
villain in the lives of everyone. We see as Othello often describes Iago as “The
honest Iago” when in reality, he is plotting his demise.

Manipulation
● Manipulation is a central theme in the play, with Iago controlling everyone
around him to achieve his goals. Each character falls victim to his deceit, leading
to their downfall. Ultimately, manipulation is the driving force behind all the
tragedy in the play.

Racism
● We see as the Racism present within society plays a role in feeding into
Othello’s doubts of his wife’s infidelity. We see as Othello is initially denied
the blessing of Desdemona’s father, because of his race and skin color We see
as Iago utilizes his skin color to convince Othello that it is unnatural for
Desdemona to love him. Throughout the entire play, Othello is constantly
ridiculed and described with discriminatory words because of his skin color.

Misogyny
 ● Misogyny is evident throughout the play, as all the women are mistreated and
devalued. Emilia is hated by her husband, Desdemona is easily unjustly
suspected because of her beauty, Bianca is used by Cassio for his own pleasure,
and the story of Barbary’s death. The women all meet tragic fates: Emilia and
Desdemona die, while Bianca is left with a man who won’t commit to her, using
and slandering her.

Act ONE
Othello promotes Cassio as Lieutenant instead of Iago, which infuriates him.
● This makes Iago develop a strong hatred towards Cassio.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS HATRED

IAGO: “And who does he choose? A guy who knows more about
numbers than fighting!”

● This makes Iago develop a strong hatred towards Othello.

○ This hatred is laced with racism and prejudice.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS HATRED

IAGO: “I told you before, and I’ll tell you again and again: I hate the
Moor. I’m devoted to my cause of hating him, just as devoted as you
are to yours.”

Roderigo and Iago discuss Othello and Desdemona’s Secret Marriage.

● This makes Roderigo hate Othello
● This prompts Roderigo and Iago to storm Brabantio’s house and tell him
Desdemona got married to Othello
○ Brabantio rejects this marriage and believes his daughter was tricked by
Othello.
○ This depicts the racism present in Venetian Society.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS DISAPPROVAL

 BRABANTIO: “Are there magic spells that can lead young virgins
astray?”

BRABANTIO: “You evil thief, where have you hidden my daughter?

You devil, you’ve put a spell on her!”

BRABANTIO: “Anybody with eyes could tell you that a beautiful and
happy young girl like her, who’s refused to marry all of the
handsome young men of the city, wouldn’t run off with a black thing
like you unless she’d been bewitched.”

BRABANTIO: He mentions multiple times how Othello tricked,

drugged, or performed black magic for her to marry him.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS RACISM

BRABANTIO: “You’re something to fear, not to love.”

BRABANTIO: “And you want me to believe that despite her young

age and proper upbringing she fell in love with a man she’d be afraid
to look at?”

Desdemona and Othello profess their love for each other and marriage in
public.
TEXTUAL PROOF OF THEIR LOVE

OTHELLO: “She said she loved me for the dangers I’d survived, and I
loved her for feeling such strong emotions about me. That’s the only
witchcraft I ever used.”

DESDEMONA: “But this man here is my husband now, and I owe

him as much as my mother owed you, just as she preferred you to
her own father.”
IAGO plan of ruining Othello’s life is made.
● Roderigo want’s to commit suicide after this profession but Iago stops him and
they both vow to take their revenge.
● Iago plans to take Cassio’s position and ruin Iago at the same time.

This soliloquy marks the start of Iago’s revenge. He mentions his

plan to frame Desdemona for infidelity by telling Othello Cassio and
Desdemona are having an affair.

IAGO’S SOLILOQUY

“That’s how I always do it, getting money from fools. I’d be wasting
my skills dealing with an idiot like that if I couldn’t get something
useful out of him. I hate the Moor, and there’s a widespread rumor
that he’s slept with my wife. I’m not sure it’s true, but just the
suspicion is enough for me. He thinks highly of me. That’ll help.
Cassio’s a handsome man. Let’s see, how can I get his position and
use him to hurt Othello at the same time? How? How? Let’s see.
After a while I’ll start telling Othello that Cassio is too intimate with
Desdemona. Cassio is a smooth talker and a good-looking guy, the
sort of man that people would expect to be a seducer. The Moor is
open and straightforward. He thinks any man who seems honest is
honest. People like that are easy to manipulate. So it’s all decided.
I’ve worked it out. With a little help from the devil, I’ll bring this
monstrous plan to success.”

Act TWO:

Othello comes back after a dangerous battle:

● Othello got lost in sea during battle because of a storm.
● Here, it shows how Cassio and Othello are close in battle.
 TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS FONDNESS

CASSIO: “Thanks, you brave men who defend this island and
respect Othello. I hope heaven protects him from the weather,
because I lost sight of him on the stormy sea.”

The beginning of Iago’s plan to ruin Othello’s life

● The soldiers celebrate their victory in war.
○ Iago tries to plant lust within Cassio’s mind by talking about how
perfect Desdemona is in front of him.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS DECEPTION

IAGO: “The general got rid of us early tonight so he could be with

Desdemona.—I can’t blame him. He hasn’t spent the night with her
yet, and she’s beautiful enough to be Jove’s lover.”
CASSIO: “She’s an exquisitely beautiful lady.”
IAGO: “And I bet she’s good in bed too.”
CASSIO: “Yes, she’s young and tender.”
IAGO: “And such pretty eyes! Like an invitation.”
CASSIO: “Yes, she’s pretty. But she’s modest and ladylike too.”
IAGO: “And when she speaks, doesn’t her voice stir up passion?”
CASSIO: “She’s a perfect woman, it’s true.”

○ Iago forces Cassio to drink alcohol despites his rejections.

○ Because of this Cassio and Montano get into a fight, which causes
Montano to be injured.
○ This fight angers Othello and causes Cassio to be stripped of his title
as lieutenant.
○ Here, Iago ruins Cassio’s reputation.

TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS DECEPTION

 IAGO:” You see that man who just left? He’s a good soldier, good
enough to be Caesar’s right-hand man. But he has a serious
weakness. It’s too bad. I’m worried that Othello trusts him too much,
and it’ll be bad for Cyprus eventually.”

IAGO: “He drinks like this every night before he goes to sleep. He’d
stay up all night and all day if he didn’t drink himself to sleep.”

MONTANO: “And it’s too bad that the Moor chose a man with such
a deep-rooted drinking problem as his second-in-command. We
should definitely say something to the Moor.”

Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia discuss Iago's inability to say anything good
about women. He describes them as cunning beauties who can do anything
to get what they want,
TEXTUAL PROOF OF HIS MISOGYNY

IAGO: No, she talks too much. She’s always talking when I want to
sleep. I admit that in front of you, my lady, she keeps a bit quiet. But
she’s scolding me silently.”

DESCRIBES IAGO’S HATRED TOWARDS HIS WIFE.

IAGO: “Come on, come on. You women are all the same. You’re as
pretty as pictures when you’re out in public, but in your own houses
you’re as noisy as jangling bells. In your own kitchens you act like
wildcats. You make yourselves sound like saints when you’re
complaining about something, but you act like devils when someone
offends you. You don’t take your jobs as housewives seriously, and
you’re shameless hussies in bed.”
Symbolisms in ACT TWO

● Storm: It shows the trouble ahead, hinting at the chaos that will soon affect
Othello's life and relationships. The short-lived victory is the start of his
downfall.
● Animal/Beast: It shows how losing control and acting on instincts can make
people feel less human, as jealousy and violence do. In Act 2, Cassio calls
himself a beast. In Act 1, Iago uses racist words to compare Othello to animals,
making him seem wild.

Act THREE
Cassio pleads to Desdemona to get himself reinstated as lieutenant after
being advised by Iago.
● The significance of this is that Desdemona will never stop talking about Cassio’s
reinstatement, which will fuel Othello's suspicions of Cassio.
● This also causes Othello and Desdemona to get into a disagreement.

Iago convinces Othello of Cassio and Desdemona’s affair.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF IAGO’S MANIPULATION TECHNIQUES

IAGO: “She lied to her father to marry you. And when she pretended
to be afraid of you, she loved you the most.”

Insinuates that she lied to her father, so she can lie to her too.

IAGO: “She veered away from her own nature in turning down all
those young men from her own country, with her skin color, with her
status—everything her nature would have drawn her to—Ugh! You
can almost smell the dark and ugly desires inside her, the unnatural
thoughts… I only worry that she might snap back to her natural
taste in men one day, and compare you unfavorably to other
 Italians.”

Utilizes Othello’s insecurities as an old black, African, man to cause

doubts.

IAGO: “I recently shared a bed with Cassio… I heard him saying,

“Sweet Desdemona, let’s be careful and hide our love,” in his sleep.
And then he grabbed my hand and said, “Oh, my darling!” and
kissed me hard, as if he were trying to suck my lips off. Then he put
his leg over mine, and sighed and kissed me, and said, “Damn fate
for giving you to the Moor!”

Uses this false narrative that Cassio was dreaming of having sexual
intercourse with Desdemona.

Emilia steals Desdemona’s Handkerchief and gives it to Iago

● EMILIA is oblivious to Iago’s plan, and genuinely loves Desdemona. She just
blindly follows the orders of her husband.

Othello tells us about the story of the handkerchief.

● Desdemona cherishes the handkerchief because it was the first gift Othello gave
to her.
● He tells the story of how an Egyptian sorcerer gave the handkerchief to his
mother, saying it would keep her husband faithful as long as she kept it. But
if she lost it or gave it away, her husband would leave her. Before she died,
Othello's mother gave him the handkerchief and told him to give it to the
woman he would marry.
● Desdemona loses the handkerchief, but she denies it, which causes Othello to
lose his temper which is uncharacteristic of Othello.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO LOSING HIS TEMPER

IAGO: “Can he even get angry? It’s hard to believe. I’ve seen him
stay calm when cannons were blowing his soldiers to bits, even
 killing his own brother without him batting an eyelid—is he really
upset? It must be about something important. I’ll go talk to him. If
he’s angry, there must be something seriously wrong.”

Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio’s room and gives it to Bianca for her to
duplicate it.
● Bianca duplicates the handkerchief.

Symbolisms in ACT THREE:

● The handkerchief: Othello gave Desdemona the handkerchief as a sign of his

love and their marriage. It later comes to show the state of their relationship.
● The green-eyed monster: Iago calls jealousy the "green-eyed monster" to
show it's ugly, out of control, and harmful. Green stands for envy and poison,
showing how jealousy messes with the mind. The "monster" shows how
jealousy changes Othello, making him lose reason and act like a beast.

Act FOUR
Othello hides and listens to Cassio and Iago’s conversation about Bianca,
thinking they were talking about Desdemona.

● Cassio makes fun of Bianca and how he doesn’t love her. He describes her
sexual advances, and calls her a whore.
● Othello believes that Cassio is talking about Desdemona.’

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO LISTENING TO CASSIO AND

IAGO’S CONVERSATION

CASSIO: “She hangs around me and dangles from my neck and

cries, shaking me and pulling at me. Ha, ha, ha!”
OTHELLO: “Now he’s saying how she took him into our bedroom.
Oh, I can see your nose now. But I can’t see the dog I’m going to
throw it to.
 ● Bianca comes in, holding the duplicated handkerchief, angry because she
believes Cassio got it from another lover.
○ Seeing this makes Othello angry because Desdemona denied losing the
handkerchief, yet it's in Cassio's possession.
○ This was the final straw that led Othello to fully be certain of killing
his wife.

Othello plans to kill his wife.

● First he plans to poison, but under Iago’s coercion, he plans to smother

Desdemona in their bed.
● Iago tells Othello as well that he will kill Cassio.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO’S PLAN

OTHELLO: “Get me some poison tonight, Iago. I won’t argue with

her, so her beautiful body won’t disarm me.—Tonight, Iago.”
IAGO: “Don’t do it with poison. Strangle her in her bed, the same
bed she’s contaminated.”

Othello strikes Desdemona in front of her cousin, Lodovico.

Othello confronts Emilia and Desdemona about her affair.

● Emilia is passionate about Desdemona’s faithfulness to Othello, but Othello

doubts it.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF EMILIA’S LOYALTY

EMILIA: “I’d swear to you on my soul that she’s a good, honest

person, sir. If you suspect otherwise, stop thinking that right now
 TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF EMILIA’S LOYALTY

because you’re wrong. If any jerk has tried to convince you she’s bad,
I hope God curses him. If she’s not honest, faithful, and true, then
there’s no such thing as a faithful wife or a happy husband.”

● Desdemona and Othello fight about her faithfulness.

○ He repeatedly calls her whore and the devil, while Desdemona is
unknowing of the reason why he’s mad at her.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO AND DESDEMONA’S FIGHT.

OTHELLO: “…Go ahead, make sure you damn yourself by

swearing you’ve been faithful to me.”
DESDEMONA: “Heaven knows I am.”
OTHELLO: ”Heaven knows you’re as unfaithful as hell.”
DESDEMONA: “Unfaithful, my lord? With whom? How am I
…
OTHELLO: “... But instead, my wife, who’s supposed to be like the
fountain that my children and all my descendants flow from, has
rejected me! Worse than that, she’s polluted herself, so that the a
fountain is a place where disgusting toads copulate and reproduce!
Even the goddess of patience couldn’t look at this and be
patient—it’s too horrifying!
DESDEMONA: “I hope you think I’m faithful to you.”
OTHELLO: “As faithful as flies in rotting meat, which give birth to
maggots every time the wind blows. You’re like a weed pretending
to be a flower, so beautiful and sweet-smelling that I ache when I
look at you. Oh, I wish you’d never been born!”

Iago plans to kill Cassio with the help of Roderigo.

● Iago tells Roderigo of his plan to kill Cassio.

Desdemona tells Emilia about her love for Othello as she gets ready for bed.

● Othello sends Desdemona to bed and makes sure to dismiss Emilia.

● Desdemona tells Emilia to put the wedding sheets on her bed and mentions she
would like to die there, suggesting she has a sense of what might happen that
night.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF DESDEMONA’S LOVE

DESDEMONA: : “...I love him even when he’s harsh and mean… I
love even his stubbornness, his frowns, his bad moods.”

EMILIA: “I put those wedding sheets on your bed, as you asked.”

DESDEMONA: “It doesn’t matter. Oh, how silly we are! If I die before
you do make sure I’m wrapped in those sheets in my coffin.”

● Desdemona sings the “willow song”

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF DESDEMONA’S LOVE

DESDEMONA: “ My mother had a maid named Barbary. She was

in love, and her lover turned out to be wild and left her. She knew an
old song called “Willow” that reminded her of her own story, and
she died singing it. I can’t get that song out of my head tonight. It’s
all I can do to keep myself from hanging my head down in despair
and singing it like poor Barbary….”

THE WILLOW SONG:

The poor soul sat singing by the sycamore tree,
Everyone sing the green willow,
She had her hand on her breast and her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her and murmured her moans,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
 TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF DESDEMONA’S LOVE

Her salt tears fell from her and softened the stones,
Sing willow, willow, willow.—
Put these things over there.—
Please, hurry, he’ll come right away.—
Everyone sing, a green willow must be my garland.
Nobody blame him, he’s right to hate me—
(singing) I told my lover he didn’t love me, but what did he say?
Sing willow, willow, willow.

Symbolisms in ACT FOUR:

● The “Willow” Song: The song reflects the struggles of married women. It’s
about a woman abandoned by her lover. Desdemona learned it from her
mother’s maid, Barbary, who died singing it after being left by her lover. As
Desdemona sings it, it creates a sad and ominous mood. This song cannot
leave Desdemona’s mind that night, foreshadowing her ultimate death.

Act FIVE:
Roderigo tries to kill Cassio but fails.
● Cassio gets stabbed, but he survives, then Roderigo gets stabbed and dies.
● Emilia is sent to Othello and Desdemona’s room in order to tell them about the
situation.

Othello kills Desdemona

● Othello speaks of her beauty and purity, how he doesn’t want to, but it is his
duty to kill her or she will cheat on other men.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO’S SPEECH

OTHELLO: I have to do it, I have to do it. I have to keep my reason in

mind. I won’t say out loud what my reason is, but I have to do it. But
 TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO’S SPEECH

I won’t shed any of her blood or scar that beautiful skin, whiter than
snow and smooth as the finest marble. But she’s got to die, or she’ll
cheat on other men. Put out the light of the candle, and then put out
the light of her heart. If I extinguish the candle, I can light it again if I
regret it. But once I kill you, you beautiful, fake woman, I do not
know the magic that could bring you back. When I’ve plucked this
rose, I can’t make it grow again; it will have no choice but to wither
and die. Let me smell you while you’re still on the tree. (he kisses
her) Oh, that sweet breath almost convinces me not to kill you and
carry out justice. One more, one more kiss. If you’re this beautiful
when you’re dead, I’ll kill you and then love you afterward. (kissing
her) One more, and this is the last. Such a sweet kiss was never so
deadly. I have to cry, but I have to be cruel too. I’m acting like God in
the Old Testament—I have to punish the one I love. She’s waking
up.”

● Othello confronts Desdemona of Cassio and her affair.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO’S CONFRONTATION

OTHELLO:”You gave that handkerchief, the one I loved and gave to

you, to Cassio.”
DESDEMONA: “No, I swear by my life and soul! Bring him here and
ask him.”

DESDEMONA: “And you have mercy on me too! I never did anything

wrong to you in my life. I never loved Cassio, except with the pure
love that I feel for humankind. I never gave him any token of
romantic love.”
OTHELLO: “I saw him holding the handkerchief! You liar,
you’re turning my heart to stone, and making me call what I’ll do
murder, when I had been thinking of it as a sacrifice! I saw the
handkerchief.”
 ● After confronting her, she pleads for mercy, she pleads to not be killed even if it
was just for that night, she pleads to be killed tomorrow. However, he doesn’t
listen. He smothers (suffocates) her and she dies.

Emilia see’s the dying Desdemona after telling Othello that Roderigo died
instead of Cassio.
● Despite everything, Desdemona still says that she killed herself.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF DESDEMONA’S LOYALTY

EMILIA: “Oh, no, that was my lady’s voice. Help! Help! Oh, lady,
speak again. Sweet Desdemona! Oh sweet mistress, speak!”
DESDEMONA: “I’m dying an innocent woman.”
EMILIA: “Oh, who did this thing?”
DESDEMONA: No one. I did it myself. Give my love to my kind
husband. Oh, goodbye!”

● Othello realizes through Emilia, that Desdemona was faithful and Iago
manipulated him. After this confrontation, Iago stabs Emilia.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OF OTHELLO’S REALIZATION

EMILIA: “Oh, you stupid Moor! I found that handkerchief by accident

and gave it to my husband. He’d begged me to steal it many times….
You think she gave it to Cassio? No, I found it and gave it to my
husband…. I swear I’m not lying. (to OTHELLO) Oh, you murderous
fool! How did you ever get such a good wife?”
OTHELLO: “Won’t heaven strike this Iago dead? You absolute
villain!”

EMILIA: “What did your song mean, lady? Can you hear me? I’ll die
like a swan. They sing when they die. (singing) Willow, willow,
willow.— Moor, she never cheated on you. She loved you, you cruel
man. I swear on my soul I’m telling the truth, and as I say this, I die.”
Othello realizes the full truth, and in despair, kills himself while kissing
Desdemona.

OTHELLO’S FINAL SPEECH

“Wait. A word or two before you go. I’ve given the state of Venice a
bit of help in the past, and they know it. But enough about that.
When you record these sad events in your letters, please describe
me exactly as I am. Don’t tone things down or exaggerate them out
of hostility. If you’re being fair, you’ll have to describe me as
someone who loved too much, but who wasn’t wise about it. I was
not easily made jealous, but once I was tricked and manipulated, I
worked myself into a frenzy. Describe me as a fool who threw away
a precious pearl with his own hands, like a silly Indian who didn’t
know what it was worth. As someone who was not emotional, but
who then cried a lot. Write all this down, and then say also that in
Aleppo I once saw a Turk beating a Venetian, so I grabbed the Turk
by the throat and hit him like this. (OTHELLO STABS HIMSELF)... (to
DESDEMONA) I kissed you before I killed you. Now, killing myself,
I’m dying while I kiss you again

Symbolisms in ACT FIVE:

● The Candle: Othello compares blowing out a candle to ending Desdemona's

life, showing how fragile and vulnerable she is. He realizes that once he kills her,
she can't come back. The candle represents Othello’s struggle to see
Desdemona’s innocence. Extinguishing it also symbolizes Iago's dark influence
and how he has fully manipulated Othello.
● The sword: The sword symbolizes power and violence, reflecting both
Othello’s inner conflict and Iago’s control. For Othello, it represents his struggle
between justice and destruction, driven by betrayal and honor. For Iago, it
shows his ability to remove threats and manipulate events to his advantage.
The weapon highlights how uncontrolled emotions can lead to irreversible
damage.