A Character Analysis: Othello--- The play, Othello by William Shakespeare is about a mischievous character named Iago. He is Othello’s ensign and the villain of the play. The reason for his villainous in the play is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant; his whole point in the play is to get what he wants and to completely ruin Othello. Othello is a moor and he is the hero in the play. He is general of the armies of Venice. He is a very powerful and important figure; most who know him respect him. Although he is powerful he has many weaknesses like his race especially. He is also married to a beautiful Venetian woman named Desdemona. Desdemona is the daughter of a Venetian senator named Brabantio and the wife of Othello. She ends up getting caught in all the deceit throughout the play. She is used by Iago so he can get to Othello. Iago tries to convince Othello that there have been romantic interludes between Desdemona and Cassio. Cassio is Othello’s lieutenant. He has definitely been resented by Iago with his new found job. Iago uses Cassio and Desdemona’s closeness to get Othello and Cassio back. Cassio ends up losing his position because of a drunken fight. But that is not enough for Iago. Roderigo is a jealous suitor of Desdemona and also an accomplice of Iago. But as usual Iago uses him only for his wants. So Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio so he can have Desdemona. In the end Roderigo gets injured and is out of money. Bianca is Cassio’s prostitute. She also gets caught up in the mess of deceit by getting Desdemona’s handkerchief. Brabantio is the father of Desdemona and a senator. Emilia is the wife of Iago and an attendant to Desdemona. She is very attached to her mistress but in the end she is very distrustful of her husband. Full title · The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice Author · William Shakespeare Genre · Tragedy Language · English Date of first publication · 1622 Setting (time) · Late sixteenth century, during the wars between Venice and Turkey Setting (place) · Venice in Act I; the island of Cyprus thereafter Major conflict • Othello and Desdemona marry and try to build a life together, even though their differences in age, race, and knowledge. Their marriage is disrupted by the jealous Iago, who encourages Othello that Desdemona is adulterous. Rising action • Iago tells the viewers of his plan, set up Cassio to lose his position as lieutenant, and increasingly implys to Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful. Climax • The climax takes place at the end of Act III, scene 3, when Othello kneels down with Iago and vows not to change the path until he has attained a bloody payback. Falling action • Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio’s room and later on puts together a discussion with Cassio, which Othello observes and sees as “proof” that Cassio and Desdemona have slept together. Iago ineffectively tries to kill Cassio, and Othello ends up smothering Desdemona with a pillow. Emilia exposes Iago’s deceptions in which Iago kills her, Othello then commits suicide, and Iago is taken away to suffer.
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