Othello's character in the duration of "The Tragedy of Othello", by the world's greatest writer, William Shakespeare, is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride and courage. The other main characters in the play all form their own opinions of him and, as the play continues, his character begins to deteriorate and become less noble. Othello's character changes from a flawless military leader, to become a barbaric murderer. Throughout the first act of the play, Othello is shown as many different characters depending on who is speaking. Iago complains of Othello's pride and "bombast circumstance" and is angered by the appointment of Cassio, an educated military theoretician of Florence to lieutenant, instead of himself. As Iago speaks to Brabantio about Othello, he uses the term "white ewe" to represent Desdemona, and "black ram" when referring to Othello. By using these terms, it shows that he is trying to give a bad impression of Othello when he is speaking to the royal family in Venice, because Othello is a Moor, or a Negro. Iago shows his black hatred for the Moor and his jealousy of Cassio in his first soliloquy and also reveals his evil intentions. As the act continues and Othello is being searched for by a group of people, Iago attempts to incite Othello into anger against Brabantio, but Othello does not take the bait. He feels that he (Brabantio) may do his worst because Othello is assured that his...
After learning from Desdemona that Othello is upset, Iago response saying, “Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon / When it hath blown his ranks into the air / And, like the devil, from his very arm / Puffed his own brother—and is he angry? / Something of moment then, I will go meet him. / There’s matter in ’t indeed, if he be angry.” (3.4.154-159) He has seen Othello in battle, keeping his head when men were dying all around him. Iago is a habitual liar, but there is no reason for him to lie about how Othello has conducted himself in battle. He says that if Othello is upset then something must be a good reason behind his anger. Of course, Iago knows the reason but he can not let Desdemona or Cassio know of his plan. Lodovico, a member of Venice 's diplomatic service, makes a similar remark about the Moor’s composer after he smacks his wife. He is in utter disbelief at the man actions. “Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate / Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature / Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue / The shot of accident nor dart of chance / Could neither graze nor pierce?” he asks. (4.1.297-301) Othello is unravelling at this point. His jealous is so strong that he has lost the very nature of his being. Instead of being a calm, collected leader, he is now acting
Othello seems to have a really rough time finding the truth in people. The reasoning behind this is simply the way he acts around people. Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary. He is after all a man in high power and is respected for that simple fact. Essentially, the first impact that is made upon the reader of Othello is not one of high quality. He was called many names of which had to do mostly with his racial background some of these names include “the Moor” (I.i.57), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113). The two characters that begin the cruel introduction of Othello are two trusted comrades, one being Iago. Right from the start, Iago already begins the demise of Othello. Now since Othello made this decision to trust and simply see the good in everyone rather than the truth in everyone his life got turned upside down and started to take ...
	Iago uses a different tactic to manipulate Brabantio. He changes Brabantio's way of looking at the marriage of his daughter Desdemona to Othello. He awakes Brabantio by saying "Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! Thieves! Thieves!" (I.i.76-78) By saying this, Iago shows a new perspective to Brabantio by insinuating that Othello has stolen his daughter. Iago reinforces this when he say's,
As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)
Othello: The Moor of Venice is probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. Throughout this work, there is a clear theme of racism, a racism that has become commonplace in Venetian society which rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as anathema. The text expresses racism throughout the play within the language transaction of the dialogue to question the societal ethos established by Othello, thereby making him nothing less than a cultural "other." Furthermore, the character of Desdemona is displayed as mad, or out of her wits, for marrying such an "other," and the audience sees her slip from an angelic state of purity to that of a tainted character. Also, the menacing Iago, a mastermind of deviant rhetoric, is able to play Othello and Desdemona against one another until their marriage fails, while at the same time destroying his adversary and friend, Cassio. Thus Iago has a specific agenda, not only to get back at Othello for choosing Cassio instead of him, but also to make Cassio the victim of his plan to destroy the forbidden marriage referred to by Brabantio as a "treason of the blood" (1.2.166-167). Essentially, Iago is a representative of the white race, a pre-Nazi figure who tries to inform the public of the impurity of Othello and Desdemona's marriage. He demonstrates how this miscegenation is threatening to the existing social order. Thus, through analysis of racism, the play represents the hatred possessed by mankind -- a hate so strong that society sees the mixing with an "other" to be a curse to humanity and a terrible threat to Aryan culture.
The play began as Roderigo and Iago were blaming Othello for their problems for him existing. He caused Roderigo problems as he was having a relationship with Desdemona stopping Roderigo from doing so. Iago’s problem with Othello was that Othello had become the general ‘He in good time, must his lieutenant be’ And I -- God bless the mark -- his Moorship’s ancient’ which made Iago his ancient. This caused them to go together to tell Brabantio of what they knew thus causing Othello to be blamed without trial showing how arbitrary justice is in this society. When Brabantio heard of the news, he automatically joined them in blaming Othello as he could not accept that a Black man could be loved by his angelic daughter ‘Damn’d as thou art. Thou hast enchanted her. Later on in Act 1 Scene 3 as the trip to Cyprus for Othello is mentioned Brabantio was bigot and took the argument to the Duke of Venice and the first senator in hope to gain their support in preventing a marriage between Desdemona and Othello. He tells them of his belief that Othello used magic to gain Desdemona’s heart saying that she would never love a black man ‘To ...
Insulting Othello, by referring to him solely by his race, Iago begins to show his machiavellian nature. When Othello is needed by Iago to fulfil his plans, he acts as though he is his friend. Iago has no qualms about his deceitful actions. In order to rile anger in Brabantio, he wakes him with the news that his daughter has married Othello:
In the opening scene, Iago provokes Brabantio against Othello by means of his pawn, Roderigo, and constantly stages the scene, ensuring that everything goes according to his plan. Iago realizes that Brabantio is very susceptible to attacks on his daughter; Iago uses Roderigo as a dummy, through whom he makes such antagonizing claims: "An old black ram / is tupping your white ewe" and "your daughter and the Moor are now / making the beast with two backs" (1.1.90, 121). By inflaming Brabantio's protective nature as a father, Iago directs Brabantio's wrath towards Othello while using Roderigo as a front. Iago successfully bends an unwitting Brabantio to the common goal of destroying Othello.
According to how Brabantio was being informed in the middle of the night, Brabantio’s reactions are far more intense than they should be. Even though Iago and Roderigo used animal as symbols in their speeches to refer Othello, Brabantio should not use them as soon as he acknowledges that his daughter is married to Othello happily with the permission of her will. It is true that he is worried about his daughter’s safety like a responsible father should, but there are certain other thoughts and acts delivered through his words which proves that this was not the only reason of his over-reaction.
Othello by William Shakespeare is one of the many plays that captures the phenomenal writing of Shakespeare. Similar to most of Shakespeare’s plays, Othello, is a tragic tale of how a noble warrior named Othello goes from the peak of his life to the lowest point of his life because of miscommunication and manipulation. Every character in this story plays a significant role on the outcome of the story especially the antagonist named Iago. He demonstrates that the most intelligent people aren’t always the nicest of people. Iago manipulates all of the main characters by using philosophical ideas to obtain his personal desires such as money, a higher job position, or gaining revenge on his wife. Othello becomes one of Iago’s main targets because
Iago's fiery rhetoric embellishes the reality of his groundless hatred. The sly Iago represents the very irony that encircles Othello. Appearing as an ally, Iago's vengeful nature transforms him into the ultimate foe of Othello. Iago's anger is initiated by not being chosen as Othello's military lieutenant. This fuels his deceitful calling of Brabantio, Desdemona's father. "You have lost half your soul. Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!" (I.i.96-98). Iago awakens Brabantio with this metaphor of the ram and the ewe, referring to Othello and Desdemona, in order to enrage him. Othello represents the "black ram," exhibiting a connotatively negative sense as opposed to the pure "white ewe," Brabantio's daughter. This metaphor instills anger in Brabantio, not because Othello is involved, but because his daughter is losing her purity. The repetition of "now" and "arise" in Iago's cry add urgency to the matter and further alarm Brabantio. As Iago commences his scheme against Othello, he seeks the assistance of Roderigo, who is deeply in love with Desdemona. The ti...
Despite the negative foregrounding of Othello’s character by Iago, our first impressions of Othello in Act 1 are of a noble and well-spoken man, his nobility is conveyed through his speech ‘most potent grave and reverend signiors’(1.3.76) to his future father-in-law Brabantio of Othello’s love for his daughter Desdemona in Act 1 Scene 3. This is a very different character to what we expect from Iago’s preparation for the introduction of Othello. Where we are expecting an angry and possibly violent character, we instead are met with something completely surprising, a quiet and calm man who dismisses Roderigo’s insult and even avoids the prospect of a conflict.
Othello, the central character of William Shakespeare's play is an excellent leader but a poor reasoner and foolish lover. The tragedy of `Othello' is largely due to Othello's personality and life experience. Othello believes himself to be loved and respected by everyone around him as most people refer to him as the "noble General Othello". Othello, after realizing his tragic mistake of murdering his innocent wife, Desdemona, claims he "loved not wisely, but too well", this is an honest reflection of himself as his love was true and pure but also foolish. His lack of wisdom is because of his little experience in personal relationship and his role as a noble solider. Othello did love too well and it is shown right through the play as he displays his love for Desdemona but also his ignorant trust and love for Iago, his Ancient. Only knowing a soldier's life, Othello was unwise in relationships and love.
The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello’s character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello’s motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end.
The Development of the Character of Othello as Shown by his Use of Language and Imagery in William Shakespeare's Play