Othello 9

A detailed Summary of Othello 9

In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits, which make him seem naive and unsophisticated, compared to many other people. This is why Iago, is able to manipulate him so easily. Iago told Roderigo, "O,sir, content you. I follow him to serve my turn upon him "(I, i lines 38-9). Iago is saying, he only follows Othello to a point, and upon reaching it he will not follow him any longer. This is the first sign of how deceitful Iago will be. Iago has his own evil agenda in mind and he will use his reputation of being "honest Iago" to influence Othello.

The Moor, as many Venetians call him, is of strong character. He is very proud and in control of every move throughout the play. The control is not only of power, but also of the sense of his being who he is, a great warrior. In Act I, Othello has runs into Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before anything could happen Othello said, "Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter" (I, ii, lines 80-3). The power shown here is quite astounding. The nature of Othello's character is of a dark man. A dark man, not only because he is black, but also because his wh

That is the kind of response one would expect from the character that Othello is portrayed as, he causally dismisses any thought that Desdemona would cheat on him. However, he follows that statement by saying "This fellow's of exceeding honesty, And knows all qualities with a learned spirit of human dealings." Just as Iago has planned, Othello is having second thoughts within moments of dismissing the possibility that Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio.

Or do but lift this arm, the best of you

I would to heaven he were" (IV, i, lines 270-2).

"Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to see:

After realizing he had been tricked into believing the lies of Iago, Othello could not handle the anguish of knowing he had murdered his wife for jealousy instead of for justice. This devastation in Othello's character brought the strong warrior back into the scene. At this point, he becomes his own judge, jury, and executioner. He tells the people around him "I have done the state some service and the know't. I pray you in your letters that When you shall these unlucky deeds relate speak of me as I am nothing extenuate" he continues to say

My blood begins my safer guides to rule,

What he might be (if, what he might, he is not)

The control over any situation is one Othello's strong characteristics. Through the whole first act you can picture a powerful man with natural leadership ability, which makes it hard to believe that he would go to extremes because he is jealous. For example, when Lodovico had witnessed Othello hit Desdemona, he said:

When Othello has been fed information about Desdemona's infidelity from Iago in Act III scene iii, he cannot take any more so he asks Iago to leave in which he does. Upon returning, Iago continues to enforce his previous statements and Othello seems not bothered for he replies, "Fear not my government" (III, iii, 256).

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1412
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English