Othello

A detailed Summary of Othello

The persona of Othello in Shakespeare's tragic play Othello is the embodiment of a number of character traits from other characters within the work. Shakespeare's cunning use of personal motivations and individuality allowed the playwright to create a complex personality for each character culminating in varying degrees in Othello himself.

As Othello's ensign, Iago is the main protagonist to his superior. Iago has a deep-seated resentment towards Othello stemming originally from Othello's choice of Cassio as his lieutenant. In choosing Cassio, Othello passes over Iago creating a schism in Iago's loyalty to Othello. This may not have been the first embarrassment for Iago. In the first scene we encounter an exchange between Iago and Rodgerio. Rodgerio is in love with Desdemona and has given money to Iago to broker a relationship between them. Rodgerio discovers that Othello has eloped with his love and Iago has no knowledge of the marriage. This in itself allows the reader to perceive Othello's lack of confidence in his ensign, a fact that grates on Iago enough to make him proclaim his hatred for Othello in a later soliloquy.

Iago has a reputation for honesty and loyalty but he uses it for dishonest purposes. He holds himself

All five main characters, Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Cassio and Rodgerio fall prey to the passions that underlie their lives. Othello's calm and judicial attitude is overshadowed by his impulsive decisions, which through out the play causes his self-control to disintegrate. Desdemona's caring innocent temperament is overshadowed by her ignorance to that which will eventually harm her and cause her ultimate death. Cassio's respectful desire to be a courteous and good companion to Othello and Desdemona is overshadowed by his lack of self-control due to Iago's forced drinking and his impatience. Rodgerio's passion for Desdemona is overshadowed by his unwarranted trust in the value of his money and Iago. Iago's intelligence and truthful reputation is overshadowed by his cynicism and jealousy.

in high-esteem, takes the utmost delight in his own malevolence and appears driven to prove that he can use his wits to outsmart anyone. Cynicism serves Iago well. He constantly refers to those he considers beneath him as animals, especially when discussing their sexuality. It is possible that Iago has garnered the nom de plume of "Honest Iago" because of the way he presents himself. He is ironic, sarcastic and scoffs at any idea that he considers overstated. In general Iago appears to be a gentleman who rules his life by common sense and sound reasoning. Despite his public appearance, Iago's keen sense of superiority and his love of exerting the power that he feels has been stripped from him, is his true motivation to undo Othello. By Othello's actions Iago feels forced to rationalize his malice towards his leader by creating circumstances that are obviously false but that serve his means. Iago uses his passion and intelligence as fuel for his jealousy of Othello. For Iago, the world consists of varying shades of grey, which allows him to manipulate those around him using their own sense of right and wrong.

Othello's lieutenant, Cassio is a trusting individual who is known to be a great tactician, despite his apparent aberration of personal conflict, and he is also acknowledged to be a great mathematician. His intelligence appears bookish though his charm and handsome appearance makes him a favorite with women. Additionally, in the opening scene the reader encounters Cassio over imbibing at Iago's behest and is given a warning by Othello not to allow matters to get out of hand. This moment plants the seed of doubt in Othello. Cassio has a lack of self-control and an impatience that causes him to lose his posi

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Approximate Word count = 1696
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English