In the tragedy Othello, by William Shakespeare the character traits and styles of both Iago and Othello are reverent to the plot and themes of the play. In Act III Scene three, the discussion between the two regarding Desdemona's fidelity illustrates Othello's confidence in his relationships with both his wife Desdemona and Iago. That same passage also displays the deceptive conscience of Iago, who is planning to take advantage of Othello's trust. Othello in particular is the most famous example of William Shakespeare's ability to form characters like no one else. Combined with his imagination, Shakespeare's literary style brings to life literature's most complex tragic characters. Both the theme and plot of Othello revolve around the literary content in conversations like the one chosen.

             In Act III scene three, the audience is assured that Othello has utter trust in both his wife Desdemona and his good friend Iago because he speaks with such confidence in them. Othello's confident style of speech is an example of Shakespeare's talented use of tragic irony. Through the use of his confident language Othello proclaims that his wife " had eyes and chose " ( 2135 ) him because she loved him. He boasts to Iago that these infidelity suspicions are " exsufflicate and blowed " ( 2135 ) ; blown out of proportion. The issue of race surfaces when Shakespeare inserts a hint of animal imagery by having the Moor compare himself to a goat. Earlier in the play, Iago refers to Othello as a " black ram " and at this point Othello himself suggests that he would merely be a" goat " if Iago's supposition is true. The language and style of Othello's speech is so confident that one could interpret it as being arrogant. The language of this speech is ironic because consequently Othello does lose his sensibility and is controlled by Iago as if he were just as animal. Historically speaking, Othello's language is ironic because he is the " Moor ", and in Elizabethan England should be spoken to with such authority.