In addition to shakespeareguru’s points, I might add that the discourse between Montano and the two gentlemen helps to establish Othello as a respected general. The men are obviously concerned for Othello’s safety, as Othello has travelled through the same waters that shipwrecked the Turkish fleet.

Context: While Montano and two other gentlemen discuss the severity of the storm and how they have never witnessed anything like it, a third gentleman enters the frame and informs them of the destruction of the Turkish fleet because of the terrible storm.

Montano is the Governor of Cyprus. He sends news to the Venetian Senate of the Turkish advance towards the island. Esteemed by the Duke, he is however not considered as great a soldier as Othello, whom they send to replace him for the crisis.

Lodovico and Gratiano enter the street at the cries for help. Lodovico’s comment “Let’s think’t unsafe / To come into the cry without more help” suggests the danger that exists. Their presence also provides an “audience” for Iago’s scenario to cast off all suspicion from himself. 4.

Gratiano reveals that Brabantio has died of grief. When Iago is captured, what does Othello call him and what does he do? Othello calls him a devil and he wounds Iago.

Iago

Because of this Iago is enabled to persuade Othello to think of Desdemona as a whore. The tragic irony is sharpened by the fact that Desdemona is really the whore’s antithesis. She is not merely faithful but immaculate: she lives and dies a virgin.

Iago is furious about being overlooked for promotion and plots to take revenge against his General; Othello, the Moor of Venice. Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife Desdemona is unfaithful, stirring Othello’s jealousy. Othello allows jealousy to consume him, murders Desdemona, and then kills himself.

Othello’s suicide serves as a kind of trial in which he decides on and enacts a punishment for his crime of killing Desdemona. In his final speech, he explains how he hopes to be remembered, saying “When you shall these unlucky deed relate / Speak of me as I am” (5.2.).

Emilia, aware that she is near death, recalls Desdemona’s prophetic “Willow Song,” a bit of which she sings. She reaffirms the innocence of her mistress just before she dies and concludes: “She lov’d thee, cruel Moor” (249).

She ends up sacrificing her life so that Desdemona won’t be remembered as a “whore.” Iago kills Emilia as payback for unmasking him, but Emilia dies proud that she set the record straight.

Othello is a trusting, honest person who expects that his own good character, if embodied clearly and earnestly, will save him from others’ prejudice. He demonstrates this belief in the first act; presenting himself so nakedly in the name of justice and common sense will be his great misstep.

Would Desdemona seriously incline. She gave me for my pains a world of sighs. She swore, in faith, ’twas strange, ’twas passing strange, ‘Twas pitiful, ’twas wondrous pitiful.

Iago was also jealous of Othello which is why he plotted to have him killed. Iago felt that Othello was not suitable to be in charge and wanted it for himself. Iago was so jealous that he didn’t care who died as long as he got what he wanted.

Othello is essentially a good man. From early in the play we learn that he is a trusted soldier and a loving husband who remains calm under pressure and is held in high regard in Venice.

Othello is a tragic hero because he is noble, he suffers from a fatal tragic flaw and he goes through a tragic downfall. All these traits that Othello exhibits lead him to be known as one of the most well-known tragic heroes in all of literature.

Othello is the actual villain. Even though he initially lacks any malicious thoughts and ideas, he eventually gets to become a murderer due to emotionally untrustworthy and jealousy.

Iago was envious of Othello Othello was deceived by Iago who took advantage of him and his mental state. Othello is innocent and Iago is guilty. Othello testifies he would have killed the “lovers” for the unfaithfullness which proves mood changes.

She had made herself guilty of deception, of a gross breach of her duty towards him, unless, as flashes upon him, she has been the victim of witchcraft.

Who is responsible for Desdemona’s death? To start off with, Othello himself is the most to blame since he was the one who physically strangled his wife. He admits this when he says “Twas I that killed her” to Emilia at the end of the play.

Desdemona’s innocence is part of her undoing because she never stops to think about how her behavior might appear to someone who is viewing it with suspicion. Instead she assumes that everyone will see her integrity and purity.

Desdemona speaks with Cassio. Desdemona is a young Venetian noble woman who has secretly married Othello. She fell in love with him as she listened to stories of his adventures and chooses to go with him to Cyprus. She is friendly with Cassio and promises to help him get his job back when he loses it for fighting.

Desdemona has been criticised as a two dimensional character who is simply too good to be true; a paragon of virtue who embodies everything that is pure and true in humanity.

In the beginning of the play, Desdemona was a strong woman who defied traditional Venetian beliefs, but as the story goes on, her strength is weakened, and her relationship with her husband diminishes. Her independence slowly shifts over to obedience.

Desdemona is a strong and independent woman. She spoke for her herself, refused to be crushed under the feet of patriarchy. However, her position as a woman made her vulnerable. Though she asserted her individual personality but under the impact of a male dominant society she could not exercise her freedom.

Desdemona never cheats on Othello. She loves him and is faithful to him. Iago manipulates Othello through lies and innuendo into thinking that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.

She is indeed, far from perfect and is not without Faults, but she wins the profound admiration and deep sympathy of the reader and fascinates him by her various qualities and graces. Desdemona is the only daughter of Brabantio, a senator. She is young, tender of age, never bold and extremely shy.

At the end of Othello, Desdemona seems to be the most passive kind of victim. Smothered, deprived of breath and of words by her husband, she is totally overwhelmed by Othello’s insane jealousy and physical strength. Unfortunately, Iago recognizes Desdemona’s forthrightness and uses it against her.

Though Othello says that he is not accomplished as a public speaker (‘Rude am I in my speech’), the speech strikes one as that of a person who does have oratorical skills and who knows how to be persuasive with words. It is chiefly sentence structure and rhythms which create this impression.

When one considers the play Othello, Othello stands out as the tragic hero. Desdemona is a tragic heroine because her suffering is not proportional to her mistakes, she is overcome by forces she cannot control, and she is sacrificed for the benefit of others. …