Othello Characters - eNotes.com Othello Characters link Link Othello Othello (oh-THEHL-oh), a Moorish general in the service of Venice. A romantic and heroic warrior with a frank and honest nature, he has a weakness that makes him vulnerable to Iago’s diabolic temptation. He becomes furiously jealous of his innocent wife and his loyal lieutenant. His character decays, and he connives with Iago to have his lieutenant murdered. Finally, he decides to execute his wife with his own hands. After killing her, he learns of her innocence, and he judges and executes himself. Iago Iago (ee-AH-goh), Othello’s ancient (ensign), a satirical malcontent who is envious of the appointment of Michael Cassio to the position of Othello’s lieutenant. He at least pretends to suspect his wife Emilia of having an illicit affair with the Moor. A demi-devil, as Othello calls him, he destroys Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo, his own wife, and himself.

He is William Shakespeare’s most consummate villain, perhaps sketched in several of Shakespeare’s other characters: Aaron the Moor in Titus Andronicus, Richard of Gloucester in Henry VI and Richard III, and Don John in Much Ado About Nothing. He is echoed in Edmund in King Lear and Iachimo in Cymbeline. He contains strong elements of the Devil and the Vice in the medieval morality plays. Desdemona Desdemona (dehz-dee-MOH-nuh), the daughter of Brabantio and wife of Othello. An innocent, idealistic, and romantic girl, she gives her love completely to her warrior husband. In her fear and shock at his violent behavior, she lies to him about her lost handkerchief, thus convincing him of her guilt. Even when she is dying, she tries to protect him from her kinsmen. Other characters can be judged by their attitude toward her. Emilia Emilia (ee-MIHL-ee-uh), Iago’s plainspoken wife. Intensely loyal to her mistress, Desdemona, she is certain that some malicious villain has belied her to the Moor. She does not suspect that her husband is that villain until too late to save her mistress.

She is unwittingly the cause of Desdemona’s death; when she finds the lost handkerchief and gives it to Iago, he uses it to inflame the Moor’s insane jealousy. Emilia grows in stature throughout the play and reaches tragic dignity when she refuses to remain silent about Iago’s villainy, even though her speaking the truth costs her her life. Her dying words, clearing Desdemona of infidelity, drive Othello to his self-inflicted death. Michael Cassio Michael Cassio (KAS-ee-oh), Othello’s lieutenant. Devoted to his commander and Desdemona, he is impervious to Iago’s temptations where either is concerned. He is, however, given to loose living, and his behavior when discussing Bianca with Iago fires Othello’s suspicions, after Iago has made Othello believe they are discussing Desdemona. Cassio’s drinking on duty and becoming involved in a brawl lead to his replacement by Iago. He escapes the plot of Iago and Othello to murder him, and he succeeds Othello as governor of Cyprus.

Brabantio Brabantio (brah-BAN-shee-oh), a Venetian senator. Infuriated by his daughter’s elopement with the Moor, he appeals to the senate to recover her. Losing his appeal, he publicly casts her off and warns Othello that a daughter who deceives her father may well be a wife who deceives her husband. This warning plants a small seed of uncertainty in Othello’s heart, which Iago waters diligently. Brabantio dies brokenhearted at losing Desdemona and does not learn of her horrible death. Roderigo Roderigo (rod-eh-REE-goh), a young Venetian suitor of Desdemona. The gullible victim of Iago, who promises Desdemona to him, he aids in bringing about the catastrophe and earns a well-deserved violent death, ironically inflicted by Iago. The degradation of Roderigo is in striking contrast to the growth of Cassio. Iago, who makes use of Roderigo, has profound contempt for him. Bianca Bianca (bee-AN-kuh), a courtesan in Cyprus.

Cassio gives her Desdemona’s handkerchief, which Iago has planted in his chambers. She thus serves doubly in rousing Othello’s fury. Montano Montano (mohn-TAH-noh), a former governor of Cyprus. He and Cassio quarrel while drinking (by Iago’s machinations), and Montano is seriously wounded. This event causes Cassio’s removal. Montano recovers and aids in apprehending Iago when his villainy is revealed. Gratiano Gratiano (gray-shee-AH-noh), Brabantio’s brother. He and Lodovico go to Cyprus from Venice and aid in restoring order and destroying Iago. Lodovico Lodovico (loh-doh-VEE-koh), a kinsman of Brabantio. As the man of most authority from Venice, he ends the play after appointing Cassio governor of Cyprus to succeed the self-killed Othello. The clown The clown, a servant of Othello. Among Shakespeare’s clowns, he has perhaps the weakest and briefest role. Start Free Trial Start your free trial with eNotes to access more than 30,000 study guides.

Get help with any book. Brabantio in Othello: Character Analysis & Quotes | Study.com Brabantio in Othello: Character Analysis & Quotes Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today Instructor: John Gonzales John has 20+ years experience teaching at the college level in areas that include English and American literature, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course. Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard. From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard. Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective.

Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course. Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to assign. Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the entire course. This lesson presents an analysis of the character Brabantio, father of Desdemona and Senator of Venice in Shakespeare's 'Othello.' You will see how Brabantio expresses his attitudes toward his daughter and her husband. Considering Overly Concerned Fathers You've probably seen a television show or movie recently that featured the comically neurotic father of a cherished daughter who decides to marry. No one is good enough for his baby, and being his son-in-law, or worse yet, prospective son-in-law, means navigating a minefield of suspicion and disapproval. These overprotective fathers have been played by such Hollywood heavy-hitters as Bruce Willis and Robert De Niro.

Who knew that William Shakespeare was already using this motif well before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth? In Othello, Desdemona's father Brabantio also demonstrates the excesses of an overprotective father; however, Shakespeare uses this character to advance tragic rather than comic themes. Brabantio's possessiveness and bigotry set the tone for the play and reinforce some of its key themes. Brabantio as a Father Brabantio, father of Desdemona, unwilling father-in-law of Othello, appears in all three scenes of Act I of the play. When Brabantio is introduced, it is easy to sympathize with him. He is woken in the first scene by panicked shouts of 'Thieves' in the dead of night. Once he achieves a bit of clarity, he discovers Roderigo at the door, and says: 'I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors: In honest plainness thou hast heard me say My daughter is not for thee;' Brabantio doesn't realize that he is being intentionally manipulated by Iago and Roderigo. The audience does know what the character doesn't, however, making it an instance of dramatic irony.

The two seem to realize that he has a fiery temper and aim to exploit that along with his possessive love of his daughter in an attempt to discredit and undermine Othello. So what do we know about Brabantio as a possessive father? His caustic attitude toward Roderigo could be seen as an automatic response to any of Desdemona's suitors showing up under such circumstances, and he is equally insulting toward Iago, who accompanies Roderigo. They urge him to check for himself whether Desdemona is in her bedroom. He exits to check on his daughter and soon returns, distraught to realize that Othello, in a sense, truly has stolen Desdemona away by eloping with her. Brabantio as a character is every bit the overprotective father, but in some ways he represents the pull of youth on Desdemona as well. He doesn't seem to recognize her capacity for entering into a mature relationship with a man, and keeps her trapped in perpetual childhood.

By bringing her into the adult institution of marriage, Othello is not only a thief, but almost a child molester, who has 'Abused her delicate youth.' Brabantio is obviously agitated when he learns the truth, and rapidly shifts from blaming Desdemona to grasping at wild explanations. He first refers to the elopement as 'treason of the blood' but immediately pounces upon an alternative that will help him preserve his image of his daughter, even if it means forging an alliance with Roderigo: 'Is there not charms No Fear Shakespeare: Othello: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 Othello The play’s protagonist and hero. Othello is the highly respected general of the armies of Venice, although he is not a native of Venice but rather a Moor, or North African. He is an eloquent and powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, Othello is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his self-consciousness about being a racial and cultural outsider.

He possesses a free and open nature that his ensign Iago exploits to twist Othello’s love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy. Desdemona The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in some ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy. Iago Othello’s ensign (a senior position also known as “ancient” or “standard-bearer”), a twenty-eight-year-old military veteran from Venice. Iago is the villain of the play. Although he is obsessive, relentless, bold, and ingenius in his efforts to manipulate and deceive the other characters—particularly Othello—Iago’s motivations are notoriously murky.

At various points in the play, he claims to be motivated by different things: resentment that Othello passed him over for a promotion in favor of Michael Cassio; jealousy because he heard a rumor that Othello slept with Iago’s wife, Emilia; suspicion that Cassio slept with Emilia too. Iago gives the impression that he’s tossing out plausible motivations as he thinks of them, and that we’ll never understand what really drives his villainy. He hates women and is obsessed with other people’s sex lives. Michael Cassio Othello’s lieutenant, or second-in-command. Cassio is highly educated but young and inexperienced in battle. Iago resents Cassio’s high position and dismisses him as a bookkeeper. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and flirtatious manner with women to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity. Emilia Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, Emilia is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.

Roderigo A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona. Bianca A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage but laughs at her behind her back. Brabantio Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabantio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret. Duke of Venice The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to make Othello tell his story of how he wooed Desdemona, and then to send Othello to Cyprus. Montano The governor of Cyprus before Othello.

We see Montano first in Act Two, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships. Lodovico One of Brabantio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act Four with letters announcing that Cassio is to replace Othello as governor. Graziano Brabantio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the play’s final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died. Clown Othello’s servant. Although the clown appears only in two short scenes, his jokes reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in Act Three, scene 4, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion of two meanings of that word in Act Four, scene 1. Characters: Othello — Utah Shakespeare Festival Characters: Othello Characters: Othello Duke of Venice: In hearing Brabatio’s accusations against Othello, the duke of Venice realizes that Desdemona, indeed, loves Othello and wisely counsels Brabantio to accept the Moor as his son-in-law.

He also sends Othello to Cyprus to command the island’s defense against the Turks. Brabantio: Desdemona’s father and probably a racist, Brabantio objects to his daughter’s marriage to Othello because of his race and his lower social position. In Brabantio’s eyes, eligible suitors for Desdemona would probably have been limited to sons of no more than fifty families of the Venetian aristocracy. Gratiano: A noble Venetian, Gratiano is a brother of Brabantio. Lodovico: Another noble Venetian, Lodovico is a kinsman to Brabantio. Othello: A Christian Moor who is fighting as a hired general for the city of Venice, Othello is noble, proud, and ultimately jealous. By secretly marrying Desdemona, he incurs the wrath of her father—which is soothed somewhat when the duke rules in Othello’s favor. However, when he incurs the wrath of Iago, partly because he passed over him in granting promotions and partly because of Iago’s dark nature, his life begins to come apart.

He eventually murders his wife and kills himself, all because of Iago’s misinformation and that “green-eyed monster,” jealousy. Cassio: Othello’s lieutenant, Cassio was promoted to that position even though Iago had coveted it for some time. Thus, he becomes one of Iago’s many enemies and dupes; and Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is Desdemona’s lover. Iago: Othello’s villainous ensign, Iago is ambitious and evil and, as the play opens, swears eternal revenge on Othello for promoting Cassio to the army position he had hoped for. To do so, he convinces Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is untrue to him. He is a master at manipulating appearances so that they seem real, and everyone about him accepts him as the standard of sanity and blunt common sense, as “honest Iago.” He is usually considered Shakespeare’s most genuine villain. Roderigo: Desdemona’s rejected suitor, Roderigo becomes one of Iago’s dupes as he works his treachery. Montano: The governor of Cyprus, Montano is a trusted and valiant servant of the duke of Venice.

Clown: A servant of Othello Desdemona: The “gentle” daughter of Brabantio and the “true and loving” wife of Othello, Desdemona represents the ideal of womanhood. She is captivated by Othello’s strength and charm and secretly marries him, only to be trapped in Iago’s web of deceit and murdered by her misled husband. Emilia: The wife of Iago and the personal maid of Desdemona, Emilia is also unwittingly manipulated by Iago to bring about his villainy. Bianca: Cassio’s mistress Free College Essays - The Father/Daughter Conflict in Shakespeare's Othello :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello Free College Essays - The Father/Daughter Conflict in Shakespeare's Othello Length: 481 words (1.4 double-spaced pages) Rating: Excellent Open Document Othello: The Father/Daughter Conflict Brabantio, father of Desdemona in William Shakespeare's "Othello," is not happy that his daughter is marrying the title character. This father/daughter conflict impacts the work significantly by foreshadowing the climax, giving antagonist Iago material for his evil plot.

Brabantio is a Venetian Senator with definite ideas on the subject of his daughter . He wants to choose a husband for her who he feels is of her caliber and who can provide her a good life, as well as raise the family's esteem in Venetian society. At that time, this was his right as Desdemona's father. Then, when life expectancy was short, Brabantio would have wanted a son of a rich house who could inherit the family wealth, and was only a couple years older than his daughter, so she would not be widowed or have to return to her father's dependence. Desdemona acts contrary to these plans by choosing to marry Othello who is a Moor, not a Venetian, which automatically lowers his stature. He is also an army general; he does not have a lot of money, only some prestige. In addition, he is old - he could be Desdemona's father nearly; in fact, he is Brabantio's friend. Army life would keep him (and her) out of Venice, and prevent Brabantio from seeing his daughter, or future grandchildren. Consequently, Brabantio is extremely upset when he learns that they have eloped.

Brabantio's anger at Othello's "thievery" leads him to entreat the Duke and Senate to annul the marriage. It is also true that the scene involving Iago and Roderigo telling Brabantio of his daughter's eloping does much to develop the character of Iago as a meddling weasel early in the book. The scene in which Othello and Brabantio argue their cases before the Duke is the culmination of the underlying conflict between Desdemona and Brabantio. Desdemona's direct part in the saga is less important than the effects of this conflict on Othello, who emerges an honorable and lawfully wedded man after his appearance before the Senate. However, the dubious nature of the marriage is to cause conflict later in the story, as Brabantio effectively disowns Desdemona and gives fuel to the gossip machine. Several times the fact that Othello stole Desdemona is given as proof that she can be stolen from him. How to Cite this Page MLA Citation: Othello Act I Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver Act I, scene i: Venice. A street.

Summary Othello begins in the city of Venice, at night; Roderigo is having a discussion with Iago , who is bitter about being passed up for a military post. Though Iago is seasoned in battle, Cassio , a man of strategy but little practical experience, was named Othello's lieutenant. Iago says that he only serves Othello to further himself, and makes shows of his allegiance only for his own gain; he is playing false, and admits that his nature is not at all what it seems. Iago is aware that Desdemona , the daughter of Brabantio , a Venetian nobleman of some stature, has run off with Othello, the black warrior of the Moors. Brabantio knows nothing of this coupling; Iago decides to enlist Roderigo, who lusts after Desdemona, to awaken Brabantio with screams that his daughter is gone. At first, Brabantio dismisses these cries in the dark; but when he realizes his daughter is not at home, he gives the news some credence.

Though Roderigo speaks to Brabantio, Iago is there too, hidden, yelling unsavory things about Othello and his intentions toward Desdemona. Brabantio panics, and calls for a search party to find Desdemona. Iago leaves, not wanting anyone to find out that he betrayed his own leader. Analysis The relationship between Roderigo and Iago is obviously somewhat close. Iago "hast had [Roderigo's] purse as if the strings were thine"; the metaphor shows how much trust Roderigo has in Iago, and also how he uses Iago as a confidante (I.i.2-3). Does Iago share the same kind of feeling? As far as Roderigo knows, Iago is his friend, but Iago reveals his manipulative nature in this first scene. Iago trusts Roderigo with the knowledge that he serves Othello only to achieve his own goals. It is thus ironic that after Iago's lengthy confession of duplicity, Roderigo still does not suspect anything untoward in his request. Appearance vs.

reality is a crucial theme in Iago's story; throughout the play, he enacts a series of roles, from advisor to confidante, and appears to be helping people though he is only acting out of his twisted self-interest. Iago seems to do a great deal of character analysis and exposition for the audience. "These fellows" that flatter for their own purposes "have some soul," Iago says (I.i.54). Contrary to his underhanded self-flattery, Iago seems to have no soul; he never repents, never lets up with his schemes, and never seems to tire of the damage he causes. His statement, "In following [Othello] I follow but myself" emphasizes that he is acting completely out of his own self-interest (I.i.58). Iago will thus hide his motivations and convey only falsehood. If he were to "wear [his] heart upon [his] sleeve", he would be torn apart (I.i.64). Honesty would destroy him. Even when he is at his most honest, in this scene with Roderigo, Iago misrepresents just how evil he truly is.

Iago parallels another Shakespearean character, Richard III , in his self-awareness of his villainous character, and lack of remorse and use of false representations. In this first scene, Iago has foreshadowed the great deceptions that he will engineer. Already, the racial issues and themes at the core of Othello are beginning to surface. When Roderigo refers to Othello, he calls him "the thicklips", using a synecdoche that highlights only Othello's foreignness and belies Roderigo's distrust of Othello based solely on his color (I.i.66). Roderigo and Iago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to Othello; racism is a pervasive theme within the work, one that is evident even from the first scene of the play. Another element that surfaces repeatedly in the play is the use of animal imagery; "an old black ram is topping your white ewe," Iago yells to Brabantio from the street (I.i.88-9). Animal imagery is used to convey immorality, or, here, a bestial desire or illicit passion.

Iago later compares Othello to a "Barbary horse" coupling with Desdemona, reinforcing a lustful picture of Othello (I.i.111). Iago's statement is doubly potent, since it not only condemns Othello for his alleged lust, but also plays on Brabantio's misgivings about Othello's color, and outsider status. The juxtaposition of black and white, in connection with the animal imagery, is meant to make this image very repellent, and to inflame Brabantio to anger and action. Iago especially mentions the devil many times in the text, beginning in the first scene. He implies Othello is devil-like, with his lust, indiscretion, and strangeness to Venice; the irony is that Iago is so quick to make others out to be evil, when it is he who is the center of blackness and foul deeds in the play. The devil often takes disguises, just as Iago does. The setting of night is important to the play. Like in the first scene of Hamlet, the darkness introduces a eerie feel, and a certain disorder rules over the proceedings.

With Brabantio's call for light, there is a corresponding call for some kind of order; darkness vs. light and order vs. disorder are important juxtapositions within the play. This theme will appear again at the end, as the play returns to darkness, and also to chaos. Act I, scene ii: Another street. Summary Iago has now joined Othello, and has told him about Roderigo's betrayal of the news of his marriage to Brabantio. He tells Othello that Brabantio is upset, and will probably try to tear Desdemona from him. Cassio comes at last, as do Roderigo and Brabantio; Iago threatens Roderigo with violence, again making a false show of his loyalty to Othello. Brabantio is very angry, swearing that Othello must have bewitched his daughter, and that the state will not decide for him in this case. Othello says that the Duke must hear him and decide in his favor, or all is far from right in Venice. Analysis Iago continues his deliberate misrepresentation, swearing to Othello that he could have killed Roderigo for his actions.

Iago is a very skilled actor; he is able to successfully present a contrary appearance, and get away with it. Iago alludes to Janus, the two-faced god, in his conversation with Othello. Since Iago himself is two-faced, Janus seems to be a fitting figure for Iago to invoke. Iago's duplicity is again exhibited in this scene as his tone swings from friendly to backbiting as soon as Othello steps away, and then back to friendliness when Othello returns. Whereas Iago pretended to be supportive of Othello's marriage to Desdemona, when Cassio enters, he uses a rather uncomplimentary metaphor to describe the coupling. "He tonight hath boarded a land carack," Iago tells Cassio; his diction and choice of metaphor make Othello into some kind of pirate, stealing Desdemona's love, while reducing Desdemona into a mere prize (I.ii.50). But, this tone is carefully calculated; Iago will soon want Cassio to think of Desdemona as an object to be taken, and to believe Othello to be less honorable than he is.

Othello's pride first becomes visible here; he is exceptionally proud of his achievements and his public stature, and pride is an overarching theme of Othello's story. He is also proud of Desdemona's affection for him, which leads him to overstate their bond; he would not give her up "for the seas' worth," (l.ii.28). Othello is very confident in his position, and in the respect he commands; if the leaders of the city decide to deny a worthy man like him his marriage to Desdemona, then he believes "bondslaves and pagans shall our statesmen be" (I.ii.99). This statement illustrates Othello's faith in the state and in the Duke's regard for him. Again, the issue of race comes to the fore, as Brabantio confronts Othello about his marriage to Desdemona. Desdemona never would have "run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of a thing such as thou," Brabantio says (l.ii.70-71).

Brabantio assumes that Desdemona must have been "enchanted" to marry Othello because she could not desire a Moor. Brabantio ignores all of Othello's good qualities, allowing only for his prejudice to influence his judgment. Magic is another recurring theme, and here it is linked to stereotypes of Africans as purveyors of black arts or paganism. During the time period when Othello was written, there were in fact free blacks in England, however, racism was even more pronounced in Shakespeare's England than it is in the play. A person like Othello could not have risen to such ranks in England at the time. Othello manages to avoid stereotyping more effectively than other Shakespearean characters, like Shylock, who represents the anti-Semitic views of his time. Though Othello is constantly confronted by stereotypes, he manages to evade them through his nobility and individuality. Act I, scene iii: A council-chamber. Summary It is reported that Turkish ships are heading towards Cyprus to challenge the Venetian stronghold of the island. Defensive actions will be necessary.

Brabantio and Othello meet with the senators who are discussing the battle, and Brabantio announces his grievance against Othello for marrying his daughter. Othello addresses the company, admitting that he did marry Desdemona, but wooed her with stories and not witchcraft. Desdemona comes to speak, and she confirms Othello's words; Brabantio's grievance is denied, and Desdemona will indeed stay with Othello. Othello is called away to Cyprus and he begs that Desdemona be able to go with him, since they have been married for so little time. Othello and Desdemona win their appeal, and Desdemona is to stay with Iago, until she can come to Cyprus and meet Othello there. Jealous Roderigo is upset that Desdemona and Othello's union is allowed to stand. But Iago assures him that the match will not last long, and at any time, Desdemona could come rushing to him. Iago wants to break up the couple, using Roderigo as his pawn. Analysis Brabantio again accuses Othello of bewitching his daughter, and airs his racially-charged grievances.

He believes nature has made some mistake. Brabantio likens his grief to a flood that "engluts and swallows other sorrows, and is still itself" (I.iii.57-58). His strong objection foreshadows a confrontation between him and his daughter, and if Desdemona does choose to stay with Othello, it seems likely she will risk her father's love. Othello's appointment to Cyprus marks the true beginning of his tragedy; for, when he is away from Venice, a place of familiarity, order, and law, Othello will be much more vulnerable to Iago's vicious attacks. This battle between order and chaos is a theme running throughout the play, and as Othello sinks deeper into distrust of Desdemona and is consumed by his jealousy, chaos increases and threatens to devour him. The Duke's words of advice to Othello and Desdemona foretell trouble between the couple if they do not let grievances go, which indeed contributes to Othello's fall. Here, the change of the verse into couplets signals the importance of the advice being offered.

The words of the Duke, and Brabantio's words that follow, are emphasized by this technique; the reader is notified, through the couplet rhyme, which hasn't appeared before in the text, that these are words that must be marked. Although Othello pretends to be poorly spoken, the only magic he possesses is in his power of language. His language shows his pride in his achievements, and also allows him to make himself into a kind of hero. Othello portrays himself as a tested, honorable warrior, and indeed is such. However, this view of himself will prove troublesome when he is unable to acknowledge his jealousy and lust; his inability to reconcile himself with these two aspects of his personality means that his comeuppance is almost certain. Pride goes before his fall. Othello's speech before the assembly shows what he believes Desdemona's love to be; he thinks that Desdemona's affection is a form of hero-worship, and she loves him for the stories he tells, and the things he has done. He believes it is his allusions to strange peoples and places, like the "Anthropophagi," that fascinate her, and this youthful fascination forms the core of her affections.

Indeed, his powers of language successfully win the Duke over, and soften Brabantio's disapproval. Light and dark are again juxtaposed in the Duke's declaration to Brabantio: "if virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black" (I.iii.290-291). Here, black is associated with ugliness, sin, and darkness, and, by extension, blacks are assumed to embody these traits. The Duke plays down Othello's race, saying he is more "fair" - light or just - than "black". This does not mean the Duke is forward-thinking, only that he can vouch for Othello, who does not seem to have the characteristics of his race. It's a backhanded compliment. Light/white/fairness all convey innocence, goodness, etc.; any symbol that is white has these qualities. The juxtaposition of black and white, light and dark shows up again and again in the play, as the colors become symbolic within the story.

Because Iago is a very good judge of human nature, he is able to manipulate others with ease - and, this cleverness also means that he is a source of wisdom in the play, no matter how wickedly he chooses to use this knowledge. Iago tells Roderigo, "Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners" (I.iii.322-323). Iago knows one can choose to cultivate vice or virtue. Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio do have vices that they allow to grow in themselves, but they also have aspects of themselves which balance these vices out. Iago's knowledge of this allows him to do away with this balance and set chaos into motion, which leads to tragedy. Here, Iago's purpose becomes plain; he sees that Othello and Desdemona's marriage is less than solid, and seeks to use his powers to break this marriage apart. Iago is again "honest" about his intent, but only to a person whose involvement will help him greatly.

The words "honest" and "honesty" appear repeatedly in the play, used primarily by Iago, or in reference to him; ironically, Iago is the only person in the play whom Othello trusts to judge who is and is not honest, and the only one whose integrity is not questioned until it is too late. Honesty becomes an important question, and theme, in the story; characters repeatedly ask themselves who is honest, who can be trusted, and Iago indeed plays on their honesty to make them believe falsely. The word "honest" is often used in an ironic context, or to indicate that someone or something cannot be trusted. Under Iago's influence, honesty becomes a difficult liability, and speeds the downfall of many good characters. Brabantio in Othello NEXT Character Analysis Desdemona's father, Brabantio, is a rich and important Venetian politician. He likes Othello and invites him to visit his house a lot—but he never expected Othello to "steal" his daughter. Furthermore, he never believed his darling little girl would marry Othello unless she was drugged or under some kind of spell.

So we know he's a) a misogynist who thinks that women are objects that can be stolen and b) a racist. Chaming guy. Like many Shakespearean fathers (think Baptista Minola from The Taming of the Shrew or Portia's dad, who arranges his daughter's marriage from his grave in The Merchant of Venice ), Brabantio tends to see his daughter as his property, which means that he sees marriage as a potential business transaction. Brabantio's irrational fears about his daughter's interracial marriage make him a central figure in the play's examination of race and sex (which you can read more about in our " Themes " section). Check out this quote: BRABANTIO Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee. (1.3.333-334) Wow: here Brabantio is equating "eloping to get married to a black man" to "cheating on her husband." It's a double whammy of sexism and racism. Brabantio apparently dies of grief after his daughter runs off with Othello. And you know what? We didn't even cry.

Characterisation Brabantio Othello: AS & A2 (I.1.132) and it leads to his death (we are informed that his daughter’s marriage was 'mortal' to him, V.2.203). So why is it perhaps difficult to sympathise with the abused father? Brabantio has not been an unsympathetic parent; he has allowed his daughter to reject suitable matches and holds her in high esteem (his descriptions of Desdemona in the senate scene may not fit with the confident young woman we see when she appears, but Brabantio recognises her virtues). We also understand that there has been domestic harmony in Brabantio’s wealthy home until the elopement occurs: Othello has been entertained often and Brabantio has been a friendly host. The senator is an important man used to commanding; ironically, these are qualities he shares with his son-in-law Othello. We are led to believe that he is a valuable member of the council: the Duke says that he was missed during the discussions about the Turkish invasion.

We might feel, however, that Brabantio is too harsh, even though his pessimism about his daughter’s marriage proves correct; he rejects Desdemona rather brutally when he finds he has been disobeyed and will not accept a black son-in-law. He is materialistic; his use of the word 'jewel' (I.3.196) to describe Desdemona suggests that he regards his daughter as a possession. Brabantio insults Othello when he accuses him of witchcraft, and his warning to the Moor, 'She has deceived her father, and may thee' (I.3.294) strikes a sour note. We might feel that his judgement is questionable; he has failed to recognise his daughter’s true character and also refuses to acknowledge Othello’s worth (unlike the rest of the Venetian senators). His immovable unkindness to the lovers prevents us from feeling for him wholeheartedly. His impatient and dismissive tone with Roderigo in Act I Scene 1 might also count against him; particularly when viewed in relation to his later comment about this failed suitor. It is impossible to believe that Roderigo deserves Desdemona.

Ultimately we might see Brabantio as another of Iago’s victims; his unfavourable view of his son-in-law is perhaps constructed by the ensign. Like all the other characters in the play Brabantio finds it difficult to distinguish between appearances and reality and suffers as a result. Check the film In Parker’s 1995 film Brabantio’s bitter lines ‘She has deceived her father …’ are repeated in flashback late in the play, showing their importance and significance for Othello.

Question: Which Shakespearean character was the daughter of Brabantio?
Answer: Desdemona