SparkNotes: Othello: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Othello Beginning with the opening lines of the play, Othello remains at a distance from much of the action that concerns and affects him. Roderigo and Iago refer ambiguously to a “he” or “him” for much of the first scene. When they begin to specify whom they are talking about, especially once they stand beneath Brabanzio’s window, they do so with racial epithets, not names. These include “the Moor” (I.i.57), “the thick-lips” (I.i.66), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113). Although Othello appears at the beginning of the second scene, we do not hear his name until well into Act I, scene iii (I.iii.48).

Later, Othello’s will be the last of the three ships to arrive at Cyprus in Act II, scene i; Othello will stand apart while Cassio and Iago supposedly discuss Desdemona in Act IV, scene i; and Othello will assume that Cassio is dead without being present when the fight takes place in Act V, scene i. Othello’s status as an outsider may be the reason he is such easy prey for Iago. Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary to the state, and he is an integral part of Venetian civic society. He is in great demand by the duke and senate, as evidenced by Cassio’s comment that the senate “sent about three several quests” to look for Othello (I.ii.46). The Venetian government trusts Othello enough to put him in full martial and political command of Cyprus; indeed, in his dying speech, Othello reminds the Venetians of the “service” he has done their state (V.ii.348).

Those who consider Othello their social and civic peer, such as Desdemona and Brabanzio, nevertheless seem drawn to him because of his exotic qualities. Othello admits as much when he tells the duke about his friendship with Brabanzio. He says, -“[Desdemona’s] father loved me, oft invited me, / Still questioned me the story of my life / From year to year” (I.iii.127–129). -Othello is also able to captivate his peers with his speech. The duke’s reply to Othello’s speech about how he wooed Desdemona with his tales of adventure is: “I think this tale would win my daughter too” (I.iii.170). Othello sometimes makes a point of presenting himself as an outsider, whether because he recognizes his exotic appeal or because he is self-conscious of and defensive about his difference from other Venetians. For example, in spite of his obvious eloquence in Act I, scene iii, he protests, “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” (I.iii.81–82).

While Othello is never rude in his speech, he does allow his eloquence to suffer as he is put under increasing strain by Iago’s plots. In the final moments of the play, Othello regains his composure and, once again, seduces both his onstage and offstage audiences with his words. The speech that precedes his suicide is a tale that could woo almost anyone. It is the tension between Othello’s victimization at the hands of a foreign culture and his own willingness to torment himself that makes him a tragic figure rather than simply Iago’s ridiculous puppet. Iago Possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions. In the first scene, he claims to be angry at Othello for having passed him over for the position of lieutenant (I.i. 7–32). At the end of Act I, scene iii, Iago says he thinks Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia: “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii.369–370).

Iago mentions this suspicion again at the end of Act II, scene i, explaining that he lusts after Desdemona because he wants to get even with Othello “wife for wife” (II.i.286). None of these claims seems to adequately explain Iago’s deep hatred of Othello, and Iago’s lack of motivation—or his inability or unwillingness to express his true motivation—makes his actions all the more terrifying. He is willing to take revenge on anyone—Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo, even Emilia—at the slightest provocation and enjoys the pain and damage he causes. Iago is often funny, especially in his scenes with the foolish Roderigo, which serve as a showcase of Iago’s manipulative -abilities. He seems almost to wink at the audience as he revels in his own skill. As entertained spectators, we find ourselves on Iago’s side when he is with Roderigo, but the interactions between the two also reveal a streak of cowardice in Iago—a cowardice that becomes manifest in the final scene, when Iago kills his own wife (V.ii.231–242).

Iago’s murder of Emilia could also stem from the general hatred of women that he displays. Some readers have suggested that Iago’s true, underlying motive for persecuting Othello is his homosexual love for the general. He certainly seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying marital happiness, and he expresses his love for Othello frequently and effusively. It is Iago’s talent for understanding and manipulating the desires of those around him that makes him both a powerful and a compelling figure. Iago is able to take the handkerchief from Emilia and know that he can deflect her questions; he is able to tell Othello of the handkerchief and know that Othello will not doubt him; he is able to tell the audience, “And what’s he then that says I play the villain,” and know that it will laugh as though he were a clown (II.iii.310). Though the most inveterate liar, Iago inspires all of the play’s characters the trait that is most lethal to Othello: trust. Desdemona Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for.

Arguments that see Desdemona as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority of her first speech (“My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty” [I.iii.179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i.236]). Similarly, critics who argue that Desdemona’s slightly bizarre bawdy jesting with Iago in Act II, scene i, is either an interpolation not written by Shakespeare or a mere vulgarity ignore the fact that Desdemona is young, sexual, and recently married. She later displays the same chiding, almost mischievous wit in Act III, scene iii, lines 61–84, when she attempts to persuade Othello to forgive Cassio. Desdemona is at times a submissive character, most notably in her willingness to take credit for her own murder. In response to Emilia’s question, “O, who hath done this deed?” Desdemona’s final words are, “Nobody, I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell” (V.ii.133–134).

The play, then, depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful wife and as a bold, independent personality. This contradiction may be intentional, meant to portray the way Desdemona herself feels after defending her choice of marriage to her father in Act I, scene iii, and then almost immediately being put in the position of defending her fidelity to her husband. She begins the play as a supremely independent person, but midway through she must struggle against all odds to convince Othello that she is not too independent. The manner in which Desdemona is murdered—smothered by a pillow in a bed covered in her wedding sheets—is symbolic: she is literally suffocated beneath the demands put on her fidelity. Since her first lines, Desdemona has seemed capable of meeting or even rising above those demands. In the end, Othello stifles the speech that made Desdemona so powerful. Tragically, Desdemona is apparently aware of her imminent death. She, not Othello, asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed, and she asks Emilia to bury her in these sheets should she die first.

The last time we see Desdemona before she awakens to find Othello standing over her with murder in his eyes, she sings a song she learned from her mother’s maid: “She was in love; and he proved mad / And did forsake her. She had a song of willow. / . . . / And she died singing it. That song tonight / Will not go from my mind” (IV.iii.27–30). Like the audience, Desdemona seems able only to watch as her husband is driven insane with jealousy. Though she maintains to the end that she is “guiltless,” Desdemona also forgives her husband (V.ii.133). Her forgiveness of Othello may help the audience to forgive him as well. Desdemona and Othello Analysis - Shakespeare Shakespeare An Analysis of Desdemona and Othello's Relationship Othello and Desdemona at the Metropolitan Opera. Getty Images By Lee Jamieson Updated April 14, 2016. At the heart of Shakespeare's Othello is the doomed romance between Desdemona and Othello. This Othello / Desdemona analysis reveals all.

Desdemona Analysis Too often played as a weak character, Desdemona defies her father “But here’s my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord” (Act 1 Scene 3, Line 184-188). This demonstrates her strength and her bravery, her father appears to be a very controlling man but she stands up to him. It is revealed that he has previously warned Roderigo off his daughter “My daughter is not for thee” ( Act 1 Scene 1 , Line 99) and she takes control so that he is unable to speak for her. Desdemona and Othello In marrying a black man, Desdemona also flies in the face of convention and unapologetically faces criticism for her bold choice. As Othello explains, it is Desdemona who pursued him she fell in love with his stories of valour; “These things to hear would Desdemona seriously incline” ( Act 1 Scene 3 , Line 145).

continue reading below our video Shakespeare: Othello Themes This also shows that she is not a submissive, passive character in that she decided she wanted him and she pursued him. Desdemona, unlike her husband, is not insecure, even when called a ‘whore’ she remains loyal to him and resolves to love him despite his misunderstanding of her; she is resolute and tenacious in the face of adversity. On the subject of her relationship with Othello, Desdemona says: That I did love the Moor to live with him, My downright violence and storm of fortunes May trumpet to the world: my heart's subdued Even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othello's visage in his mind, And to his honour and his valiant parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate. So that, dear lords, if I be left behind, A moth of peace, and he go to the war, The rites for which I love him are bereft me, And I a heavy interim shall support By his dear absence. Let me go with him. Desdemona’s Tenacity Her tenacity partly serves as her downfall; she continues to champion Cassio’s cause even when she knows this may cause problems for her.

When she wrongly believes him to be dead, she openly weeps for him as she clearly sets out she has nothing to be ashamed of “I never did Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio” ( Act 5 Scene 2 , Line 63-64). Desdemona’s love for Othello is un-waning “My love doth so approve him That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns – Prithee unpin me – have grace and favour in them” (Act 4 Scene 3, Line 18-20). She bids Othello to do the sensible thing and ask Cassio how he obtained the handkerchief but this is too rational for Othello who has already ordered his murder. Even as Desdemona faces death, she asks Emilia to commend her to her ‘kind lord’. She remains in love with him knowing that he is responsible for her death. Desdemona is one of the only characters early in play, who stands up to Iago ; O fie upon thee slanderer” (Act 2 Scene 1, Line 116). She is astute and bold.

Othello Analysis Othello’s ability to impress is identified when he explains to Brabanzio how Desdemona fell in love with him. So impressed was she with his stories of world travel and bravery that it was she, who instigated their relationship. She, having the choice of many a more suitable match, chooses a man because of his boldness despite his racial difference. It could be argued that she loved him because of his racial difference if she meant to shock her father? Introduction to Shakespeare's Cassio and Emilia from Othello Shakespeare's Characters: Cassio and Emilia (Othello) From Shakespearean Tragedy by A. C. Bradley. London: MacMillan and Co., 1919. The characters of Cassio and Emilia hardly require analysis, and I will touch on them only from a single point of view. In their combination of excellences and defects they are good examples of that truth to nature which in dramatic art is the one unfailing source of moral instruction. Cassio is a handsome, light-hearted, good-natured young fellow, who takes life gaily, and is evidently very attractive and popular.

Othello, who calls him by his Christian name, is fond of him; Desdemona likes him much; Emilia at once interests herself on his behalf. He has warm generous feelings, an enthusiastic admiration for the General, and a chivalrous adoration for his peerless wife. But he is too easy-going. He finds it hard to say No; and accordingly, although he is aware that he has a very weak head, and that the occasion is one on which he is bound to run no risk, he gets drunk�not disgustingly so, but ludicrously so. And, besides, he amuses himself without any scruple by frequenting the company of a woman of more than doubtful reputation, who has fallen in love with his good looks. Moralising critics point out that he pays for the first offence by losing his post, and for the second by nearly losing his life. They are quite entitled to do so, though the careful reader will not forget Iago's part in these transactions. But they ought also to point out that Cassio's looseness does not in the least disturb our confidence in him in his relations with Desdemona and Othello.

He is loose, and we are sorry for it; but we never doubt that there was 'a daily beauty in his life,' or that his rapturous admiration of Desdemona was as wholly beautiful a thing as it appears, or that Othello was perfectly safe when in his courtship he employed Cassio to 'go between' Desdemona and himself. It is fortunately a fact in human nature that these aspects of Cassio's character are quite compatible. Shakespeare simply sets it down; and it is just because he is truthful in these smaller things that in greater things we trust him absolutely never to pervert the truth for the sake of some doctrine or purpose of his own. There is something very lovable about Cassio, with his fresh eager feelings; his distress at his disgrace and still more at having lost Othello's trust; his hero-worship; and at the end his sorrow and pity, which are at first too acute for words. He is carried in, wounded, on a chair. He looks at Othello and cannot speak.

His first words come later when, to Lodovico's question, 'Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?' Othello answers 'Ay.' Then he falters out, 'Dear General, I never gave you cause.' One is sure he had never used that adjective before. The love in it makes it beautiful, but there is something else in it, unknown to Cassio, which goes to one's heart. It tells us that his hero is no longer unapproachably above him. Few of Shakespeare's minor characters are more distinct than Emilia, and towards few do our feelings change so much within the course of a play. Till close to the end she frequently sets one's teeth on edge; and at the end one is ready to worship her. She nowhere shows any sign of having a bad heart; but she is common, sometimes vulgar, in minor matters far from scrupulous, blunt in perception and feeling, and quite destitute of imagination. She let Iago take the handkerchief though she knew how much its loss would distress Desdemona; and she said nothing about it though she saw that Othello was jealous.

We rightly resent her unkindness in permitting the theft, but�it is an important point�we are apt to misconstrue her subsequent silence, because we know that Othello's jealousy was intimately connected with the loss of the handkerchief. Emilia, however, certainly failed to perceive this; for otherwise, when Othello's anger showed itself violently and she was really distressed for her mistress, she could not have failed to think of the handkerchief, and would, I believe, undoubtedly have told the truth about it. But, in fact, she never thought of it, although she guessed that Othello was being deceived by some scoundrel. Even after Desdemona's death, nay, even when she knew that Iago had brought it about, she still did not remember the handkerchief; and when Othello at last mentions, as a proof of his wife's guilt, that he had seen the handkerchief in Cassio's hand, the truth falls on Emilia like a thunder-bolt. 'O God!' she bursts out, 'O heavenly God!' Her stupidity in this matter is gross, but it is stupidity and nothing worse. But along with it goes a certain coarseness of nature.

The contrast between Emilia and Desdemona in their conversation about the infidelity of wives (iv. iii.) is too famous to need a word,�unless it be a word of warning against critics who take her light talk too seriously. But the contrast in the preceding scene is hardly less remarkable. Othello, affecting to treat Emilia as the keeper of a brothel, sends her away, bidding her shut the door behind her; and then he proceeds to torture himself as well as Desdemona by accusations of adultery. But, as a critic has pointed out, Emilia listens at the door, for we find, as soon as Othello is gone and Iago has been summoned, that she knows what Othello has said to Desdemona.

And what could better illustrate those defects of hers which make one wince, than her repeating again and again in Desdemona's presence the word Desdemona could not repeat; than her talking before Desdemona of Iago's suspicions regarding Othello and herself; than her speaking to Desdemona of husbands who strike their wives; than the expression of her honest indignation in the words, Has she forsook so many noble matches, Her father and her country and her friends, To be called whore? If one were capable of laughing or even of smiling when this point in the play is reached, the difference between Desdemona's anguish at the loss of Othello's love, and Emilia's recollection of the noble matches she might have secured, would be irresistibly ludicrous. And yet how all this, and all her defects, vanish into nothingness when we see her face to face with that which she can understand and feel! From the moment of her appearance after the murder to the moment of her death she is transfigured; and yet she remains perfectly true to herself, and we would not have her one atom less herself.

She is the only person who utters for us the violent common emotions which we feel, together with those more tragic emotions which she does not comprehend. She has done this once already, to our great comfort. When she suggests that some villain has poisoned Othello's mind, and Iago answers, Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible; and Desdemona answers, If any such there be, Heaven pardon him; Emilia's retort, A halter pardon him, and Hell gnaw his bones, says what we long to say, and helps us. And who has not felt in the last scene how her glorious carelessness of her own life, and her outbursts against Othello�even that most characteristic one, She was too fond of her most filthy bargain� lift the overwhelming weight of calamity that oppresses us, and bring us an extraordinary lightening of the heart? Terror and pity are here too much to bear; we long to be allowed to feel also indignation, if not rage; and Emilia lets us feel them and gives them words. She brings us too the relief of joy and admiration,�a joy that is not lessened by her death. Why should she live?

If she lived for ever she never could soar a higher pitch, and nothing in her life became her like the losing it. _________ 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. 08.01.04: Shakespeare's Characters: A Visual Analysis Have a suggestion to improve this page? To leave a general comment about our Web site, please click here Share this page with your network. Shakespeare's Characters: A Visual Analysis byJennifer Sandoval Introduction Why teach Shakespeare? Each year and in each class students bemoan the idea of having to read Shakespeare. Their perception of the plays and sonnets is that they are written in an ancient language no longer spoken, much less understood. So what is the point? My answer is a standard one: that the stories and drama of life do not change even though the language may seem different, and the lessons we learn from them are just as important now as they were then. I also aspire to reinforce the fact that the plots, characters, language, and even complete speeches are often alluded to in many other great works. If the students have never been exposed to Romeo and Juliet, for instance, how can they understand an allusion to the famous balcony scene? Capital High School in Santa Fe, New Mexico consists of a majority of Hispanic and Mexican immigrant students.

We have many English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the school but the majority of the students are in regular education. The number of Advanced Placement courses offered grows yearly. At least one Shakespearean drama is required in each class level of English at Capital High School as part of our standard curriculum. Some faculty members are as apprehensive of Shakespeare as the students; unfortunately, that comes across in their teaching. I sympathize because I know what it is like to be forced to teach a text that I don't particularly like. The students recognize that loathing and they respond with a reluctance to learn. I, on the other hand, truly appreciate sharing the literary complexity and genius of Shakespeare. Each time I prepare to teach a Shakespearean drama, it is like learning it from a whole new perspective. Reading the plays with each new class brings a whole new perspective to the plays as well, because as the students become familiar with the language, they add their own opinions and analysis, which is beneficial to all. The courses I teach are junior and senior literature. The variety of literature in these classes is endless. I try to teach something new each year to keep my curriculum current and exciting.

In addition to my regular education courses, I also teach Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition and AP Language and Composition. These courses are offered to junior and senior level students. The curricula for these courses follow the standard curricula at CHS with the addition of preparation for the Advanced Placement Exams taken in May. Students can receive college credit for classes if they score above a three on the one-five scale. In addition, many colleges base admission on the scores of the AP exams. Shakespearean analysis is an essential skill for the AP students; they must be able to analyze how the author creates meaning through the use of literary strategies. The visual aspect of this project is of great value. When students are asked to compose a written character analysis, they tend to confine themselves to a formulaic paragraph format: they find three examples and stay fixed there. I want them to explore the entire character and to find everything they possibly can. If the students are looking for all the major aspects of the character to create a complete portrait, they will undoubtedly create a complete analysis. As a bonus, the presentation of these portraits will also help the remainder of the students to develop their understanding of characters they did not analyze themselves.

Objectives The main objective of this unit is to analyze characters in plays written by William Shakespeare. To this end, the students will need to recognize and analyze methods of characterization through identifying physical attributes, symbols, motivation, important lines, internal and external perspective, the figurative language used to develop the character and the major psychological shift in the character. We will apply close reading analysis skills. The final assessment will be a formal essay analyzing three characters from Othello, Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew. The students will be able to form an analysis explaining how Shakespeare's characterization relates to the meaning of the work as a whole. The Unit The students will read three plays by Shakespeare: Macbeth, Othello, and The Taming of the Shrew. The students will choose from the major characters in each of the plays to create six visual analyses by the end of the unit: two characters from each play: at least two females and two males. The other two characters may be any of the main characters from the plays. The plays will be assigned for reading outside of class while some close readings will be done in class. I believe in starting with the end in mind when it comes to curriculum units.

The students will be given the essay topic before they begin the portraits. Shakespeare's plays, whether tragedy or comedy, introduce characters that are complex, calculating and, on any account, three-dimensional. These characters drive the action and the plot of the play, hence a grasp of characterization is necessary to understand what happens. The following prompt will be given to the students: "Write an essay in which you analyze three characters from each of the plays we have read. Be sure to emphasize the most important of these attributes of character: physical, symbolic, motivational, language, perspective, and psychological shift. Interpret these attributes to explain how they relate to the meaning of the work as a whole." This essay is not a compare and contrast but rather an analysis of how Shakespeare creates characters and equips them with the necessities for driving the action of the play. The visual portraits of specific characters from each of the plays will be an analysis of the characters with emphasis on physical attributes, symbols relating to the character, motivation, important lines, internal and external perspective, and figurative language used to develop the character.

A major part of the analysis is the identification of the psychological shift the character undergoes (if indeed the character changes); however, depicting that change in a visual portrait is a difficult task. I will offer the students bonus points on the project if they can show that change. Otherwise, the psychological shift does not need to be included in the portrait but we will discuss the changes in class and the students may use that analysis in their essays. The elements of the analysis will be represented on the body with placement of the symbolic and textual attributes in the appropriate places on the figure itself. Physical attributes, such as the heart of the character, should be drawn with attention to how the character represents their own heart. Desdemona's heart, from Othello, might be drawn in a locked box with Othello's name on it representing her fidelity to him. Iago's tongue might be drawn as forked since it is with his words that he poisons Othello's thoughts. Roderigo may be shown to be lacking a spine because he seems to have no will of his own when he follows Iago's orders like a puppet.

Someone with an overblown ego like Petruchio, from The Taming of the Shrew, might be drawn with an exaggeratedly large head. Symbols are the objects and colors representing abstract aspects or themes of the character. Lady Macbeth and Othello might be outlined in green representing envy or jealousy. Iago's disembodied heart might be colored black and shown as shriveled or very small in comparison to his body size. The handkerchief that Othello gives to Desdemona is the major symbol in the play Othello. This article provides the seeming "ocular proof" that Othello believes reveals Desdemona's infidelity. Students should include this symbol in the portraits of either Othello or Desdemona; perhaps as falling from Desdemona's hand or stuffed in Othello's heart or mind. The motivation of a character can be demonstrated through symbols and words. Students can place symbols and text within the portrait to denote motivation. Iago's envy of Cassio, and thus one motive for his diabolical deeds, might be displayed as drawing his rank insignia and coloring it green.

Macbeth's motive for killing Duncan would be the receiving of the crown; therefore a green crown denoting envy might be placed on his head. In The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio explains that his motivation is to "come to wive it wealthily in Padua;" (1.2.74). These lines could be written on Petruchio's portrait in his brain or maybe where his heart should be. The lines then serve to represent motive but also as part of the important line requirement in the project. Important lines should be placed on or around the body where appropriate, as in the commonly classroom activity "The Body Biography"1. Characters can often be defined by their words, and attributing the words to a place on the body is an indicator of higher level thinking. Lady Macbeth's famous line "Out, damned spot!" (5.1.38) might actually be written in red on her hands. Othello's line, "one that loved not wisely, but too well;" (5.2.340) could be written within his heart. The perspective through which a character is seen is crucial to the development of character.

Other characters in the play may see the individual as a completely different person from the way in which the character sees himself/herself. The distinctness between internal and external perspective can be of great significance to the development of the play. For example, Iago and others too use the word "honest" to describe him numerous times throughout Othello. The problem is that Iago is anything but honest. His depiction might entail two drawings; one in which he is smiling and appearing "honest" and another with a face revealing his diabolical nature (perhaps horns?). The Taming of the Shrew also offers valuable insight into perspective for this unit. The themes include perception of the self, how others perceive the individual, and how change —either forced or internally driven— occurs in the character. The students may choose to create two drawings of these characters to show double perspective, or they may draw a sort of mask that can be lifted to show the internal beneath the external perspective. Shakespeare's use of figurative language and poetic devices, such as rhyme and meter, reveals important information about his characters.

Othello, for instance, often speaks in eloquent verse even though he does not think of himself as well-spoken and others consider him barbaric. Petruchio's language is exaggeratedly poetic at times, while at other times forthright and rude, a range of speech that reveals his flamboyance. The question of change in a character is important for many reasons. If a psychological shift occurs in a character, it is usually a major breakthrough and a turning point in the plot structure of the play. The depiction of this change or shift in the portrait will be difficult. For this reason I have decided that this part of the portrait will not be required but a bonus option. I do want the students to locate and analyze change as it occurs in the plays, so they will need to discuss it in their defense paragraph (as discussed below). The point when Othello realizes that he has been a victim of Iago's malicious plot, for instance, is of major consequence because he has already killed Desdemona, and he can't fix that. His remorse is great. The students may choose to draw the character as he looks at the particular moment the shift occurs, though again, this challenge is not a mandatory part of the visual assignment.

Upon completion, the portrait will be presented to the class and teacher and the attributes of character it represents will be explained. A paragraph or two in defense of the portrait will be required. This paper will include textual support of the choices that were used in the portrait. It can be a guide in the final character analysis essay. If the student has done the background work in making this portrait, then all of the elements necessary for the essay will be done. All the student need do at this point is organize and write the essay. Shakespearean dramas provide a unique view of societal functions such as gender, race, and politics as well as the universal themes of love, loyalty, honor, and betrayal. An analysis of these functions and themes as invested in the characters of the dramas must begin with a study of the context and historical setting of the drama. To understand the inner workings of Shakespearean characters, one must understand some aspects of the time period in which the plays were written. Shakespeare wrote his plays between the years 1588-1613. The early part of this era is known as the Elizabethan Age. The later part is known as Jacobean.

Children of particular classes were educated in the classics, and some in higher classes went on to study in colleges and universities. Travels to Europe were taken as a vacation by the wealthy, or to work, but most did not travel. The "Grand Tour" was very rare this early. Ambassadors, scholars, and artist wanderers were the likeliest to go abroad. In fact, the majority in the Globe Theater's audience had probably never traveled abroad. Therefore, the re-creation on the stage of other cities and countries with characters from distant lands must have been quite amazing for the groundlings ñ those who paid a penny to stand in front of the stage as opposed to having a seat - as would the scenes of court and the routines of kings and queens. For the remainder of the audience, those who had paid more than a penny, these tales echoed a certain more familiar reality that was deeply entertaining and riveting. Plays were also staged at court for the benefit of Queen Elizabeth I. Later plays written by Shakespeare were seen by King James I in much the same manner. We also need to be aware of setting for the analysis of characters.

Again, travels abroad were not commonplace for all, so the dramatization of events occurring in Italy would have been a sort of "vacation" for the audience. In a setting that was foreign to his audience, Shakespeare could get away with tales that were fantastical, surreal, decadent, and outlandish. Many of the comedies consist of noble young people running around causing mischief without a care in the world. Several of the tragedies reveal the inner mechanics of a castle and its inhabitants ñ also running around and causing mischief, but usually ending in murder and much bloodshed. The audience is again transported to another world. The three plays we will read for this unit provide these "vacations" for their audiences. Othello reveals the inner workings of a military installation, Macbeth takes the audience to a faraway castle where a murderous/treasonous plot is hatched, and The Taming of the Shrew places the audience in decadent Italy where youngsters run about causing mischief. Othello lends itself to this analysis, as its central character is of an exotic race and the setting of the play is for the most part in Cyprus, a military stronghold of Venice. Othello ultimately goes mad and murders his wife.

Othello's loss of control is attributed to his unfounded belief that his wife is unfaithful. The supposed act of betrayal functions as a form of humiliation for Othello who, as a General and a man of power, is habituated to using violence to secure his power. Othello is a Moor, an outsider, an exotic man who is very different from the race of the general audience of this time. The fact that Othello is a converted Christian and of a different race than the others is, at times, used against him, as others feel he is practiced in the arts of magic and witchcraft. The antagonist of the play, Iago, is a Venetian, and Cassio ñ the man believed to be having the affair with Othello's wife ñ is a Florentine. Iago feels Othello has cheated him out of his position as lieutenant, and his vow of revenge provides the major conflict of the play. Race plays an important role in his vengeful scheme, as he calls attention to the possibility that Othello's barbarism might at any moment resurface.

Othello falls victim to this villainous plot, and his return to barbarism in the act of murdering Desdemona is foreshadowed when he says, "when I love thee not,/ Chaos is come again." (3.3.91-92) A portrait analysis of Othello should contain references to his moral shifts in the play: from a man who displays strong discipline and self-control to being helplessly out of control. In reference to external perspective, or how other characters in the play see him, the portrait of Othello would contain symbols of the occult, magic, or witchcraft. However, not all of the characters see him as evil. In fact, the references to Othello being black, evil, or barbaric are few. Although Othello contains few female characters, their strong characteristics are worthy of deep analysis. The character of Desdemona, Othello's wife, performs two functions in the play. Symbolically, she represents pure love, compassion for all, and honesty. As a character, Desdemona is the balance factor for her polar opposite, Iago, who represents hate, self-centeredness, and dishonesty.

Emilia, Iago's wife, performs the role of unwitting participant in his evil plot. The relationship between Iago and Emilia does not seem a loving one. She tries to do his bidding in order to gain his attention and affection; and even then she thinks twice, but it is too late. There is no indication that Iago shows his wife any true affection. Iago's low opinion of women (2.1.108-111) and Emilia's revelation that she would "venture purgatory" and "make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch" (4.3.78-79) shows that she resembles her husband in her pragmatism, if in nothing else make the two of them a rather fine pair. Emilia changes significantly when she realizes that she has unwittingly played a part in the murder of Desdemona in Act 5, scene 2. Her portrait might reveal her misplaced loyalty to Iago through the writing of his name in her heart or a smiling, handsome picture of him in her head. The portrait of Desdemona would not represent a moral/psychological shift as would Othello's, because she does change significantly.

Desdemona's portrait should also contain Othello's distorted view of her faithfulness as well as her true virtue. Iago's portrait will be a complicated one. When we first encounter him he is moaning about not becoming Othello's lieutenant. He convinces Roderigo to call up to Desdemona's father and to tell him that she "hath made a gross revolt," (1.1.131) by running off with Othello. Iago's words are much more base than Roderigo's, as he is hidden from view screaming out vulgarities about what has occurred. Thus, at the very beginning of the play, Iago shows his true self as a vulgar, manipulative calculator. Iago explains his views about the freedom of the will to Roderigo, how "we have reason to cool our raging motions" (1.3.325-326) and how much fun it will be to "cuckold" the Moor, all the while charging him to make a lot of money to impress Desdemona. Iago's plan is in the works and he will stop at nothing to see it done.

Macbeth is a tragedy where the setting is a remote castle and the audience bears witness to the plan that takes the life of the king at the hands of his host and hostess. The castle is in Scotland, where feudal relations continued in Shakespeare's time to be a direct threat to the government of England. According Sylvan Barnet, among others, the history is that the play was written to please King James I, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Stuart. The Stuarts claim to be the heirs of Banquo, a character killed by Macbeth. The Witches tell Macbeth and Banquo in Act 1 scene 3 that Macbeth will be king but that Banquo's children will be kings. They say that Banquo will be "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." (1.3.65) Macbeth writes a letter to his wife explaining the strange events, whereupon she decides that they should kill the King and take his crown based on the belief that they can rule if they just eliminate Duncan. Unfortunately for them, fate has other plans for them. Macbeth must murder many others, including Banquo, to protect his rule. The inner workings of court provide the backdrop for this play.

We see the head of the house, Lady Macbeth, make plans to receive her guests. This is a rather ordinary task in a noble house. What we also see is the plan to kill the king as it is conceived. Events thereafter tell of secrecy, murder, and madness. Macbeth, who truly believes he is meant to be king, kills Duncan, then Banquo, and then is haunted by the ghost of Banquo. The descent into madness for Lady Macbeth is a fascinating study. Lady Macbeth is haunted by the image of blood on her hands representing the murder of the king in her house for which she is responsible. She ultimately goes mad and kills herself. Macbeth by this time seems unaffected by much of the doom and destruction around him. His reaction to the suicide of his wife—"She should have died hereafter;" (5.5.17)— reveals an almost passive acceptance of her death. The speech that follows, "Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow…," shows Macbeth's belief that humans only live to perform certain functions; and when that role is complete, we die. This notion is reinforced in Macbeth's ultimate realization that he is doomed to die when he learns that he is not invincible as he thought.

True to his character, he does not yield; he goes out fighting. The symbolism of the witchcraft and occult images can be the motivation for the characters' actions as well as their ultimate doom. It is interesting to note that King James I wrote a book on the occult called Daemonologie of which Shakespeare was aware. Much of the occult imagery in the play can be attributed to the idea that the play was written to please King James I. Now we get to the comedy. The Taming of the Shrew is a whimsical comedy in which the characters are lively and deep. The play is preceded by the English story of Christopher Sly, who is fooled into believing he is the lord of a grand house when in reality he is a simple drunken tinker. The actual lord of the house decides to play a prank on Sly by dressing him in the costume of a man of fortune and convincing him that he has been "infused with so foul a spirit!" (Ind.2.16) that has made him leave his house and believe he is a peasant drunkard for fifteen years. The main play commences when players arrive at the lord's house.

The play they perform is the tale of Katherine, the shrew, and her suitor Petruchio who is determined to "cure" her of her shrewishness. The perception of Katherine in Act One is that she is "stark mad or wonderful froward." Her father Baptista will not allow her much-desired younger sister Bianca to marry until he has found a husband for Kate. The young men of Padua devise many plans to woo Bianca but have no idea what to do with Kate until the arrival of Petruchio. Here is a man who knows exactly what he wants: a wealthy wife. He cares not if she is "foul" or "moves [him] not." He claims he "come[s] to wive it wealthily in Padua;/ If wealthily, then happily in Padua." (1.2.74-75) It seems that Kate would rather punch Petruchio for his presumptuousness than marry him. Nevertheless, she appears at the church and is driven to tears when he does not appear on time.

Meanwhile, the character of Bianca is revealed as she deftly sorts out the suitors who are pretending to be her tutors or continuing to play themselves. By the time she joins the Widow in refusing to come when her husband sends for her in the fifth act, it seems that Bianca may actually be the shrew. The critic Harold Bloom suggests, in Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, that Petruchio is ultimately the one who is tamed. He torments Kate after their wedding in an attempt to "tame" her. It is through her wits that she figures out how to convince him that he has won ñ she tells him what he wants to hear. She then explains the roles of the husband and wife in exactly the terms and circumstances that fit the time and setting of the play. Petruchio believes he has succeeded in his task of "taming" her and we are to suppose that the two live happily ever after. The characters in this play are as colorful and whimsical as the characters in Macbeth are dark and heavy. The portraits the students will create should be great. Strategies This unit will take approximately six weeks, giving two weeks for each play.

I will begin by assigning the reading pace: a closely followed calendar of deadlines for the readings. The writing that will go along with the reading will be in the form of what I call a Dialectical Journal. The students should have their focus from the outset because they already have the final essay question. Because our focus is on character, the students will keep a running journal in which they record important lines revealing the attributes of character on one side of the page and analyze the lines on the other side. The number of entries for each play is determined by the play's length. This journal will be worth many points, as it will serve to aide them in their essay writing. Also, it is a good way of gauging whether they are keeping up with the reading. The reading will be done outside class time as homework assignments. I will give one to two days to read each act, depending on the length of the act. A series of quizzes will be given on the due dates of each reading section. As the students enter the room, they will see a question on the board which they will have five minutes to answer (yes, I will keep time).

The questions will focus on something that they should have read for that day, and they will be allowed to use their books. Because of the time limit, they do not have time to frantically read the passages and "fake it", but the book will be there to help if they need a reminder. These quizzes will not be simple "find it in the text" questions but higher-level thinking questions. I have included some examples of these questions in an appendix. Classroom Activities The assignment page will be given to the students before the reading of the plays commences. I will go over the assignment, answering any questions. I will also show some examples: things I have drawn or work from previous years when I did a similar project with other subject matter. After the first time doing this unit, I will have many student examples to show. I would caution against showing too many examples because the students' creativity in their own portraits may be stunted as a result. Then we will take a character with which we are all familiar ñ a character from a fairy tale or a superhero maybe ñ and do a quick portrait as a whole class. I will be sure to include all the points the students will need to bring out in their own portraits.

Another facet of this unit will be the writing of Dialectical Journals2. Dialectical Journals provide an easy and interesting method to help students write succinctly while developing their own voice. "Dialectical" suggests the art of discourse ñ and that is the skill they will be developing ñ talking "to" and about the text. The students will prepare these journals after each act of each play. They will choose a character to discuss in these journals and, preferably, that will also be the character they choose to analyze for the project. However, they may change their chosen character at any time throughout the reading of the play. The students will be familiar with this style of journal writing because I use it throughout the class in many different forms, so the actual explanation of how to write the journal does not have to take place during this unit. I will go over the changes in format that are necessary to adapt the journal to the plays. I will also spend some time modeling one entry, using the first act of Macbeth, but I will choose a lesser character like the witches. In this exercise, I will ask students to provide the summary of the plot of the first act, scene one.

Then I will ask the students why Shakespeare chose to open the play with the witches. At this point, the students will have read Act One and should understand what the witches have told Macbeth. So, how does this technique of characterization enhance the meaning of the play? How would the action of the first act be different if there were no witches? Because characters drive the action of the play and cause the conflict, we must assume that the witches are there to externalize the irrationality and inhumanity of Macbeth's temptation. Then the students will choose one of the journal strategies and write a paragraph following the directions given3. Once the Dialectical Journals have been explained, passages relating to characterization will be selected for close reading and analysis. We will begin the class with a quick read of the passages and then turn to discussion. I use the Socratic Seminar method for discussion. Mainly, that leaves the discussion and analysis to the students with little prodding by the teacher. This method, when taught to the students and used correctly, is very effective in actively engaging the students in analysis and interpretation of the work.

The idea is that the teacher, as guide instead of teacher, does not allow for a series of yes/no questions; nor does the process allow for lecture. This idea does allow the students to pass around their thoughts and struggle with the language in the passage being studied. There are many useful websites defining and outlining this process. I like to use poker chips for the first few seminars as "speaking tokens". Some students like to dominate the discussion while others choose not to participate. I give three tokens to each student and allow them only that many times to interject. Of course, I do not hold fast to the rule and some students beg, borrow, and steal others' tokens when they have something they need to say. In the end I find that keeping score works well. I sit with a seating chart in front of me and put check marks on the student's name each time he/she speaks. Those who have not spoken yet towards the end of the seminar are encouraged to do so. The grade for this is part of their participation grade and can mean the decision of bumping up a borderline grade or the offer of extra credit if needed. Only minimal time will be given for the actual illustration work in class.

The students will need to work on their drawings for homework. A presentation of each poster will be given at the end of each play and the other students will need to take notes as the portraits are being presented. The defense paragraphs will be due at the time of the presentations. I will grade those for the same information as the drawings as well as textual evidence in support of the choices made for the selection of detail4. The presentations will be done in front of the class as a benefit to the other students. The audience will take notes on the characters and they will be able to use these notes when writing the final essay. The portraits will be hung on the wall and their order will decide the order of the presentations. While the presentations are being given, I will grade the posters, using a pre-designed rubric5. I will give this rubric to the students along with the assignment paper so that they will know what exactly is expected of them. The timed writing will be done at the end of the unit, during one class period (our classes run for 59 minutes). The students will have the entire class period to write and the essay will be due at the end of the hour.

The essay will be scored based on the nine point Advanced Placement rubric6. I use this rubric for all essays with slight modifications for content, so the students are aware of the language in the rubric. I have created a rubric for this essay and included it in the appendices. I copy the rubric for each essay and highlight the elements that are found in the essay. I then decide which number to assign as the grade. Because I use a point scale for my grade book, each number on the rubric represents a percentage based on the amount of points assigned to the essay. This particular essay will be worth 200 points. Notes 1 The Body Biography is an activity that encourages the students to find quotes by the characters and distinguish them between actions and thoughts. The quotes are placed on a drawing of the body: action quotes on limbs and thought quotes in the head area. 2 See Appendix 4. __________________. 1998. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Penguin Group. I recommend the Signet Editions of the plays for the Advanced Placement classes because they contain background information as well as critical essays on each of the plays.

Sprengnether, Madelon Gohlke, 1980" 'I wooed thee with my sword': Shakespeare's Tragic Paradigms," in The Woman's Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare, ed.Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz, Gayle Green, and Carol Thomas Neely Illinois: University of Illinois Press. Appendix 1 ñ Student Handout Shakespeare's Characters: A Visual Analysis The purpose of this activity is to bring your analysis out of the paragraph structure and into a deeper meaning and interpretation of character. The end result will be a character analysis essay. To that end we will create visual analyses of some of the main characters of the texts we will be reading. This project will be done mostly for homework with minimal time in the classroom save for clarification of ideas and strategies. The final essay will be a timed writing done in class. Shakespeare's plays, whether tragedy or comedy, introduce characters that are complex, calculating and, on any account, three-dimensional. These characters drive the action and the plot of the play, and a grasp of characterization is in any case necessary to the understanding of the play. Write an essay in which you analyze three characters from each of the plays we have read.

Be sure to emphasize the most important of these attributes of character: physical, symbolic, motivational, language, perspective, and psychological shift. Interpret these attributes to explain how they relate to the meaning of the work as a whole. Materials: You will need large pieces of butcher paper or posterboard, markers, the texts of Macbeth, Othello, and The Taming of the Shrew, and your imagination. Process: Choose two main characters ñ at least two male and two female - from each play to analyze. (If you are unsure whether the character you choose is a main character, talk to me.) Draw a portrait of the character using colors and symbols to reveal their personalities. Portrait: You will be graded on the following information. - Physical: How does your character look? What colors best represent his/her appearance? - Symbolic: What symbols and colors best represent this character? Where will you place these symbols and colors to represent your character? - Motivational: What are your character's motives and how can you represent them in your portrait? - Language: What type of speech does this character use? What are his/her three most important lines or speeches in the play? Where will you write this information on your portrait?

- Perspective: How does the character perceive him/herself? How do others perceive this character? How can you show this difference in your portrait? - *Bonus* Psychological Shift: Does your character change significantly during the course of the play? Can you show this shift visually? (This is a bonus because it may not be a change that can be represented visually.) You will need to carefully use colors and placement of objects and words on your portrait, as your thoughtfulness in distributing these attributes will affect your grade. Defense Paragraphs: A paragraph or two in defense of the choices made in the process of creating these portraits is required for each character. What textual evidence was used to draw the particular images you chose? What textual evidence was used in the selection of colors and placement of objects and words on your character? Be sure to include act, scene, and line numbers in these paragraphs. e Date: (This will be determined at a later date.) ints: 200 points per character ñ total 600 points ñ Preparation and Participation Grade oints - Timed Writing Grade SparkNotes: Othello: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Othello - The play’s protagonist and hero.

A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He possesses a “free and open nature,” which his ensign Iago uses to twist his love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy (I.iii.381). Read an in-depth analysis of Othello. Desdemona - The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many 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. Read an in-depth analysis of Desdemona. Iago - Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old.

While his ostensible reason for desiring Othello’s demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and destruction. Read an in-depth analysis of Iago. Michael Cassio - Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity. Emilia - Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she 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. Brabanzio - Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio 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 reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and then to send Othello to Cyprus. Montano - The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships.

Lodovico - One of Brabanzio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters announcing that Othello has been replaced by Cassio as governor. Graziano - Brabanzio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene, Graziano mentions that Desdemona’s father has died. Clown - Othello’s servant. Although the clown appears only in two short scenes, his appearances reflect and distort the action and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion of two meanings of that word in Act IV, scene i. 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. Desdemona Desdemona Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence. For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play.

Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts. For Desdemona, Othello is the hero of many exciting and dangerous adventures, who also has the appeal of the orphan child who needs love. Add to this the fact that he is now an honored and powerful man in her country, and what young noble woman would not find him attractive? As the Duke says, "I think this tale would win my daughter too" (I.3, 171). In Cyprus, in charge of her own household, Desdemona continues to fulfil her duties, receiving petitioners as the commander's wife and being hostess at official receptions. Her marriage has brought her position and happiness, so much so that she finds it unbearable to think that her husband has turned against her. This numbness lasts until she sees that he actually intends to kill her; then she puts up a brave and spirited defense, insisting on her innocence. In despair at losing his love, she still defends him from the consequences of his actions, but he is past seeing what is clear to her and to Shakespeare's audience: that she has committed herself wholly to loving him; without his love, she cannot live.

Question: Which Shakespearean character has a wife called Desdemona?
Answer: Othello