The black general, Othello, marries Desdemona, the white daughter of a Venetian nobleman. Othello’s ensign, Iago, wants to ruin his leader. He tricks Othello into believing that Desdemona has slept with Casio, his lieutenant. Iago succeeds in this dishonesty with the effect that Othello kills his wife, and then commits suicide when he discovers the truth.
In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits, which make him seem immature and simple compared to many other people, as he is very trusting. The Moor, as many Venetians call him, is of strong character. He is very proud and in control of every move throughout the play. The control is not only of power but of the sense of his being who heis, a great warrior. In Act I, Othello has a scuffle with Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before anything could happen Othello
Said,
"Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter"(Act I, ii, lines 22-24).
This is showing what control he has over them.
The nature of Othello's character is of a dark man. A dark man, not only because he is black, but also because his whole person is very mysterious. He is mysterious in that he believes there is magic brewing everywhere, when Desdemona loses her napkin he says to here “ To lose it or give’t away …… match” . With this dark side he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. He isn't observant and the schemes of Iago work well on him.
For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of other individuals. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all his trust in Iago during times of war and during Othello's marriage to
Desdemona. This wasn't very bright of Othello; even if he weren’t so trusting or more corrupt he still wouldn't realize Iago was lying. He considered Iago as honest. For example, Othello had told the Duke,
"So please your grace, my ancient; a man he is of honesty and trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife, with what else needful your good grace shall think, to be sent after me" (act I,iii,).
As well as this he calls him honest and good numerous of times.
The change over Othello's is very strong. Through the whole first act you can picture a man so much command and natural leadership and when he changes you cannot believe it. For example, when Lodovico had witnessed Othello hit
Desdemona, he said:
"Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature? Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance could neither graze nor pierce"
(IV, i, lines 264-8)
He did see for himself the dishonesty of Desdemona toward her father and remembered the words he had said to him:
"Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to see She has deceived her father, and may thee" (act I, iii).
After realizing Othello had been tricked into believing the lies of Iago. He couldn't handle the suffering of knowing he had murder in jealousy rather for justice. This destruction in Othello's character brought the strong warrior back into the scene. Where he changed into his own judge, jury, and sentenced himself. He told
the people around him in their letters to write of him not in malice, then he said:
"Then you must speak of one that loved not wisely but too well"
(V, ii, l).
