The Characters of Othello, Cassio and Iago.

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Susie Willmott  Othello Coursework Draft  Page 1  07/05/2007

The Characters of Othello, Cassio and Iago

        Othello

Othello is a black, army general, and a very good one it would seem to be able to dispute against so many Shakespearean prejudices and to have the trust of the Duke.  In Act 1, scene 2 the audience becomes aware of Othello’s pure graciousness, for example:

IAGO

‘…He will divorce you, or put upon you what restraint and grievance the law, with all his might to enforce it on will give him cable.

OTHELLO

‘Let him do his spite…’

Despite Iago’s stirring, Othello remains calm and awaits Brabantio admirably, as a man, not a coward.

        His courageous ways are also brought out as a leader,

OTHELLO

‘Hold for your lives!’

Othello says this to hold his authority over the two men fighting; his entrance causes the men to break up almost immediately, which proves to all just how much dominance and control Othello has over his men.

Othello can also be seen to be very respectful of is wife; this is a trait that was very rare in Shakespearian times.

OTHELLO

‘…let her speak of me before her father.

If you do find me foul in her report,

The trust, the office I do hold of you,

Not only take away, but let your sentence

Even fall upon my life.’

Othello honours Desdemona and treats her with admiration and value.  This shows that Othello regards everyone as equal, man or woman.  It also shows his great love for Desdemona; ‘…but let your sentence Even fall upon my life.’ This shows Othello’s great commitment to Desdemona, if she gave an unsatisfactory answer, Othello would gladly give up his life; she is what he lives for.  And his immense love for her is the thing that tortures him the most whilst under Iago’s poison later on in the play.

        Cassio

Michael Cassio is Othello’s lieutenant.  He is a chivalrous and ‘proper’ man with a great gift of formal speech and leadership.  An example of his utmost courtesy is in Act 2, Scene 1:

CASSIO

You men of Cyprus let her have your knees.

Hail to thee lady!…’ – Lines 83 and 84

This quotation shows Cassio thinks men should honour ladies and his limitless respect for ladies and all those he believes are of a higher rank than him is clear in his words.  This also shows that Cassio has a gift of speech and the fact that his demands command the men, shows his authority and skill as a leader.  Cassio is also the only character out of these three who is true throughout the entire play; this is a fact that Iago is jealous of.

        Iago

Iago is Othello’s ensign; he is very unsuccessful in all areas of his life, which is the reason for his loathing and jealousy for Cassio and Othello.  Iago has three different personalities and the audience gets to see them all.  His first persona, he uses to most people, especially Othello.  Iago plays an honest, loyal man to win people’s trust and so manipulate their thoughts.

IAGO

‘Probal to thinking and indeed the course

To win the Moor again…’

This passage is in Act 2, scene 3 and shows that Iago will continue to play up to Othello, ensuring Othello’s trust and using innuendos are all very typical of this kind of Iago.

        The second Iago is only revealed to Roderigo, he reveals a lot more of his twisted nature in this character, though Roderigo recognizes none of this because of Iago’s ‘help’ with his infatuation with Desdemona.

‘I retell thee again and again, I hate the Moor…’

‘…She

must change for youth…’ – Lines 350 and 338-339

This quotation shows the two points of Iago’s two separate personalities colliding, forming this new individuality, the first citation relates to Iago’s true, bitter personality while in the second, Iago is merely telling Roderigo what he wants to hear, a part of his first personality.

        Iago’s third personality is only shown to the audience through soliloquies and Iago’s attitude towards his wife Emilia.

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IAGO

‘When devils will the blackest sins put on,

They do suggest at first with heavenly shows

As I do now…’ – Lines 318-320

In this extract from Iago’s soliloquy in Act 2, scene 3, the audience is able to see the play through Iago’s eyes and they can tell that he is indeed the ‘villain’ of Othello.  This personality is all about hate, jealousy and deceit, in this passage its almost as if Iago is calling up the devil, a technique Shakespeare often uses in his play to demonstrate absolute evil inside a character.  The true Iago has no ...

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