Othello A Brief Introduction

Story The story focuses on the eponymous character, Othello, a black man and high-ranking military officer who, at the start of the play, has recently married a young, white woman called Desdemona. One of Othello’s officers, Iago, is upset at having been passed over for promotion in favour of a younger rival called Cassio. Iago bears a grudge against Othello for this slight and decides to take his revenge on him, manipulating his relationship with Desdemona in order to do so. This is the central conflict from which most of the events of the play stem.

Setting The bulk of the events of Othello take place in Venice. In Shakespeare’s time, Venice was a major port and therefore one of the most important trading cities in the world. As a result of this, it was a city that was known for its diversity of cultures, presumably one of the reasons Shakespeare chose to set Othello and The Merchant of Venice there, as both of these plays deal heavily with race-related issues.

Characters 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 around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is easy prey to insecurities about 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. Othello

Characters Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the antagonist and villain of the play. 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. Iago

Characters Desdemona The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek, she 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. Desdemona

Characters Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. He is truly devoted to Othello, however, Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity. Cassio

Characters Aemilia Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband. Aemilia

Characters 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 has the potential to be an extremely comic character at times, but is ultimately a rather tragic one. Roderigo

Themes Revenge and Jealousy Reality and Appearance Race Iago is jealous of Cassio’s position as Othello’s lieutenant, a position he believes he has a right to. Iago also suggests that Othello has slept with his wife, Aemilia, possibly another source of his jealousy. Iago in turn manipulates Othello’s love for his young wife Desdemona, causing him to be jealous of others who spend time with her. Reality and Appearance Iago presents the appearance of a loyal supporter of Othello throughout the play, despite the audience knowing this is not the case (dramatic irony). He frequently manipulates the truth, blurring the boundaries between what appears to be happening and what is actually happening. Race Othello’s race is constantly used against him and is one of the factors that leads to his downfall in the play.