Othello characterisation + themes

Othello

The Moor of Venice - General

key quotes: “rude am I in my speech” “are we turned Turks” “monster in his thought” “yet how nature erring from itself” “raven o’er the infected house” “a horned man’s a monster and a beast” “I will kill thee and love thee after” “if thou be’st a devil I cannot kill thee” “were it my cue to fight I should have known it”

duke - “valiant” “gentle”

associated themes: race + religion, love, naivety, supernatural, jealousy

functions: tragic hero, significance of violence + revenge, nobleman’s downfall

A1S2+3 - intro + defends marriage, A2S3 - fires C, A3S3 - deception, A4S1 - fit + hits D, A5S2 - kills D + tries to kill I + kills himself

Iago

Othello’s ensign then lieutenant

key quotes: “you rise to play and go to bed to work” “jealousy…green eyed monster” “honesty‘s a fool” “men should be what they seem” “I am a very villain if else”/“what villains have done this” “I bleed sir, but not kill’d” “fruits of whoring” “honest” “worth no worse a place” “men are men, the best sometimes forget” “a common thing” “every way makes my gain” “our bodies are our gardens, our wills are gardeners”

associated themes: deception, gender, duplicity, race + religion, jealousy

functions: machiavellian, tragic villain, revenge

A1S3 - put money in thy purse, A2S3 - gets C drunk, A3S3 - manipulation, A4S1 - ‘occular’ proof, A4S2 - lies to D about O’s anger, A5S1 - gets R to attack C, A5S2 - exposed

Cassio

Lieutenant then nobody

key quotes: “almost damned in a fair wife” “lost the immortal part of myself” “she is a most exquisite lady” “good my lord, pardon me”

calls B a “monkey” that “weeps upon me, pulls me”

associated themes: naivety, love, duplicity, gender, class + reputation

function: comedic, pawn in Iago’s plan

A2S1 - polite, A2S3 - brawl + reputation, A3S4 - talk down on B, A5S1 - murdered

Roderigo

The fool in love with Desdemona

key quotes: “I would not follow him then” “I will incontinently drown myself” “I have wasted myself out of my means” “your words and performances are no kin” “damned iago, inhuman dog”

associated themes: naivety, love, jealousy

functions: bathos, pawn in iago’s plan

A1S1 - becomes pawn, A1S3 - how to get D to love him?, A4S2 - bathos + complain of D + agrees to harm C, A5S1 - recognises I as villain

Brabantio

Desdemona’s father + respected man

key quotes: “my daughter is not for thee” “this is Venice” “thou art a villain” “belief of it oppresses me already” “abuser of the world” “I have done” “she is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted”

associated themes: gender, order, class

functions: bathos, victim

A1S1 - sends men to get O, A1S2 - confronts O + takes to Duke, A1S3 - disowns D dramatically

Montano

Governor of Cyprus

key quotes: “is he often thus?” “It were an honest action to say so to the Moor” (when Cassio gets drunk) - if you don’t tell the truth “thou art no soldier”

functions: drives I’s plan of demoting Cassio

A2S3

Lodovico + Gratiano

G - D’s uncle, L - B’s relative

key quotes:

L: “Othello [had] fallen in the practice of a damned slave” “myself will straight abroad:and to the state this heavy act with heavy heart relate” “My Lord, this would not be believed in Venice” “is this the noble moor…whom passion could not shake” “I am sorry I am deceived in him”

G: “poor desdemon! I am glad thy father’s dead” “fie, your sword upon a woman” “the object poisons - let it be hid”

associated themes: order + restoration of order, class

functions: both representative of Venetian state. L - external judgement, reason, voice of state, restoration of order; G - emotional + familial cost of tragedy

A4S1 - L doubts O, A5S2 - restoration of order

Desdemona

Fair daughter + wife

key quotes: “the loves I bear to you” “I have not deserved this” “let nobody blame him” “oh heaven forgive us” “I did love the moor to live with him” “I do not think there is any such woman” “his unkindness may defeat my life” “jealous creatures [are not enough] to put him in ill thinking” “captain’s captain”

O - “my soul’s joy” “gentle Desdemona”

C - “divine Desdemona”

associated themes: love, naivety, gender, fate, class

functions: victim, pathos, foil of innocence to other women in play

A1S3 - stands up to B + follows O to Cyprus, A2S1 - greets C + I + reunites w O, A3S3+4 - mentions C to O + loses handkerchief, A4S1 - slapped, A4S2 - accused, A4S3 - willow song, A5S2 - death

Emilia

I’s wife + D’s friend

key quotes: men are “but stomachs” “belch us” “husband’s faults if wives do fall” “if she not be honest, chaste and true there’s no man happy” “let heaven requite [othello’s accusations] with the serpent’s curse” “their wives have sense like them” “the more angel she, and you the blacker devil” “so speaking as I think, alas I die” “I will not charm my tongue”

calls B a “strumpet”

associated themes: gender, love, naivety

functions: foil to Desdemona’s innocence, voice of women, victim, restoration of justice, resistance

A3S3 - steals handkerchief, A3S4 - denies taking handkerchief, A4S2 - defends D against O’s accusations, A4S3 - revolutionary speech, A5S2 - revelation

Bianca

‘Whore’ + C’s mistress

key quotes: “I am no strumpet” “some token of a new friend” “what, keep a week away? Seven days and nights?”

associated themes: naivety, love, gender, jealousy, class

functions: foils Desdemona, victim, pawn of I

A3S4 - given handkerchief from C, A4S1 - makes O think C is mocking D, A5S1 - love for C, framed as murderer