Othello- The main character of the play, Othello is seen as the wise and noble one in Act 1. His air of authority and position as general commands respect from people around him, though they always bring up his ethnicity and race when they address him as 'The Moor'. His calm and practical nature is shown when he does not start a fight with Brabantio upon confrontation regarding Desdemona, but instead focuses on his task at hand, which is the war at Cyprus. He is deeply in love with Desdemona and will do anything for her, and thus perceived by Iago as being controlled by Desdemona, which is rather ironic considering the status of women during the Elizabethan era.
In Act II, Othello begins to show more of his character- he becomes infuriated due to Casio's brawl with Montano and decisively dismisses Casio, without much deliberation. This is partly due to Iago, whom Othello places a lot of trust on as he believes Iago's words on the brawl incident.
Iago- Arguably the most intelligent and cunning character, Iago plots his schemes cleverly. Though not from a well-off background, his gifts in language enables him to manipulate everyone- from Roderigo, Casio to Othello. His low-profile in front of Othello garners trust, but he is a racist backstabber in reality! His belittling of women is also despicable and appalling- he often uses negative imagery to picture women and insult them. Iago's sly language is often used to his advantage- for example, he manipulates Roderigo, Casio and even Othello to listen to him.
Desdemona - As Othello's wife, she is very loyal to Othello, as she constantly addresses him as her 'lord'. She even agrees to go to war with him in Cyprus, which shows that she doesn't want to be separated from him despite the dangers. Desdemona demonstrates courage when she marries Othello without her father Brabantio's consent, as it is custom for parents to decide who their daughters should marry. She also stands up Emilia when Iago insults Emilia.
Casio- Raised from an affluent family, Casio is a virtuous man, the type that women at that time seek for according to Iago. Casio is rather proud of his upbringing, as he emphasizes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, about his courtesies in front of Iago. As a lieutenant, he is responsible and dependable, thus gaining trust from Othello. His affections for Desdemona is shown when he comments on her beauty and looks excessively and unnecessarily, considering that Desdemona is already married. Casio later falls into Iago's plan when Iago sets him up with a fight with Roderigo and then Montano, which ends up with Casio's dismissal by Othello. At the moment of desperation, he is manipulated by Iago to take his advice.
Thoughts of the story line
I like how Iago's personality is introduced into the story. Right from the beginning, the audience knows that he's the antagonist from his cowardly behaviour and cunning language. His self-monologue with the audience convinces us to stand on his side of the story, as it seems that he's the only character that communicates with the audience. The story line is quite face-paced with scenes that are not too windy. It progresses quickly with its development very smoothly, as we are slowly revealed of the schemes of Iago and how he's going to destroy Othello and the others. The plot of being betrayed by your trustworthy subordinate is very intriguing as the last person we expect to turn against us is the person we trust the most. The elements of revenge and indignation in this story further justifies Iago's motives to annihilate Othello. The inclusion of the idea of anti-feminism in this play is very informative for readers of the social status of women during the Elizabethan era.
