Analysis and Quotations for the Major Characters in “Othello” by William
Shakespeare.
The Character of Othello
ACT ONE
● “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe.
Arise, arise!”- Iago, to Brabantio
○ Before the audience meets Othello, he is portrayed as brutish and
primitive. This contrasts the image of the noble soldier that is met
in Act One, challenging the audience’s assumptions and
highlighting the potential discrepancies between what appears to
be and what is.
○ Extensive animalistic imagery.
○ Contrast between the colours can symbolise morality but also
racial attitudes.
○ Similarly, Iago refers to Othello as a “Barbary horse”, referring to
the Barbary Coast in North Africa.
● “My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly.”-
Othello
○ The list of three emphasises the height from which Othello will fall
over the course of the play.
○ Othello’s self-confidence will soon deteriorate.
○ Othello is well-respected. However, he believes those who love
him to secretly hate him and those that hate him to love him.
○ Othello is calm and rational in the face of antagonism (at the start
of the play). Things are not as they appear in the play, and
Shakespeare toys with the audience’s expectations. Othello is
logical, not the primitive beast that Iago portrays him as.
● “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of
peace.”
, ○ Othello speaks in eloquent verse, contrasting his harsh analysis
of his own abilities. This may be interpreted as a sign of humility,
but also one of insecurity.
○ Othello is conscious of his social status and is insecure regarding
Desdemona’s higher birth.
● “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she
did pity them.”- Othello, about Desdemona
○ The repetition of “love” highlights that the marriage between the
pair is based on genuine affection. It is not based on hatred or
jealousy, at least not at the start of the play. The language is
highly emotive.
○ Othello believes that his worthiness is inherently tied to his
success as a soldier. Therefore, he feels increasingly insecure
when there is no war to fight in Cyprus.
● “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her
father and may thee.” - Brabantio, to Othello
○ Iago alludes to this line later in Act Three, Scene Three (“She did
deceive her father, marrying you”- Iago, to Othello), building on
the idea that Desdemona is inherently untrustworthy.
○ The rhyming couplet immediately precedes Brabantio’s exit,
creating a highly ominous tone and sense of foreboding.
○ The imperative demonstrates how Othello must contend with
many different influences in regards to his love for Desdemona.
ACT TWO
● “Come, Desdemona, ‘tis the soldiers’ life / To have their balmy slumbers
waked with strife.”- Othello
○ Foreboding
○ Rhyming couplet
, ACT THREE
● “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee! And
when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again.”- Othello, to Desdemona
○ The exclamatory tone emphasises Othello’s love for Desdemona,
but also the underlying sinister nature of their relationship and his
capacity for violence.
○ The final line foreshadows the play’s tragic ending. The sentence
is short and assertive, conveying a sense of inevitability. The
rapid syntax also reflects how quickly Othello will descend into
doubt, aggression, and fury.
○ The religious language (“perdition”) implies that Othello believes
that Desdemona’s love could damn him. Consequently, he will
later believe that he will go to hell for killing his wife.
● “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy: / It is the green-eyed monster which
doth mock / The meat it feeds on.”- Iago, to Othello
○ The personification of Othello’s jealousy shows its corruptive
power. It takes joy in destruction, just like Iago.
○ There is a strong argument to be made that jealousy is Othello’s
hamartia.
● “I know our country disposition well.”- Iago, to Othello
○ Ironically, the inclusive language is used to exclude Othello.
○ Establishes Othello as an outsider.
● “If I do prove her haggard, / Though that her jesses were my dear
heart-strings, / I’d whistle her off and let her down the wind / To prey at
fortune.”- Othello, to Iago, about Desdemona
○ Desdemona is likened to a falcon through avian imagery, implying
that love is a form of entrapment. Her dehumanisation reflects
how she has fallen in Othello’s esteem.
○ Highlights Othello’s possessiveness.
Shakespeare.
The Character of Othello
ACT ONE
● “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe.
Arise, arise!”- Iago, to Brabantio
○ Before the audience meets Othello, he is portrayed as brutish and
primitive. This contrasts the image of the noble soldier that is met
in Act One, challenging the audience’s assumptions and
highlighting the potential discrepancies between what appears to
be and what is.
○ Extensive animalistic imagery.
○ Contrast between the colours can symbolise morality but also
racial attitudes.
○ Similarly, Iago refers to Othello as a “Barbary horse”, referring to
the Barbary Coast in North Africa.
● “My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly.”-
Othello
○ The list of three emphasises the height from which Othello will fall
over the course of the play.
○ Othello’s self-confidence will soon deteriorate.
○ Othello is well-respected. However, he believes those who love
him to secretly hate him and those that hate him to love him.
○ Othello is calm and rational in the face of antagonism (at the start
of the play). Things are not as they appear in the play, and
Shakespeare toys with the audience’s expectations. Othello is
logical, not the primitive beast that Iago portrays him as.
● “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of
peace.”
, ○ Othello speaks in eloquent verse, contrasting his harsh analysis
of his own abilities. This may be interpreted as a sign of humility,
but also one of insecurity.
○ Othello is conscious of his social status and is insecure regarding
Desdemona’s higher birth.
● “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she
did pity them.”- Othello, about Desdemona
○ The repetition of “love” highlights that the marriage between the
pair is based on genuine affection. It is not based on hatred or
jealousy, at least not at the start of the play. The language is
highly emotive.
○ Othello believes that his worthiness is inherently tied to his
success as a soldier. Therefore, he feels increasingly insecure
when there is no war to fight in Cyprus.
● “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her
father and may thee.” - Brabantio, to Othello
○ Iago alludes to this line later in Act Three, Scene Three (“She did
deceive her father, marrying you”- Iago, to Othello), building on
the idea that Desdemona is inherently untrustworthy.
○ The rhyming couplet immediately precedes Brabantio’s exit,
creating a highly ominous tone and sense of foreboding.
○ The imperative demonstrates how Othello must contend with
many different influences in regards to his love for Desdemona.
ACT TWO
● “Come, Desdemona, ‘tis the soldiers’ life / To have their balmy slumbers
waked with strife.”- Othello
○ Foreboding
○ Rhyming couplet
, ACT THREE
● “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee! And
when I love thee not, / Chaos is come again.”- Othello, to Desdemona
○ The exclamatory tone emphasises Othello’s love for Desdemona,
but also the underlying sinister nature of their relationship and his
capacity for violence.
○ The final line foreshadows the play’s tragic ending. The sentence
is short and assertive, conveying a sense of inevitability. The
rapid syntax also reflects how quickly Othello will descend into
doubt, aggression, and fury.
○ The religious language (“perdition”) implies that Othello believes
that Desdemona’s love could damn him. Consequently, he will
later believe that he will go to hell for killing his wife.
● “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy: / It is the green-eyed monster which
doth mock / The meat it feeds on.”- Iago, to Othello
○ The personification of Othello’s jealousy shows its corruptive
power. It takes joy in destruction, just like Iago.
○ There is a strong argument to be made that jealousy is Othello’s
hamartia.
● “I know our country disposition well.”- Iago, to Othello
○ Ironically, the inclusive language is used to exclude Othello.
○ Establishes Othello as an outsider.
● “If I do prove her haggard, / Though that her jesses were my dear
heart-strings, / I’d whistle her off and let her down the wind / To prey at
fortune.”- Othello, to Iago, about Desdemona
○ Desdemona is likened to a falcon through avian imagery, implying
that love is a form of entrapment. Her dehumanisation reflects
how she has fallen in Othello’s esteem.
○ Highlights Othello’s possessiveness.
