Character Role Development Relationship with other Critical responses
characters
• Noble and Dignified: • Tragic hero: His hamartia of • Hubris: Othello’s • Desdemona: Iago calls Neo-Classicist Samuel
Othello is known as “The jealousy and being easily refusal to change his her “the true general”. Johnson:
Valiant Moor” and his manipulated by people and mind after being Their relationship is "the fiery openness of Othello"
elevated status acts as the societal conventions enables convinced of her initially true and loving Romanticist William Hazlitt:
moving factor of the Play. the destruction of his infidelity. This is linked if unequal. Othello has great "depth of
People look up to him and relationship to his animalistic • Iago: Trust for Iago passion", evokes a lot of
trust in him. Compared to • Passive: Othello is not driving tendencies increases over time, pathos. Sympathizes with
Christ. the play forward despite • Insecurity: Encouraged and begins mirroring Othello, says he's "noble".
• Outsider: Despite his being the protagonist; he is by his racial difference, his gestures and way of Romanticist Samuel Coleridge:
religion being Christianity, spurred into action by every Othello is unable to speaking Othello DIDN'T kill Des out of
he does not fit in with other character until the very assimilate in societal • Cassio: Key role in jealousy, but because of Iago's
Venetian society and end when he takes his fate fully ever Othello’s insecurities. manipulation. Othello isn't to
culture and is insecure into his own hands • Fate and Free Will: At His trust in him is blame.
about this • Peacemaker: Linked to his the climax, Othello slowly destroyed and T.S Eliot:
• Honest and Trusting: status, he is a peacemaker wholeheartedly he acts as a Othello's final speech was a
Perhaps to the extent of until he is in his vicious spiral believes he must kill comparison. "terrible exposure of human
naivety, Othello puts faith of hatred and wishes death Desdemona as that is • Brabantio: Acts calmly weakness". He is more
in his subordinates and upon innocent people. her fate. He and openly to him, concerned with himself and
frequently shares how he Paradoxical with his military immediately regrets whilst Brabantio “self-dramatization.”
feels openly status and conventions this, and the idea is left accuses him in a racist Modern critic interpretation of
• Jealous: Hamartia society puts on him. His open and sexist way. Cliché “otherness”: Othello is “other”
• Calm and Rational: Speaks decision to kill Desdemona is • Victim: Of Iago and Shakespearean father incarnate because of his
eloquently and following the law Venetian society, • Venetian society: A blackness.
respectfully to mirror his • Captivating: He has exotic mirrors his origins cultural outsider, whilst Feminist Lisa Jardine:
important status appeal, especially in a • Violent spiral: he is competent at Othello killing Desdemona was
• Violent and animalistic: Shakespearean and Venetian Animalistic and military operations he silencing a powerful female
Goes down a violent and society context. Furthers his demonic transgression fails to understand voice.
hellish spiral of despair, position as outsider against morality and conventions. Highlights Marxist criticism: The
confusing fate + free will God, he is made to be a background relationships and power
monster by Iago between master and ensign.
characters
• Noble and Dignified: • Tragic hero: His hamartia of • Hubris: Othello’s • Desdemona: Iago calls Neo-Classicist Samuel
Othello is known as “The jealousy and being easily refusal to change his her “the true general”. Johnson:
Valiant Moor” and his manipulated by people and mind after being Their relationship is "the fiery openness of Othello"
elevated status acts as the societal conventions enables convinced of her initially true and loving Romanticist William Hazlitt:
moving factor of the Play. the destruction of his infidelity. This is linked if unequal. Othello has great "depth of
People look up to him and relationship to his animalistic • Iago: Trust for Iago passion", evokes a lot of
trust in him. Compared to • Passive: Othello is not driving tendencies increases over time, pathos. Sympathizes with
Christ. the play forward despite • Insecurity: Encouraged and begins mirroring Othello, says he's "noble".
• Outsider: Despite his being the protagonist; he is by his racial difference, his gestures and way of Romanticist Samuel Coleridge:
religion being Christianity, spurred into action by every Othello is unable to speaking Othello DIDN'T kill Des out of
he does not fit in with other character until the very assimilate in societal • Cassio: Key role in jealousy, but because of Iago's
Venetian society and end when he takes his fate fully ever Othello’s insecurities. manipulation. Othello isn't to
culture and is insecure into his own hands • Fate and Free Will: At His trust in him is blame.
about this • Peacemaker: Linked to his the climax, Othello slowly destroyed and T.S Eliot:
• Honest and Trusting: status, he is a peacemaker wholeheartedly he acts as a Othello's final speech was a
Perhaps to the extent of until he is in his vicious spiral believes he must kill comparison. "terrible exposure of human
naivety, Othello puts faith of hatred and wishes death Desdemona as that is • Brabantio: Acts calmly weakness". He is more
in his subordinates and upon innocent people. her fate. He and openly to him, concerned with himself and
frequently shares how he Paradoxical with his military immediately regrets whilst Brabantio “self-dramatization.”
feels openly status and conventions this, and the idea is left accuses him in a racist Modern critic interpretation of
• Jealous: Hamartia society puts on him. His open and sexist way. Cliché “otherness”: Othello is “other”
• Calm and Rational: Speaks decision to kill Desdemona is • Victim: Of Iago and Shakespearean father incarnate because of his
eloquently and following the law Venetian society, • Venetian society: A blackness.
respectfully to mirror his • Captivating: He has exotic mirrors his origins cultural outsider, whilst Feminist Lisa Jardine:
important status appeal, especially in a • Violent spiral: he is competent at Othello killing Desdemona was
• Violent and animalistic: Shakespearean and Venetian Animalistic and military operations he silencing a powerful female
Goes down a violent and society context. Furthers his demonic transgression fails to understand voice.
hellish spiral of despair, position as outsider against morality and conventions. Highlights Marxist criticism: The
confusing fate + free will God, he is made to be a background relationships and power
monster by Iago between master and ensign.
