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Duke of Venice
Michael Cassio
Montano
Iago
Iago is Othello’s ensign who serves under his command. An ensign is an officer position in infantry or navy. Iago is 28 years old at the time of the play and is the main antagonist, manipulating people's fears and insecurities to deceive them for his personal gain.
Resentment for Othello and jealousy are what drive Iago to do evil. He continually tricks Othello which culminate in Othello's killing of his wife. Because Othello passed over him for Cassio as the new lieutenant, Iago develops a deep resentment for both Cassio and Othello. This also allows him to use Roderigo as a tool to eliminate Cassio.
Even though he only makes two major appearances in the play, the Duke of Venice serves an inportant role in dictating the fate of Othello from making ammends betwween him and his father-in-law and sending him to Cyprus.
The Duke of Venice represents the official authority present in Venice. In Act 1, he makes ammends between Othello and Brabazio. He later makes another appearance to inform Othello that he should leave Venice to go to Cyprus.
While Montano has no real major part in the play, his role in the demoting of Cassio is important in determining the fate of Cassio.
Montano is Othello’s predecessor in the government of Cyprus. Even though he leaves his position for Othello, he is supportive of Othello and has a high respect for him.
Cassio is the young soldier who is promoted to the position of lieutenant by Othello. Even though he is young, insecure, and inexperienced, he has a high position among Othello's troops. He is also a good friend of Othello's wife, Desdemona, which is the source of Iago's cruel plans.
Because of his promotion, Cassio has suspicion thrown on him by Iago who covets Cassio's position of lieutenant. Beacuse of this, Iago plays on Cassio's youth and friendship with Desdemona in order to place suspicion on him.
Roderigo
Clown
The clown is a minor character who plays a servent to Othello. He only appears briefly in two short scenes.
The addition of the Clown in the plot of Othello provides a comic relief who twists around meanings of words to further intrigue, or confuse the audience. His presence brings confusion into the plot which causes curiosity among the audience.
Roderigo is a main character in the play who, after failing to get a response from Desdemona, teams up with Iago. Roderigo pays Iago huge sums of money in hopes of catching the attention of Desdemona and as a result, is persuaded by Iago into letting him kill his "rival" Cassio.
Roderigo is motivated by his frustration of Desdemona and hatred for Othello. Because he is blinded by jealousy, he is unable to see that Iago is using him for his own personal problems and gain. His desperation to win Desdemona causes him to overlook true motives of Iago, thus leading him to consent in the killing of Cassio.
Emilia
Bianca
Desdemona
Othello
Bianca is a woman in Cyprus who makes her living as a prostitute. She appears in multiple scenes with Cassio.
Emilia plays a simple role in the play as Iago's wife. She is also a faithful attendant to Desdemona.
While Emilia is a simple attendant and mistress, she is ever suspicious of her husband's actions and motives. This combined with her unending loyalto to Desdemona provides for a twist throught the dialouge in the play.
Bianca is used to show Cassio's extreme youth (compared to Othello) and inexperience. Her most frequent customer is Cassio which shows Cassio's lack of right judgement.
Desdemona is the loving wife of Othello. Before the play begins, she is secretly married to Othello without the permission from her father. Desdeoma frequently rejects the compliments and favors of Roderigo who is a jealous suitor of her. Desdemona is also used as an innocent pawn in Iago's scheme for revenge.
Othello is an African Christian Moor who leads the Venician armies. He is an older man who is easily manipulated due to his many insecurities, a major character flaw which causes continual problems throughout the play.
Because of her frequent rejection of Roderigo, Desdemona causes mounting pressure to accumulate and lead into a series of events that unfold and lead to bad results. Desdemona is the crucial element in Iago's scheme for revenge against Othello, for he uses Desdemona to bring out Othello's false suspicion in her loyalty to him as a wife.
Othello's action of giving the position of lieutenant to Cassio instead of Iago causes Iago to feel extreme jealousy, which sparks conflicts throughout the play. As a result, Iago uses Othello's insecurities by manipulating his fears about his wife's fidelity.
Lodovico
Brabanzio
Lodovico is one of Brabanzio's kinsmen. Even though his role is small, the messege he carries shapes the plot for the play.
Lodovico's main purpose is to convey a messege to Othello while he in in Cyprus describing how Othello will be replaced by Cassio.
Barbanzio is the father of Desdemona and subsequently Othello's father-in-law. At first good friends, Barbanzio holds resentment towards Othello for marrying his daughter in secret and without permission.
Barbanzio's resentment towards Othello towards the beginning of Act 1 causes conflict that is eventually resolved by the Duke of Venice. His position of a senator also slightly influences his ego and strengthens his position towards Othello.
Graziano
Like Lodovico, Graziano is another kinsman of Brabanzio. He assists Lodovico in his task of delivering the messege to Othello.
Once again, while Graziano's task and purpose is miniscule, the effect his letter has directly impacts the outcome of the play as well as the fate of many characters.
BIANCA
MICHAEL
CASSIO
PROSTITUTE
RIVALS FOR
LIEUTENANT
POSITION
LODOVICO
EMILIA
IAGO
OTHELLO
WIFE
COMMANDS
MESSENGERS TO
GRAZIANO
MONTANO
DUKE OF VENICE
AUTHORITY
KINSMAN
WIFE
BRABANZIO
DESDEMONA
RODERIGO
JEALOUS SUITOR
FATHER
"Iago in Othello." Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources, Test Prep. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/othello/iago.html>.
"Othello Characters review at Absolute Shakespeare." Absolute Shakespeare - plays, quotes, summaries, essays.... N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/othello/characters/characters.htm>.
Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. No fear Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Spark, 2003. Print.