Optional English

Paper IV Semester II Study of Drama- Full Length Drama

Othello

William Shakespeare

Source of the Play

“The Tragedy of Othello: the Moor of Venice” is a tragedy by William Shakespeare

written probably in 1603. It was based on the Italian short story “Un Capitano Moro” (a Moorish
captain) by Cinthio (nickname of Giovanni Battista Giraldi- Italian novelist and poet of the 16th
century). The story was first published in 1565.

This play revolves around four major characters: Othello (a Moorish general in the
Venetian Army), Desdemona (his young wife), Cassio (his lieutenant), and Iago (Othello’s
trusted ensign or ancient). The play has different themed like racism, love, jealousy, betrayal and
hatred in love.

Characters

Major Characters:

1. Othello: The Moor- a general in the Venetian Army, Protagonist of the play
2. Desdemona: Othello’s wife and Brabantio’s daughter
3. Iago: Othello’s ensign and Emilia’s husband, the antagonist of the play
4. Michael Cassio: Othello’s lieutenant, a Florentine
5. Emilia: Iago’s wife, Desdemona’s confidant/maid
6. Bianca: a prostitute in love with Cassio
7. Brabantio: A Venetian senator, Desdemona’s father
8. Roderigo: A Venetian gentleman who wants to marry Desdemona

Minor Characters:

1. Duke of Venice
2. Lodovico&Gratiano: Brabantio’s kinsmen
3. Montano: Governor of Cyprus
4. Clown
Officers, Gentlemen, Messenger, Herald, Sailors, Attendants, Musicians etc.

Critical Evaluation of the Play

Introduction:

“Othello” belongs to the group of four tragedies that are considered as the greatest
tragedies by Shakespeare. “Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear” are these four great tragedies.

Karuna
Deshmukh
Optional English
Paper IV Semester II Study of Drama- Full Length Drama

‘Othello’ was written during 1603-4. It is a domestic tragedy that shows the conflict in marriage.
Deception or treachery in love and the destruction of the marriage is the major theme of the play.

Racial Conflict:

Racial conflict is also an important aspect of the play since the main plot
of the play centers around Othello’s love for Desdemona and their marriage. Whereas Othello is
a black, African moor Desdemona is white, European. This peculiar aspect of the play makes it a
modern play that is a play of contemporary relevance. In each and every scene of the playhere
are several racist remarks on Othello’s appearance as well as the barbaric character of his race. In
a way Othello is the ‘other’ of the drama; whereas the rest of the characters are white,
Europeans. Othello is made the General in the army of the Venetian state because of his bravery
as well as extraordinary skills as a soldier in several wars during his life that he had spent before
coming to the Roman city state of Venice that is the past wars that he fought in various African,
Asian countries.

Shakespeare’s greatness as a dramatist could also be observed by the fact that here in this
tragedy the protagonist or the tragic hero is a black moor- very much different from his other
heroes like Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Antony, Coriolanus, Henry and Richard
etc.

Iago

Another, in fact, the most important aspect of the play is the character of Iago. Iago is the
arch villain of the play. He hates Othello because Othello has not made him the lieutenant and he
remains his ancient or ensign that is an officer of the lowest rank in the Venetian army. Instead
of appointing Iago the lieutenant, Othello favours Cassio which is the main cause of anger in his
mind against Othello. There is another reason for Iago’s hatred against Othello; he is suspicious
that Othello was guilty of sexual relationship with his wife Emilia. It seems that due to these two
reasons Iago wants to destroy Othello and his married life. He also hates Cassio since he has
become the lieutenant and also because Cassio is very much handsome. Iago feels that Cassio’s
beauty makes him ugly. In his plan to destroy Othello he uses Cassio as an object, a pawn. In fact
Iago uses several characters in the play including Othello, Desdemona, his own wife Emilia,
Cassio, and mainly Roderigo to become successful in his plan against Othello. He is, in that
sense, like Satan of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” who always acts in order to destroy the world
created by God. Some critics even think that Iago is pure evil, worse than the Satan of “Paradise
Lost”. However Iago’s character is not that simple thatcan be easily understood. It is rather
always a matter of argument among Shakespearean critics regarding providing a clear
explanation of Iago’s character. The great Romantic poet S. T. Coleridge calls Iago ‘the
motiveless malignity’. It is a matter of irony that each and every character of the play, even those
who are the victims of his wicked plans- whom he tries to destroy, consider him as an immensely
honest person with good intention till the last moment of the play. Othello never feels slightest
Karuna
Deshmukh
Optional English
Paper IV Semester II Study of Drama- Full Length Drama

doubt about the sense of hatred in Iago’s mind for him. His wife, Emilia, considers him a good,
kind, and honest person. At the end of the play she comes to know that Iago is the person who
who had put the poison of suspicion in Othello’s mind that makes him jealous and forces him to
kill the very innocent, good natured, and faithful wife Desdemona. Right from the beginning of
the play, the reader comes to know that Othello is a person loved and respected by all around
him except Iago. However this noble soul is transformed into a brute beast that kills Desdemona
only because of Iago. Iago in this way is the cleverest, the wisest, theshrewdest and wicked
person of the play.

Setting of the Play

Most of the action of the play takes place at the island Cyprus. In the first act of the play
Othello is made the general of Cyprus and is sent there by the Duke of Venice to protect the
place from the attack of the Turkish fleet of the Ottoman Empire of Turkey. In other words the
focus of attention shifts from Venice to Cyprus. These two places become symbols of
civilization and barbarism respectively. Venice stands for normalcy, order, civilization whereas
Cyprus represents the wild aspects like barbarism and brutality. This is a kind of clash of
civilizations represented on one hand by Othello and by Desdemona on the other; she is the
symbol of civilization- white, European supremacy, the self and subject whereas Othello is the
symbol of African, Moorish barbarism as well as the ‘Other’ or the ‘Object’. Shakespeare, as if
warns that the transgression of boundaries by these ‘Others’ always results in destruction,
fatality, and chaos.

Study of the Play from Feminist Perspective

Reading any work of literature from women’s point of view is the feminist perspective.
Almost all the Shakespearean plays can be analyzedfrom this point of view. In “Othello” also,
many critics think that, there is warning hidden – as if Shakespeare intends to warn the European
women, in case, by chance they marry any oriental men, Asian or African her destruction will
surely be her fate. It will be her punishment for crossing the boundaries. In this way the drama
could also be studies as the discourse of patriarchy in which even the doubt of treachery by a
woman demands her murder as the just punishment. Othello ruthlessly kills Desdemona because
of the doubt put in his mind by Iago that she is involved in an immoral relationship with Cassio.

Conclusion

In this way ‘Othello’ is one of the finest tragedies in world literature having cotemporary
relevance in almost all its aspects.

Karuna
Deshmukh