OTHELLO CHARACTER ANALYSIS

By: Saeed Hamidu Mohammed

The Shakespearean tragedy Othello is about the cunning and hateful Iago who
drives the heroic Moor of Venice, Othello, to suspicion then to rage against his wife
Desdemona. This results in Othello killing both his wife and himself. Othello is a
general in the Venetian defense forces, and, although a foreigner from Africa, he
has won this post by excellence in the field of war. He has courage, intelligence,
the skill of command, and the respect of his troops. When the colony of Cyprus is
threatened by the enemy, the Duke and Senate turn to "valiant" Othello to lead
the defense. In this essay we will analyse the character traits of Othello and give
reason as to why he is my favorite character.

Othello is depicted as brave in the tragedy and we see it with his very first
appearance in Act I. Brabantio, who is full of rage after finding out that his
daughter has eloped with the ‘’Moor’’, approaches Othello with men and with evil
intent; Othello is unshaken and says ‘’Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will
rust them.’’ This is a sign that Othello isn't afraid of the Senator who holds so much
power in the city of Venice. Othello is also unshaken by his words and takes it
calmly which all goes to show that Othello is brave. Brabantio goes on to spit foul
things about Othello and then Brabantio and his men get ready to fight however
Othello says “Hold your hands, Both you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my
cue to fight, I should have known it Without a prompter. ’This further supports the
point that Othello is brave. We also see that Othello is brave by the way the Duke
refers to him in the council chamber. The Duke referred to Othello saying ‘’Valiant
Othello’’. Valiant means brave and if the Duke thinks of Othello to be brave then
surely Othello is very brave. How could he not be? ……….

Othello is also seen as a leader in Act II where he and his men along with
Desdemona had left for Cyprus. Othello is a well-respected general in the Venetian
army. Shakespeare shows that Othello takes his job and duties very seriously,
often putting his obligations to others before his own needs. In Act II Othello is
woken from his bed to end the fight Iago started and he is made to demote Cassio
from his rank as lieutenant, even though he is his friend, telling him, “Cassio, I love
thee, / But never more be officer of mine” This scene implies that Othello is willing
to sacrifice his own friends in order to act the perfect leader; he acts on the will of
others and not his own just like a true leader.

Shakespeare portrays Othello to be a loving husband to Desdemona and tells us

that their relationship is one of mutual respect. We see this when Othello tells the
Venetian senate to “send for the lady [...] / And let her speak of me to her father” .
Shakespeare presents the faith Othello has in her, as well as his appreciation for
her voice and opinions and this tells us that Othello did not marry his wife for her
body but instead for the respect and love he has for. Othello does something very
uncommon at that time by inviting Desdemona to fight her own case: typically,
women carried no authority, especially in the public , and had to defer to their
husbands. Othello continues, “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I
loved her that she did pity them,”. This is how Shakespeare tell us that Othello
truly loves Desdemona and respects women. It makes us wonder if Shakespeare
was trying to show how marriages should be a union and a meeting of perspectives
rather than one’s power over the other. This is just my personal opinion however.

In addition to Othello’s respect and loyalty to his wife, Shakespeare conveys how
love brightens Othello’s spirit. His speech is full of joyful imagery, such as “My
soul’s joy, / If after every tempest come such calms, / May the winds blow till they
have wakened death,” and “The greatest discords be / That e’er our hearts shall
make,” . Shakespeare portrays him as an optimist, bolstered by the strength love
brings him. He feels like together, they can face anything, even “death” itself - the
ultimate goal for lovers. The references to nature and music draw strong parallels
with traditional love poetry, and convey how powerful love makes Othello feel.

In conclusion Othello is my favourite character because how much of a wonderful

person he is both to his wife and the people around him.