What are Othello's character traits?

Othello is a man of contradiction: on the battlefield, he is a great leader, decisive in action, and well-respected by his peers, while within Venetian society, he acts with caution due to his status as a racial and cultural outsider.

Like all of the classic tragic heroes, Othello is a great person brought low by a tragic flaw. In this case, his own insecurities about his place in society destroy him. He has many admirable qualities outside of the military world that draw people such as Desdemona to him: he is well-spoken, mature, and even humble (such as when he apologizes for being "rude in my speech" despite speaking with clarity). However, the combination of his race and older age makes him doubt that a young white woman like Desdemona could ever really love him, especially when taking into account how the other Venetians regard him.

The color of his skin sets him apart from the white Venetians, who view him with a mixture of awe and wariness. Despite his being part of their culture and a fellow member of their religion, he is always "the Moor" to them. As a result, he is always aware of his precarious footing and this is what makes him such easy bait for the wicked Iago. His insecurity gives way to rage easily, leading to his murder of Desdemona.

Can you describe Othello's character?

Othello is a complex character.  He is a man who is very much in love with his wife Desdemona, whom he has run off with and married behind her father's back.  He is a high ranking general and is a Moor.  He is well regarded and respected; however, due to his "dark" skin, there is an underlying element of racism, which Iago uses to its full advantage when he plots to let Desdemona's father know about Othello and Desdemona's marriage. Othello is brave and quick tempered and is vulnerable and gullible, as we find out when Iago convinces him that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.  Othello tries to give her the benefit of a doubt, but after much plotting by Iago, whom he thinks is his friend, he is finally driven to obsessive madness in his jealousy.  FYI: The phrase "green-eyed monster" (jealousy) was coined by Iago!

What is the characterization of Othello?

If you are speaking of the characterization, that is how other characters construct him, it depends on who is characterizing him. He is spoken of most often by Iago, who refers to him constantly as a "Moor", and uses animal imagery whenever he makes reference to him. So the insinuation from Iago's perspective is that he is beast-like.

He describes himself as "rude in speech" and untutored, but he is hardly that. He certainly speaks well enough to infatuate (not in a sexual sense) Desdemona's father, and to seduce Desdemona.

He is brave and adventurous, he is in fact the best general the Duke has at his disposal. He is confident in battle; however, he is not confident with people. He may not actually be "rude in speech" but the fact that he thinks of himself this way (if this was not a rhetorical move) suggests that in social situations he feels somewhat inferior to others. This is significant because he is quick to credit Iago with having a superior understanding of people. And it is true. In battle, Othello would never trust something to be as it appears, yet he states that he expects people to be on the inside as they appear to be on the outside. It is this naiivete that leaves him open to Iago's manipulation. He trusts that what Iago tells him is true. Yes, he asks for truth, but even as he asks he listens and is convinced. It may be that his insecurity plays a part here as well; although he resists Iago's initial suggestion that Desdemona might want someone more desirable than him (he at first counters Iago by saying that he is who he is and yet Desdemona still chose him) he is very quickly willing to believe that she would fall for someone like Cassio.

He is intensely passionate: he loves hard and he hates hard. Even before his jealousy of Desdemona mounts, he says he feels his passions override his intellect when, angry at the fact that his guards have been fighting, he tells them that he is so angry that he is afraid he will strike at the wrong man.

Although he is no animal, he is too often ruled by his emotions. A good ruler should have control over his passion and should allow the better part of man (his intellect) to guide him.

What is the characterization of Othello?

Othello, a Moor, is a general of the Venetian army. At the beginning of the play, he has great successes and all is going well for him. He's sent to Cyprus to defend it against the Turks. Then he marries Desdemona. At this point, he's still confident and self-controlled. This confidence begins to decline when Iago suggests Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. He thinks his skin color, older age, and lack of courtly charm makes it inevitable that his wife would cheat on him. Iago works Othello into a jealous rage which leads to him killing Desdemona. He justifies killing her by saying he's saving her good name. From beginning to end, Othello changes from a heroic leader to a "savage beast" because he's so easily manipulated by Iago. Iago knows Othello is unsure of himself in civil society. In the end, Othello is an outsider, a hired gun of Venice, who commits murder.

How would you critically analyze Othello?

In any analysis relating to Othello as the main protagonist, one fact should stand central in our judgment—that Othello is an outsider. Once this fact is understood and appreciated, a true analysis of his character can be undertaken.

Venetian society was generally parochial. The Venetians were very keen to protect their morals, traditions and way of life from any external influence. As such, they displayed a certain level of snobbery, as can be seen in Iago's resentment that Cassio, a Florentine, had been appointed in a position which, he felt, he was more entitled and better qualified for.

In this scenario, then, Othello is introduced to us as a hero. He has overcome all the prejudice and has been given the highest honour—general of the Venetian army. Truly a remarkable achievement. We furthermore learn that he is not only a man of stature, but is also well-respected. He is welcomed into the house of Brabantio, a highly ranked citizen. We see from the duke's reticence to pass summary judgment over him as an indication of the esteem in which Othello is held.

We also learn that he is an experienced soldier, battle-hardened and one who has overcome many trials. Othello is of a different racial persuasion than the general Venetian populace, which makes his achievement even more exceptional. Othello is also not afraid to be further entrenched in Venetian culture and custom, for he takes a tremendous risk in eloping with Desdemona, a Venetian. To add to this, he is also much older than her, indicating that he was prepared to lose all he had gained to be with his one true love. This act, in itself, gains our admiration.

We know that Othello is also proud. for he speaks with authority about his prowess as a soldier and of his royal history. He is also humble, for he tells his audience (during his interrogation by the duke) that he is not a great speaker, but when he does speak, his eloquence is impressive. It is this talent which moved Desdemona to tears and inflamed her desire to be with him.

However, all this quickly unravels once Othello allows himself to fall victim to Iago's malicious manipulation. Our hero soon devolves into an anti-hero. We discover that Othello has issues which Iago gleefully exploits. We learn that he is insecure about his foreign status, his age, his race, his poor knowledge of Venetian custom and probably also the fact that he suffers from an uncontrollable ailment—seizures which are exacerbated when he is angered or stressed.

Our hero's feet of clay gradually crumble until they are nothing. Iago's persistent chiselling at Othello's ego brings out the worst in him. We discover that he is deeply jealous. He overreacts at Iago's initial subtle suggestions that Desdemona and Cassio are involved in an adulterous liaison. Although he confidently asserts that she had chosen him over all the other handsome Venetian men who were vying for her attention, there is a slight hint that he has been unnerved. Proof of this is when he insistently asks Iago questions about what he is implying when he, for example, after seeing Cassio slink away 'guilty like' from Desdemona's company, states, 'I like not that.'

The pernicious Iago sees his advantage and Othello becomes like putty in his hands. Iago is in full control and we feel pity for him but are, simultaneously, angry that he, a man of such stature, could be so feeble-minded and gullible as to bend to Iago's malevolent machinations.

In the end, Othello tragically becomes a victim of his own uncertainty. Although he had overcome so many tribulations, he is finally beaten by the fact that he could not overcome the one thing that stood between him and true love, acceptance and security: he was an outsider.  

Can you provide a critical analysis of a key incident in Othello?

What an interesting assignment.  Shakespeare's Othello offers many choices. You can choose an incident that is a turning point in the play--when the incident results in a character's or characters' change in fortune, such as Othello succumbing to Iago's persuasion in Act 3, scene 3, or Cassio getting drunk in Act 2, Scene 3.  In this case, you would analyze the causes and effects of the scene and how Shakespeare constructed this scene to show these causes and effects. You might analyze each character's motivations as portrayed in the scene, and the various conflicts that are present.  Don't forget to include a discussion of the staging techniques used--which characters are on stage, what they are doing, what tone is created.  

Another approach might be to choose a scene that you think is especially key in understanding a particular character's situation or plight.  You might discuss such a scene as Othello spying on Iago and Cassio in Act 4.  This one works so nicely because it shows a stark contrast to the Othello we saw in Act 1.  Instead of standing tall, self-assured of himself and his love, we see him literally hiding and spying on who he thinks is his wife's lover.  They dynamics between Othello, Cassio, and Iago have completely changed, and this change is reflected in not only their words, but also their positions on stage.  Instead of Cassio being Othello's chosen one, Othello now believes that he deserves to die, and Iago has now become Othello's eyes, ears, and interpreter, as Othello hides and watches as Iago interacts with Cassio.  The dramatic irony in this scene intensifies the audience's reaction to these characters.  We KNOW that Cassio is discussing Bianca, not Desdemona, and we watch in horror as Iago makes Othello believe what would have been inconceivable to him in the first act.  There are more aspects of this scene to discuss-- Othello's changed speech patterns, his feelings of loss and betrayal, Iago's mastermind and methods, Othello's intense and explosive reactions.  

When you choose your scene, think first what the purpose of this scene is.  Or what would be lost if this scene were omitted.  Then look more closely to see how Shakespeare crafted the scene to achieve this purpose.  Good luck with this assignment.  

How can one analyze the characters in Shakespeare's Othello?

Writing a character analysis for William Shakespeare's play Othello requires reading through the play carefully, making notes about each character as you read, rather than being caught up in the story line. 

For each character, you might ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this a major or minor character?
• What is the character's main function in the plot of the play?
• What are the character's main relationships with the other characters of the play?
• What sort of ethics or morals does the character display?
• What motivates the character?
• Does the character develop over the course of the play or is the character static?

Thus, for example, in an analysis of Othello, you would start by making a list of the answers to the questions above:

• Othello is the protagonist, or leading character of Othello.
• The plot begins with Othello falling in love with Desdemona, then marrying her, and finally killing her.
• Othello is a well respected soldier, but as a Moor, suffers some degree of racial discrimination from some of the Venetians. He is husband to Desdemona, friend to Cassio, and thinks Iago is his friend (but Iago actually hates him).
• Othello is a morally good character, but prone to jealously and loses his temper easily. He is very honest, and doesn't know when people are lying to him. He has a trusting disposition.
• His main motivations are love for Desdemona and jealousy when he thinks she is committing adultery. 
• Othello develops from a simple soldier to a complex and intelligent man in love under the good influence of Desdemona. Under the bad influence of Iago, jealousy corrupts his fundamentally good nature.

For your assignment, for each character, take a basic list of the main features of the character and shape it into paragraph form, emphasizing the aspects of the character you consider most important as the thesis statement for that character.