The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice

The main conflict is the internal one within Othello, between his love of Desdemona and his fear that Iago is right about her being an adultress.

Iago tells Cassio that he must persuade Othello to reinstate him. He says "the general's wife is now our general" and so the best way to persuade Othello is to get Desdemona to plead on Cassio's behalf. Since Iago has also told Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair, the harder Desdemona pleads, the worse it is going to look for both her and Cassio.

Othello defends himself by explaining that Desdemona was impressed by his stories of military adventures and exploits. As he is explaining that her love for him involves no witchcraft, Desdemona suddenly appears and confirms her genuine love for the Moor.

Not because he is mean; he is not at heart a cruel man. But he has been so tortured by jealousy that he is angry with Desdemona all the while he still desperately loves her. The outrage is not only that he hits her (that's bad enough) but he hits her in public. Nobody who knew them in Venice can believe it.

Othello insists the men put away their swords (1). He defends himself in his marriage to Desdemona (2). He demands Desdemona be brought to him (3). He insists arrangements be made for his wife to be made comfortable (4). He sends his ensign to accompany his wife (5).

Barbantio's reaction to Othello and Desdemona's marriage was he thought that Othello used magic on Desdemona. He couldn't believe his daughter, a Venetian woman would love a dark Moor without Othello using magic.

He is one of the commanders but raised in position by othello as liutenant.

He is Othello's ensign and the villain. He is selfish, narcissistic, extremely intelligent, two-faced, and deceitful.

Iago says, "Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated." Iago's advice is to kill her in her bed, not to use the bedsheet (you could strangle someone that way, but that's not what Iago says). Othello responds with "Good, good! The justice of it pleases! Very good!"

Brabantio disapproves of Othello and the relationship he has with Brabantio's daughter Desdemona. This is not because Othello is not worthy of Desdemona because he is a much respected officer, but because he is a Moor (in that time an African) and therefore considered beneath the Italian people.

In Act II Scene 3, Iago knows that Cassio's weakness is unable to tolerate alcohol therefore he targets this weakness and persuades Cassio to drink with him. At first Cassio said no to Iago's offer because he was assigned to be on duty at night however, he ends up drinking anyways because of Iago's persistent persuasion. Iago's plan was slowly progressing. After a great amount of alcohol consumption, Cassio became drunk and went to the washroom by himself. While he was doing his business, an unknown man which was Roderigo disguised with a beard, pushed him from behind. This action angers Cassio therefore he chases the "unknown man". At the same time, Iago was talking to Montano about Cassio's drinking problem. Cassio runs into Iago and Montano, a fight occurs and Montano gets injured as Iago stabs him without anyone else noticing. The fight causes Othello to appear and strips Cassio of his rank because "he" injured Montano.

There are a few different interpretations about why Iago hates Othello so much he is intent on destroying him. The most obvious is explained in the very first scene, where Iago is talking to Roderigo and expresses his anger at how Othello gave the position of lieutenant to Cassio and not Iago which he believes is unjust, since Cassio only knows "bookish theoric."

However later in the play one of Iago's soliloquies explains his (likely paranoid) suspicions that Othello had "bedded Emilia," his wife. There are also theories that Iago is actually in love with Othello so is jealous and hates him for marrying Desdemona, but I would think that the first interpretation would be your best bet.

Cassio is still alive by the end ofOthello. This is the only area in which Iago fails in his scheme. It was intended by Iago that Cassio die and he uses Roderigo to try and accomplish this but Roderigo fails (though he severely wounds Cassio). The concept demonstrates that not everything can be coldly calculated. Life is extremely unpredictable.

Iago opposes Othello because Othello chose to promote Cassio to lieutenant instead of Iago. Also, Iago is prejudice against Othello for his skin colour. Othello was a victim of the time he lived in.

Rodrigo is stabbed by cassio and killed. Bianca does not die.

In Act One Scene 3 Iago says "I have looked upon the world for four times seven years" which means he's twenty-eight. Othello is middle-aged, but his age is not given in the text. Iago calls him an "old black ram".

Brabantio is a Venetian senator who is Desdemona's father. He becomes Othello's father-in-law when Desdemona elopes with Othello in the beginning of the play. Brabantio is very unhappy with their sudden marriage. He accuses Othello of performing witchcraft on his daughter to make her fall in love with her. Othello denies this. Brabantio warns Othello that if his daughter deceived him, she can deceive Othello as well. In Act V, it is discovered that Brabantio died broken-hearted as a result of Desdemona's marriage to Othello.

Othello got Desdemona to be his wife through what is assumed to be witchcraft, to which he admits in Act 3 Scene 4 of the play. He used a charmed handkerchief which he gave Desdemona as his first gift to her.

Othello was just out of earshot when Iago talks to Cassio. He has told Othello that he is talking to Cassio about Desdemona but he is really talking about the woman that Cassio is really having an affair with, Bianca.

The story takes place in Venice and in Cyprus.

Oversimplifying greatly ... Othello is a dark-skinned African Muslim (a "Moor") who is a high-ranking and hot-tempered general in the army of Venice, Italy. Cassio is Othello's trusted lieutenant. Desdemona is Othello's girlfriend, whom he marries early in the story. Iago (ee-ah-go) is a deviously sly soldier in Othello's army; he is jealous and bitter and wants to destroy Othello, because Othello has chosen Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of choosing Iago. Roderigo is another soldier who Iago easily manipulates to do his bidding. Everyone else in the story takes part in action that revolves around these 5 main characters. Iago tries to get Desdemona's father and the Duke of Venice to believe that Othello engaged in sorcery and kidnapping to get Desdemona to marry him, but that doesn't work. Fortunately for Iago, Othello doesn't realize that Iago is out to get him. Iago gets Cassio drunk, gets Roderigo to pick a fight with Cassio, and then convinces Othello that Cassio started the fight. Othello strips Cassio of his rank. Iago convinces Cassio that Othello's wife Desdemona can help convince Othello to give Cassio his rank back. Iago helps Cassio arrange a secret meeting with Desdemona. Then Iago convinces Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having a love affair behind his back. Iago convinces Roderigo to kill Cassio, but Cassio is only wounded. Iago kills Roderigo so he can't tell anyone that Iago put him up to the murder attempt. In a fit of jealous rage, Othello smothers Desdemona who he believes has been having sex with Cassio. Cassio, Iago and others arrive at the scene of Desdemona's murder. Othello repents of his fit of temper that has caused him to kill his beloved wife. Desdemona's maid reveals that Iago made her set up false evidence that led Othello to his tragic incorrect conclusion. Iago kills the maid. Othello stabs Iago but only wounds him. Othello begs Cassio to forgive him for his unfounded jealousy, which he does. OMG, the dead Roderigo has left a letter fully incriminating the villainous Iago, who is led away to what we assume is torture and a gruesome death. Othello, crushed by having allowed Iago to lead him to ruin, gives a final speech and commits suicide with his dagger. Everyone comes back to life and bows to the audience, who are weeping and applauding.

Because of the way the term "tragic hero" has been treated by AC Bradley and those who followed him, it has almost become a term of art, with an arcane meaning quite divorced from the actual way that Shakespeare's tragedies work. But really a tragic hero is the main character in a play which ends with the destruction of that main character, which usually means his death. If the play is well-written, we feel a sense of regret and sadness that someone for whom we had some sympathy has come to a sticky end. This is certainly the case with Othello.

Othello is a General that lives in Italy(Venice), but is a Moor. Traditionally that means he is black while everyone else is white. He is very respected and marries on of the leading families daughters. Iago is one of his most trusted lieutenants, but after great victories Othello decides to promote someone else. Iago then begins a scheme to get power. First he brings down his other rivals for power. Then he seeks revenge on Othello. To do so he starts scandals almost on a whim and makes everyone distrust one another. Including Othello and his wife. Side note: Othello has epilepsy and no one must know or they will think him weak or possesed. Iago forces Othello to smother his wife and all of his rivals to die, yet in the end He loses his own life in his web of lies. One of the most Ironic things about Othello is Iago the most wicked liar coins the term (I wear my heart upon my sleeve.) Meaning he does not decieve.

Iago makes the top ten most evil fictional villains ever.