History Characters / Othello

* GreenEyedMonster: Bianca continues the trend towards Cassio, who she assumes has been seeing over women as he has not seen her for a few days. This shows he means more to her than a mere customer.

* PassedOverPromotion: The motives Iago cites for his vendetta against Othello change a few times, but one is that he is incensed by is Othello promoting Cassio to lieutenant instead of him, when it's implied he's been at Othello's side for a while. Iago strives first to take Cassio down. and then Othello himself.

A Moor, and a Venetian general who's recently gotten married. He adores his young wife, but has a bit of an insecurity problem, and a nasty jealous streak. He also trusts his friend Iago completely, which later proves to be his undoing.

* BrokenAce: He's a wealthy, accomplished, cultured and respected soldier. He's also self-loathing. For instance, he believes himself to be inarticulate ([[UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking see below]]) when that's not true. And when he disputes Desdemona's adultery, he says what amounts to. "She's way out of my league, but that doesn't mean she'd cheat on me."

* ScaryBlackMan: It depends on how the actor chooses to portray him, but Othello usually fits--he's a war general, after all, which is pretty intimidating.

* AmbiguousSituation: Iago's motivation for acting against Othello is never quite clear. He gives a few reasons in his monologues--because Othello promoted Cassio instead of him, that maybe Othello slept with Emilia--but his inconsistently suggests that these aren't the real (or at least main) reason. Iago also says he lies a lot, and it's never truly clear what he was trying to accomplish.

* SparedByTheCut: Inverted. The lines that reveal Roderigo's survival are very easy to miss, and many productions cut them out altogether, making Roderigo appear to be dead.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: After Roderigo gets into a fight with Cassio, resulting in him being injured, Iago shows up and takes Cassio down (though he ultimately lives). Roderigo thinks he's done so to save him, but Iago proves him ''wrong''.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Iago's motives are never quite clear, but there certainly isn't anything that justifies his decision to ''destroy Othello's life''.

* DrivenByEnvy: The motives Iago cites for his decisions change a few times, but one is that he is incensed by Cassio's promotion (it's implied he's been at Othello's side for a while) and strives first to take him down and then Othello himself.

* ForTheEvulz: Iago's motivation for acting against Othello is never quite clear. Although he gives a few reasons in his monologues--because Othello promoted Cassio instead of him, that maybe he slept with Emilia--but he also says he lies a lot, and it's never truly clear what he was trying to accomplish. His final words before being taken offstage can be seen as a TakeThat for anyone trying to decipher his final goal.

'''Iago:''' Demand me nothing. What you know, you know.\\
From this time forth I never will speak word.

* BrokenAce: He's a wealthy, accomplished, cultured and respected soldier. He's also self-loathing. For instance, he believes himself to be inarticulate ([[UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking see below]]) when that's not true. And when he disputes Desdemona's adultery, he says:
--> '''Othello''': Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw \\
the smallest fear or doubt of her revolt \\
For she had eyes and chose me.
:::Or, in other words, "She's way out of my league, but that doesn't mean she'd cheat on me."

-->'''Desdemona:''' But my noble Moor\\
Is true of mind and made of no such baseness\\
As jealous creatures are, it were enough\\
To put him to ill thinking.\\

'''Desdemona:''' Who, he? I think the sun where he was born\\
Drew all such humours from him.

-->"...even but now he spake after long seeming dead: Iago hurt him, Iago set him on." (Act V scene II, 326-28)

Desdemona's dad, a Senator. He's really not happy about her choice in spouse.

* MayDecemberRomance: Othello is supposed to be several decades older than Desdemona, and the age disparity, as much as sensitivity to racism, is why he so quickly believes she's been unfaithful.

* EvilGenius: You got to admit, Iago is pretty genius.

* FalseFriend: To everyone. Even Emilia doesn't know the full depths of his bastardry.

* ReversePsychology: He uses it extensively and masterfully.

* SilkHidingSteel: A popular interpretation of her nowadays. Dame Creator/MaggieSmith and Irene Jacob show her to be a ProperLady with plenty of fire and sexuality underneath it all.

* OverprotectiveDad: Though it's mostly a matter of "family honour", especially since she's run off with *gasp* a ''non-Venetian'' (a ''Moor'', moreover! You know, those brown people that are the allies of the Turks!). Frankly, it could only have been worse if he was ''Genoese'' or, *gasp*, ''Catalonian''!

* NearVillainVictory: He gets his revenge on Othello, but his full evil plan required him never being found out and getting away with it scot-free. [[SpannerInTheWorks But he completely underestimated his wife.]]

* ClassicVillain: He represents {{Pride}} and {{Envy}}.

* DragonWithAnAgenda: Iago to Othello

* ClassicVillain: He represents Pride and Envy.

* SilkHidingSteel: A popular interpretation of her nowadays. Maggie Smith and Irene Jacob show her to be a ProperLady with plenty of fire and sexuality underneath it all.

"...even but now he spake after long seeming dead: Iago hurt him, Iago set him on." (Act V scene II, 326-28)

-->'''Othello''': Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?\\
'''Iago''': Demand me nothing. What you know, you know.\\

-->'''Desdemona''': But my noble Moor\\

'''Emilia''': Is he not jealous?\\
'''Desdemona''': Who, he? I think the sun where he was born\\

-->'''Cassio''': Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!
* {{Jerkass}}: He's kind of a dick, [[JerkassBoyfriend especially]] to poor Bianca.

-->'''Emilia''': Marry, I would not do such a thing for a joint-ring, nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty exhibition. But for the whole world? Why, who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch?

-->'''Emilia''': Oh, are you here, Iago? You’ve done a good job, that other men can attribute their murders to you!\\
'''Emilia''': (to Iago) Tell this villain he’s wrong, if you’re man enough. He says you told him his wife cheated on him. I know you didn’t. You’re not that much of a villain. Speak, because I’m too emotional to say any more.

* KnightOfCerebus: Iago is William Shakespeare's darkest and most destructive villain, going out of his way to ruin the protagonist's life for little reason other than simply because he can. Worse, he actually ''succeeds'' in getting his revenge on Othello, and would have been a complete KarmaHoudini if his wife hadn't exposed him.

-->'''Othello''': Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?
-->'''Iago''': Demand me nothing. What you know, you know.
-->From this time forth I never will speak word.

* AlmostDeadGuy[=/=]FinalSpeech: Poor smothered Desdemona manages to gasp out a few words before dying... of asphyxiation. Even by Renaissance standards, this may have stretched disbelief beyond the exigencies of the RuleOfDrama. Most adaptations and modern productions end up cutting the speech entirely, or else have Othello stab her at the end of it because the smothering didn't work.

-->'''Desdemona''': But my noble Moor
-->Is true of mind and made of no such baseness
-->As jealous creatures are, it were enough
-->To put him to ill thinking.
-->'''Emilia''': Is he not jealous?
-->'''Desdemona''': Who, he? I think the sun where he was born
-->Drew all such humours from him.

-->'''Emilia''': Oh, are you here, Iago? You’ve done a good job, that other men can attribute their murders to you!
-->'''Emilia''': (to Iago) Tell this villain he’s wrong, if you’re man enough. He says you told him his wife cheated on him. I know you didn’t. You’re not that much of a villain. Speak, because I’m too emotional to say any more.

* TragicHero: Othello is practically the textbook definition, being a virtuous, honorable man with one terrible flaw (jealously) and a terrible mistake (his trust in Iago) that leads him to do evil and cause his own destruction.

* KnightOfCerebus: Iago is William Shakespeare's darkest and most destructive villain, going out of his way to ruin the protagonist's life for little reason other than simply because he can. Worse, he actually ''succeeds'' in getting his revenge on Othello, and would have been a complete KarmaHoudini if his wife hadn't unwittingly exposed him.

* IdiotBall: He's smitten with Desdemona so follows her and her ''newly-wed husband'' (a big scary general) to a war-torn country in an attempt to win her back.

* {{Jerkass}}: He's kind of a dick, especially to poor Bianca.

Desdemona's dad. He's really not happy about her choice in spouse.

* PragmaticVillainy: "Villainy" is probably a bit strong, but when Desdemona is protesting that she wouldn't cheat on Othello for the whole world, Emilia is quick to say that ''she'' would:

* SparedByTheCut: Inverted. The lines that reveal Roderigo's survival are very easy to miss, and many productions cut them out altogether, making Roderigo dead after all.