Character Traits In Othello

Jealous, deceitful, and unfair are all words you would not use to describe the character Othello in the beginning of the William Shakespeare play of the same name. Othello is the story of the tragic hero who against all odds, becomes one of the top military leaders in all of Venice and marries a beautiful, white woman named Desdemona.He is intelligent, courageous, and very skilled in his field of battle. However, he manages to keep his friends close but his enemy closer because of naiveness and desire to become part of Venetian society. In the play, Iago pretends to have Othello’s back and give him advice while secretly plotting his revenge against the black, military leader. With the help of Iago, Othello becomes convinced that he is being

With Iago’s guidance and advice, Othello becomes fully convinced that Desdemona is cheating. He begins to change the language that he uses towards Desdemona, calling her a “devil”and a “whore,” which is something he would never have said at the start of the play. His morals and mindset change as he sees Desdemona as a prostitute who would never love and appreciate him and he becomes volatile and lashes out. In the moments leading up to the time when Othello kills Desdemona, you see the final fight within himself. He is torn because he knows that he wants to kill her, but he does not want to admit what he believes the reason for her death is. After Desdemona dies and Othello is speaking with a few of the councilmen from Venice, he reminisces on his past life. He remembers his military days, his governing days, and his days of falling in love with Desdemona. Finally, he realizes his mistakes and all of the guilt that has been hiding rushes out. “That’s he that was Othello. Here I am” (Othello.V.ii.297). A lost and confused, Othello, utters these words right before he stabs himself, showing that he no longer sees himself as the man he once