Othello: Analysis Of The Main Character

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In the play, Othello by Shakespeare Othello is the protagonist who is portrayed as a war hero and shows great pride in his reputation. At the beginning of the play, there is an announcement that Othello the Moor has gotten married to the daughter of a nobleman named Desdemona. Throughout, the course of the play identity and titles play a big role in setting the stage for many of the tragedies that take place. Othello’s character changes the most throughout the play and many of the other characters make note of this change. At first, he is a noble and honourable man but he changes into a jealous murderer. Although this occurs under the influence of Iago, Othello allowed himself to be easily manipulated through his many insecurities. The change in Othello’s character is mainly centred around Desdemona as he goes from a gentle and caring husband to a psychologically and physically abusive. Driven by external and internal forces Othello evolved through the course of the play underwent changes in speech and personality.

Othello’s tone and language change drastically from the beginning of the play mainly under Iago’s influence. At the beginning of the play, Othello speaks calmly and with sophistication where as towards the end of the play he speaks cruedly and with ample amounts of aggression. Othello used to treat all others around him with respect and in a peaceful tone. As seen in this quote: “ Iago is most honest. Michael, good night: to-morrow with your earliest let me have speech with you” Othello treats those around him as equals and speaks to them with respect and affection (2.2.1-5). Specifically Othello’s wife Desdemona was speaken of the most highly and Othello spoke to her lovingly and without distain. As seen in the quote: “Come, my dear love, the purchase made, the fruits are to ensue; that profits’s yet to come ‘tween me and you. Good night.” Othello treats Desdemona with the utmost respect and love as he often refers to her as “my love” (2.2.10-15). To contrast, during Act 4 Othello’s mind is clouded with hatred towards his wife and lieutenant and as a result his language dratically changes. As seen in the quote: “Was someone as beautiful as you meant to be a whore? What have you done? What have you done?” Othello has become unravelled and begins to vehemently insult Desdemona and reveal his crude personality and impulsive tendencies (4.2.70-75). To summarize, Othello’s speech changed drastically throughout the play after his impulsive and crude nature surfaced as a result of Iago convincing him that his wife was cheating on him.

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In Act 4 Iago changes Othello’s perspective on his his loving wife, he thought her to be faithful and loyal to him although Iago planted the imagine in his mind that Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. As a result of Iago’s manipulation Othello underwent a transformation from a rational leader to confused and angered. This change in Othello’s mindset led to major changes in his personality. Othello’s personality is first portrayed as rational and trusting. As seen in the qoute: “Let him do his spite. My services which I have done the signiory shall out-tongue his complaints. ‘Tis yet to know— Which, when I know that boasting is an honour, I shall promulgate. I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege, and my demerits” Othello has faith in his reputation and maintains his peaceful personality(1.2.20-25). In contrast, in Act 4 Othello’s chatachter’s personality changes as he is now very irrational and savage as a result of his jealousy. As seen in the qoute: “ To confess, and be hanged for his labour. First to be hanged, and then to confess—I tremble at it. Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion without some instruction” Othello has turned muderous at the news of his wife cheating on him (4.1.30-35). The use of Othello’s peaceful approach in Act 1 in contrast to his irrational and impulsive aprroach in Act 4 shows the significant personality change he over the course of the play.

From the beginning to the end of the play, Othello’s charachter changes in a variety of ways. Othello’s speech is a significant aspect of his being that changed vastly throughout the play. In the beginning of the play Othello’s speech was calm and rational and displayed the qualities of a military general. At the end of the play Othello’s speech was irrational and crude and displayes how his life is collapsing all around him. Othello’s personally also changed drastically throughout the course of the play. In the beginning of the play Othello’s personality was calm and caring and displayed the personality of a good husband and friend. Whereas, at the end of the play Othello’s personality deviated to impulsive and murderous and displayed the attributes of a man whose life was in shambles. In conclusion, Othello changed significantly in many ways although mainly through his personality and speech, as a result, he ultimately caused the death of his loving wife and himself.     

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