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Othello

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Othello
Books related to Othello Othello - The protagonist and tragic hero of the play. A Moor commanding the armies of Venice, he is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose "free and open nature" will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife Desdemona into a powerful jealousy. Desdemona - The daughter of a Venetian Senator, and Othello's bride. The most sympathetic character in the play, she is deeply in love with her husband, and her purity contrasts strongly with Iago's wickedness. Iago - Othello's ensign, and Shakespeare's greatest villain. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a Satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the Moor. Cassio - Othello's lieutenant, promoted in place of Iago. He is an inexperienced officer but an honest man, with a great concern for his good name. Emilia - Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress. Roderigo - A jealous suitor of Desdemona. A vain, melodramatic fool, he follows Desdemona and Othello to Cyprus and acts as a willing tool for Iago. Bianca - A courtesan in Cyprus, and Cassio's mistress. Brabantio - Desdemona's father, and a Senator in Venice. A friend of Othello, he feels betrayed when the Moor marries his daughter in secret. Lodovico - Brabantio and Desdemona's kinsman, he acts as a messenger from Venice to Cyprus. Gratiano - Brabantio's brother. Clown - Othello's servant. Montano - The governor of Cyprus before Othello. The Duke of Venice - The official authority in Venice who presides over some scenes and events in Othello. Roderigo, meanwhile, appears as a whiner and dupe for Iago--if he is the best suitor Venice has to offer, then Desdemona's preference for Othello is understandable. As for Othello himself, we hear the racist insults of Roderigo and Iago, who refer to him as "thick-lips" (I.i.66) and "an old black ram" (I.i.88-89), so his identity as an African
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