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evident when he defends himself
against Brabanzio’s accusations
that he kidnapped Desdemona.
Othello’s tone and experience,
compared with Desdemona’s
rebelliousness and the fact that
she still resides with her father,
suggest a significant age gap
between the couple. Nevertheless,
Othello’s love for Desdemona is
sincere, and it is this sincerity that
makes him vulnerable to Iago’s
machinations. Othello is brought
down from a justified position of
strength and respect to a savage,
unjustified, and bitter end all
because he could not control
his jealousy. The respect and
love with which the Venetians
regard Othello is made clear by
their shock when he is discovered
with Desdemona’s body at the end.
This was not a man they imagined
succumbing to anxiety, paranoia,
and murder.
“Honest” Iago
Manipulative, cruel, and motivated
by hatred and jealousy, Iago uses
Roderigo’s unrequited love for
THE KING’S MAN
The Moor is of a free and
open nature,
That thinks men honest that
but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be
led by th’ nose
As asses are.
Iago
Act 1, Scene 3Desdemona as a way of extorting
money and extra hands to support
his scheme to undermine Othello.
Roderigo compulsively follows
Iago’s instructions in the hope
that it will bring him closer to
Desdemona. Iago also manipulates
the audience by divulging his
scheme in soliloquies. He justifies
his contempt for Othello with two
uncorroborated arguments: that
Othello has slept with his wife,
Emilia, and that Cassio has stolen
his promotion to captain. Curiously,
Iago’s warning to Othello about the
“green-eyed monster” is one that he
cannot heed himself. It is a cruel
irony that both Othello and Cassio
hold Iago in the highest of esteem,
bestowing on him the title “honest.”
It is Iago who convinces Othello
that Desdemona is false and Iago
who suggests that Othello “strangle
her in bed, even the bed she hath
contaminated” (4.1.202–203).Jealous Iago
When Othello swears to take
vengeance on Cassio, he makes a
vow that has a ritualistic flavor
to it. He speaks in terms of oceans
and the heavens, while Iago
calls on the stars to witness his
commitment to serving his master. ❯❯O, I ha’ lost my reputation,
I ha’ lost the immortal part
of myself, and what remains
is bestial!
Cassio
Act 2, Scene 3Ira Aldridge
In 1825, American actor Ira
Aldridge became the first
black person to play Othello on
a London stage. Born in New
York in 1807, Aldridge moved
to Europe when he found
acting opportunities hard to
come by in his native country.
He was just 18 years old when
he first took the role of the
Moor. Aldridge received
favorable reviews for his
performance, although the
praise was tinged with racist
assumptions. One critic wrote
that he “delivers the most
difficult passages with a
degree of correctness that
surprises the beholder,”
suggesting that the critic
had been skeptical of a
black actor’s ability to
perform such a feat.
Aldridge went on to play
the title roles of King Lear
and Richard III in a long career
on the European stage. In an
inversion of the usual practice
with Othello, Aldridge would
sometimes take on roles as
white men, using make-up to
“white up.” Although he never
returned to the US, Aldridge
was seen as an inspirational
figure among black American
actors. He died in 1867 while
on tour in Poland.