A detailed description and in-depth analysis of Othello. Upgrade to PRO Sign Up for PRO to view suggested audition pieces! Roderigo, in love with the noble lady Desdemona, has paid large sums of money to Iago, on the understanding that Iago would give her gifts from him and praise him to her. Othello’s behavior throughout the play is influenced by the knowledge that many of the characters around him do not truly trust or accept him due to his racial difference; they tolerate his presence because he serves a purpose, but do not truly think of him as an equal. the woman Othello has recently eloped with). Summary. He falls in love with, and marries, the delicate Desdemona though he is middle-aged, and she is still young. Brabantio is so appalled to learn that his daughter has married Othello that he assumes she must have been bewitched, accusing Othello “damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her” (1.2.). Desdemona's father, Brabantio, is a rich and important Venetian politician. Desdemona, of a Venetian origin, is the daughter of Brabantio (a senator) who elopes to marry a Moorish Army General, Othello. Othello Character Analysis: Brabantio. Othello is a combination of greatness and weakness, in his own words "an honourable murderer" (V.2, 295). The Female Protagonist. The Turkish attack may have been quelled, but it also bodes badly for Othello's ship. Blog. William Shakespeare, Desdemona’s father, a Venetian Senator. A man of position and power. However, faithful Desdemona supports her husband, proving her antiracist position. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). He comes to desperately want certainty about whether or not Desdemona is faithful. Brabantio causes a scene and blames Othello for seducing his daughter. The Othello quotes below are all either spoken by Brabantio or refer to Brabantio. to read our character analysis for Brabantio and unlock other amazing theatre resources! A messenger enters, and confirms that the Turkish fleet was broken apart by the storm, and that Cassio has arrived, though Othello is still at sea. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. THIS FEATURE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PRO MEMBERS. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Brabantio from Othello Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more. Clown: The Clown is a servant of Othello's and a source of humor in an otherwise dark and violent play. Join the StageAgent community Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more characters from They spot a ship coming forth; but Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia are on it, not Othello. A terrible storm has struck Cyprus, just as the Turks were about to approach. to read our character analysis for Brabantio and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Characters Iago Possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare, Iago is fascinating for his most terrible characteristic: his utter lack of convincing motivation for his actions. By the end of the play, Othello is dangerously impulsive; once he has become convinced Desdemona is unfaithful, he vows that “thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood be spotted” (5.1.). At the beginning of the play, Othello occupies a complex position within Venetian society. He strongly disapproves of. Suggestions. Brabantio as a character is every bit the overprotective father, but in some ways, he represents the pull of youth on Desdemona as well. Philadelphia, PA, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent © 2020. Brabantio: Brabantio is Desdemona's volatile and paternalistic father. At the start of the play, Othello is a confident, self-assured man who is calm in a crisis and gracious to everyone around him; for example, he remains calm when Brabantio is rudely insulting him, and immediately accepts the Duke’s command that he go to Cypress to fight the Ottomans. The encounter with her dad is crucial for Desdemona’s character analysis. Othello is bold and a good warrior, but he is a good man undone by his two main failings - jealousy and pride. ), mocking a facial feature stereotypically associated with people of color. Iago’s psychological torment has broken Othello to the point where he no longer knows what to believe, and cannot distinguish truth and lies. Othello Analysis . Upgrade to PRO Cassio is loyal to Othello and friendly with Desdemona, though he's unkind to the prostitute Bianca, who seems to love him. A man with a daughter. Brabantio as a character is every bit the overprotective father, but in some ways, he represents the pull of youth on Desdemona as well. A Christmas Carol A Tale of … As the play’s title indicates, Othello is the protagonist. At the start of the play, Othello is a confident, self-assured man who is calm in a crisis and gracious to everyone around him; for example, he remains calm when Brabantio is rudely insulting him, and immediately accepts the Duke’s command that he go to Cypress to fight the Ottomans. A summary of Part X (Section9) in William Shakespeare's Othello. However, due to Iago’s poisonous influence, Othello’s desires shift significantly over the play. He is well-respected for his military valor, and when the Duke learns about the impending threat posed by the Ottoman fleet, he immediately turns to Othello for help, imploring “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you” (1.3.). On a street in Venice, there is an argument between Roderigo, a nobleman, and Iago, an ancient (captain) in the defense forces. He is a general in the Venetian defense forces, and, although a foreigner from Africa, he has won this post by excellence in the field of war. Analysis At the inn where Othello is lodging, Iago tells Othello that he wanted to stab Roderigo when he hears the things Roderigo was saying about Othello. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Brabantio is an old man and a Senator of Venice.. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Jersey Boys The Duke, however, is not able to talk Brabantio out of his anger, and as everyone is leaving the Senate chamber, Brabantio calls out to Othello, "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee" (1.3.292-293). New York, NY, Twelve Angry Men Learn Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. When Iago and Roderigo tattle on Othello for marrying Desdemona without her father's permission, Brabantio rushes to his daughter's room and discovers that she is missing. A Moor, and an officer in the Venetian military. He likes Othello and invites him to visit his house a lot—but he never expected Othello to "steal" his daughter. His successful profession brings him high status in Venice, but his foreign origins and color separate him from those with whom he lives and works. Othello may be impressive on the battlefield, but his own personal insecurity leads to the tragic end of the story. We only provide suggested audition monologues or songs for an individual character if our system finds content that matches a character's traits. Once he is convinced of Desdemona’s guilt, Othello’s desires shift to wanting revenge: “To furnish me with some swift means of death / For the fair devil”(3.3.). Cheshire, CT, Pericles Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Othello Short Summary: a critical brief summary of "Othello" by William Shakespeare The story is all about the swiftness of action, aloofness, inaction and vulnerabilities of one's inherent complexes which collide, sometimes, to mark the worst for man's life. 7–32 ). Furthermore, he never believed his darling little girl would marry Othello unless she was drugged or under some kind of spell. Michael Cassio A young, charming, and handsome soldier, whom Othello promotes to the rank of lieutenant, over the more experienced Iago. In the first scene, he claims to be angry at Othello for having passed him over for the position of lieutenant (I.i. He admires and loves his wife, but he can't believe that she would be in love with him. Why educators should appear on-screen for instructional videos [Scene Summary] He doesn’t seem to recognize her capacity for entering into a mature relationship with a man, and keeps her trapped in perpetual childhood. Othello and Desdemona demonstrate an example of a perfect family at the beginning of the play. Feb. 10, 2021. But then Iago, who doesn't give his name and whom Brabantio doesn't recognize, graphically describes Othello and Desdemona having sex—he says that "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe" (1.1.88-89), calling Othello a "Barbary horse" (1.1.110), and adds that "your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs"(1.1.118). The female protagonist in the tragic play “Othello”, Desdemona is truly one rare character who astonishes the readers as much with her outer beauty as with her inner grace. The senator is very fond of Othello’s bravery. He also warns Othello that Brabantio is likely to try to legally force a divorce between Othello and Desdemona. Othello at first wants to simply live a contented life with his new bride; as he movingly tells Desdemona, “If it were now to die / ’Twere now to be most happy” (2.1.). As they wait for Desdemona to arrive, Othello says that Brabantio used to invite him to his house to hear his life story, with all its dramatic tales of travel, battle, and valor. Brabantio does not approve of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship, the Duke urges Brabantio to move on with the following advice: “To mourn a mischief that is past and gone, Is the next way to draw new mischief on.”(Lines: 553-554). Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Othello admits that he married Desdemona.But he denies using any magic to win her love, and says that Desdemona will support his story. Results may vary. However, Othello’s race makes him a target of prejudice and distrust: when Roderigo complains that Othello has successfully wooed Desdemona, he refers to his rival as “thick-lips” (1.1. Iago's lies about Cassio feed into Othello's self-doubt to the point that Othello doesn't believe the truth when he hears it; he believes the "evidence" that … Othello is one of Shakespeare’s five best-known and widely studied tragedies, along with Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet.But as is so often with a well-known text, we don’t know this one nearly as well as we think we do: Othello has more in it than jealousy, the ‘green-eyed monster’, and (implied) racial hatred.These themes are central to the play’s … Cassio greets them all, especially praising Desdemona; somehow, Iago and Desdemon… Character List Othello A Moor (an African), a general in the defense forces of the city state of Venice. A man who will use his position and power to try to protect that daughter. He is a genteel racist: he has been very friendly to Othello and often invited him to his house to honor him and for the sake of hearing the tales of his life, but when his daughter runs away with the Moor, however, he is appalled, and convinced that witchcraft is the only explanation. Brabantio in Othello Quiz. These stories, Othello says, won Desdemona's love. Brabantio in Othello: Character Analysis & Quotes 7:32 ... Upgrade to Premium to enroll in Othello Study Guide. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Othello and what it means. They send for her. Brabantio. Othello has recently promoted a Florentine named Michael Cassio to the rank of lieutenant, even though Iago feels he himself is a better man for the job. Iago and Roderigo decide to get back at Othello by making a nighttime visit to Brabantio, the father of Desdemona (a.k.a. Brabantio Character Analysis in Othello, the tragic play written by William Shakespeare Brabantio is an influential senator in the state of Venice where Othello , a Moor has become a general.