How is Othello described?
The play’s protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race.
What was the name of Othello beloved?
Othello explains that it was Desdemona who pursued him after she fell in love with his stories of valor: “These things to hear would Desdemona seriously incline,” (Act One, Scene Three). This is another demonstration of her not being a submissive, passive character—she decided she wanted him, and she pursued him.
Was Othello black or Arab?
Othello was frequently performed as an Arab Moor during the 19th century. He was first played by a black man on the London stage in 1833 by the most important of the nineteenth-century Othellos, the African American Ira Aldridge who had been forced to leave his home country to make his career.
Who was Otello?
Othello is a Moorish prince living in Venice as an ambassador of the Moors. After time in Venice, Othello is appointed general in the Venetian Army. His officer Iago tricks him into believing that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with his Lieutenant, Michael Cassio.
What type of person is Othello?
outsider
Othello is an outsider who is intelligent and confident in military matters but socially insecure. He leads an intense life, swinging between triumph and dread. He is different from those around him, due to his origins and his life history, but he shares their religion, values, and patriotism to Venice.
What race was Othello?
Although Othello is a Moor, and although we often assume he is from Africa, he never names his birthplace in the play. In Shakespeare’s time, Moors could be from Africa, but they could also be from the Middle East, or even Spain. American actor John Edward McCullough as Othello in 1878.
Is Lodovico Desdemona’s cousin?
We know that Lodovico is related to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, which makes him Desdemona’s cousin or something like that. We also know that he is a nobleman from Venice.
Is Othello of noble birth?
Both Oedipus and Othello are distinguished by nobility: Oedipus by birth and deed and Othello by a distinguished career. Oedipus is the son of King Laius and Jocasta his wife, the king and queen of Thebes. Othello, on the other hand, is noble only by deed. He is a Moor and a barbarian by Venetian customs.
Who was the actor who played Othello in 1896?
The Russian actor and theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski as Othello in 1896. Othello (The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603.
How does Othello defend himself before the Duke of Venice?
Othello defends himself before the Duke of Venice, Brabantio’s kinsmen Lodovico and Gratiano, and various senators. Othello explains that Desdemona became enamoured of him for the sad and compelling stories he told of his life before Venice, not because of any witchcraft.
How does Shakespeare’s Othello differ from Cinthio’s tale?
While Shakespeare closely followed Cinthio’s tale in composing Othello, he departed from it in some details. Brabantio, Roderigo, and several minor characters are not found in Cinthio, for example, and Shakespeare’s Emilia takes part in the handkerchief mischief while her counterpart in Cinthio does not.
How does Iago persuade Othello to be suspicious of Cassio?
Iago now persuades Othello to be suspicious of Cassio and Desdemona. When Desdemona drops a handkerchief (the first gift given to her by Othello), Emilia finds it, and gives it to her husband Iago, at his request, unaware of what he plans to do with it.