Othello, the hero of Shakespeare’s tragedy, is significant as a non-white character in a time of racism. He is afflicted with fits of rage and delusion, and his ego and fear lead to his own downfall. He secretly marries Desdemona and promotes Cassio, causing Iago to plot against him. Othello kills Desdemona based on flimsy evidence and kills himself when he learns the truth. Scholars debate whether his motivations stem from self-hatred or a huge ego. The character has been portrayed by many actors, including Patrick Stewart and Laurence Fishburn.
Othello the Moor is the main character in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. The character is significant as a hero, as racism was rife in Shakespeare’s day and non-white characters were generally portrayed as ignorant or wicked. He is also an unusual hero in that he is afflicted with a condition that causes fits of rage and delusion. The tragedy of the character is that even though he is a brave and brilliant man, he brings about his own death by allowing ego and fear to dominate him.
At the beginning of the play, the character is described as a great general in the Venetian army, who has risen to power through many valiant deeds. He secretly marries Desdemona, daughter of a senator, even though her father’s permission has not been obtained. The couple protest their true love for each other before the Senate, eventually obtaining permission to remain together and go to Cyprus, where there is a war going on.
Othello infuriated Iago, one of his subordinates, by promoting another soldier named Cassio to the position of lieutenant. Iago, who has the general’s complete trust, plots to convince him that Cassio and Desdemona are sleeping together. Based on very flimsy evidence, the tragic hero turns on Desdemona almost immediately, smothering her with a pillow in their bedroom. When Iago’s wife informs the general that Desdemona was completely innocent, he kills himself rather than be imprisoned.
The motivations behind Othello’s behavior are a source of constant speculation by scholars. A popular theory suggests that he is driven by self-hatred, believing he is not good enough to keep Desdemona’s love. Their secret, rather than public, wedding is cited as evidence for this idea.
As written, the character is plagued by indecision: he trusts Iago implicitly but promotes Cassio, loves Desdemona but kills her, and is reputed to be brave but commits suicide rather than face judgment. These contradictory impulses lead some to believe that he is truly insecure, despite his many successes. Some scholars argue that this self-distrust is the character’s fatal flaw, leaving him easily swayed by the scheming Iago.
Other experts consider Othello afflicted with a huge ego. A direct reading of the lyrics implies that the character kills his wife out of anger at being cheated on. Rather than leading to self-loathing, this interpretation suggests that the racial and social characteristics that make one different lead to a superiority complex. In this theory, it’s Iago’s constant vocal praise that makes the general so willing to believe whatever the villain tells him.
The title character of the tragedy has attracted actors since its inception and has been portrayed by a variety of well-known personalities. Richard Burbage, the lead actor in the Shakespeare company, is believed to have been the first to take on the role. On stage, Henry Irving and Laurence Olivier performed as the character heavily made up to appear black. African-American actors James Earl Jones, Paul Robeson and Chiwetel Ejiofor also starred in popular productions of the play.
A popular modern stage production was done in a racially reverse fashion, with Patrick Stewart in the lead role and the rest of the cast played entirely by black actors. In the film, Laurence Fishburn, Billy Crudup and Mekhi Phifer both played the role. In all, over 1920 film adaptations have been made since the 1915s. The character remains one of Shakespeare’s most revered heroes and the role continues to be sought after by many actors.
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