Othello seems to be the protagonist in the play. The play is named Othello, and some can argue that Othello is the main character (but some could argue that he isn’t). Regardless, Othello is thought to be the protagonist. He’s the Moor of Venice and - in the beginning of the play - has the most power. He seems to have good intentions, but Iago changes the outcomes of Othello’s intentions throughout the play. Othello is an honest and kind man that loves his wife and his friends. These traits seem to be good traits at first, but as the play goes on, these traits essentially kill Othello. They are his fatal flaws.
Othello loves Desdemona, plain and simple. His love for her is almost so much that he essentially loves her to death. Him hearing that she has been unfaithful to him causes him to believe he should kill her so that she cannot be unfaithful to anybody else in society. He justifies his reasoning for killing her by saying “it is the cause, it is the cause, my soul” (V.ii.1). He’s saying that he is doing this act of murder for the benefit of the rest of the population. He doesn’t necessarily want to kill Desdemona just because he is angry, but he feels as if it’s his duty. This is because Othello is a kind man; he takes this as his responsibility to protect his people. He also loves Desdemona so much that he strangles her to death because strangulation is an almost intimate act of murder. Othello feels close to Desdemona while, ironically, pushing her away from his life. He squeezes her closer, which in return pushes her soul away.
Othello is also naive. He is naive because he sees the best in all of his friends and people surrounding him. He truly believes nobody would ever lie to him. Because of this attribute that Othello obtains, it causes many deaths that could have easily been prevented. Othello is told lie after lie after lie throughout this play, and he ignorantly believes all of them. Therefore, Othello’s fatal flaw here is his good-nature and credulousness. Othello refers to Iago as being an honest man at multiple times. Othello is ignorant in this aspect; Iago is one of the most evil and untruthful characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Othello confidently says “honest Iago hath ta’en order for it” (V.ii.71-72) and “my friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago” (V.ii.152-154). The fact that Othello can so positivily say that his “friend” Iago is honest is almost saddening. Othello is a noble and good-hearted man, and for that, he becomes hurt. Not only hurt, but killed and causes many deaths along with his own. The irony behind Othello’s character is astonishing; it’s honestly wicked to see such a heroic character fall into Iago’s trap and to essentially diminish into an antagonist because of his good intentions.
Othello loves Desdemona, plain and simple. His love for her is almost so much that he essentially loves her to death. Him hearing that she has been unfaithful to him causes him to believe he should kill her so that she cannot be unfaithful to anybody else in society. He justifies his reasoning for killing her by saying “it is the cause, it is the cause, my soul” (V.ii.1). He’s saying that he is doing this act of murder for the benefit of the rest of the population. He doesn’t necessarily want to kill Desdemona just because he is angry, but he feels as if it’s his duty. This is because Othello is a kind man; he takes this as his responsibility to protect his people. He also loves Desdemona so much that he strangles her to death because strangulation is an almost intimate act of murder. Othello feels close to Desdemona while, ironically, pushing her away from his life. He squeezes her closer, which in return pushes her soul away.
Othello is also naive. He is naive because he sees the best in all of his friends and people surrounding him. He truly believes nobody would ever lie to him. Because of this attribute that Othello obtains, it causes many deaths that could have easily been prevented. Othello is told lie after lie after lie throughout this play, and he ignorantly believes all of them. Therefore, Othello’s fatal flaw here is his good-nature and credulousness. Othello refers to Iago as being an honest man at multiple times. Othello is ignorant in this aspect; Iago is one of the most evil and untruthful characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Othello confidently says “honest Iago hath ta’en order for it” (V.ii.71-72) and “my friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago” (V.ii.152-154). The fact that Othello can so positivily say that his “friend” Iago is honest is almost saddening. Othello is a noble and good-hearted man, and for that, he becomes hurt. Not only hurt, but killed and causes many deaths along with his own. The irony behind Othello’s character is astonishing; it’s honestly wicked to see such a heroic character fall into Iago’s trap and to essentially diminish into an antagonist because of his good intentions.