In fact, even when Othello enters their bedchamber and talks about killing her, entreating her to pray so that she does not die with a sin on her soul, Desdemona makes no effort to run from Othello, but questions him about why he is upset. (Othello, IV. iii, 45-51).
Cassio's flaw is not as obvious in the beginning part of the play, but plays a major role in the downfall of Othello. Cassio's flaw is that he is too concerned about other people's opinions. Thus, when he begins describing Desdemona to Montano, he does so in glowing terms, despite the fact that he has no romantic interest in Desdemona and appears to have little real knowledge of her. (Othello, II. i, 79-89). Though he knows that he is vulnerable when he drinks alcohol, Cassio allows Iago to goad him into drinking, because he is concerned about Iago's opinion of him. (Othello, II. iii).
Of course, Iago uses this one incident to demonstrate to Montano that Cassio is a drunk, which precedes the fight between Montano and Cassio, and is what puts Cassio in Othello's disfavor.
Emilia has tremendous loyalty for Iago, which he exploits in order to further his plot against Othello. She explains this somewhat when she and Desdemona are discussing women who make cuckolds of their husbands. Desdemona asserts that she could not cheat on Othello for the entire world, but Emilia disagrees. She asks, "why, who would / not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for't." (Othello, IV.iii, 81-83). In fact, during the play, she does things that she knows are wrong, simply because...
She steals the handkerchief that Iago uses to provide physical proof to Othello that Desdemona is
cheating, and she does so without determining why her husband would need that handkerchief.
Of course, no
discussion of Othello would be complete without a discussion of Iago's character traits that drive the story. Iago is an incredibly jealous man, which the
audience learns as the play opens. He starts by explaining to Roderigo how Othello has chosen Cassio as his lieutenant, despite the fact that Iago feels that he is the most qualified person to do the job. (Othello, I. i, 8-33). More importantly, he has a personal reason to hate Othello, and not simply because Othello has given his
promotion to Cassio. Iago states, "I hate the Moor: / and it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets / He has done my office: I know not if't be true; / but I, fore mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety." (Othello, I. iii, 407-410). This jealousy obviously drives his behavior; after all, the revenge he seeks against Othello is a very personal revenge, the loss of his wife, which is what Iago feels Othello has already done to him. Although all of the character traits and weaknesses in the play help drive the plot, if Iago was not a jealous person, there would be no tragedy in Othello.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.
