An Investigation of Shakespeare's Characters in Othello

In the tragedy Othello, William Shakespeare uses complex character traits to enhance his ideas and theme of the play. These characteristics have a powerful impact on the development of the story and eventually contribute to the downfall of Desdemona's and Othello's loving relationship. The male characters take on a great significance in Othello, yet Shakespeare decides to create different psychological instabilities and inconsistencies in his female characters. Shakespeare uses different characterizations of the women in Othello and manipulates them to advance the plot of the tragedy and suit his needs. Shakespeare purposely makes the female characters of Desdemona, Bianca, and Emilia not have consistent identities, but rather change as the story develops.