7.2.2

Other Characters

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Bianca

Bianca is Cassio’s mistress but it is implied by Iago and Roderigo that she is a prostitute, who courts Cassio for money.

Bianca

Bianca

  • Bianca denies the accusation of being a prostitute and says, ‘I am no strumpet’.
  • There is nothing special about her, aside from her beauty and throughout, she remains besotted with Cassio.
Emotions

Emotions

  • We do see her experiencing jealousy however, when it becomes clear that the handkerchief he had given her to unpick actually belongs to another woman.
  • She sobs when she finds Cassio injured and here she is quickly led off the stage.
Love

Love

  • Bianca feels much love for Cassio, but she also notes how jealousy can feel as well (paralleling the main plot of the play).
Tragedy

Tragedy

  • Bianca has a plot function within the narrative arc of the dramatic tragedy.

The Duke of Venice and Montano

The Duke of Venice is a dignified Head of State. Montano is Othello’s predecessor as governor of Cyprus.

The Duke of Venice

The Duke of Venice

  • Shakespeare presents the Duke of Venice as presiding over Brabantio’s case against Othello, and chairs the Council of War after news arrives in Venice of the Turks attacking Cyprus.
  • His language is always very formal and controlled.
Love and tragedy

Love and tragedy

  • By permitting Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, he effectively stamps the seal of approval of genuine love between them, but perhaps also further ignites Iago’s quest for revenge, helping to seal the fate of the tragedy.
Montano

Montano

  • Montano is Othello’s predecessor as governor of Cyprus.
  • His core role in the plot of the play is to be treacherously persuaded by Iago that Cassio is a drunkard.
  • He also prevents Roderigo and Cassio from duelling, becoming seriously injured himself.
  • At the end of the play he is full of anger when he discovers how he and others have been tricked by Iago.
Love and tragedy

Love and tragedy

  • Love causes the duel between Roderigo and Cassio, and it impacts on Montano.
  • He feels the anger of the tragedy that has happened at the end of the play for he realises himself that he has been duped.

Lodovico, Gratiano and Clown

Lodovico is sent to Cyprus to try to recall Othello. Gratiano is Desdemona’s uncle and one of the party from Venice sent to Cyprus to recall Othello.

Lodovico

Lodovico

  • Lodovico is sent to Cyprus to try to recall Othello.
  • He cannot understand why Othello humiliates Desdemona and is incredulous at the murders which have taken place.
  • At the end of the play he assumes control and in his final speech, looks to the New World and hope that it will be better.
Love and tragedy

Love and tragedy

  • Lodovico finds it hard to understand Othello’s behaviour since if Othello truly loves Desdemona then he would behave differently towards her.
  • Lodovico is left to ‘clean up the mess’ after the tragedy has occurred.
Gratiano

Gratiano

  • Gratiano is Desdemona’s uncle and one of the party from Venice sent to Cyprus to recall Othello.
  • His chief function is at the end: to inform the characters of Brabantio’s death, to express familial misery over Desdemona’s death and to rage angrily against Iago.
Clown

Clown

  • This is a part that is often cut from performances of the play but it is an important pause in the drama of the tragedy.
  • His purpose is to mock the musicians who try to cheer up Cassio.
  • He also functions as a ‘go-between’ between Cassio and Desdemona.
Love and tragedy

Love and tragedy

  • The Clown tries to make jokes on stage but the other characters are too distracted to enjoy his humour.
  • Love is often an important source of humour in plays and in tragedy, a comic interlude helps to relieve the tension and slow down the growing climax.
Jump to other topics
1

Context

1.1

Introduction

1.1.1Specifications
1.2

Background

1.2.1Shakespeare1.2.2Love1.2.3Tragedy1.2.4Historical Context
1.3

Othello

1.3.1Setting1.3.2Social Issues
2

Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1

Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure2.1.2The Exam
2.2

Scene One

2.2.1Key Events2.2.2Key Themes2.2.3Key Ideas
2.3

Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events2.3.2Key Themes2.3.3Key Ideas
2.4

Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events2.4.2Key Events 22.4.3Key Themes2.4.4Key Ideas
3

Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1

Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events3.1.2Key Events 23.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy3.1.4Scene Two: Events
3.2

Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events3.2.2Key Ideas
4

Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1

Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two4.1.2Scene Three4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas4.1.4Scene Four
5

Act Four

5.1

Scene One

5.1.1Key Events5.1.2Key Ideas
5.2

Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events5.2.2Key Ideas
5.3

Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events5.3.2Key Ideas
6

Act Five

6.1

Scene One

6.1.1Key Events6.1.2Key Ideas
6.2

Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events6.2.2Key Ideas
7

Character Profiles

7.1

Major Characters

7.1.1Othello7.1.2Iago7.1.3Desdemona7.1.4Emilia7.1.5Cassio
7.2

Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio7.2.2Other Characters
8

Key Themes

8.1

Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love8.1.2Love 28.1.3Tragedy8.1.4Tragedy 2
8.2

Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private8.2.2Appearance & Reality
9

Writing Techniques

9.1

Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure9.1.2Genre9.1.3Form & Language9.1.4Language & Imagery
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy10.1.2Traditional10.1.3Modern & Contemporary
10.2

Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach10.2.3Marxist Approach
11

Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1

Specification A

11.1.1Specification A11.1.2Love Through the Ages
11.2

Specification B

11.2.1Specification B11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy
12

Issues of Assessment

12.1

The Exams

12.1.1AOs12.1.2Mark Scheme

Practice questions on Other Characters

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What is special about Bianca?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    How does Bianca respond to Cassio's injury?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Which character's language is always very formal and controlled?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Which character assumes control at the end of the play and in his final speech, looks to the New World in the hope that it will be better?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Gratiano chief function's at the end of the play:Fill in the list
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Roderigo & Brabantio

Love