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Cassio’s innocence and trust that other people will see his virtue makes him a parallel character to Desdemona. However, unlike Desdemona, Cassio evolves as a character. By the end of the play, he has realized that Iago is responsible for Desdemona’s death, and he helps Othello understand Iago’s treachery.
- Othello
Cassio compliments Desdemona to Iago as the two men praise...
- Iago
Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is...
- Desdemona
Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much...
- Emilia
Emilia also shows courage and self-assurance in chastising...
- Roderigo
Othello’s heroism on the battlefield also contrasts strongly...
- Full Play Summary
Othello begins on a street in Venice, in the midst of an...
- Character List
Cassio. Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and...
- Infographic
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year...
- Othello
Michael Cassio, or simply Cassio (/ ˈ k æ s i oʊ /), is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Othello. The source of the character is the 1565 tale "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio; Cassio is unnamed in Cinthio but referred to as "the squadron leader".
- Othello
- Desdemona
- Iago
- Cassio
- Emilia
- Roderigo
- Bianca
- Brabanzio
- Duke of Venice
- Montano
The play’s protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He possesses a “free and open nature,”...
The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible j...
Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old. While his ostensible reason for desiring Othello’s demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost ae...
Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecu...
Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband. Read an in-depth analysis of Emilia.
A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio i...
A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who teases her with promises of marriage.
Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general marries his daughter in secret.
The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and then to send Othello to Cyprus.
The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships.
Cassio is loyal to Othello and friendly with Desdemona, though he's unkind to the prostitute Bianca, who seems to love him. While intelligent, he is not cunning, and Iago easily ensnares the unwitting Cassio in a plot to convince Othello that Desdemona has cheated on him with Cassio.
Jul 31, 2024 · Cassio is selected over Iago to be Othello's lieutenant. However, he loses credibility after getting involved in a drunken fight during Othello's wedding festivities.
Jun 6, 2019 · Two of the key characters are Cassio, Othello's loyal captain, and Roderigo, a man who is love with Othello's wife, Desdemona. Over the course of the play, both are lured into the complex love plot engineered by Iago, one of Shakespeare's best-written villains.
Cassio, Othello's Lieutenant. When he is telling Roderigo how he was passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago describes the man chosen as "a great arithmetician, / One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, / (A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife), / That never set a squadron in the field" (1.1.19-22).
