Othello
Othello is a General in the Venetian military. He has married Desdemona in secret as they are greatly in love. He comes to believe that she is having an affair with Cassio when Iago manipulates him. Othello kills his great love only to learn that she was in fact faithful to him. He takes his own life once he finds out.
Desdemona
Desdemona is Othello's wife. They marry in secret and when her father Brabantio finds out he is distraught over it. She is faithful to her husband while attempting to get Cassio reinstated, but Othello takes her life as he has been manipulated by Iago to do so.
Iago
Iago is Othello's trusted ensign, who seeks to betray the General by convincing him that Desdemona has been having an affair with Cassio.
Roderigo
Roderigo is a Venetian who is in love with Desdemona, and whom Iago manipulates in order to to convince Othello that his wife is betraying him. Roderigo does everything Iago asks in hopes of being loved by Desdemona, but is eventually killed by Iago.
Cassio
Cassio is a captain in Othello's military. Othello loves him, but has to strip him of his military rank after he gets into a fight with Montano. Cassio then takes Iago's advice to confess everything to Desdemona, which begins Othello's believing that he and Desdemona are having an affair when they are in fact not.
Emilia
Emilia is Iago's wife and Desdemona's maidservant. She is the one who takes Desdemona's handkerchief and gives it to Iago to plant on Cassio causing the proof to Othello of Desdemona's affair with Cassio. When she realizes the handkerchief is the proof she confesses it was Iago who took it.
