Brought to you by The Educational Company of Ireland
With annotations, analysis and commentary by Patrick Murray
Podcasts read by actors Simon Coury and Niamh Daly
Brought to you by The Educational Company of Ireland
With annotations, analysis and commentary by Patrick Murray
Podcasts read by actors Simon Coury and Niamh Daly
‘The significant relationships in the play involve Othello, Iago, Cassio, Desdemona and Emilia.
The complex interactions between these five characters form the substance of the action and dictate its progress.
Iago’s sinister relationship with Othello colours and distorts the way in which Othello comes to
see his own relationship with Desdemona. From Iago’s point of view, in order to destroy Othello’s
relationship with Desdemona, he must first sever the bonds that unite Othello and Cassio.
Desdemona’s kindly interest in Cassio’s problems provides Iago with some of the “evidence”
he needs to destroy her credit with Othello. Desdemona’s influence on Emilia has a profound
effect on the way in which she comes to see the world and may be seen as the inspiration for
Emilia’s principled, self-sacrificing action in exposing Iago’s evil deeds at the cost of her own life.
The two central relationships, however, are between Othello and Iago, and Othello and Desdemona.’