Dynamic Characters

Othello
William Shakespeare

In the first three acts, we saw Othello change from a calm and rational man to a man that was easily angered and no longer believed anything any one else but Iago said. In Act V, we see how Emilia fits into that role of a major and dynamic character. As Iago draws his sword, she says, "O thou dull Moor! That handkerchief thou speak'st of/ I found by fortune and did give my husband,/ For often with a solemn earnestness,/ More than indeed belonged to such a trifle,/He begged of me to steal it." (V.ii.224-228) That part of the scene as a whole shows Emilia's newly found courage. She not only stands up to her husband, but she also yells at Othello to get the point through his head that he was wronged. She does not fear her husband killing her; she tells everything she knows. What she told also helped the other characters figure out what Iago did. Emilia was the main doorway that exposed Iago, which made her a very important character in the play. Other characters also had dynamic qualities, but I felt Othello and Emilia were the two main ones.