Othello- Dynamic Characters

Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare

Othello has changed dramatically since the beginning of the play.  He used to be calm, collected, mature, and loving.  By the end, he has turned jealous, distrusting, and murderous.  Lodovico says, "O thou Othello, that wert once so good, fall'n in the practice of a damned slave, what shall be said to thee?" (V.ii.290-292)
The once good Othello was destroyed by the plotting of the evil Iago.  Iago himself, not surprisingly, has sustained the same character traits through out the work, though characters' view of him changed.  Iago has always been evil.  And he caused the change in Othello, manipulating and using him until he kills his innocent wife, then, discovering her innocence, kills himself.  No one could have predicted such a drastic change in the brave and loyal Othello.

Though Emilia is only a minor character, her change is also drastic.  Initially, she was extremely quiet, and would not even defend herself against Iago.  In addition, she did what he wanted almost without question.  Now, with her mistress slain on the bed, and Othello telling her why, Emilia explodes.  She is so incredulous that her husband was the one that started Othello's suspicions of his wife.  Emilia knows how innocent Desdemona was, and she tells Othello that, along with the fact that Iago asked her to steal the handkerchief for his owns means.  Emilia screams at and curses Iago: "You told a lie, an odious, damned lie, upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie!.. Villiany, villiany, villiany! I think upon 't. I think I smell 't. Oh, villiany! I thought so then. I'll kill myself for grief. Oh, villiany, villiany!" (V.ii.179-180, 189-192).  When Iago tells her to be queit, she says, "I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak" (V.ii.183).  She changed drastically in defense of her friend, and finally recognizes Iago's evilness.
Iago is the root cause of the changes in all the dynamic characters.  The changing of the characters adds to the complexity of the play and the development of the tragedy.