Character in Othello
Othello ♂ male
887Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.2Last Scene
24.9%Of Play Dialogue
Othello is the #2 role in Othello by line count (887 lines, 24.9% of the play), sharing the stage most often with Iago — 11 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Othello’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iago | 1,098 | 30.9% |
| 2 | Othello (this role) | 887 | 24.9% |
| 3 | Desdemona | 388 | 10.9% |
| 4 | Cassio | 277 | 7.8% |
| 5 | Emilia | 245 | 6.9% |
| 6 | Brabantio | 139 | 3.9% |
| 7 | Roderigo | 114 | 3.2% |
| 8 | Lodovico | 76 | 2.1% |
| 9 | Duke Of Venice | 73 | 2.1% |
| 10 | Montano | 61 | 1.7% |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “My services which I have done the signiory”
Longest speech (Act 5, Scene 1): “Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 2): “Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.”
How Othello’s dialogue distributes across the play
Othello’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 259 lines.
Every scene where Othello speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 2 | 38 | 32.5% |
| Act 1, Scene 3 | 115 | 26.9% |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 30 | 9.0% |
| Act 2, Scene 3 | 57 | 14.6% |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 5 | 71.4% |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | 201 | 37.7% |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 53 | 23.7% |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 101 | 32.6% |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | 71 | 26.4% |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | 5 | 4.5% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 8 | 5.6% |
| Act 5, Scene 2 | 203 | 48.0% |
Who Othello shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Iago | 11 |
| Desdemona | 9 |
| Cassio | 8 |
| Emilia | 7 |
| Roderigo | 6 |
| Lodovico | 4 |
| Bianca | 3 |
| Montano | 3 |
| Gratiano | 2 |
| All | 2 |
Questions about Othello
Is Othello the lead role in Othello?
Othello is ranked #2 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Othello — carrying 24.9% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Othello’s longest scene?
Act 5 Scene 2, where Othello speaks 203 lines.
Who does Othello speak to the most?
Othello shares the most scenes with Iago — 11 scenes together across Othello.