Character in Othello
Othello ♂ male
887Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.2Last Scene
24.9%Of Play Dialogue
Othello is the #2 largest role in Othello, speaking 887 lines (24.9% of the play) across 12 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Othello shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
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% |
How Othello’s dialogue distributes across the play
Othello’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 259 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “My services which I have done the signiory”
Representative speech (Act 5, Scene 1): “Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.”
Who Othello shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Iago | 11 |
| Desdemona | 9 |
| Cassio | 8 |
| Emilia | 7 |
| Roderigo | 6 |
| Lodovico | 4 |
| Montano | 3 |
| Bianca | 3 |
| All | 2 |
| First Officer | 2 |
Questions about Othello
Is Othello the lead role in Othello?
Othello is ranked #2 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Othello — a major role 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.