Commander Othello is the tragic, Moorish general of the Venetian army in William Shakespeare's play Othello, the Moor of Venice. A respected soldier and gifted storyteller, Othello is manipulated by his ensign, Iago, into a destructive jealousy that leads him to murder his innocent wife, Desdemona. His story is a tragedy of manipulation, jealousy, and the eventual realization of his wife's innocence, which culminates in Othello's suicide.