In reality, psychoanalysis is an effective technique of exploring repressed or unconscious impulses and anxieties, as well as internal conflict. This technique can often be quite effective when used on the characters in various fictional texts, such as Shakespeare's, Othello. By applying such a reading to the text, we can gain a much greater understanding of the characters, the ways their 'minds' work, and the effect their thought patterns have on the themes portrayed in the drama.
             When performing a psychoanalytic reading of characters in a text, you must consider the various physically presented manifestations of their minds' workings – just like in the psychoanalysis of 'real' people. These generally include signs such as resistance or transference of certain ideas or suggestions. This sort of behaviour could indicate a deep-rooted subconscious aversion to the ideas being discussed.
             From the beginning of the play, Othello is felt by many of the characters, as well as himself, as being an outsider to the Venician society. "[Desdemona's] father loved me, oft invited me, still questioned me the story of my life, from year to year". Through his own admission, he is loved by Brabantio for his interesting past; Brabantio loves him only for his military skills, and his heroic, yet 'barbaric', past. It seems that by seeking acceptance in this way, he is in fact separating himself from the Venitians even more. Furthermore, Othello says while defending his relationship with Desdemona, "Rude am I in my speech, and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace". This is as if to say he is truly not one of them, and cannot speak thus. This is another, perhaps subconscious revelation of his feelings of being ostracized from the Venitian society. In Scene three of the opening act, the Duke comments to Brabantio, "Your son-in-law is far more fair than black". The ...