Odin "O" James
O is the protagonist of the film. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. He is the star of the high school basketball team and is deeply in love with Desi, the daughter of the dean of the school. Hugo, the basketball coach's son, sets in motion a plan to destroy O's reputation that leads to O taking drugs, ruining his basketball career, and killing Desi before taking his own life.
Hugo Goulding
Hugo is the son of the basketball coach. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Iago, the villain of the original play Othello. He seeks to be the basketball player that everyone admires as they do O. Consequently, Hugo sets in motion a plan to destroy O which leads to multiple kids at the school being murdered. Hugo is arrested as it is revealed he is the mastermind behind the deaths.
Desi Brable
Desi is O's girlfriend and the daughter of the dean at the private school. She is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Desdemona, Othello's wife. She begins to spend time with Mike, O's friend – which is set up by Hugo – and their friendship stokes O's jealousy, ultimately leading to him strangling her in the belief that she was cheating on him when she was not.
Roger Calhoun
Roger is a wealthy student whose relative founded the private school. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Roderigo, a Venetian nobleman. He is in love with Desi and in order to get her to be his girlfriend joins Hugo in his plot to destroy O. In the end, Hugo shoots and kills Roger after telling him that Desi is already dead.
Michael Cassio
Mike is a sophomore on the basketball team with O and Hugo. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Cassio, a charismatic Florentine officer in the Venetian army. He is suspended by Coach Duke after getting into a fight where he seriously injures Roger. Hugo manipulates Mike, getting him to spend as much time with Desi as possible which leads to O believing they are sleeping together. Hugo merely uses the younger student as a pawn in his plan.
Duke Goulding
Duke is the basketball coach as well as Hugo's father. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Duke of Venice, who has great respect for Othello as a soldier. In the film, Coach Goulding celebrates O's skill as a basketball player and names him Most Valuable Player, a move that upsets his son and inspires Hugo to plot revenge against O.
Bob Brable
Bob Brable is the dean of the private school. He is the modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Brabantio, Desdemona's father and a Venetian senator. In the film, Dean Brable does not approve of Desi's relationship with O, but he realizes he can do nothing about it when Desi defends her feelings for him. Hugo and his comrades lie to Brable early in the film by telling him that O attempted to rape Desi.
