Othello directly explains what prompted the love between himself and Desdemona: "She loved me for the dangers I had passed,/And I loved her that she did pity them" (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 166-167). He was acquainted with her father and when visiting the household would relate stories of his troubled past and heroic feats to both father and daughter. Desdemona was both impressed by his stories and sympathetic to all Othello had suffered in his younger days, and this is given as the reason for her attraction to him.
Othello has lived the violent life of a warrior and seems to react strongly to Desdemona's gentle nature. He additionally assures the Duke that his interest in Desdemona is not mere carnality since he is too old for excessive sexual appetite and he is too dedicated to his profession to spend a great amount of time in bed, but because he wishes to be "free and bounteous to her mind" (Act 1, Scene 3, line 264). He loves her for her heart and mind, not her body. His assertion goes against the assumptions of Brabanzio, who believes Othello bewitched Desdemona for lustful reasons.
In act I, scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello, Othello explains the reasons for his love for Desdemona and her love for him. He explains that Desdemona "lov'd me for the dangers I had passed" and that he returned her love: "I lov'd her, that she did pity them."
Othello makes this statement while he is defending his so-called kidnapping of Desdemona to the Senate. He describes his career as a war hero as time spent constantly in battle, full of violence and brutality. All of his descriptions make for a compelling story that he believes engaged Desdemona's attention, and his heroism and bravery must have impressed her, so much so that she fell in love with Othello. For Othello's part, he explains that he fell in love with Desdemona because she felt so keenly for him, and her care for him is what made him care for her.
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