Othello Crumbles
Love is the root of jealousy; if one has no feelings for someone, then one is not saddened at its loss. Before there is jealousy, there has to be love. Shakespeare's Othello, depicts the fall of a valiant soldier, who proves to those who know him his strength and nobility both on and away from the field of battle. Othello is by far, the most romantic figure among Shakespeare's heroes, and he is so partly from the strange life of war and adventure. The villain, Iago, facilitates the fall of Othello through his deceptions and masterful manipulations, but one aspect of Iago's insidious assault on Othello seems more inventive than the rest: his choice of Desdemona as the means by which he engineers Othello's destruction. Othello's relationship with Desdemona provides him with a security and serenity, which now serves as the foundation upon where his strength is built. By attacking the foundation of Othello and Desdemona's relationship, allows Iago the means to destroy him by un!Just as the strongest fortress will fall if its foundation crumbles, so too does Othello when the foundation of his very being is attacked and corrupted by Iago's scheming. Othello succumbs to Iago's plot because Iago attacks beneath
Whatever Iago has left of his diminutive humanity shows when finally the last stone is pulled and the plot is at its thickest. Othello's accusations and refusal to accept Desdemona's denials are brutal and unfair. Othello states, "O, thou weed, / Who art so lovely fair, and smell'st so sweet, / That the sense aches at thee--would thou hadst ne'er / been born!"(IV.ii.69-72) is a powerful expression of the love that he still holds for his wife, which has been ruined by Iago's poisons. Othello is wrong, terribly wrong. In his relationship with Desdemona he is unsure about where the superiority lay. On one hand she is the woman and he is the man, which by society, made him superior to her. Yet, on the other she is white and he is black, which by society during that time period, means that she has the higher status. This makes him unsure of how Desdemona sees him and also makes it easier for him to believe that she would be unfaithful. It is also plays a key factor for Othello to b! emona, as he goes on to strike her face violently. Othello is too far gone, Iago-like judgment has polluted his mind, body and senses to the point of no return. His base has crumbled, leaving him completely open to manipulation like a piece of play-doh to a six year old. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ , if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee" (I. iii., ll. 287-288). Unfortunately for the Moor, Brabantio utters these lines in the presence of Iago. Expert in his understanding of human nature and behavior, it seems that Iago seizes upon these lines and devises a strategy to unseat Othello from both his post and his happiness. Iago's mastermind plan begins to develop and unravel as Othello's love and strength is prominently displayed more and more for Desdemona. Iago's great triumph lies in the success of dragging Othello down to his level. "When I love thee not," Othello says of Desdemona (III. Iii)
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1324
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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