Othello: A fighter, not a lover
Shakespeare's Othello is a tragedy in which the black war hero, Othello, murders his wife, Desdemona, because he comes to believe Desdemona is being unfaithful to their marriage. Throughout the play it is Iago, the absolute villain, who festers jealousy in Othello by first introducing the idea of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, by providing false evidence, and by manipulating situations that eventually lead Othello to believe that Desdemona is in fact being unfaithful with Cassio, Ohtello's lieutenant. As a result, many readers come to believe that it is Iago who is responsible for the outcome of the tragedy. However, further analysis of the play indicates that complete responsibility should be given to Othello for being so readily credulous of Iago's words over both Desdemona's and Emilia's denial of the accusations against Desdemona. It seems that Othello was more willing to believe Iago, a man who is part of the military structure, than either his wife, or her attendant, two women. Therefore, what led to the tragic end of the play was not Iago's exploitation of "the moor's" feelings, but rather Othello's inability to separate his military background and the issues of the state from his life with
Because Othello does not understand what "love" is, he tends to treat his personal life as he does the affairs of the state. A reward for Othello's suffering, Desdemona becomes a piece of property, which he must defend from others. When Othello is "assured" that Desdemona is being disloyal, that is, when he sees Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's hand, he responds in this very militaristic way. He asks her about the location of her handkerchief, looking for palpable 'evidence' of her actions, rather than asking her if the accusations of her disloyalty are true. Asking her about the handkerchief and not her own feelings and actions, turns the matter into a strategic and impersonal matter that Othello can deal with more easily and in a amore military manner, rather than if it were a complicated sentimental matter. A simple questioning of Desdemona's feelings may have put Othello's doubt to rest, had the military mind set not been so inherent in his actions. Giving Iago responsibility for the tragedy of Othello would be to deny that society has engendered values about the relations between the genders and that these values have existed and exist in all kinds of societies. We must reevaluate previous analysis of Othello and realize that it is Othello's unconditional trust in the military structure and his objectification of women that lead him to manufacture his own tragedy. Although Iago should be considered guilty of taking advantage of Othello's weaknesses, final responsibility should be assigned to Othello for being unable to think outside his military background. It is this trust in the military structure that eventually leads Othello to make the incorrect choices. Because women are not part of the military structure, he does not see them as trustworthy. Both Emilia and Desdemona deny the accusations of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. However, because they are not part of the military hierarchy, they canno
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1296
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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