Less Is Moore
Othello, in William Shakespeare's Othello, is one of the most interesting characters in Shakespeare's dramas. He enjoys the reputation of one of Venice's most able generals. The Moor's military might puts him in a class by himself in the same way his heritage distinguishes him from his Venetian peers. These are the intrinsic characteristics of Othello. An important characteristic that hasn't been explored, is the Moor's sexual disorder - impotency. Othello's sexual impotence curbs the consummation of his marriage to Desdemona, as the two never experience sexual intimacy. After murdering his wife, the Moor says, "cold, cold my girl? /Even in thy Chastity" (V.ii.273-4). This final word, chastity, calls what actually happens in their bedroom into question. By saying Desdemona is chaste, one can assume that Othello is admitting that he and his wife never consummated their marriage. Other passages from the play show that this is the case. When Othello arrives in Cyprus, he invites his wife to their bedroom for the second time. Come, m
Othello has the option of murdering Desdemona by means of either stabbing or suffocation. The Moor chooses to smother Desdemona. That act symbolizes his impotency. It is impossible for Othello to raise his knife to penetrate Desdemona's body. Othello's difficulty raising his knife parallels his inability to become erect, as the sword is a common phallic symbol. Othello is impotent both sexually and socially. This conclusion is supported with circumstantial and symbolic evidence. Viewing the circumstantial evidence one sees that Othello and Desdemona love one another and they both want to consummate their marriage, but they fail to do so on several occasions. Othello's stressful military lifestyle is consistent with a major cause if impotency. Experts believe that psychological factors cause 10 to 20 percent of cases of impotence. These factors include: stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure. Such factors are responsible for more than 80 percent of all impotency. (CEINET website). The largest connect
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Approximate Word count = 710
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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