Who was Othello really?
Othello seems to have many faces in Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Othello. He begins calm and collected; a respected warrior. By the end of the play he is in such grief he kills himself. What was the cause of such a difference? Why such inner turmoil?
- Iago, the lead antagonist of Othello, compromises Othello's judgment. He whispers lies of the infidelity of the Moor's wife, and soon Othello believes him enough to plot a murder.
- Othello is so crazed with jealousy that he cannot think straight. He believes he must kill his wife for his own honor, as well as the safety of all men.
Above is what is displayed to the audience and readers directly. But is that all that's going on?
REASONS:
- Othello is black, and he lives in a community of people who do not accept him. They degrade him, and compare him to animals, Iago calls him a “Barbary horse” at the start of the play (I.I.113). A life like this could not have been easy, and it is expected that this is the reason for Othello's roughness as a warrior.
- He also has a very clear head at the start of the play, and this is telling of his character. He is powerful with his diction, and has long, leader-like lines. This shows that he thought about his words and actions very deeply. Othello didn't want to be classified as a barbarian, so he had to portray himself as such.
When Iago suggests Desdemona's infidelity with Cassio, Othello is too quick to take his side, “Within these three days let me hear thee say/ That Cassio's not alive” (III.III.337-338). He had only just heard a false story composed by Iago, and a few lines later he plots murder. This is such a quick change—it is shocking to readers and the audience. He does not ask Desdemona about it personally, nor Cassio. Where is our level-headed warrior?
In Act five, Othello talks himself into murdering his wife, he seems to be struggling with it but he says, “Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men” (V.II.6). Though he is in turmoil, he succeeds in killing Desdemona.
So why was he so quick to take Iago's word? Othello was much older than Desdemona and it would be understood that he was fearful of her fidelity to him. We all fear infidelity, don't we? We all fear betrayal. Those in higher power--perhaps toady's celebrities--fear it most because they have a reputation they must uphold to continue doing their job.
Othello's problem was already inside of him. Iago played to it, and our mistaken warrior took the bait. It is easier to accept the expected of people than to have them surprise you with their goodness. In this case, Othello could accept that Desdemona didn't love him with more ease than he could accept she was not what he had expected.
Did Othello truly go mad? Or was he acting as any man would in Shakespearean times? Crazy beyond belief, or did he have a cause?
Today people take drastic measures to ruin the lives of their cheating husbands or wives. Most don't kill the other today, but it was a different time then. Can you imagine over-coming the racial profiling Othello had to? He had finally become a legend, he had succeeded in wooing the wife of his dreams! He would not let it all come crashing down on him. His wife of two weeks would not be his downfall. No... He was meant for some greater destruction! The warrior Othello would not be brought down by a woman!
Do you see where this could lead? He had to get rid of her to save himself. Basic survival instincts. For the time, and for a dramatic play, his reaction was quite expected.
In the end, he did meet his greatest opponent—himself. It was he who killed his wife, he who would die for it. He dies loving his dead wife, saying, “No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss” (V.II.420-421). He dies a faithful, loving husband—the one he was supposed to be.
Othello did as he thought he was supposed to. His reaction was like any other man of the time—a human man. In the end, Othello succeeded in being the average male, but he didn't want that title after all.
Do you think othello was being a rational man or barbarian? leave a comment for your answer!