In the play Othello, the character of Othello has
certain traits which make him seem naive and unsophisticated compared to many
other people. This is why Iago, to get his just rewards uses him as a
scapegoat. Iago told Roderigo, " O,sir, content you. I follow him
[Othello] to serve my turn upon him "(I, i lines 38-9). Iago is saying, he
only follows Othello to a point, and upon reaching it he will not follow him
any longer. Iago has opened my eyes to see the real meaning of deceit. No
matter what, Iago will try to take advantage of Othello any time and he will be
easily lead to believe the lies of Iago. The Moor, as many Venetians call him,
is of strong character.
He is very
proud and in control of every move throughout the play. The control is not only
of power but of the sense of his being who he is, a great warrior. In Act I,
Othello has a scuffle with Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before
anything could happen Othello said, "Hold your hands, both of you of my
inclining and the rest.
Were it my cue
to fight, I should have known it without a prompter" (I, ii, lines 80-3).
The power shown here is quite astounding.
The nature of Othello's character is of a dark man. Adark man, not only
because he is black, but also because his whole person is very mysterious. He
is mysterious in that he believes there is magic brewing everywhere. With this
dark side he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. He isn't observant and
the schemes of
Iago work well
on him. Though he doesn't reflect too much on his past, except occasional
ventures of wars fought, he does let his emotions run his life. For all the dangers and encounters he has
been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of other
individuals. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all
his trust
in Iago during
times of war and during Othello's marriage to Desdemona. This wasn't very
bright of Othello, even if he wasn't trusting or more corrupt he still wouldn't
realize Iago was lying. Everyone considered Iago as honest, and would be out of
character for Othello to believe any different. For example, Othello had told
the Duke, "So please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and
trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife, With what else
needful your
good grace shall think, To be sent after me" (I, iii, lines 284-8). The
control over any situation is one Othello's strong characteristics. Through the
whole first act you can picture a man so much power and natural leadership and
when he changes you cannot believe it. For example, when Lodovico had witnessed
Othello hit
Desdemona, he
said:
"Is this the noble Moor whom our full
Senate
Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature
Whom passion could not shake? whose solid
virtue
The shot of accident nor dart of chance
could neither graze nor pierce" (IV, i,
lines 264-8)?
While Iago,
being the honest man he is, answers:
"He's that he is, I may not breathe my
censure.
What he might be (if, what he might, he is
not)
I would to heaven he were" (IV, i, lines
270-2).
Another place where Shakespeare shows Othello
taking control over a situation is when Cassio and Montano are fighting after
Roderigo antagonized him. These words Othello said are important now, but they
will be more important later when he is alone with Desdemona in their bedroom.
He will say:
"Now, by heaven,
My blood begins my safer guides to rule,
And passion, having my best judgement collied,
Assays to lead the way. If I once stir
Or do but lift this arm, the best of you
Shall sink in my rebuke" (II, iii, lines
203-8).
You must feel
sorrow for Othello because with all the power he has and the endless trust he
gives, you try to reach out and show him the truth. By having his ancient or
friend, Honest Iago bring him thenews of his wife's bad habits. Othello had no
alternative but to believe him. If any man was brought news of this type they
would surely go off the deep end. Iago not only told him but he told him in a
way that it was hard not to believe. He didn't tell a couple who
have been married
for years, and who would know the likes and dislikes of one another, but he
told a newly wed couple. Othello didn't really know Desdemona before they were
married. Othello said, "She loved me
for the dangers
I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them"(I,iii, lines 166-7).
This man had really fallen in love with someone whose life was boring and
needed adventure. Othello's origin also inhibited him from understanding European
women. He did see for himself the deception of Desdemona toward her father and
remembered the words he had said to him:
"Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to
see:
She has deceived her father, and may
thee"
(I, iii, lines
286-7).
When Othello
has been given information from Iago in Act III scene iii, he cannot take any
more so he asks Iago to leave in which he does. Upon returning, Iago continues
to enforce his previous statements and Othello seems not bothered for he
replies, "Fear not my government" (III, iii, 256). With all this there is no man who can
withstand such news like the news that Iago has given to Othello. Most of the
men who are would do much worse than in the case of Othello. This doesn't show
jealousy, but when he is alone and has time to contemplate the situation
and has seen
the handkerchief in the hands of Cassio, now is when his blood begins his safer
guides to rule.
After realizing
Othello had been tricked into believing the
lies of Iago. He couldn't handle the anguish of knowing he had murder in
jealousy rather for justice. This devastation in Othello's character brought
the strong warrior back into the scene. Where he transformed into his own
judge, jury, and sentenced himself. He told the people around him in their
letters to write of him not in malice, then he said:
"Then you must speak of one that loved
not wisely but too well"
(V, ii, line
344).
After the
speech was done he carried out his sentence, took a knife and stabbed himself.
He then said:
"I kissed
thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to
die upon a
kiss" (V, ii, line 359-60).
He then laid
down on the bed and died with dignity ( Stauffer 173).
Othello was jealous. He was told his wife was
cheating on him and he thought he was killing for justice. He even said he
loved not wisely but too well. When he did kill it was not very smart of him to
believe another man about something he should know more about. This play
introduced changes in Othello's character when these changes
evolved there
was Iago lurking and waiting for the chance to jump in and take advantage of
Othello. This why my belief of Othello is one of a man whose character is
brought to light of a horrible situation by a deceitful devil named Iago.
D.N.
Aloysius
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