Othello Chose His Fate Essay
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Othello Chose His Fate
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Othello Chose His Fate Essay
The play "Othello the Moor of Venice," is one of Shakespeare's great tragedies. That
being so, for every tragedy, there is the tragic hero- a man that is, at bottom, truly
honorable and good, but plagued by a flaw that causes his fateful undoing. The
question then arises whether there is sufficient evidence to all-together condemn
Othello as a malevolent and innately evil man, or such evidence that he was simply
deceived by Iago's treachery and should be excused for his actions. Yet, as the play
unfolds, it is clear that no such solid line can be drawn. That is, we are given evidence
that rather suggests that Othello's dynamic role as the tragic hero manipulates the very
virtue of his greatness to his demise. It is Othello's passion, the same one that makes
him a great general and noble husband, that sparks his jealousy and leads to his fall
and that of those around him.
The image first given of Othello and those throughout much of the play provide
abundant evidence of Othello's virtue. A passionate and dedicated man, Othello
exceeds in all that he does. He is not only a warrior and the general in the army, but a
man respected by his contemporaries. The senator endears him as "the valiant Moor"
(I.III.47-48) and by the governor, "gentle signior" (I.III.50). We see that Othello has
nothing to hide, no guilt to shoulder. When advised that he should flee from
Brabantio's wrath, Othello answers saying: "I fetch my life and being from noble siege
(I.II.21-22)...I must be found. My parts, my title, and my perfect soul shall manifest
me rightly (I.II.30-32). When faced with false charges of drugging and abducting
Desdemona, he handles matters with forthrightness and nobility. To Brabantio and the
members of the senate, Othello eloquently states: "Rude am I in my speech and little
blessed with the soft phrase of peace" (I.III.81-83), and continues to explain how it
was not by magic or drugs that he won over Desdemona, but by his stories of virtue
and his unadulterated love for her. Desdemona's own account provides further
evidence of Othello's innocence. She recounts: "My heart's subdued even to the very
quality of my lord. I saw Othello's visage in his mind, and to his honors and his valiant
parts did I my soul and fortunes consecrate" (I.III.251-255). Another of Othello's
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Othello Chose His Fate Essay
qualities, one that makes him susceptible to Iago's trickery, is that of his naivety. Iago
recognizes this saying: "The Moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest"
(I.III.399-400). It is upon this quality that Iago begins to play Othello.
At the onset of the play, Iago is presented as a cunning snake in the grass, the
antagonist of the play, and a catalyst that sets Othello into a downward spiral of
jealousy, suspicion, rage, and violence- respectively. Angered that Othello appointed
Cassio, and not himself as lieutenant, Iago seeks vengeance. An evil and truly
deceitful man, Iago's hatred of Othello is masked behind false rhetoric and
manipulation, but vividly clear to the audience. While it seems to nearly everyone that
Iago is Othello's loyal servant, Iago only serves his own agenda: "I follow him to serve
my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed"
(I.I.42-44). Thus Iago begins to spin his web of deceit, using anyone that he so
chooses as his pawn. Most instrumental in his plan is Cassio. Iago falsely represents
Cassio's courtly manners to Othello as more than friendly. Of his plan, Iago states:
"With as little a web as this will I ensnare great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon, do! I
will gyve thee in thine own courtship" (II.I.168-170). In order to defame Cassio before
Othello, Iago gets Cassio drunk and in a fight with Montano and Roderigo. Because of
this, Cassio falls out of favor with Othello. Knowing that Cassio greatly cherishes the
position he holds, Iago convinces Cassio that the best way to win back Othello's trust
is through Desdemona. Thus, Iago opens the door for Othello to find Desdemona
unfaithful. This seed that he plants causes a transition in Othello's character that Iago
describes: "Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me for making him
egregiously an ass and practicing upon his peace and quiet even to madness"
(II.II.310-313).
At this point in the play, we see a marked change in Othello's behavior. At Iago's
mention of Desdemona's double-dealing, Othello becomes enraged with passion and
overcome with grief: "I am abused, and my relief must be to loathe her. O curse of
marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours, and not their appetites!"
(III.III.267-270). All the while that Othello is berating Desdemona on false charges,
she still defends him. She says: "Men's nature's wrangle with inferior things, though
Othello Chose His Fate Essay
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Othello Chose His Fate Essay
greater ones are their object...Nay, we must think men are not gods"
(III.IV.145-146,149). Yet Emilia warns Desdemona of the danger she is in and insists:
"But jealous souls will not be answered so...'Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on
itself" (III.IV.160, 162-163). When Othello sees the handkerchief that Iago had
directed Emilia to plant on Cassio, his suspicions are for him confirmed. He, speaking
of his change of heart says: "my heart is turned to stone; I strike it, and it hurts my
hand" (IV.I.182-183). This is the last straw for Othello and the climax of the tragedy
nears. Upon returning home, he takes Desdemona's life in "bloody passion" (V.II.45)
though she begs for mercy. Almost immediately, though, Cassio, Iago, and Gratiano
enter. It soon comes to all who are present's attention that Othello had been deceived
and Iago was the villain behind these happenings. Realizing his great wrongdoing,
Othello laments: "O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils, from the possession of
this heavenly sight! Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulfur!" (V.II.278-280) and
having reached rock bottom, he takes his own life.
Othello's madness is a direct result of Iago's manipulation. However, ultimately it is in
his own hands that Othello's fate rests. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
though deceived by the serpent, they chose their own course of action and had to pay
the consequences as a result. Othello falls prey to his jealousy and rage, and as a
victim of his own passion, is made the tragic hero. Though not an evil person, but
innately a good and noble man, Othello falls in the same passion that he rose.
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