Notes on Othello

             1. Othello is a very sympathetic character. He is tricked into thinking that his wife is having an affair with another man. Several other characters in the play, especially Iago, have such a grudge against Othello that they simply hate him and want to ruin his life. They don't care who gets hurt in the process and are motivated by nothing but sheer selfishness. Iago is also highly duplicitous, and Othello actually trusted him. The audience has to feel sorry for Othello because he is severely persecuted, tricked, and deceived. He seems like a decent individual, too, in spite of the tragic ending of the drama. Othello stays strong throughout most of the play, defending himself gracefully in front of the court and only losing his temper at the end. He might not be aware of Iago's plot but he might sense the persecution. He becomes weak at the end mainly because he buckles under the pressure of feeling deceived even though he believes Desdemonda deceived him and not Iago. When he commits suicide it is because he cannot live with himself after killing Desdemonda; he does not kill her out of cruelty but out of anguish.
             2. One of the reasons why Othello believed that Desdemonda was unfaithful was because their relationship was new. They had not yet developed the trust that requires many years of marriage. Because their relationship was new, Othello was more inclined to trust his friends: who he thought were his friends. When confronted with the false evidence of the affair, Othello leapt to a conclusion without offering Desdemonda a chance to defend herself and without being willing to listen to her. His actions also suggest some sexism on his part: being more able to trust males than females based on the ingrained notion that females are morally corruptible. If I were in Othello's place I would of course not commit murder. I would try my best to remain calm and listen to whatever my significant other would have to say about her role in the...

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Notes on Othello. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:31, November 17, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/203099.html