There are many interpretations of William Shakespeare's play "Othello." Many see him as a victim and many see him as a jealous fool; both of these assertions are true. However, when Othello speaks at the end of the play, we find it difficult to believe he loved well. Othello reads himself incorrectly here. Interestingly, the truth allows him to see something that does not exist. He did not love wisely or well because he acted like a fool throughout the entire play. The goodness of Othello's nature is only reflected upon by others early in the play, but unfortunately, we never get to see any of that goodness. Instead, we are confronted with a very jealous man who is not capable of seeing any good characteristics in his wife. He was a fool for love in the absolute worst way.
             Othello's first mistake is choosing to believe Iago over his wife. We see the worst side of his character as he dismisses Desdemona at every turn. Othello is short on faith. Sadly, he never gives her an opportunity to defend herself. Instead of communicating with her, he decides to obsess about everything, which only compounds the situation. The obsession feeds the jealousy and vice versa. He cannot let go of the thought of a cheating wife and allows his mind to consider murder. We know that he is too far gone when he contemplates this act because he thinks it might actually be good for him to do so. For a man that claims to give his wife all the love in the world, Othello truly misses the mark with her. Had Othello moved toward his wife instead of away from her, we might have seen an example of one of Shakespeare's strongest couples. While it pains us to admit that Iago is correct, we must agree with him in that Othello can be "led by th' nose/As asses are. (Shakespeare I.iii.395-6). This characteristic makes Othello naive, not wise. Had Othello been wise, he would have believed in the love he claimed to possess.
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