“Think on thy sins” (5.2.43) he says, “They are loves I bear to you” (5.2.44) I respond. “Ay, and for that thou diest” (5.2.45). There is no pleading with my lord, his once amorous filled eyes are now brimming with anger, and anguish. This whole conversation has turned my mind into mush. How can he think that I would ever love Cassio? Is it not plain that he, Othello, is my lord and the only object of my affection? Does it not matter? I think it doesn’t. Othello’s whole body is shaking (5.2.50) and his eyes are rolling (5.2.41), these signs do not bode well for my life. Worse yet, he has already had Cassio killed. “Oh, banish me, my lord, kill me not!” (5.2.88) I beg, “Down, Strumpet,” he is undeterred (5.2.89). “It is too late” (5.2.95). I am not sure if I thought that, or if Othello said it. Either way, it is too late. His strong, calloused fingers are clutching my throat, violently squeezing until all of the air leaves my lungs. Spots- I see spots. Brightly colored yellow, red and blue spots. The spots grow and take shape. Images and scenes from my life are passing before my eyes, and then it hits me. “O, falsely, falsely murdered!” I cry (5.2.126). Emilia is here, “… Sweet Desdemona, O sweet mistress, speak!” she begs (5.2.131). I must tell her, “A guiltless death I die” (5.2.132). “O, who hath done this deed?” Emilia inquires (5.2.133). She has to know the truth, “Nobody, I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell” (5.2.134-135).
As the saying goes, hindsight is always twenty-twenty. For Desdemona, this is especially true. Desdemona was innocent and naïve to a fault. Her determination to mend the relationship between Cassio and Othello, only served to nourish the seed of doubt that was planted in Othello’...
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... the light of heaven I know not how I lost him” (4.2.152-153). Once Iago planted the seed, created the story and showed Othello that Cassio had the Handkerchief, Desdemona was rendered guilty. It did not matter how much Desdemona protested, or denied the story, Iago’s reputation as an honest man superseded Desdemona’s reputation as a woman who, according to Iago, “…so young could give out such seeming, to seel her father’s eyes up close as oak, he thought ‘twas witchcraft” (3.3.213-215). Desdemona’s final line in the play shows that she believes she was responsible for her own death. In truth, however, the only sin Desdemona ever committed was bearing loves to the moor of Venice.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, Moor of Venice. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York: .W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008. 2119-2191. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York; Washington Square Press, 1993.
In the beginning Othello is seen as a calm collected man when put into an awkward situation, such as being ridiculed by his wife’s father in thinking that Othello has used some sort of magic to gain Desdemona 's infection. Othello’s calm collected ways start to deteriorate after he is convinced by Iago, a deceiving evil man that Desdemona has slept with Cassio. Othello’s self control no longer exist once he is fully convinced that it is in fact true that Desdemona has been unfaithful. His sense of what is real and what is not real is thrown out the window. Othello starts to become extremely jealous of his used to be beloved Cassio, and after considering giving back his spot as liternuanat he denies him that. He starts to become cold and distant towards his wife, and starts to call her out of her name. As Othello continues to lose control the people around him start to doubt his abilities of being able to protect Cyprus, and even his wife starts to doubt him, and agree with her father. No one knows who this man is anymore, he has started to act in an insanely matter. He can longer be his true self and take on the responsibilities of being general as he starts to crack. With Othello being faced with evil, him being calm is no longer an option for him because he can’t face the fact that the person he loves so dearly is cheating on him. Going back the they handkerchief, the symbol of his love for her. Othello seeing Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief sets him over the edge becoming truly convinced that his wife has betrayed him. Even when Desdemona and her maid Emila, Iago’s wife, has told him countless times that she has not been unfaithful, he is so far gone from reality that he does not believe either one of them. With the state of mind he’s in he cannot bear the thought of another man touching his wife. Othello and Iago plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. After he
Desdemona's naivety is the prime cause of the conflict in "Othello" because she doesn't know that Iago is depriving her in Othello's mind by using her actions against her. Desdemona loves Othello, but also is benevolent in helping anyone even if it might be practiced against her. Cassio asked Desdemona if she can help get Othello's trust back, only as Othello and Iago enters they see Cassio leave and gets a bit
Though her world was fall apart with Iago creating false images of an affair between her and Cassio to Othello, Desdemona strangely remains kind, innocent, and willing to grant grace. When Cassio approaches her for help, she quickly agrees to help her old friend. While she discusses relationships with Emilia, she rejects all thoughts of infidelity. She had every reason to fight Othello when Othello carries out her murder, yet she resist only a little, She responses, “The Lord have mercy on me…[and] mercy on you too” to Othello’s “Thou diest” (Othello 5.2.50; 71-74). When she is briefly revived and quested by Emilia as to who her murderer is, Desdemona only replies, “I myself” (Othello 5.2.152).
The elaborate soliloquy spoken by Othello as he approaches his sleeping wife (V.ii.1-22) contains some splendid images, such as “chaste stars,” “monumental alabaster,” “flaming minister,” and “Promethean heat,” but its key words are simple and used repeatedly: cause, soul, blood, die, light, love, and weep. In his last sustained speech (V.ii.338-56), the images are fewer and approached through the simplest words (“Speak of me as I am”) and most blatant antitheses (“loved not wisely, but too well”). (xiv)
Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona.
Othello sees Cassio as the man most Venetian women in Desdemona 's position would like to marry and, therefore, as the man she would turn to if she ceased to love her husband. In a way, he is waiting for the dream to come to an end, for Desdemona to decide that she has made a mistake in marrying him. Othello being outclassed in intellect is his lack of self-knowledge; this is with regard to how his military background has affected his logic. He constantly commands Iago to bring him proof of Desdemona’s disloyalty “Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore”
The love between Othello and Desdemona is a great venture of faith. He is free; she achieves her freedom, and at a great cost. Shakespeare, in creating the figure of her wronged father, who dies of grief at her revolt, sharpened and heightened, as everywhere, the story in the source. Her disobedience and deception of him perhaps cross her mind at Othello’s ominous ‘Think on thy sins.’ If so, she puts the thought aside with ‘They are loves I bear you.’ . . . Othello is a drama of passion and runs to the time of passion; it is also a drama of love which, failing to sustain its height of noon, falls at once to night. (141)
As Iago subtly plants these suspicions of Desdemona, Othello jumps to conclusions. He immediately questions himself, “Why did I marry?” (III.iii.66) This instant doubtfulness towards Desdemona is a huge mistake made my Othello. If he were able to think rationally and consider Desdemona’s innocence before jumping to conclusions, then all of this could have been avoided. However his inability to trust his own wife increases his anger towards her tremendously and the desire to kill begins to build up inside him. Later on, when Lodovico arrives at Cyprus in Act 4, Desdemona and him discuss Cassio and Othello’s situation. Othello is irritated by Desdemona’s friendly comments about Cassio and lashes out, striking her and calling her a devil. Afterwards, Lodovico is shocked, questioning, “Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient?” (IV.i.93) Referring to him as a once “noble Moor” explains how worthy Othello’s reputation was before coming to Cyprus. However, Lodovico can no longer imagine this is the same Othello he once knew, proving that Othello has changed quite a bit since his arrival at Cyprus. Before Cyprus, Othello would have never struck his wife in public, but Iago’s manipulation has caused his anger to finally break out. Othello does not have the confidence within himself to believe in Desdemona. Therefore,
Within Shakespeare’s Othello, it conveys moral and subsequent reflection of events in its current society. In Act 4, Scene 2 (Part 1) demonstrates the road to Othello’s downfall and the success of Iago’s revenge. Within this scene, Othello interrogates Emilia for suspicion of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair, in which they have none, and with Othello's confrontation, he questions and insults her of her unfaithfulness and infidelity leaving Desdemona confused about what happened to Othello. Iago, called by Emilia, pretends to offer Desdemona comfort and Emilia raises notions of the possibilities and hypothesising that someone is 'feeding' Othello lies. Iago hastily covers these ideas to avoid exposure of the truth. This strong and indecisive scene twists the ideas of human nature within Othello’s mind and convinced perceptions of Desdemona, fulfilling Iago’s Revenge.
Now, when Othello and Desdemona, get the hesitant approval of their marriage by Desdemona’s father by blessing their marriage, the Father of Desdemona says “She has deceived her father, and may thee (Act 1, 3, 294).” This may not at first give Othello concern that his wife might cheat on him, but later with the help of Iago’s lies, this line becomes more relevant to Othello, giving him the idea that Desdemona may not always stay loyal. Now here Othello has some proof, of Desdemona’s betrayal but it is not very strong proof, at lest not enough to go to the extreme the Othello went to. Now, Iago also makes h...
The flaws of Othello and Cassio, naivete and gullibility, led to their downfalls. Both characters were innocent of villiany, but guilty of choosing to put their trust in the wrong person. Had they attempted to communicate with the people they should have, Othello with Desdemona, and Cassio with Othello, Othello would not have been a Shakespearean tragedy.
Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice" The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stanley Wells & |Gary Taylor. New York/London, W.W. Norton Company,1997. 2100-2174
In Shakespeare’s play “Othello” the main characters Othello and Desdemona suffer a tragic fate due to their actions and unforeseen circumstances. A majority of Desdemona’s suffering is down to Iago’s manipulation. However, it could also be argued that Iago is not completely to blame for the misfortune of Desdemona. We as the readers can see evidence of this at certain points in the play where Iago has planted the seeds of despair and Desdemona and Othello have fallen for his plans. In this essay, I will look at key moments in the play where Desdemona is presented as a tragic victim by the writer and justify why she is a tragic victim using quotes from the play.
Due to her father’s nobility, Desdemona’s high social standings translate to her angelic character which the Venetian culture pressures her to fulfill. Because of high expectations placed on Desdemona, Brabantio disbelieves Desdemona’s elopement with Othello, where he concludes “is there not charms/By which the property of youth and maidhood/May be abused?” (I.i.193-95). Utilizing the magic motif, William Shakespeare conveys Brabantio 's skepticism in his daughter’s deliberate abandonment, by logically reasoning supernatural forces must be at fault. By disregarding Desdemona’s desires for leaving, Brabantio assumes his daughter possesses virtuous qualities, making her incapable of defying him. Brabantio considers only one possibility for Desdemona’s elopement with the Moor: Magic. Compared to Desdemona’s father, Othello’s lieutenant, Michael Cassio also views her as possessing cherubic qualities. When Desdemona enters a room Cassio demands “hail to thee, lady, and the