Othello The Moore Of Venice Essay

The tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. As it hath beene diuerse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friars, by his Majesties servants. Written by William Shakespeare set in Venice. The plot is based on a story about two people who love each other dearly and the problems and conflicts they face from the start. The conflicts are, for the most part, tied in with racial issues and questions of loyalty. These conflicts stem from the society around the couple, as well as from the couple themselves as they too are part of this society, but with very different backgrounds: The female protagonist is the daughter of a highly-respected Venetian senator: Brabantio. Othello--also known as the Moor--is a foreigner, black in color, has a past

First, he plays the race card against Othello, but that fails. Then, he plays the jealousy card against Desdemona and Cassio, and it works like a charm. Iago knows that Othello is insecure about his race, age, and status in the white world. He especially knows that as a military man, he is distrustful of women. So, he invents and elaborate scheme to destroy Othello through his woman. When Othello demands proof of her infidelity, Iago says:

“I do not like the

'” (III,3,2092)

This psychological strategy angers Othello to no end. Othello has been jealous of Cassio (who is everything that Othello is not: white, Christian, young). This shows that Iago is very clever: he first uses psychological plants before he moves to physical evidence. When Othello demands ocular proof, Iago brings out the handkerchief, the magical symbol of Othello 's manhood and source of his jealousy:

“I know not that; but such a handkerchief

I am sure it was your wife 's--did I to-day

See Cassio wipe his beard with.” (III,3,2121)

Upon proof that Cassio has the handkerchief, Iago gets Othello to effectively divorce Desdemona and align himself with Iago. His plan to kill her is not only persuasive but very clever: he knows that Othello will be put to death for the crime. Othello says,

“Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her!

Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw,

To furnish me with some swift means of death

For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.” (III,3,2167)

Proof of Iago 's evil is easy to come by, but he is no more evil that when he uses his wife as a pawn in his twisted revenge plot. He calls