Examples Of Insecurities In Othello

One of Shakespeare’s most well known plays,Othello takes place in Venice and Cyprus. The island of Cyprus is where the plot unfolds and Iago, the antagonist of the story execute his malicious plans. Iago deceived many of the characters including Othello, the main character of the play. Othello eventually succumbed to Iago’s manipulation and killed his wife in the end. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello’s insecurities led him to believe that Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio and as a result drove him to kill Desdemona.

One of Othello’s insecurities is his background and where he came from. He was a former slave before he became the general. Not only that, he also experienced many situations that many of the others haven't. “Of being

“Rough quarries, rocks, hills whose heads touch heaven

It was my hint to speak—such was my process—

And of the Cannibals that each others eat,

The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads

Grew beneath their shoulders…”(Shakespeare 1.3.163-9).

The passage above shows just how different Othello is considering his background and the experiences he went through.

Othello is considered an outsider in the Venetian society. He was born outside of Venice and came from a different part of the country. He is new to their customs and ways and is considered a stranger to their culture. “Most potent, grave, and reverend

Cassio in contrast to Othello former job was that of an arithmetician and Florentine in Venice. His character is that of a player and gentleman. “ Forsooth a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a florentine, a fellow almost damned in a fair wife, that never set a squadron in the field…”(1.1.21-23). As stated by Iago it shows how different Cassio is from him and Othello. Cassio has no experience in the battlefield and therefore he has that of a gentle and soft nature attracting women. “..Good ancient, you are welcome.—Welcome, mistress.

(kisses EMILIA)

Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,

That I extend my manners. 'Tis my breeding

That gives me this bold show of courtesy”(Shakespeare 2.1.107-111).

Cassio can be seen here as a person who is good with women. His manners towards women seems to be very flirtatious. Emilia is the wife of Iago and he himself warned Iago that he shouldn’t be jealous.

As a result Othello killed his lovely wife because he was not confident enough in himself and drowned in a sea of his own insecurities. He believed that Desdemona and Cassio were in an intimate relationship and therefore it made him more self-conscious and aware of how different he was from the Venetians. Especially when it came down to his skin color and where he came from. Furthermore Cassio seemed like the perfect candidate for Desdemona to cheat on for Cassio had qualities that contrasted those of