How Is Love Presented In Othello

How is love presented in the opening act of Othello?

Love manifests itself in varying forms across Shakespeare’s plays and it is clearly prevalent in ‘Othello’. Shakespeare approaches the theme with the use of complex and adventurous characters and relationships, all of which feature love in different ways.

The most prominent relationship that is featured in ‘Othello’ is between the eponymous hero, Othello, and his wife Desdemona. In Act I, their relationship is displayed to the audience primarily thorough the opinions of others, such as Iago and Brabantio, before Othello and Desdemona discuss their relationship in their own words. This means that the audience makes assumptions about them before they are introduced, highlighting the importance of pre-conceived

beliefs in ‘Othello’ and how it will eventually be what causes a tragedy. ‘Othello’ was written among Shakespeare’s ‘Great Tragedies’, including ‘Macbeth’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ and ‘Titus Andronicus’. The idea of tragedy is foreshadowed in Act I Scene 3, during which Brabantio warns Othello that Desdemona could ‘deceive’ him. However, Othello’s loyalty and faith in others is what drives his character, and the warning is ignored. This not only suggests the disaster which is to follow, but is also used by Shakespeare to show Othello’s defiance, stubbornness and belief in others, all of which are traits that may be his downfall.
Othello’s character is most clearly presented in an earlier speech in Act I, during which he tells the Duke that he married Desdemona for love; ‘She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she had pitied them’. Marrying for love, especially within the upper and noble classes, was seen as foolish as most people married for social standing. Shakespeare added to this controversial action by continually suggesting that Othello is black. Although this would not be considered shocking in the 21st century, the first performance of Othello was in 1604, a time where the slavery of the North Africans was becoming apparent, especially in European countries such as Spain. The foreignness of the African race was something feared by many people, especially the lower classes, to whom the play would have originally been performed. Other characters often use the word ‘moor’ in a derogatory manner to define Othello, and it has been debated what this word actually referred to. The likely definition in the case of ‘Othello’ was that he was North African, however the word also described people of Arabic origin, and even darker-haired Europeans during the Elizabethan era. The fear of miscegenation was played on by Shakespeare to make the pairing of Othello and Desdemona more shocking to the audience.
The romance between the couple is also a surprise to Roderigo, who also responds with disgust and anger due to his unrequited love for Desdemona.

In the first scene, it suggested that Roderigo paid Iago to use his influence to help him with this issue. When he discovers that the marriage has been permitted by both Brabantio and the Duke, Roderigo goes so far as to say that he will ‘incontinently drown’ himself. This is consistent wit the major scene in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ during which the submissive and heartbroken Ophelia allows herself to drown after having been betrayed by Hamlet. Roderigo also continues the use of insults in regards to Othello, calling him ‘the thick-lips’ when discussing him with Iago. This hatred of Othello and affection for Desdemona appears to have driven him to follow Desdemona to her home in hopes of winning her love, as Brabantio calls him ‘the worser’ and says he ‘have charged thee not to haunt about my doors’. This implies that Roderigo’s behaviour has made Brabantio very protective over his child; ‘my daughter is not for thee’. This rejection may be what tempted him to ruin the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, and he feels even more snubbed when his efforts

fail.
Brabantio’s familial love for his daughter is both defensive and adoring. He is easily swayed by Iago and Roderigo, and immediately panics about their accusations. However, he also sees the two men as threats, calling Iago a ‘wretch’ and ‘a villain’. This shows that he has no trust for anyone who disturbs his household, and this response to Iago suggests how extreme Brabantio’s reaction to his daughter’s marriage will be. He brings what would have been a private event into public attention, saying ‘call up on my people’ and facing Othello with full force, showing a display of power to either frighten Othello or to hide his own weakness. He has more at stake than the other two characters; he is a powerful noble and Iago is a lot more cunning, and at this point is also helping Roderigo. His love for Desdemona is what drives his actions in the opening act, and he struggles with the idea that she would marry. In Scene 3, Desdemona says that ‘you are lord of all my duty; / I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband’ and gives the example of her mother, ‘preferring you before her father’. This is what makes Brabantio end his attempts to break off the marriage, as although women at the time were expected to serve their fathers, husbands took that authority when they were married. This social structure is something that Brabantio clearly abides by, as his position of power would be threatened if he undermined the social standing of others.
The theme of love in the opening act of ‘Othello’ sets the tone for the rest of the play, as it highlights the possible conflicts that could be caused due to love and the tensions that are already present. Love is such a broad theme and Shakespeare, as with many of his other plays, captures the variance and complexity in ‘Othello’.