Mindful Destruction of Order in Shakespeare's Othello

A delicate balance of chaos and order exists in our lives; the balance maintains itself by the very acts of human nature. In the drama Othello, the battle between good and evil creates the basic root of human nature as a whole. While at first, order exists in the lives of the Othello and Iago, through dramatic events and manipulation, the balance becomes unstable and starts to shift into chaos. Once the chaos has started, it continues a chain that continues along until the very end where the balance finally restores itself as it would in human nature. Through the inter and intra personal dialogue between Othello and Iago, a certain image of the character becomes developed because of the continued additions and changes to the character’s situation. Seen as the stronger of the two, Othello holds less intelligence in common matters. Iago’s character shapes out to as more of cunning and strong-headed. Shakespeare uses the characters to effectively reaffirm the basic traits of human nature and show how the traits coincide with the theory of order and chaos. Thorough the use of extensive characterization in this drama, along with artful diction, the development of Othello and Iago, represents a view of humans and their lives along with the all too classic good and evil.

Iago represents evil at the most simplistic level. Of the many traits Iago has ascertained many represent the hatred and jealousy that he has for the people he manipulates, “But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor...[he] is of a free and open nature. That thinks men honest that but seem to be so. And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose. As asses are,” (1.3. 377-393). Iago knows that Othello has a trusting nature with most men who appear honest, he knows he has th...

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...hat exactly happens between the point of believing and realizing the truth. From the play, one grasps an understanding of the crucial need to think and look at the facts in life before acting on an impulse. It also shows that chaos will always exist no matter what, but if we do not understand it, we cannot make embrace it. Through Othello’s lesson, we learn that the truth can always remained covered up and not represented entirely, and therefore it becomes our own responsibility to take the lead and grasp the understanding of things.

Works Cited

Arp, Thomas. "William Shakespeare's Othello the Moor of Venice" Instructor's Manual to accompany Perrine's literature. 7th edtion. San Antonio : HB, 1998. Print.

Carlson, Marvin. “Othello in Vienna”, Othello. Signet Classics. New York, 1998. Pages (214-215)

Shakespeare, William, Othello. Signet Classics. New York, 1998