Othello was Insane

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Othello was Insane

Shakespeare's "Othello" is a prime example of a cleverly crafted

tragedy. Othello himself has all the elements of a tragic hero: the

personal grievance involving a friend and loved one, the tragic flaw

(gullibility), the sacrifice of suicide. Othello's strong love for his wife

and the love that Desdemona shows him by betraying her father shows the

bond between the two of them. As a man Othello was honorable and noted

with high regard around Venice, also a strong and great leader. Every

great leader has much stress on him no matter how great the leader. The

stress of battle, the jealousy, and the loss of honor are what drove

Othello insane and this is why he hath killed his wife.

Although the stress of battle was not mentioned in the play one

could imagine the stresses put on a man with such stories of battle that

Othello himself told Brabantio. "Her father loved me, oft invited me;

/Still questioned me the story of my life/From year to year- the battles

sieges, fortunes/That I have passed."(I, iii, 128-131) The numerous battles

and the hardships of war wear a man down. The stresses of everyday things

at work get to us but the stresses of battle must be and uncountable times

worse. Othello seemed to be and was mentioned as a good leader with the

respect of the Duke. The stresses of being a black man leading an army of

white soldiers that might respect you as a leader but might not respect you

as a human would affect you also.

Othello seemed to handle the stresses of war just fine but with the

jealousy added into his life by the most evil Iago's plot against him and

Cassio was something that Othello had trouble managing. Othello was new to

the married life and did not want to leave his wife behind so he left her

in the hands of the "honest" Iago. "My life upon her faith! - Honest Iago,

/My Desdemona must I leave to thee"(I, iii, 294-295). Iago caused the

jealousy in Othello's heart and made it burn with such passion and with

some false proof caused Othello to begin his break from reality.

The honor lost by the rumor of a cheating wife was the straw that

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