Othello's Downfall

The Downfall of Othello

Isolation, by definition, is the act (condition? ) of being separated from the mainstream society. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the protagonist, Othello is isolated from the rest of Venetian society because of racism. Racism is a common factor throughout the dialogue of the play, as almost all characters have directed racial slurs towards Othello. Iago, the antagonist, is able to take advantage of Othello’s insecurities and vulnerabilities about his race and convince him of Desdemona’s infidelity. Other’s verbal comments on Othello and his own sense of reputation speed up (deepen) ( Othello’s insecurity regarding his race. His insecurity about his race eventually turns into the tragic flaw that causes his downfall,

Othello’s great achievements and his status as an outsider make him become obsessed with his reputation. He wants others to portray him as a nobleman and is willing to sacrifice anything to protect it (this image) . When others question him, he starts to wonder if they have a problem with his race. After Iago’s manipulation, he finally believed his wife’s infidelity, and it triggers him to a point that he must kill Desdemona in order to get his good former reputation back. He feels Desdemona’s affair has damaged his good reputation because Othello wants to be seen as an honorable nobleman, not a useless black man. Hhe describes his name and reputation “that was as fresh as Dian’s visage” (III, iii,283-385) changed to “black” just as his “own face”. ( When does he say that? Provide a bit background information here!) Othello felt his name and good reputation is now “begrimed”(III, iii, 388) because his wife cheated on him. He is associating the blackness of his skin with the dirty deeds that Desdemona did. At this point, Othello slowly understands other’s hateful comments against him. Othello ends up killing his wife as he believed her infidelity has damaged his reputation. Othello cannot stand any factors that influence ( tarnish ) his character, so he will destroy anything in his way to maintain a good

As the play progresses, the tragic hero, Othello transformeds from a noble gentleman and a loving husband into an insecure, irrational murderer. At the beginning of the play, Othello portrayed himself as a hero and a well-respected soldier. When Brabantio tries to confront him for marrying Desdemona, Othello confidently lists his military services which he believes “shall out-tongue Brabantio's complaint” (I, ii,19). Evidently, Othello is not a Venetian native. So, within his inner heart, he is fully aware of being a culturally different outsider from the rest of the Venetians. Othello is aware that Brabantio does not want his daughter to marry a black man. He knows that others, including his wife, may deceive him because of his race, although it doesn’t seem to bother him at the beginning. However, in Act IV, he makes his first negative comment and considers himself as “a toad living in a dungeon.”(III, iii, 272-273) Where Othello is finally convinced that Desdemona cheated on him, he thinks all man's wife will eventually cheat on them. As the play comes to an end, under Iago’s continuous manipulation and suggestions about his wife cheating on him, Othello starts to slowly reveal his insecure personality.Othello slowly ends up believing it. He gradually starts to question if it is his dark skin that causes his wife’s infidelity. His insecurities surface, and convinced of his