Questions of Humanity in William Shakespeare's Othello

Questions of Humanity in William Shakespeare's Othello

They are questions as old as civilization itself. Does man have

control over his own destiny? Is man ultimately held accountable for

his actions by a higher power? Within the plays of William Shakespeare

can be found such fundamental questions and conflicts of humanity, as

well as situations, attitudes, and problems that continue to hold

strong universal meaning to this day. Humankind depends on element of

choice to define its destiny. Its position in universe relates to

element of choice i.e. pathos or glory in the potentialities of men

and the pathos of human suffering or the sense of needlessness wastes

the good. One of Shakespeare’s most credible

Iago has a large appetite for revenge. In his perspective, he believes

that it is he who should be in charge, not Othello the Moor. This

creates anger in Iago, who entraps Othello in the web of deceit. He

does that by creating misunderstandings that implant images in

Othello’s head that lead to his downfall. Iago is constantly like a

puppet master, pulling the strings of people around him. Iago is

jealous of the relationship shared between Othello and Desdemona. The

character of Iago twists Othello into killing his wife, and eventually

himself, through manipulating Othello’s trust and loyalty. Iago uses

the handkerchief as a symbol through which Othello is convinced of

Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. This handkerchief plays many roles

throughout Othello. Because of the importance placed upon this object,

the driving force of the play becomes centered on the particular

qualities of this handkerchief. In its most important aspect, the

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...esdemona is willing to sacrifice everything for Othello in the

play and this could be a reason to whey she is so compliant of his

vindictiveness. Desdemona calls Othello her 'lord' on a number of

occasions in the play. Desdemona calling Othello 'lord' is an

extremely good example of the acceptance she has of living in this

male-dominated society. The way Desdemona calls Othello 'lord' makes

it seem as if he is her king or perhaps her ruler and that he owns

her. Many men were treated in this respect in this era. The sheer

amount of male influence on Othello by Iago makes him assume, as soon

as the subject matter is touched upon, that Desdemona is cheating on

him. Othello doesn't believe Desdemona when she is telling Othello her

side of the story, he only believes what his 'trusting friend' Iago

has brainwashed him with.