The Downfall of Othello and Hamlet

When asked to pick two plays of William Shakespeare, I could not help but think of my two favorite plays Othello and Hamlet. These are my favorite plays because in both it can be seen how the protagonist’s downfall was driven by themselves with help of others. For example, Hamlet is acting on instructions from his ghost father, while Othello was being manipulated by Iago. Each protagonist was put in a situation where their tragic flaws not only brought their downfall, but others as well, including their loved ones.

What lead Hamlet to his madness was his doubts and indecisiveness, while Othello downfall is thanks to his insecurity, which Iago takes advantage to easily mislead Othello. Iago’s trickery of Othello led to his jealousy and rage, which ultimately caused his own demise; while Hamlet’s fear of being wrong led to procrastination as well as his own deception of everyone around him, which also ultimately caused his own demise.

In both plays it can be seen how the protagonist become consumed with their revenge to the point of madness, and in each play William Shakespeare creates this distance between us, the reader, and the character to see that the character’s madness change the characters to a point that they are not the same characters presented in the beginning of the play. For example in the play Othello, Othello’s fear of becoming the stereotype moor, which he does become in the end of the play, allows Iago to easily manipulate him and cause his rage and downfall. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s natural urge for the truth lead to his deception of others, through faked madness, and his own downfall. While Othello’s insecurities allowed him to be tricked so easily, he acted rushed without looking for the truth like H...

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...sdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves!”

And then, sir, would he grip and wring my hand, Cry “O sweet creature!”, then kiss me hard,

As if he plucked up kisses by the roots that grew upon my lips.”

The most important thing to realize about Othello and Hamlet insecurities and what led them to their demise is their inability to keep these things to themselves. In both instances once the antagonist learned what was really bothering Othello and Hamlet, they were able to pursue their plans to end the lives of Othello and Hamlet. I believe that this speaks directly to the relationship between an intimate relationship with others and human nature. In both plays the reader learns the importance of trust and communication, and I believe both plays teach us to not overestimate the power of outsiders in a relationship that seems to be based solely on love.