The Fluidity Of Water In Shakespeare's Othello

Attributes of human character show the fluidity of one’s nature. This reveals the path an individual will follow, and how easy they will be to break. In Othello, William Shakespeare argued that individuals resemble water in that they take the shape of the container they are placed in. When the container cracks, they will come undone, unless they are frozen and can maintain their shape but will become severed. The properties of water and ice are directly contrasted within the characters of the play through their behaviour, the containers they dwell in, and their wounds once these containers face damage.

Water will flow where it is directed, whereas ice will remain in its original state , unless chipped or shattered. Desdemona’s faith in her

Through her relationship and marriage to Othello she continued to hope “that [their] loves and comforts [would] increase/ Even as [their] days [did] grow.” (II.i.190-191) Othello’s fluidity highlighted this as he remarked of the overwhelming comfort Desdemona brought him (II.i.187-194) which is further observed as “his soul is so enfetter’d to her love/That she may make, unmake, [and] do what she list.” (II.iii.316-317) Through this contrast Desdemona’s resolve and wishes regarding her marriage enhanced the audience’s devastation as Othello betrayed her by taking her life (V.i. 1-83) and she continued to support him by giving him a way out of his betrayal as her last act of kindness and love. (V. ii. 119-125) These properties carried through on her values of her role within society, and how she desired to fill her societal role of a wife. Dumbfounded that anyone would ever cheat on their husband, her friendship with Emilia , underlined her values in Emilia’s perspective of them and allowed for Desdemona’s vice of undying goodness to be seen further. While Othello asked Emilia if she ever saw Desdemona be unfaithful to him, Emilia defended her truthfulness and her innocence . (IV.ii.1-23) This allowed for Desdemona’s rigid virtue to be focussed on and examined in it’s future vulnerability. Through these containers of marriage, societal roles, and friendship, Desdemona to remain “honest,

In Othello poisoned “into a jealousy so strong/that judgement cannot cure” (II.i.289-290), their marriage was severely damaged. Desdemona’s opinions of his onset jealous were laced with sadness and disbelief in his fluidity of love for her. Her faith in him, however, remained to a fault. While the container of her marriage was fractured, they transposed onto Desdemona herself which caused the beginning of chips and cracks. One aspect that cut up their marriage was their mistrust of one another. Othello “bewhored her, /Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her/as true hearts cannot bear” (IV.ii.115-117) in an anger that melted any of his values, wrapped around the idea of his wife’s infidelity easily. His pliant thoughts allowed for him to spill over their marriage, through the cracks, uncontrollably. Desdemona worried about his reaction to the lost handkerchief (III.iv. 18-26), wanting to please her husband and fearing his reaction although she let herself believe that it wouldn’t upset him. These differences in their states, severed any chances of communication as Othello overflowed and Desdemona remained suspended and easy to