What Is Othello's Suffering

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The protagonist of Shakespeare’s Othello experiences more suffering than any other character of this iconic play because of society’s partiality toward him, Iago’s deception against him, and Othello’s own actions against himself.
Society’s strike towards this native Moore comes in the form of racial discrimination. Treated without basic human rights, people of color, like Othello, rarely hold positions of leadership during the time period that this work is set. Not only did the general population’s opinion weigh heavily upon Othello, but even his own officers inflict this heavy mental suffering upon the leader of the Venetian army. Clearly making a distinction between the two races, Iago refers to Othello as a “black ram,” and Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator, as a “white ewe” (I.i.87-88). Tragically, Othello suffers further because of the partiality of his father-in-law, Brabantio. Disturbed at the thought that his daughter was in in love with Othello, Brabantio blames this “sooty” Moore for enchanting Desdemona into loving him, implying that a young woman like her would never willingly run off with a black man, like Othello, because of his race (I.ii.65-70). Brabantio …show more content…

Even before he realizes his unjust actions, Othello laments over his dead wife, crying out how, now that Desdemona is no longer with him, there should be a, “huge eclipse / Of sun and moon, and that th’ affrighted globe” (V.ii.100-101). When Othello finally understands the truth behind his what he has done, the height of his suffering reaches its peak as he wails, “’tis happiness to die” (V.ii.290). His lengthy, painful misery meets a timely end when he takes his own life (V.ii.356). Unfortunate yet apparent, Othello’s realization of his own actions against pure innocence directs him down the path of incomprehensible anguish, utter recklessness, and, ultimately,

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