Othello

Othello: He is what he is

Let those without sins cast the first stone, but who can really say they can even so much as touch the stone. Why is it that too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and that the worst of experiences are actually blessings? As humans, it is natural to always want to find the light in the unlikeliest of situations to give us hope of a better tomorrow, but what can we say about the nature of evil when the very word is a made up human device to judge others? Could we really call someone evil because he brings out our malignant side? And yet, that is just the case of Iago.

Hatred and jealousy --our inner most basic emotions-- are the two emotions that separate us from animals, and never are these sentiments so masterfully portrait than in Shakespeare's "Othello." In the story, Iago (Othello's ancient) plans to bring about the downfall of the Moor Othello (general of Venice's army). He does this by convincing Othello that his wife (Desdemona) is cheating with the disgraced lieutenant Cassio. While Iago does manage to bring out Othello's most primitives emotions into light, is he truly the villain? In reality, Iago is nothing more than the creation of those who crossed him and it is from them that he draws his power to manipulate the outcome of the story.

"honest iago"

" Ð''tis my curse of service"

"I have proffesed me thyne friend"

"but partly led to diet my revenge

for that I do suspect the lusty moor

Ð'...

" till I am evened with him, wife for wife"

Wives of Othello

Shakespeare's Othello is set during the Renaissance period and therefore the roles of the women in Othello are supposedly bound by the period in which they operate. During this time women were supposed to be chaste, obedient, subservient and most importantly, loyal to their husbands and if they had no husbands, then the chain of command was to their fathers or some male figure of the household. The three women of Othello differed enormously from one another yet none of them really conformed to the standards the Renaissance period placed upon women.

It may or may not have been outright or unintentionally, but the rigidity of the period failed to stifle the desire to step outside of their "place" in the era that demanded women to remain in their "place." Whether it was with speech or womanly wiles, the women of Othello demonstrated a desire to be more in their relationships than the boundaries of silence in servitude permitted.

In Othello, Desdemona is depicted as demure, soft, sweet, a flower in the garden, playful, entertaining, and sexual. Bradantio, father to Desdemona and senator says of her, "Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy," (1.2.67). Cassio says of her to Montano, governor of Cyprus, upon Othello's return "Most fortunately. He hath achieved a maid/That paragons description and wild fame,/One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens,/And in th' essential vesture of creation/Does tire the engineer." (2.1.63-67). Even Iago has a kindly word about everybody's favorite girl when he says "Now I do love her too,/Not out of absolute lust (though peradventure/I stand accomptant for as great a sin)," (2.1.267-269). It is clear that Desdemona has everyone's affections. However, she takes liberties that leave her vulnerable and a pawn in Iago's evil plot.

Because Desdemonia lived in patriarchal society, it was common practice that marriages be approved and oftentimes arranged. As the only child of one of high political office, Desdemona was probably spoiled and afforded special allowances other women would have been chastised for. With many quality suitors available to her, it was an embarrassment as well as hurtful to her father for her to steal away and elope with a Black man. It had to be even more discomforting to know that it was he who had brought this man to his house for his own entertainment only to have his daughter take delight in the company. The ultimate finisher had to have been to have Othello speak to council, Branbantio's peers, on how he won his daughter and for her to openly discuss how she reciprocated. Lisa Hopkins, author of "Tragic Marriage" suggests that this was dangerous behavior for Desdemona and in fact, warns that the rift created between her father and husband was in actuality a bond because of the ideals of men of this time period when she says:

Her behaviour may have arisen from pleasing motives, but will lay her open to exactly the kind of misconstruction which will, in fact, dog her whole career. Additionally, she will soon find out that the Ð''division' which she experiences between father and husband is in fact a spurious distinction, since both will operate within the same actantial role of patriarch: as Brabantio warns Othello, demonstrating a degree of same-sex identification which ironically transcends their individual conflict, Ð''Look to her, Moor, have a quick eye to see: /She has deceiv'd her father, may do thee'

This same warning will resonate again in Othello's ear later when Iago reminds him that "She did deceive her father, marrying you;" (3.3.220). The passage from Hopkins rightfully implies that Othello's men are like-minded when it comes down to a woman's place and this one step out of line was later cleverly integrated in Iago's scheme.

Desdemona stepped forth on other occasions as well. Her youth and inexperience in matters of men placed her in unfamiliar scenarios and so in Act II she intercedes on behalf of Emilia when Iago verbally attacks his wife in front of all. It is outright disrespect on the part of Iago to provoke his wife when he says to Cassio, "Sir, would she give you so much of her lips/As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,/You would have enough" (2.1.102-104). It is the exchange that follows between Desdemona and Iago which has so baffled critics. Valerie Wayne author of "Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello" says "Again Iago says nothing new: these charges are proverbial assaults. Yet the speech makes it clear Emilia's fault is simply that she is a woman. In this catalogue of vices, women are vain, talkative, idle and wanton."

Desdemona goes on to call him a slanderer but Wayne tells us that

...