In Act three scene three Iago planted a seed of doubt into Othello's mind. He made Othello doubt Desdemona's "honesty" which caused him to question her faithfulness. At the end of the scene Desdemona realizes something is wrong with Othello and asks him if he is well. Othello tells her he has a "pain" on his "forehead." She was concerned about him, so she offered him her "handkerchief." He told her the handkerchief was too "little." The he put "the handkerchief from him" and it dropped. Emilia found the handkerchief, and gave it to her husband, Iago. Iago wanted Emilia to get a hold of the handkerchief, because he wanted to plant it on Cassio. Iago wanted to use the handkerchief to make it appear that Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio. When Iago told Othello that Cassio has the handkerchief Othello came to the conclusion that Desdemona must have given it to him. In the next scene he confronted her and demanded to know where the handkerchief was. Desdemona is unable to produce the handkerchief, but claimed that it was not lost. Othello believed she gave it to Cassio, and that her inability to produce it is proof of her infidelity. When Othello let it drop to the ground he was thought it was insignificant compared to the possibility of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, but it proved to be incredibly significant. In that moment the handkerchief was not even significant to Desdemona, because she was too worried about her husband. Shakespeare's use of the handkerchief as a plot device is interesting. At first the handkerchief is so insignificant, but then it becomes extremely significant. It also creates drama. The audience can't believe that Othello and Desdemona don't remember leaving the handkerchief behind. It is also maddening that Desdemona did not tell him she lost it. Then maybe they could retrace her steps to find it. Instead she claims it is not lost, and Othello believes that this is proof of her infidelity. I think it is believable that Othello believed the handkerchief was evidence. When someone is jealous they tend to become so fixated on their jealousy that it blinds them. Othello was blinded and that is probably why he did not think about dropping the handkerchief. His jealousy blinded him to the truth of her faithfulness, and made him believe the lie.
I thought of the irony when Othello says the handerchief was too little, but later it becomes everything. Ponder on this change. Why can't she be honest with him? What might she think she would be telling him if she lost it? In denying she lost the handkerchief, she is denying her infidelity, but how does Othello view this denial? Is this human nature?
I think that Desdemona does not admit to Othello that she lost the handkerchief because then he would feel betrayed in that she lost something important to him. It was from an Egyptian who gave it to his mother and held special meaning in his heart. He says the Egyptian told her mother, "Make it a darling like your precious eye. To lose 't or give 't away were such perdition As nothing else could match," (62-64.) Othello believes that since she lost the handkerchief it's as if she has lost their love. I think that Othello views her denial of the handkerchief as a lie because of the way Iago has explained the situation. I think this is normal as Desdemona hasn't come clean and explained the situation to Othello.
Iago is definitely the most jealous person out of the two. He is constantly trying to turn Othello against Desdemona. Iago wants Desdemona all to himself and that is why he is plotting Othello against her. Iago uses rhetoric questions to make Othello question Desdemona's honesty and if she is really cheating like Iago says she is. "Is 't come to this?" and "Is 't possible my lord?" are a couple questions that he uses to enhance this idea. Iago is trying to turn Desdemona against Othello and if that doesn't represent jealousy I don't know what does. Othello, unfortunately, is to trusting in "honest Iago" and believes everything for what he says and not Desdemona. Since he is experienced in the military, he obviously is going to take a man's side over a woman's because he is more trusting in men since he has worked with them which is also an advantage for Iago. This means that he is able to manipulate Othello even more because he is so jealous.
Iago's use of rhetorical questions is an effective strategy for his audience of Othello, but think on why a bit more. I am not sure if Iago wants Desdemona for himself, but I wonder if it could be something she represents or offers? Or, could it be something about Othello and Desdemona's relationship because it differs significantly from his and Emilia's marriage? How does Iago's overall view of women contribute?
I think Othello is more jealous than Iago. One of the reasons Iago is plotting against Othello is because he thinks Othello has "betwixt" his "sheets." He thinks that Othello might have had some affair with his wife. Iago does not want to kill Othello; he just wants him to suffer. Othello when he becomes jealous wants to kill his wife and Cassio. I think Othello is more jealous because he wants to kill both of him. Iago does not want to kill anyone. I think Iago just expected Othello to get rid of Cassio. I don't think he thought Othello would want to kill Desdemona. Iago is jealous of the possibility of his wife's affair, but does not plan to kill her.
Why does Iago want to destroy Othello? Though the play does not explicitly say it, there are many possible reasons that Iago would want to destroy Othello. The first reason could be that Iago is racist. Behind Othello’s back to Roderigo, Iago constantly refers to Othello as “The Moor,” which refers to his skin color. If Iago referred to him possibly as “The General,” or something else the reader would not make the inference that Iago was racist. Additionally, there was a few lines where Iago had said that the Moors constantly change their mind (referring to his marriage with Desdemona) which is a generalization solely based on skin color. The initial reason I thought that Iago hated Othello is because he had promoted Cassio as Lieutenant instead of him. This could be why Iago is trying to plot against not only Othello, but Cassio as well. The last possible reason I believe is because Iago half-believes that Othello slept with his wife. This could be why Iago is also pull Desdemona into his plan to destroy Othello. Now that Iago had Cassio fired, and plans to destroy Othello, Iago could try to move his rank up in the military as well.
Where are there other examples in the text that support any of these three? Also, Othello's expression of three reasons could also indicate what? Is it possible that Othello is just make excuses? What might be an underlying cause?
I do not believe that either individual is necessarily more jealous than the other. Jealousy just manifests in them and their actions in different ways. Jealousy never changes, it just finds new ways to manifest itself based on its host's personality. Othello's version of jealousy manifests itself very quickly and evidently. Othello is a man of action with little experience with women, and this is how his jealousy takes root. He is very angry and decides he must get to the bottom of things immediately. When he thinks he has done this he believes his next logical course of action is to kill everyone involved. Othello is a man of action who is most at home on the battlefield, therefore his thinking is fairly linear and his actions take him on the quickest path to his goal. Iago, on the other hand, is not so straightforward. While not necessarily any more jealous than Othello, Iago's version of jealousy is far more dangerous. His is the kind that is patient. It sits and schemes in the darkness. It is willing to wait as long as it takes to reach its endgame, and often does so to devastating effect. This is because Iago is naturally good at reading people, and then getting them to enact his will as if it were their own. Neither man is truly more jealous than the other. Jealousy has managed to consume both men until there is little that remains of the men they once were. The only difference is how each man's jealousy reveals itself.
Although I wrote Iago was the more jealous of the two, I can certainly understand why no definite answer could be reached. They are both jealous for their own reasons. Iago was jealous because he was passed over for a promotion and feels he has an inferior marriage to Othello and Desdemona. Othello was jealous because he thought his precious Desdemona was cheating on him and could not handle it mentally or physically. Othello was definitely more brash with how he handled things, his military background highlighting how directly he chose to deal with obstacles. Iago was by far more cunning than Othello, plotting multiple people against each other and providing others advice which directly led to his goal. Essentially they were both equally jealous, they were just focused on different things and handled it in different ways.
It is true that jealousy manifests differently in both of the characters, however, you could say since one has a more severe manifestation that they could, in turn, be more jealous because of how they react to the feeling of jealousy.
I would say Iago is more jealous. While Othello does eventually fall victim to the seeds planted by Iago and kill Desdemona, this was not necessarily out of jealousy. Othello was more a victim of his pride and vulnerability. Iago, however, is a very jealous person. He is angered by the fact Othello appointed Cassio as his lieutenant over him, and also is jealous of the happy marriage Othello and Desdemona have compared to his sub-par marriage with Emilia.
Iago is intelligent and charismatic enough to appear friendly to everyone, but conniving enough to jade each of his remarks towards his overall goals. He could easily be regarded as a psychopath, the way he toys with people and harbors no regard for their personal feelings. He is able to act without any emotion, despite committing some very heinous acts. His ability to have people do his bidding stems from the way he separately connects with each of them, convinces them he is on their side, and then gives them "sound" advice.
So overall, Iago is definitely the more jealous person. He seeks to destroy people simply because he is angered by their achievements, and do anything within his power to do this.
This does not mean that Iago is necessarily a more jealous person. You described Iago's character type. He's intelligent and good at convincing people to carry out his will. This does not make him more jealous, but it is the way his jealousy manifests.
I definitely agree with you that Iago is the more jealous person. At this point, Othello hasn't shown much jealousy. Iago on the other hand is trying to plot Othello against Desdemona because he is in such a jealous state. It was a very good point that Othello is a very vulnerable person never having had the chance to trust a woman so he automatically just doesn't trust her after what Iago has told him, which is understandable. I never thought about Iago maybe having a mental illness that would make him do these things, is this a possibility?
It may be interpreted that Iago is full of jealousy towards Othello in the play which would give a reason behind why Iago is so intent on destroying Othello’s life. However, I do not believe that Iago’s intentions stem from jealousy (that may be a part of it) but rather from some psychological illness. For example, he may be just a flat out psychopath. This is why I believe that Othello is the more jealous person in the play. While Iago does play mind games and manipulates everyone around them, Othello reacts above and beyond all rationality because he is overcome by jealousy. We all know that in the end, Othello kills his wife Desdemona based on the doubts that Iago plants in his mind. Also, right after Iago tells him all the things about Desdemona and Cassio, Othello reacts so strongly as to call Desdemona a whore. Because of this jealousy, Othello refuses to accept any other explanation as to why Desdemona would campaign for Cassio, among other things (Even though there is a reasonable and innocent reasoning behind it). So, Iago may be the reason behind Othello’s jealousy, however, Othello’s jealousy goes above and beyond anyone else's in the play.
I agree, I think Othello is the more jealous person. It is not exactly said in the story that Iago is jealous, and it does not give a definite reason as to why he sets out to destroy Othello. Othello is someone who seems to think deeply, which is a vice, unlike Iago. Othello was very quick to overthink the handkerchief situation and get extremely jealous. So much so that he threatened to kill Desdemona. Jealousy was able to turn Othello from a calm collected general, to an angry killer.
I agree with your post. I think that Iago has multiple things going on within his mind that is causing him to create such chaos. A content person, even with a little bit a jealousy would not be likely to play the mind games that Iago did to completely destroy a person's life. Othello could very well be jealous, but I think that he also has insecurities that caused him to react in such the way that he did. He wouldn't have so easily believed what Iago told him if he didn't already have worries about the idea in the first place. Maybe Desdemona's flawlessness creates worries in Othello's mind for a few different reasons, or it could be that the other men Othello is close with also got Othello to believe that women are not good people and that they would do anything sneaky.
I think Othello cares about Desdemona more otherwise this situation wouldn’t bother him as much as it does. If he cared more about himself, things other people say such as Iago wouldn’t falter him one bit. Othello cares if Desdemona truly loves him or if she is having an affair without him knowing. “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.” (98-100) Othello says that if anything were to cease how he loves Desdemona that it would be chaos. I don’t think that this is necessarily self-centered, but rather displaying his immense love for Desdemona. When a person loves another person, things can hurt them badly; especially if they are in fear that they will lose their loved one. However I don’t think they would end up happily ever after with Iago. I think that Desdemona is not open with Othello in explaining her mistakes. “It is not lost; but what an if it were?” (79) Desdemona says this when Othello questions her about the handkerchief. Since she is not honest with him in telling him she lost it/dropped it, he is now assuming the worst. She does not know what the handkerchief really means to him in this whole situation, and I think her not being honest is karma for what is coming for her. I think Iago definitely adds to Othello’s reactions, but it seems like it was bound to happen with the jealous persona of Othello.
I agree with your post. I think that not only does the idea of losing someone they love hurt them badly, but also causes them to make rash decisions, and that's exactly what happened in Othello's situation. It would make a lot of sense that Othello cares a lot about Desdemona, otherwise the things Iago says wouldn't bother him. However, I also think it's possible that Othello is afraid to be alone, and being basically the only colored man around, he might not get another chance to have someone there for him. I think that the whole thing is a mixture of fear and love and those two things together can equal bad consequences, as it ended doing so.
There are many reasons as to why Iago would want to destroy Othello. Iago is definitely unhappy with the things in his life. I know that we don’t get much insight into all aspects of Iago’s life, but we sure do get enough to know that things are not going well for him. He has a very unsettled situation with his wife, first of all. He calls her names, there’s not much trust between them, and he just in general doesn’t seem to think women are good. He also doesn’t seem to have any true friends that have his back. He talks to a lot of people, and a lot of people trust him, but would he actually have anybody to turn to? Iago seems like the type of person where the grass is greener on the other side. He is close to Othello, and so he sees all that goes on within Othello’s life. Othello just scored a flawless gal that seems to truly like Othello, while Iago has an unhappy relationship with Emilia. Othello has all kinds of people that want to be by his side and are there for him. Even when Othello dismissed Cassio, Cassio was upset not at Othello, but at the fact that he was no longer by Othello’s side any longer. And Iago saw all of that happen. Cassio didn’t really turn to Iago, but even so Iago tried to throw in advice for Cassio so that he feels like he’s needed by someone. Another thing that could bother Iago about Othello is that Othello is a colored man, and he has a high position. It is Othello with the great war stories that people want to listen to, it’s Othello in charge, even in charge of Iago. This probably bothers Iago a great deal because he wants to be in Othello’s exact position, and since he can’t, his next best option in his mind is t destroy everything that Othello has, including his sanity.
No, I don’t believe this changes the theme of alienation in the play. Othello is still seen as the outcast that can be undermined and manipulated due to his desires to be accepted and genuinely respected by the men. Assuming that Othello is still considered a Moor despite being played by a white actor, then he is still seen as a being who is driven by sexual thoughts, prone to unjust fits of jealousy, and uses witchcraft. This still allows Iago and the other men to be cruel and reduce him to these qualities; as the play begins Iago infers that Othello does not truly love Desdemona but rather feeling intense lust for her. Desdemona’s father even accuses Othello of using witchcraft to make his daughter fall in love. If Othello (of any race) was not an outcast, he would only be seen as the brave military soldier and would be sincerely respected by the others. By making Othello a different race than the other men it provides a practical and real way of demonstrating alienation, with alienation being the theme rather than race. I don’t believe it matters what race Othello is portrayed as, just that it is different from the rest of the cast.
I forgot to add the question I was responding to haha.
11. In 1998, Patrick Stewart, a white actor, played the role of Othello surrounded by an all-black cast. Do you think this way of performing Othello would be effective? Would it substantially change any of the themes or dynamics of the play? Which ones?
In Act three scene three Iago planted a seed of doubt into Othello's mind. He made Othello doubt Desdemona's "honesty" which caused him to question her faithfulness. At the end of the scene Desdemona realizes something is wrong with Othello and asks him if he is well. Othello tells her he has a "pain" on his "forehead." She was concerned about him, so she offered him her "handkerchief." He told her the handkerchief was too "little." The he put "the handkerchief from him" and it dropped. Emilia found the handkerchief, and gave it to her husband, Iago. Iago wanted Emilia to get a hold of the handkerchief, because he wanted to plant it on Cassio. Iago wanted to use the handkerchief to make it appear that Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio. When Iago told Othello that Cassio has the handkerchief Othello came to the conclusion that Desdemona must have given it to him. In the next scene he confronted her and demanded to know where the handkerchief was. Desdemona is unable to produce the handkerchief, but claimed that it was not lost. Othello believed she gave it to Cassio, and that her inability to produce it is proof of her infidelity. When Othello let it drop to the ground he was thought it was insignificant compared to the possibility of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, but it proved to be incredibly significant. In that moment the handkerchief was not even significant to Desdemona, because she was too worried about her husband. Shakespeare's use of the handkerchief as a plot device is interesting. At first the handkerchief is so insignificant, but then it becomes extremely significant. It also creates drama. The audience can't believe that Othello and Desdemona don't remember leaving the handkerchief behind. It is also maddening that Desdemona did not tell him she lost it. Then maybe they could retrace her steps to find it. Instead she claims it is not lost, and Othello believes that this is proof of her infidelity. I think it is believable that Othello believed the handkerchief was evidence. When someone is jealous they tend to become so fixated on their jealousy that it blinds them. Othello was blinded and that is probably why he did not think about dropping the handkerchief. His jealousy blinded him to the truth of her faithfulness, and made him believe the lie.
ReplyDeleteI thought of the irony when Othello says the handerchief was too little, but later it becomes everything. Ponder on this change. Why can't she be honest with him? What might she think she would be telling him if she lost it? In denying she lost the handkerchief, she is denying her infidelity, but how does Othello view this denial? Is this human nature?
DeleteI think that Desdemona does not admit to Othello that she lost the handkerchief because then he would feel betrayed in that she lost something important to him. It was from an Egyptian who gave it to his mother and held special meaning in his heart. He says the Egyptian told her mother, "Make it a darling like your precious eye. To lose 't or give 't away were such perdition As nothing else could match," (62-64.) Othello believes that since she lost the handkerchief it's as if she has lost their love.
DeleteI think that Othello views her denial of the handkerchief as a lie because of the way Iago has explained the situation. I think this is normal as Desdemona hasn't come clean and explained the situation to Othello.
7. Who is a more jealous person, Othello or Iago?
ReplyDeleteIago is definitely the most jealous person out of the two. He is constantly trying to turn Othello against Desdemona. Iago wants Desdemona all to himself and that is why he is plotting Othello against her. Iago uses rhetoric questions to make Othello question Desdemona's honesty and if she is really cheating like Iago says she is. "Is 't come to this?" and "Is 't possible my lord?" are a couple questions that he uses to enhance this idea. Iago is trying to turn Desdemona against Othello and if that doesn't represent jealousy I don't know what does. Othello, unfortunately, is to trusting in "honest Iago" and believes everything for what he says and not Desdemona. Since he is experienced in the military, he obviously is going to take a man's side over a woman's because he is more trusting in men since he has worked with them which is also an advantage for Iago. This means that he is able to manipulate Othello even more because he is so jealous.
Iago's use of rhetorical questions is an effective strategy for his audience of Othello, but think on why a bit more. I am not sure if Iago wants Desdemona for himself, but I wonder if it could be something she represents or offers? Or, could it be something about Othello and Desdemona's relationship because it differs significantly from his and Emilia's marriage? How does Iago's overall view of women contribute?
DeleteI think Othello is more jealous than Iago. One of the reasons Iago is plotting against Othello is because he thinks Othello has "betwixt" his "sheets." He thinks that Othello might have had some affair with his wife. Iago does not want to kill Othello; he just wants him to suffer. Othello when he becomes jealous wants to kill his wife and Cassio. I think Othello is more jealous because he wants to kill both of him. Iago does not want to kill anyone. I think Iago just expected Othello to get rid of Cassio. I don't think he thought Othello would want to kill Desdemona. Iago is jealous of the possibility of his wife's affair, but does not plan to kill her.
DeleteWhy does Iago want to destroy Othello?
ReplyDeleteThough the play does not explicitly say it, there are many possible reasons that Iago would want to destroy Othello. The first reason could be that Iago is racist. Behind Othello’s back to Roderigo, Iago constantly refers to Othello as “The Moor,” which refers to his skin color. If Iago referred to him possibly as “The General,” or something else the reader would not make the inference that Iago was racist. Additionally, there was a few lines where Iago had said that the Moors constantly change their mind (referring to his marriage with Desdemona) which is a generalization solely based on skin color. The initial reason I thought that Iago hated Othello is because he had promoted Cassio as Lieutenant instead of him. This could be why Iago is trying to plot against not only Othello, but Cassio as well. The last possible reason I believe is because Iago half-believes that Othello slept with his wife. This could be why Iago is also pull Desdemona into his plan to destroy Othello. Now that Iago had Cassio fired, and plans to destroy Othello, Iago could try to move his rank up in the military as well.
Where are there other examples in the text that support any of these three? Also, Othello's expression of three reasons could also indicate what? Is it possible that Othello is just make excuses? What might be an underlying cause?
Delete7. Who is a more jealous person, Othello or Iago?
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that either individual is necessarily more jealous than the other. Jealousy just manifests in them and their actions in different ways. Jealousy never changes, it just finds new ways to manifest itself based on its host's personality. Othello's version of jealousy manifests itself very quickly and evidently. Othello is a man of action with little experience with women, and this is how his jealousy takes root. He is very angry and decides he must get to the bottom of things immediately. When he thinks he has done this he believes his next logical course of action is to kill everyone involved. Othello is a man of action who is most at home on the battlefield, therefore his thinking is fairly linear and his actions take him on the quickest path to his goal. Iago, on the other hand, is not so straightforward. While not necessarily any more jealous than Othello, Iago's version of jealousy is far more dangerous. His is the kind that is patient. It sits and schemes in the darkness. It is willing to wait as long as it takes to reach its endgame, and often does so to devastating effect. This is because Iago is naturally good at reading people, and then getting them to enact his will as if it were their own. Neither man is truly more jealous than the other. Jealousy has managed to consume both men until there is little that remains of the men they once were. The only difference is how each man's jealousy reveals itself.
Although I wrote Iago was the more jealous of the two, I can certainly understand why no definite answer could be reached. They are both jealous for their own reasons. Iago was jealous because he was passed over for a promotion and feels he has an inferior marriage to Othello and Desdemona. Othello was jealous because he thought his precious Desdemona was cheating on him and could not handle it mentally or physically. Othello was definitely more brash with how he handled things, his military background highlighting how directly he chose to deal with obstacles. Iago was by far more cunning than Othello, plotting multiple people against each other and providing others advice which directly led to his goal. Essentially they were both equally jealous, they were just focused on different things and handled it in different ways.
DeleteIt is true that jealousy manifests differently in both of the characters, however, you could say since one has a more severe manifestation that they could, in turn, be more jealous because of how they react to the feeling of jealousy.
Delete7. Who is a more jealous person, Othello or Iago?
ReplyDeleteI would say Iago is more jealous. While Othello does eventually fall victim to the seeds planted by Iago and kill Desdemona, this was not necessarily out of jealousy. Othello was more a victim of his pride and vulnerability. Iago, however, is a very jealous person. He is angered by the fact Othello appointed Cassio as his lieutenant over him, and also is jealous of the happy marriage Othello and Desdemona have compared to his sub-par marriage with Emilia.
Iago is intelligent and charismatic enough to appear friendly to everyone, but conniving enough to jade each of his remarks towards his overall goals. He could easily be regarded as a psychopath, the way he toys with people and harbors no regard for their personal feelings. He is able to act without any emotion, despite committing some very heinous acts. His ability to have people do his bidding stems from the way he separately connects with each of them, convinces them he is on their side, and then gives them "sound" advice.
So overall, Iago is definitely the more jealous person. He seeks to destroy people simply because he is angered by their achievements, and do anything within his power to do this.
This does not mean that Iago is necessarily a more jealous person. You described Iago's character type. He's intelligent and good at convincing people to carry out his will. This does not make him more jealous, but it is the way his jealousy manifests.
DeleteI definitely agree with you that Iago is the more jealous person. At this point, Othello hasn't shown much jealousy. Iago on the other hand is trying to plot Othello against Desdemona because he is in such a jealous state. It was a very good point that Othello is a very vulnerable person never having had the chance to trust a woman so he automatically just doesn't trust her after what Iago has told him, which is understandable. I never thought about Iago maybe having a mental illness that would make him do these things, is this a possibility?
Delete7. Who is a more jealous person, Othello or Iago?
ReplyDeleteIt may be interpreted that Iago is full of jealousy towards Othello in the play which would give a reason behind why Iago is so intent on destroying Othello’s life. However, I do not believe that Iago’s intentions stem from jealousy (that may be a part of it) but rather from some psychological illness. For example, he may be just a flat out psychopath. This is why I believe that Othello is the more jealous person in the play. While Iago does play mind games and manipulates everyone around them, Othello reacts above and beyond all rationality because he is overcome by jealousy. We all know that in the end, Othello kills his wife Desdemona based on the doubts that Iago plants in his mind. Also, right after Iago tells him all the things about Desdemona and Cassio, Othello reacts so strongly as to call Desdemona a whore. Because of this jealousy, Othello refuses to accept any other explanation as to why Desdemona would campaign for Cassio, among other things (Even though there is a reasonable and innocent reasoning behind it). So, Iago may be the reason behind Othello’s jealousy, however, Othello’s jealousy goes above and beyond anyone else's in the play.
I agree, I think Othello is the more jealous person. It is not exactly said in the story that Iago is jealous, and it does not give a definite reason as to why he sets out to destroy Othello. Othello is someone who seems to think deeply, which is a vice, unlike Iago. Othello was very quick to overthink the handkerchief situation and get extremely jealous. So much so that he threatened to kill Desdemona. Jealousy was able to turn Othello from a calm collected general, to an angry killer.
DeleteI agree with your post. I think that Iago has multiple things going on within his mind that is causing him to create such chaos. A content person, even with a little bit a jealousy would not be likely to play the mind games that Iago did to completely destroy a person's life. Othello could very well be jealous, but I think that he also has insecurities that caused him to react in such the way that he did. He wouldn't have so easily believed what Iago told him if he didn't already have worries about the idea in the first place. Maybe Desdemona's flawlessness creates worries in Othello's mind for a few different reasons, or it could be that the other men Othello is close with also got Othello to believe that women are not good people and that they would do anything sneaky.
DeleteI think Othello cares about Desdemona more otherwise this situation wouldn’t bother him as much as it does. If he cared more about himself, things other people say such as Iago wouldn’t falter him one bit. Othello cares if Desdemona truly loves him or if she is having an affair without him knowing. “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.” (98-100) Othello says that if anything were to cease how he loves Desdemona that it would be chaos. I don’t think that this is necessarily self-centered, but rather displaying his immense love for Desdemona. When a person loves another person, things can hurt them badly; especially if they are in fear that they will lose their loved one.
ReplyDeleteHowever I don’t think they would end up happily ever after with Iago. I think that Desdemona is not open with Othello in explaining her mistakes. “It is not lost; but what an if it were?” (79) Desdemona says this when Othello questions her about the handkerchief. Since she is not honest with him in telling him she lost it/dropped it, he is now assuming the worst. She does not know what the handkerchief really means to him in this whole situation, and I think her not being honest is karma for what is coming for her. I think Iago definitely adds to Othello’s reactions, but it seems like it was bound to happen with the jealous persona of Othello.
I agree with your post. I think that not only does the idea of losing someone they love hurt them badly, but also causes them to make rash decisions, and that's exactly what happened in Othello's situation. It would make a lot of sense that Othello cares a lot about Desdemona, otherwise the things Iago says wouldn't bother him. However, I also think it's possible that Othello is afraid to be alone, and being basically the only colored man around, he might not get another chance to have someone there for him. I think that the whole thing is a mixture of fear and love and those two things together can equal bad consequences, as it ended doing so.
DeleteThere are many reasons as to why Iago would want to destroy Othello. Iago is definitely unhappy with the things in his life. I know that we don’t get much insight into all aspects of Iago’s life, but we sure do get enough to know that things are not going well for him. He has a very unsettled situation with his wife, first of all. He calls her names, there’s not much trust between them, and he just in general doesn’t seem to think women are good. He also doesn’t seem to have any true friends that have his back. He talks to a lot of people, and a lot of people trust him, but would he actually have anybody to turn to? Iago seems like the type of person where the grass is greener on the other side. He is close to Othello, and so he sees all that goes on within Othello’s life. Othello just scored a flawless gal that seems to truly like Othello, while Iago has an unhappy relationship with Emilia. Othello has all kinds of people that want to be by his side and are there for him. Even when Othello dismissed Cassio, Cassio was upset not at Othello, but at the fact that he was no longer by Othello’s side any longer. And Iago saw all of that happen. Cassio didn’t really turn to Iago, but even so Iago tried to throw in advice for Cassio so that he feels like he’s needed by someone. Another thing that could bother Iago about Othello is that Othello is a colored man, and he has a high position. It is Othello with the great war stories that people want to listen to, it’s Othello in charge, even in charge of Iago. This probably bothers Iago a great deal because he wants to be in Othello’s exact position, and since he can’t, his next best option in his mind is t destroy everything that Othello has, including his sanity.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don’t believe this changes the theme of alienation in the play. Othello is still seen as the outcast that can be undermined and manipulated due to his desires to be accepted and genuinely respected by the men. Assuming that Othello is still considered a Moor despite being played by a white actor, then he is still seen as a being who is driven by sexual thoughts, prone to unjust fits of jealousy, and uses witchcraft. This still allows Iago and the other men to be cruel and reduce him to these qualities; as the play begins Iago infers that Othello does not truly love Desdemona but rather feeling intense lust for her. Desdemona’s father even accuses Othello of using witchcraft to make his daughter fall in love. If Othello (of any race) was not an outcast, he would only be seen as the brave military soldier and would be sincerely respected by the others. By making Othello a different race than the other men it provides a practical and real way of demonstrating alienation, with alienation being the theme rather than race. I don’t believe it matters what race Othello is portrayed as, just that it is different from the rest of the cast.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add the question I was responding to haha.
Delete11. In 1998, Patrick Stewart, a white actor, played the role of Othello surrounded by an all-black cast. Do you think this way of performing Othello would be effective? Would it substantially change any of the themes or dynamics of the play? Which ones?