William Shakespeare's Play Othello: Literary Analysis

Analysis, Pages 5 (1117 words)

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Othello is portrayed as a respected Lieutenant in the military. It is thought that he should be strong-minded and strong-willed. However, through the power of words, it is shown how a man of such high ranking could be fooled through the slightest touch. Iago's plan showed the manipulation and power that he had over Othello’s simple mind. It was Othello’s intense emotions that caused him to believe these words and actions to be true. Othello believes himself to be a leader but yet he lets a simple man, manipulate his thoughts.

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Through Iago's actions and words, Othello begins to lose who he is and plays into Iago's plans. “She did deceive her father, marrying you; and when she seemed to shake and fear your looks she lov’d them most” (Act 3, Sc 3, L 208) Iago begins to play on Othello’s emotions ultimately allowing Othello to convince himself that the love that Desdemona has for him is not real. In Othello's mind, he is the leader, a lieutenant, strong and direct.

However, instead of dealing with the concerns that he is having over his wife, he chooses to wallow in the words of another man and becomes jealous of something he has no proof of, “O beware, my lord of jealousy, it is the green-eyed monster.” (Act 3, Sc 1, L 168). He allowed himself to become manipulated and fell to his emotions. Othello could not seem to find his true self because he had all of these pure emotions flowing through his head.

The fact that someone he called a friend was playing mind games on him to get what he wanted, brought out the true colors of Othello’s nature. With doubt running through his mind, he could not seem to believe the words that were being told to him. He did not use the skills that had made a Lieutenant help him make decisions, instead, he became humbled as a man, a husband that felt betrayed and his actions that followed were not those of a strong-minded man but those of a weak man.

Othello’s actions spoke louder than his words. His actions had proven to be those of a man driven to madness by his jealousy. He could not contain his inner emotions and that was the very cause of the death of his wife. He acts out in anger and does not think before he does it. After he is pushed to the edge, in Act 4, Sc 1 Othello immediately hits his wife. He maliciously yells at her and calls her vicious names, such as “ down strumpet” otherwise known as “whore”, this caused him to diminish her value as a woman. Throughout the play, we can see his anger build through time and he loses control of his emotions. He is on a rampage and cannot be tamed, and could not stop until he received his justice. He becomes power-hungry in the fact that he wants to know everything and control his wife even though his wife was truly faithful. The man that Othello is at the end of the play is not the Othello that Desdemona married or truly loved. He states that he puts her trust in her and believes in her loyalty, but it is portrayed that he loses himself and his sense of loyalty. He is not who he believes he is, after all, is said and done, Othello comes to the understanding that what he has done is wrong and yet he cannot justify his actions. He is put in the position to live the rest of his life without his wife or to end his own life. In the sense that he chose to kill himself, it is demonstrated that he is indeed not a strong man, he is not the lieutenant that he says he is, the general he says he is.

How is possible that he can’t control his emotions and actions, yet he can control his army. Through his actions, we can see his mindset and we can see how the words and actions of others do have an impact on his actions. Othello cannot seem to find his true self throughout the play, and immediately loses sight of his general purpose, “that’s he that was Othello: here I am :(Act 5 Sc 2, Line 281) Othello states that they are looking for the man that use to be Othello and calls out “here I am”. He recognizes that he is no longer that man that he uses to be. Othello believed his actions were wrong but he justified them by stating that it was done out of honor “Why, anything. An honorable murderer, if you will, for naught I did in hate, but all in honor.” (Act 5, Sc 2, Line 291). Othello believed that he lived an honorable life and will die an honorable death, however it does not appear that way because he is portrayed as a strong black man as the leader of the army and the man who married the king's daughter. He was living his life to the best extent but he didn’t live his life to the best extent. He was giving something so good and pure, that it caused others to be jealous. He could not accept that he had everything he wanted but did not appreciate it. Killing himself, only provided evidence that he indeed was weak-minded and how weak-willed he truly was. Through his actions and words, they were from his true nature and those were his true feeling. He believed killing himself was for honor and he knew that he had nothing left to live for because the one true love that he had killed was faithful to him to the end.

Othello was not the Nobel man he portrayed himself to be, he was not noble to his wife or marriage. Instead of believing his wife, he chose to believe others and when faced with the reality and the truth of what happened he felt like a fool “ o fool, o fool, o fool” ( Act 5, Sc 2, Line 19) Othello had realized that had made a mistake and recognized the error of his ways. Othello was easily namiulpapted to believe the actions of his wife. He describes himself as someone who loved too much, but who wasn’t wise about it. He explained that he was easily made jealous and was tricked and manipulated. (Act 5, Sc 2 Line 338-340) “Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak, Of one that loved not wisely, but too well.” He feels self-pity for the death of his wife and since he is driven by emotion, the only option is to kill himself.