Guide to William Shakespeare: Understanding the Bard

Othello

by Caitlyn Hallman

Othello

Synopsis: All is not right in the city-state of Venice. The play opens with the elopement of General Othello to Desdemona, daughter of influential citizen, Brabantio. While his daughter's marriage to a powerful and important army general might appear favorable, Brabantio wants nothing of it. Why? Well, Othello is a Moore . Yes, we have stumbled upon literature's first tale of inter-racial love and a gruesome story it is .

Brabantio wants to nail Othello with the full force of the law for seducing his daughter, but the city leaders prevent it. Turns out Venice has just declared war, and Othello's their main man. Without him, they have no hope of victory. Thus all charges are dropped and Othello rushed off to the warfront with his new bride.

Problem solved, play over, right? Wrong. Othello's problems are just beginning. It seems that his personal secretary , Iago, hates him and wants to destroy him. Iago figures the best way to get at Othello is by using Desdemona. Fair enough. So, Iago gets in contact with Roderigo, a right smuck. Iago convinces Roderigo that Michael Cassio, an officer under Othello's command, is the anti-Christ, and suggests that Roderigo should pick a fight with Cassio at his first convenience.

Roderigo apparently decides this is a good idea because that night all the soldiers get a little drunk, and Roderigo starts to pick on the Cassio. Cassio is pissed and gets pissed off at Roderigo, drawing his sword on him. Roderigo cries 'Mutiny' and all the officers rush in. Cassio is publicly humiliated and stripped of his honors by Othello.

What does any of this have to do with Othello or Desdemona, you may ask? It seems that the only person getting hurt in this is Cassio. Well, the next step in Iago's plan is to talk to Cassio and convince him that the only way to get back into Othello's good graces is through Desdemona. He should go around and visit her a lot and pay her lots of compliments, and basically become a Desdemona groupie. She, in her graciousness, would be inclined to throw in a good word about him to her husband. Fair enough. Cassio does as Iago suggests and Desdemona decides to speak to Othello on his behalf.

HOWEVER, Iago goes to Othello and asks him if he doesn't find all this attention Cassio is given Desdemona just a little bit suspicious. Why else would a handsome, young man be hanging around a lady unless he wanted to get into her pants? Othello figures this is sound reasoning because he once hung around Desdemona in the hopes of getting into her pants. As he was successful, Othello believes that Cassio will ultimately be successful as well . Proof comes when Iago 'finds' a handkerchief of Desdemona's in Cassio's quarters. As we all know, women who freely give away their handkerchiefs freely give away other privileges as well.

Convinced that Desdemona and Cassio have been going at it like rabbits behind his back, Othello turns his thoughts toward revenge. Iago sells him on a plan, which features Roderigo killing Cassio in a 'barroom fight' and Othello killing Desdemona in her bedroom. Well, the plan doesn't exactly pan out. Cassio ends up killing Roderigo instead, and Emilia, Desdemona's lady companion, walks in while Othello is attempting to smother Desdemona with a pillow. Although she appears dead, Desdemona revives to say a few parting words to Emilia. Emilia freaks out and calls for help. A bunch of army officers arrive along with Iago. Othello blames the whole thing on Iago. Iago denies everything, of course. Emilia supports Othello's claim and confesses to providing Iago with the incriminating handkerchief . Iago stabs Emilia. She dies and he runs out. The army guys run out, capture Iago, and bring him back to confront his accuser. Othello stabs him. Then after a long-winded speech, Othello kills himself, and Iago is hauled off to jail. Curtain close.

What to say about it to look smart (a few key words):

Revenge - As was mentioned in my entry for Twelfth Night, Northrop Frye contends that Iago is the 'dark side' of Malvolio. Malvolio in Twelfth Night vows to strike revenge on the world, a revenge that is hindered by the play ending. Iago sets out to extract revenge and ruin the lives of everyone he knows for no matter reason. Perhaps, as the two plays were written around the same time, Iago is simply seeking to achieve the justice that is denied to Malvolio.

Jealousy - All tragic heroes must have a tragic flaw, Othello's is his jealousy. That is what enables Iago to get the upper hand. According to Freud those who are sexual jealous are repressing homosexual desire. A jealous person, like Othello, imagines their partner performing a number of sexual acts with a number of different people. At one point Othello even imagines Desdemona fornicating with his entire regiment. Doing a Freudian reading this means that Othello actually wanted to sleep with all the men in his regiment, but by putting Desdemona in his place it makes the fantasy more acceptable to his repressed mind.

Homosexuality - Of course, maybe Iago's and Othello's problems were due to the fact that they were both desperately in love with each other, but incredibly repressed. Iago sought revenge because Othello was shacking up with Desdemona and not him, and Othello got too caught up in his jealous fantasies because he was turned on. If only Iago and Othello sought comfort in each other's arms the entire tragedy could have been avoided.

However, Shakespeare really wouldn't have had a play then, so I'll just shut up.

Cool Quotes:

'Desdemona - A guiltless death I die.

Emilia - O, who hath done this deed?

Desdemona - Nobody; I myself. Farewell.

Commend me to my kind lord. O farewell!'

(Act V, scene i)

 

'It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul: Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars.

It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow

And smooth as monumental alabaster -

Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.

Put out the light, and then put out the light...'

(Othello, Act V, scene i)

 

'Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her when they belie her. Lie with her! Zounds, that's fulsome!'

(Othello, Act IV, scene i)

 

'O beware, my lord, of jealousy: It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock.

The meat it feeds on.'

(Iago, Act III, scene iii)