Karen+Campos's+Othello+Essay

The Fall of Othello: //Othello// Analytical Paper Tragedy is described as a dramatic literature in which the protagonist faces his or her downfall or destruction as a result of a flaw of character or conflict. Many literary works have exploited a character’s flaw and conflict in order to bring the character to his or her fall. In Shakespeare’s //Othello//, the strong character of Othello slowly reaches his final moment of weakness. As the play unravels we note that the once strong and confident Othello is gradually manipulated and consumed by Iago’s plan; his flaw of vulnerability to Iago brought him to his end. Through the play we note that there is a change in Othello. His persona, rational and love for Desdemona is transgressed as Othello soon becomes a puppet to Iago and at the same time is susceptible beyond his means. Iago was a sly and maliciously ingenious. His conspiracy perfectly planned out, led to his short triumph and Othello’s tragedy.  When we are first introduced to Othello, he is a tranquil man who has authority but does not find the need to impose it violently. When confronted by Desdemona’s father about his relationship with Desdemona, he does not find the need to act aggressively or violently toward Brabantio. Even when accused of using witchcraft in order to posses Desdemona, he clearly states that Desdemona fell in love with him by her own will. He is confident in the relationship that they have and was willing to put his own life on the line in order to prove it sincere. Even when Brabantio finds no other reasonable explanation for his daughter’s actions he warns Othello, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She had deceived her father, and may thee.” (1.3.333-334) Iago later refers to this statement when he accomplished to plant the seed of doubt in Othello. This statement provokes one to think about Desdemona’s reliability to stay by Othello’s side. Later on Iago takes advantage of this sense of doubt and uses it against Othello in order to reinforce his set up in making Othello believe that Desdemona was being unfaithful. He used Othello’s flaw of insecurity and remarks that people like Brabantio made in order to fashioned together an arrangement that brought Othello to his fall. Brabantio’s words soon came to haunt Othello once again when Iago managed to control Othello.  Prior to falling into the hands of Iago, Othello was a man that would be able to think things through. He was a man that wasn’t inclined towards violence and wasn’t prone to jumping to conclusions based on mere speculation. At the time prior to being to possessed by Igao’s plan he stated, ““Think'st thou I'ld make a lie of jealousy, To follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt Is once to be resolved” (3.3) He though that he was immune to jealousy and that that “green eyed monster” that Iago spoke of would never take a hold of him. With this he says that he would not go blindly building up speculation about a rumor without having any proof that the rumor could actually be true. Iago once again too advantage of this and did provide Othello with the “evidence” that he needed. Iago set up the handkerchief scenario in order to finally push Othello over the edge in believing Desdemona’s infidelity. He knew the great importance that the handkerchief had and used it to his advantage. Iago is a man who was aware of his environment; he knew people’s personalities and was conscience about how they would react toward certain things. He knew Othello’s personality and his ability to see the good side of people. In addition he took advantage of his reputation as “honest Iago” and the reputations of others. He developed a detailed scheme in attempts to reach lieutenancy and to have his revenge. Iago, like all villains, targeted what was most important to Othello, his wife. Iago knew that Desdemona was at the center of Othello’s life and that he would surely fall for his meticulously comprised plan to make Othello doubt his wife. He was able to manipulate Othello in a way that made Othello susceptible to anything that he planned or said. This manipulation and influence that he had over Othello, made it easy to drive Othello do his end. We notice through the literary piece that Iago was able to piece his plan together based on details and information that he picked up throughout the whole time span of the play. Towards the end of the play and close to Othello’s final moment, Iago managed to plant the seed of doubt so deeply into Othello that Othello couldn’t think for himself. Iago was aware of the importance of the handkerchief and used that to his advantage. Because it had such enormous importance and because within that social connotation a handkerchief was something intimate, Othello would go mad if someone else had obtained handkerchief. It is further elaborated that Iago knew how to manipulate people as he said: Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners… supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions… (1.3.362-372) Iago was in a way in control of Othello’s “garden. He was the one that placed and puzzled everything together, he was the one that in a way guided and influenced Othello’s ideas and thoughts. Scene after scene we can note that Othello went to Iago looking for guidance and reassurance. It was Iago that planted the seed, the one that pushed him towards jealousy and the one that finally pushed Othello over the edge in proving him with evidence of Desdemona’s infidelity. Othello was in state of mind unable to think rationally and derive clear conclusions. Approaching the tragic end of the play, we note both Othello’s mental and emotional instability. So wrapped up in the thought that Desdemona cheated on him, everything that Iago said and brought forth to Othello only reinforced that thought. He suffered from episodes of epilepsy and at the same time bombarded and convinced that his wife was being unfaithful to him with his lieutenant. After killing Desdemona Othello doesn’t seem to fully be able to grasp and comprehend what happened clearly. After acting on pure frustration and vengeance with Desdemona dead on the bed he says, “ My wife, my wife! What wife? I have no wife. O insupportable! O heavy hour!” (5.2.121-122) He speaks as a person that goes back and forth without being to fully focus on one thought. He was torn about what has just happened and isn’t able to decipher if what he did was right or wrong. His mind was so opaque and wasn’t able to think straight that when he killed Desdemona he didn’t know what to think. Iago had gained so much control over him that Othello was unable to think for himself and his thoughts were instead constantly driven and influenced by Iago’s word. Othello felt that Desdemona’s infidelity had no other alternative to be forgiven, but instead its only consequence was death. He was so consumed and enraged by all this that he found no other way out of it but to kill her, to then find out that it was all a scheme constructed by Iago. As Iago’s conspiracy is later discovered, Othello overwhelmed and unable to deal with the situation, feels that his own death is the only way out. Lodovico sums up Othello’s final actions and states, “ O thou Othello, that wert once so good, Fall'n in the practice of a damned slave, What shall be said to thee?”(5.2.342-344) Othello was a slave to Iago’s plan. Ohello, the noble Moor, the one that was at the head of the army, the one that was composed in harsh situation, fell to Iago’s plan. Iago managed to convince Othello that Desdemona was being unfaithful and took advantage of Othello’s jealousy that slowly consumed away at Othello and left him venerable to Iago’s words. From being confident in his relationship with Desdemona, to shedding Desdemona’s blood out of pure wrong, Othello meets his downfall as he was controlled and devoured by Iago. Unsuspecting that it was all Iago’s plan, Othello stepped into a set up which slowly but surely let to the tragic ending of //Othello//.  The once strong and confident Othello was gradually manipulated and consumed by Iago’s plan; his flaw of vulnerability to Iago brought him to his end.  